FORAMINIFERAL BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOENVIRONMENT OF WELL BL-1X, DEEP OFFSHORE, NIGER DELTA BASIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Foraminiferal biostratigraphic analysis was carried out using one hundred and sixty (160) ditch cutting samples from BL-1X well, deep off-shore Niger Delta basin Nigeria. The interval studied is 7710 – 13020 ft belonging to the Agbada Formation. Lithologically, the section varies from shaly-sand to sandy-shale to shale. Biozonation included four planktonic zones, the proposed planktonic zones are: Globgerinoides extremus - G. humerosa zone – interval zone, Globorotalia acostaensis zone – taxon range zone, Globorotalia foshi peripherronda – Globigerinatella insueta – interval zone, Catapsydrax stainforthi zone – taxon range zone which are correlatable with the zones of previous workers. Samples from the section was dated early to late Miocene based on paleontological evidences. Sediments of well BL-1X were deposited in the lower-upper bathyal environment based on environmentally restricted benthic species.