Middle and Late Paleozoic Tectonostratigraphy of NE Offshore Abu Dhabi Salt Basin

Summary Paleozoic stratigraphy of offshore Abu Dhabi shows features of a salt-floored basin system that records significant deformational events of mid-Silurian (end-Llandovery or thereabouts) age, with further events associated with the end-Silurian (regional base-Tawil Unconformity) as well as Hercynian (pre-Unayzah) events, which are of lesser magnitude. Deformation events are shown up independently in seismic and regional well (stratigraphic) data. The deformation was responsible for production of west to NW-vergent (i.e. notably asymmetrical) structures that are distinct from simple salt domes due to halokinesis in the same stratigraphy. Adjacent basins contain little or no evidence of these events because of a/ presence of continental basement and a lack of salt (e.g. in Saudi Arabia, Ghawar area); or b/ almost complete erosion of the Carboniferous-Ordovician stratigraphy (e.g. as in the Oman Salt Basin). An overall tectonostratigraphic affinity with the Oman salt basin stratigraphy and stratigraphic processes is however suggested. It is noted that these tectonostratigraphic processes are important economically because they a/ create early structu res containing likely reservoir rocks but b/ may result in the erosion of the principal Early Silurian source rocks within the play systems.