High resolution biostratigraphic zonation for the UK central North Sea Paleocene

Abstract This paper presents the high resolution biostratigraphic zonation scheme for the Paleocene of the Central North Sea area (UK) and the application to formation characterization, well correlation, reservoir modelling and wellsite activities. The scheme is developed from detailed and consistently recorded palynological events, supported by microfossil data, which have been applied successfully to the majority of proprietary biostratigraphic studies from the basin. Nine zones and 29 subzones have been defined based on First Downhole Occurrence (FDO) or abundance events with chronostratigraphic significance and can be consistently correlated across the studied area. The nine biozones are described based on a dominant palynological marker, from base upward: Senoniasphaera inornata and Spiniferites magnificus (Danian), Isabelidinium? viborgense and Palaeoperidinium pyrophorum (Selandian), Cordosphaeridium gracile, Spiniferites fentonii, Spiniferites rhomboideus, Areoligera gippingensis and base Apectodinium spp. (Thanetian). The defined bioevents have been consistently linked with the published lithostratigraphy, stratigraphic sequences and interpreted depositional environments.