Palynozonation of the Cretaceous to Lower Paleogene strata of the Muglad Basin, Sudan

Abstract

Fifty-six ditch-cutting samples from two exploration wells, Azx-1 and Khx-1, in the Muglad Basin, Sudan were analysed for their palynofloral content. The material is dominated throughout the Early and Mid Cretaceous by rich pteridophyte/bryophyte spores and gymnosperm pollen. Angiosperm pollen are relatively less abundant, but become diverse by the Late Cretaceous although they occur in extremely low proportions. The recovered miospores allow the recognition of six informal assemblage zones spanning the Early Cretaceous through to the Paleocene and are designated as follows: Assemblage Zone I (Neocomian–Barremian); Assemblage Zone II (Barremian–Aptian); Assemblage Zone III (Aptian–Albian); Assemblage Zone IV (Albian–Cenomanian); Assemblage Zone V (Maastrichtian) and Assemblage Zone VI (Maastrichtian–Paleocene). This new zonation compares well with previous local and regional schemes.

Keywords:

• palynozonation
• spores
• pollen
• Cretaceous
• Palaeogene
• Muglad Basin
• Sudan

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out at the Central Petroleum Laboratories (CPL) in Khartoum and the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin). The authors wish to thank Professor Wilhelm Dominik for permission to use facilities at TU Berlin. The Sudanese Petroleum Corporation (SPC) is thanked for permission to publish this paper. Anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive comments as is Dr James B. Riding for his final audit of the manuscript.