Geodynamical framework and hydrocarbon plays of a salt giant: the NW Mediterranean Basin

Abstract

The NW Mediterranean Basin developed during the Oligocene-Miocene rifting of the Eastern Iberian-European magma-poor continental margin. The margin developed as a result of back-arc extension associated with the rollback of the retreating Calabrian-Tethys subduction zone. Reinterpretation of 2D regional seismic reflection data suggests that rifting took place by hyperextension of the Iberian-European lithosphere. This process led to the seawards arrangement of distinct crustal domains: namely, proximal, necking and distal. The late post-rift Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) gave rise to significant margin erosion and canyon incision, the lowstand sedimentary by-products of which were largely deposited prior to the Messinian evaporitic sequences. Mesozoic-Cenozoic and Messinian-Recent salt tectonics events have been recognized. A regional hydrocarbon play concept is proposed here for shelf-deep-water settings, including pre-salt, Messinian and post-salt plays