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Volume 4 Part 1 March 1985The Journal of the British Micropalaeontological Society

The British Micropalaeontological Society, London

Journal of MicropalaeontologyThe British Micropalaeontological Society was founded in 1970 to further the study of micropalaeontology. Meetings and demonstrations are held regularly throughout the year and the Society now publishes a number of both serial and occasional publications. Membership is open to individuals and to libraries on payment of the appropriate annual subscription. Rates for 1984 are:

Library membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £15Ordinary membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10Student membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £5

Student members are persons receiving full-time instruction at educational institutions recognised by the Society. Appli-cation forms for membership should be obtained from the Treasurer.

The journal will accept original papers and review articles dealing with all aspects of micropalaeontology. Instruction to authors may be obtained on request from the Editor.

EDITOR Dr Lesley M. Sheppard, SSI (UK) Ltd., Tannery House, Tannery Lane, Send, Woking, Surrey GU23 7EF.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY Chairman: Prof. B. M. Funnell, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ. Secretary: Dr P. Weaver, Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, Godalming, Surrey. Treasurer: Dr J. E. Whittaker, Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Editor: Dr Lesley Sheppard, SSI (UK) Ltd., Tannery House, Tannery Lane, Send, Woking, Surrey GU23 7EF. Newsletter Editor: Dr R. L. Austin, Department of Geology, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hants. SO9 5NH.

SERIAL PUBLICATIONS Journal of Micropalaeontology, Volume 1 (1982) – Published annually and issued free to all members. The British Micropalaeontologist, Number 1 (1976) – Newsletter; three issues per year free to all members. A Stereo-Atlas of Ostracod Shells, Volume 1 (1973) – Published biannually. Subscription for 1984: £22 (Libraries £40). Orders to: Dr R. C. Whatley, Department of Geology, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3DB.

OCCASIONAL PUBLICATIONS 1. A stratigraphical index of British Ostracoda

R. H. Bate & J. E. Robinson (Editors) 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £58.502. Stratigraphical Atlas of Fossil Foraminifera

D. G. Jenkins & J. W. Murray (Editors) 1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £28.003. Microfossils from Recent and Fossil Shelf Seas

J. W. Neale & M. D. Brasier (Editors) 1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £37.004. Fossil and Recent Ostracods

R. H. Bate, J. E. Robinson & L. M. Sheppard (Editors) 1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £38.505. A Stratigraphical index of Calcareous Nannofossils

A. R. Lord (Editor) 1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £30.006. A Stratigraphical Index of Conodonts

A. C. Higgins & R. L. Austin (Editors) Expected publication date July 1985 All the above are available to members at list price less 40% discount, plus postage and packing (£2 per book in UK, £3 per book over-

seas). Order from the publisher (not the Society): Ellis Horwood Limited, Market Cross House, Cooper Street, Chichester, West Sussex P019 1EB.

UPS Blackpool Ltd., Stanley Road, Blackpool FY1 4QN

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PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF NORTH-EAST LIBYASponsored by

ARABIAN GULF OIL COMPANY (AGOCO)

in collaboration with RESEARCH CENTRE, GARYOUNIS UNIVERSITY, BENGHAZI

and COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DE MICROFLORE DU PALEOZOIQUE

(CIMP)

Editors: B. Thusu & B. Owens

Volume 4 Part 1 March 1985 The Journal of the British Micropalaeontological Society, London

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PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF NORTHEAST LIBYA FOREWORD

In 1980, when the Exploration Division of the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) was in the process of establishing a new Geological Laboratory in Benghazi, the desirability of initiating research projects which would help to resolve the problems of subsurface stratigraphy in some of the geologi-cally poorly understood areas within Libya was recognised by the staff. From the outset it was recognised that such projects would, in addition to their immediate practical benefits, have potentially considerable scientific value to research scientists and exploration geologists throughout Libya and indeed throughout many other countries in the region. After securing the active participation of specialists from within Libya and from a number of other countries, the “Palynostratigraphy of Northeast Libya” project was commenced.

The current achievements of the project would have been impossible without the enthusiasm and commitment which was received from the staff of the Research Centre and Geology Department of Garyounis University and the Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique (C.I.M.P.). The formal documentation and publication of the results of this project, which with the distri- bution of palynomorphs in sediments of Ordovician to Cretaceous age in Northeast Libya, will provide a sound basis for subsurface correlation in the region. This is particularly important in northern Cyrenaica, where thickness variations in the sedimentary succession due to faulting, erosion or non-deposition, together with major facies changes, cause considerable difficulties in exploration studies.

The excellent state of preservation of the palynomorph assemblages encountered in the study indicates that considerable advances will also accrue to the science of palynology from detailed tax- onomic studies which will follow in the second phase of the work.

It is anticipated that the full results of both aspects of this study will be presented at the planned International Symposium on the Palynostratigraphy of Northeast Libya, which will be held in Benghazi in 1986.

Farag M. Said Chairman Arabian Gulf Oil Company Benghazi, Libya, S.P.L.A.J

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Project OrganisationAdministrative Co-ordinators A. Asbali (Arabian Gulf Oil Co.)

A. El-Arnauti (Garyounis University)

Scientific Co-ordinator B. Thusu (Arabian Gulf Oil Co.)

Scientific Adviser B. Owens (British Geological Survey)

Contributors: A. El-Arnauti Garyounis University Benghazi, LIBYA

D. J. Batten University of Aberdeen Aberdeen, UK

W. A. Brugman State University Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS

G. Clayton Trinity College Dublin, IRELAND

D. L. Dineley University of Bristol Bristol, UK

J. W. Eggink State University Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS

P. Hill Derby College of Technology Derby, UK

S. Loboziak Université des Sciences et Techniques de Lille, Villeneuve dʼAscq, FRANCE

S. G. Molyneux British Geological Survey Nottingham, UK

B. Owens British Geological Survey Nottingham, UK

F. Paris Université de Rennes Rennes, FRANCE

J. B. Richardson British Museum (Natural History), London, UK

W. Riegel Universität Gottingen Gottingen, W. GERMANY

M. Shelmani Arabian Gulf Oil Co. Benghazi, LIBYA

M. Streel Université de Liege Liege, BELGIUM

B. Thusu Arabian Gulf Oil Co. Benghazi, LIBYA

P. Uwins University of Aberdeen Aberdeen, UK

J. G. Van der Eem Arabian Gulf Oil Co. Benghazi, LIBYA

M. Vanguestaine Université de Liege Liege, BELGIUM

J. 0.Vigran Continental Shelf Institute Trondheim. NORWAY

H. Visscher State University Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS

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INTRODUCTION

The application of palynology to the hydrocarbon exploration in North Africa is seriously hampered by the limited extent of the published data. Only a few publications dealing with limited parts of the stratigraphic column in certain areas are available, some systems having almost no information at all especially in northeast Libya. The present work which represents the initial report of a joint study by an international group of palynologists is designed in part to fill that gap. This report provides the academic and commercial palynologist with an outline of the succession of palynological events which occurred in northeast Libya from the Ordovician to the Late Cretaceous. The purpose of the report is two-fold, firstly to provide a tool which can have immediate application in exploration studies and secondly to provide the framework for more detailed reports which will be presented at the Symposium on Libyan Petroleum Geology to be held in Benghazi in 1986.

The majority of the stratigraphically diagnostic species of acritarchs, chitinizoa, spores, pollen grains and dinoflagellate cysts encountered in the study are illustrated. Many of these species have not been recorded previously in literature and will need detailed taxonomic descriptions. Therefore no new taxa are described and an open system of nomenclature has been employed. Only a brief appraisal has been made of the overall composition of the assemblages in any one system. The compilation of species distribution charts will be presented in a future publication when the examination of additional sample material is complete.

The absence of palynomorphs from any particular stage amongst those illustrated herein could imply the absence of that interval in northeast Libya. However, further sample coverage should allow a more complete regional picture to emerge.

All material illustrated in this report will be housed in the Palynological Collections of the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) in Benghazi and is registered in the series AGC 1-847.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Palynostratigraphy of northeast Libya project was jointly coordinated by the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), Benghazi, Research Centre, Garyounis University, Benghazi and the Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paleozoique. The successful completion of this project would not, however, have been possible without the support and encourage- ment of certain people whose help is here most gratefully acknowledged. Mr. Farag Said, Chairman, Arabian Gulf Oil Co. for support throughout the project, Mr. Ahmed Asbali, Exploration Director, Arabian Gulf Oil Co. who acted as Administrative Coordinator and was largely responsible for ensuring that the logistics of all aspects of running the project ran smoothly, in addition to providing the participants with constant encouragement and direction. Mr. Ahmed Essed, Geophysical Manager, Arabian Gulf Oil Co., who acted as Chairman of meetings in London and edited interim project reports. We are also grateful to Mr. T. Osman, Manager, Jawaby Oil Service Co., London, for his unfailing help in providing us with facilities for meetings and administrative support. Mrs. D. Lacey of Jawaby, London, for her untiring help in the organisation of the business of the project and Mrs. P. Donnelly for typing the interim reports and this final manuscript. In addition we express our gratitude to the professional staff, laboratory technicians and drafting department of the Exploration Division, AGOCO, Benghazi, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, British Museum of Natural History, London and Laboratory of Palaebotany and Palynology, State University, Utrecht, for assistance in various ways during the execution of the report and Mr. P. Howard, London for his assistance with all aspects of photography.

Finally and most importantly, we are most grateful to the Management of Arabian Gulf Oil Co. (AGOCO) in Benghazi for their financial support throughout the project and for sponsoring the production of this publication.

B. Thusu B. Owens

Editors