Paul A. Comet

Independent Consultant,

Houston, Texas

The “Oil Correlation Study” was a huge study of most of the known petroleums, condensates, gases & potential source rocks of the Gulf of Mexico.

The analytical phase of the study was conducted at GERG, Texas A&M university between 1985 & 1990 under the administration of Drs. Jim Brooks & Mahlon C.Kennicutt

I joined GERG in April 1989 & finished the mapping phase on December 4, 1989. Interpretation finished in 1991.My conclusions amplify those of Keith Thompson who also worked on the data before me.

1) A “Golden Ring” of carbonate-sourced oil bearingsub-basins extending round the perimeter of theGulf of Mexico.

2) A halokinetic model of oil escaping from the deepzone of thermal destruction by “hitching a ride”with the moving salt.

3) Predominantly Mesozoic sources that are related to“Oceanic Anoxic Events” Tertiary sources wereconsidered to be minor.

4) Movement of heat in the sub-basins by convection.

Major differences are:

1) Comet et al.,(1993)considers many of the onshore Jurassic oils to be of different sources to the offshore oils. Wenger groups them together.

2) Wenger et al.,(1994)considers the onshore Eocene/Oligocene reservoired oils to be of similar source to the offshore Miocene reservoired oils. This is disputed by Comet et al., (1993).

3) Comet considers that the offshore “clastic”oils may be of mainly Cretaceous age. However a Bossier origin cannot be discounted at this time. Wenger assigns most of those oils to a Tertiary or Jurassic high-sulfur source

Oil retains a stratigraphic “memory” of it’s source, in spite of mixing, migration, contamination & biodegradation. In other words it can be regarded as a “rock”. The Wenger et al., (1994) map essentially confirms this “heresy”.