408 CHAPTER 10

petroleum system concept was carried out in the

Williston basin of the USA (Dow and Momper
1972). Related concepts were subsequently described by
Demaison (1984) (the generative basin concept), Meissner
et al. (1984) (the hydrocarbon machine) and Ulmishek (1986)
(the independent petroliferous system). The concept was subse-
quently dened more rigorously in Magoon and Dow
(1994).
DEPTH SECTION
CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC SECTION
Delta front
Submarine
erosion
C
C
R S
2
S
1
S
Nondeposition
basin floor
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Time slice Event
15
56
68
9
1014
Growth faulting, onlap of basement high
Faulting ceases, fault overstepped, onlap of basement
continues
Reef growth on basement high, surrounded by sediment-
starved basin
Reef drowned
Delta progradation into current-swept basin, submarine
channel erosion (1214)
Source rock
Caprock or topseal
Reservoir
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
4
3
2
1
Slope
R
Delta top
Fig. 10.1 Schematic chronostratigraphic diagram, showing the relationships between sedimentary facies in a depositional sequence
and the overall development of the basin.
ABA10 11/22/04 4:32 PM Page 408