Tethyan Megasequences, Isolated Carbonate Platforms and Petroleum Systems Chart: An Exploration and First-Order Correlation Tool for the Mesozoic and Cenozoic of the Mediterranean

Isolated carbonate platforms (ICPs) are spectacular features of Mediterranean geology and have long been known to host important hydrocarbon reserves, for example in the Southern Apennines of Italy. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in the resource potential of Mediterranean isolated carbonate platforms following recent world class exploration successes in this play in the eastern Mediterranean. The scarcity of subsurface case histories in the Mediterranean Region lets open a series of questions on the characteristics of Mediterranean Isolated Carbonate Platforms and their relationships with the elements of the associated petroleum systems. In order to provide a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential of this interesting carbonate target, we created a database which includes a large amount of data on the carbonate systems of the Mediterranean and on the related petroleum systems. The database includes outcrop and subsurface, onshore and offshore data from 10 main regions of the Mediterranean, corresponding to present orogenic belts, forelands and passive margin settings.