32 D2. Contributions in Solid Earth, Hydrogeology, and Environmental Geoscience

Sunday, 30 March 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
170B

EFFECTS OF CHICXULUB ASTEROID IMPACT EVENT ON LATE CRETACEOUS HYDROCARBON NORPHLET FORMATION ENTRAPMENTS- NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO DEEPWATER OFFSHORE U.S

Paper number: 32-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:55 AM – 11:15 AM

Authors

Abstract

Exploration in the Upper Jurassic Norphlet Formation deep-water of the Northern U.S. Gulf of Mexico ( 19 wells, Shell Oil) as written by ( Godo 2019), demonstrate dry holes with trap components having fault juxtapositions with the Haynesville Formation, allowing slow leakage provided by hydrocarbons generated near the end of Cretaceous, 66 million years ago ( mya). Only Smackover 4-way closure structures with no faulting have the older oil maintained it's seal. A majority of significant oil accumulations exist in traps filled 20mya.We are proposing that the Chicxulub hypervelocity Cretaceous/Paleogene impact event ( 65 mya) along with sediment remobilization loads affected the structural geology, in the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico resulting in significant fault movement and trap failure. Additional multiple factors are sedimentological facies organic and inorganic diagenesis, and source rock properties and pressure relationships.

The Northern Gulf of Mexico is within the impact-induced far-field (ITFF) crustal-strain fields caused by grounded impact energy distributed radially and concentrically by refracted and reflected shock waves returning to the surface at remote distances (660km.), We calculate the Chicxulub impact instantaneous energy introduced into plate tectonics, at a 150 km. radius crater and a 12km bolide impact at 30/km second velocity and a 10 percent grounded energy transference of 10 to 23 rd. joules. A 10 to the 9th times joules greater than the daily plate tectonic generated energy of Earth.

The Chicxulub impact has seismically (10.3 Richter Scale) and mega tsunami induced sediment remobilizations are documented in the offshore of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, (Sanford, Snedden, and Gulick, 2016) as the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary Deposit (KPBD) occurs widespread, as a map able layer of 175-375m thick. with calculated sediment load of 1.05 x 10 to the 5th km cubed. Thus the ITFF faulting enhanced by sediment loading may have resulted in salt movement and faulting.

Thermal maturity attaining .9 Ro %( Godo 2019) dictates the timing of oil expulsion from the Smackover Formation to the Norphlet Formation .The KPBD may have contributed towards the maturity threshold with up to 375 m of instantaneous burial and expulsion /migration.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 3

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025NE-406934

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