Modern and Ancient Shelf Clastics: A Core Workshop

The organizers of this core workshop opted for a broad, permissive definition of shelf clastics and contributors were encouraged to focus on their own interpretations rather than force-fitting their examples to a restrictive theme. As a result, the editors assembled a selection of core examples which range from standline to shelf edge. Given the dominance of petrophysical logs in subsurface studies, contributors to the workshop worked hard to make the necessary core-to-log comparisons which were essential if geologists are to more fully utilize wireline data in facies analysis. Contributors were also encouraged to place their studies within the context of energy prospects associated with environments of deposition. Hydrocarbon potential and reservoir quality dominate these discussions. The high degree of lithofacies variability and the effect of high-energy events on shelf deposits cause sediments formed within this environment to be particularly challenging exploration targets.