The Camerina A to Miogypsinoides A depositional patterns for southwest Louisiana

The Camerina A to Miogypsinoides A sediments of Southwest Louisiana have provided a myriad of ideas for drillable prospects over the past 30 or more years, yet a critical question remains unanswered, concerning the authors understanding of the depositional patterns for these sediments. A regional study of the Camerina A to Miogypsinoides A sediments, combined with detailed correlations of the entire stratigraphic column, including the younger Marginulina vaginata-Marginulina howei sediment series and the older Cibicides hazzardi and Marginulina texana sediments, reveals that these sediments are normal and do not require special depositional theories for local field areas. This study also reveals that the sand depositional patterns are controlled by either the major depositional fault patterns affecting the entire Camerina A-Miogypsinoides A sediments or the major structural features present during deposition. A combination of both of these features is the most reasonable explanation when all available data are considered. A regional understanding of the structure and stratigraphy from the youngest to the oldest sediments is required before the depositional patterns for a sedimentary sequence such as the Camerina A-Miogypsinoides A can be properly understood. This can only be accomplished by complete, detailed log correlations that have been integrated with both regionalmore » and local paleontological data and, when available, with good-quality seismic data.« less