 Geology of magnolia field Name Institutional affiliation

Introduction  The geology of magnolia field is essential when it comes to the analyzing of the depositional environment, its importance and how the sedimentary structures are formed.  The geological setting of the Magnolia field also helps in the comprehension of the different depositional environments for the formation of the structure. I  t is critical in the comprehension of the geology of the Magnolia field.

Geology  Geology deals with the structure of the earth and the substances alongside with the history and the processes that act on the earth.  Geologists are supposed to research on the processes of the earth, the materials in it, and the history.  The geology of Magnolia field is important for geologists in comprehending the process that led to its formation.

Magnolia field  Magnolia field is an offshore oil drilling and production platform in the Gulf of Mexico.  It is the world’s deepest Extension Tension Leg platform. It is a hull that consists of four circular columns that are connected at the bottom by pontoons.  The Magnolia field is located along south of Cameroon. This is the southern edge of the Titan mini-basin. This is also where the deep reservoir sands are positioned across the down series to the basin and antithetic faults adjacent to salt bodies

Geology of Magnolia field  The geology of magnolia field will research on the processes that result to Magnolia field and the phases that it under goes.  The phases can be divided into three phases.  These include ponded, transitional and depositional phases. The ponded phase consists of primarily sheet sands that on lap against salt.  A typical sequence comprises of sheet sands at the base that are overlain by erosional, and amalgamated channels.  This corresponds to the abandonment phase of deposition.

Geological setting of Magnolia field  The geological setting of Magnolia field is key to the realization of its history.  The strata in the Magnolia field are divided into a ponded interval, a transitional lower interval and a depositional zone also known as by pass.  The ponded and the transitional intervals are affected by allochthonous salt.  The ponded sediments were ponded between salt walls that were formed into a small minibasin system.  The sediments are condensed by the critical conformity in the transitional sediments

Compositional variations of magnolia field  The Fluids of magnolia field are not in compositional equilibrium.  This is because of the variations in the maturity of the source rock from which the hydrocarbons were derived.  There is also a greater extend to which the biogenic methane has been incorporated into the fluids.  There are influences that on the fluid properties of the field which result from gravity and saturation pressure and minor compositional attributes such as the hydrocarbon gas.

Challenges from the compositional variations  The compositional variations challenge the notion that hydrocarbon fluid mixing is geologically instantaneous thus underscoring the importance of testing assumptions that regard too compositional equilibrium.  The state of disequilibrium impedes compartmentalization assessments at Magnolia.  However, such challenges offer the opportunities for fluid property and the predictions of phases.  They also result to the development of the setting of geochemical surveillance techniques that can be employed profitably.

Depositional environments  Depositional environment regards to the spaces where sediments are set down.  It should be noted that the type of geographical and physical characteristics of a deposit is the main determinant of what remains.  Depositional environments are classified into three. These include continental, marine and transitional environment.  These have the distinctive characteristics that give provisions of important information that give regard to the geologic history of a specific area.

Importance of depositional environment  Depositional environment is critical to the geology of a place. Geologists’ recon structures the climates of an area through the reconstructing of depositional environments.  There are practical applications that are gained from the depositional environment.  Geologists are able to make conclusions from the characteristics of a depositional environment.  The recognition of depositional environment is aided by the use of sedimentary structures.

Sedimentary structures  Sedimentary structures regards to the structures that are created through the process of sediment deposition.  They are a manifestation of the biological and the physical processes that work in the depositional environments.  There are different types of sedimentary structures. In the case of Magnolia field, there is a resultant growth in the salt structures.  The channels usually entrench themselves on the environment where there effective and efficient erosive potential. This results to the outpacing of topographic growth.  However, when flaws are not frequent, this is a great contingent for topography growth thus becoming a barrier to successive growth.

References  Alsop, G. I. (2012). Salt tectonics, sediments and prospectivity. London: Geological Society.  Biju-Duval, B. (2012). Sedimentary geology: Sedimentary basins, depositional environments, petroleum formation. Paris: Ed. TECHNIP.  Chan, M. A., Archer, A. W., & Geological Society of America. (2013). Extreme depositional environments: Mega end members in geologic time. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America.