Palaeogeographic and Provenance Implications for Conjugate Late Cretaceous Slope Play Reservoirs on the Equatorial Atlantic Margins

Summary The late Cretaceous slope play is a key focus for current and future exploration through the equatorial Atlantic and beyond, consisting of deepwater depositional systems supplied with sands from large and complex hinterlands on both margins of the evolving Atlantic. An understanding of the nature of these depositional systems and their inherent variability informs both exploration and asset scale decision making. We demonstrate examples of employing geoscience insight and technology to both the source and sink components of these systems, setting them in their regional context, to address known and emerging exploration and development challenges. New data from both margins, integrated with regional palaeogeographic and Earth systems modelling results, provide insight into the character of the deepwater Cretaceous depositional systems. Details of these systems on both margins are revealed, demonstrating a greater basinward extent than originally envisaged and confirming key sediment input locations. These insights have material implications for reservoir distribution and quality that will inform both ongoing and future exploration strategies.