Palynostratigraphic And Paleoenvironmental Investigation of FUNCH-1 Well, Western Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria

Abstract

An exploratory well (Funch-1) from the western Niger Delta was subjected to palynological analysis in order to deduce and delineate the different palynozones in the well together with their paleoenvironment and respective ages. Thirty (30) ditch cutting samples collected at intervals of 60ft from 9,390ft to 11,190ft in the well were subjected to palynological analysis. Sample preparation involved the removal of carbonate and siliceous materials. A total of forty-one (41) palynomorph species were identified, out of which Acrostichum aureum, Psilastephanocolporites sapotaceae, Gemmamonoporites sp, Psilatricolporites crassus, Verrutricolporites rotundiporus and Verrucatosporites sp. were identified as marker species. Biozonation was carried out using standard zonation scheme and one zone of pollens and spores i.e., P700 and two (2) subzones P770 and P780 were identified on the bases of the Top) and Base of the marker species. Based on the identified palynozones, the age of the interval of the well investigated is late to middle Miocene. Paleoenvironmental studies on indicate that the majority of pollen and spores are found in brackish marshes.