BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOENVIRONMENT OF ES-P WELL, NORTHERN DEPOBELT, NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

A total of twenty-five (25) ditch cutting samples from ES-P well was provided for palynological analysis between interval 7250-10400ft with the aim of carrying out a detailed palynomorph biostratigraphic analysis of the well. The sediments were treated in the laboratory to concentrate the palynomorphs and promote their microscopic observation. Palynomorphs recovered from the sediments of well ES-P in the Niger Delta Basin are assigned Late Eocene age based on co-occurrence of stratigraphic markers like Monocolpites sp., Psilatricolporites crassus, Retibrevitricolporites obodoensis and pteridophytic spores which include Acrostichum aureum, Laevigatosporites sp., Verrucatosporites sp. and Polypodiaceoisporites sp,This suggests that the studied section was deposited in a predominantly terrestrial to brackish water swamp environment.Palynological zonation of the well was based on the first downhole occurrence and last downhole occurrence of chronostratigraphically significant species. The well has been broadly assigned to the P470, P480, P520-P540, P560 palynological zones. The palynofloral analysis yielded a rich recovery of palynomorphs dominated by Verrucatosporites usmensis-Magnastriatites howardi. The index minerals includes quartz, carbonates.