Palynological Analysis of T–well Located South-Western Niger Delta: Implication in Age and Paleoenvironment

Abstract

Palynological investigation of T–Well located in the South Western Niger Delta was carried out using 26 ditch cuttings to date and infer paleoenvironment of the sediments penetrated by this interval. The analysis showed - moderately rich palynofloral content consisting of angiosperm pollen grains, ferns and fungi spores, algae and dinoflagellates cysts. Two Pantropical Zones of Magnastriatites howardi and Crassoratitriletes vanraadshooveni were delineated using some   stratigraphic markers such as, Crassoratitriletes vanraadshooveni, Verrutricolporites rotundiporis,   Psilatricolporites crassus, Retitricolporites irregulari, Monoporites annulatus, Zonocostites ramonae, Verrucatosporites sp, Pachydermites diedderixi, Magnastriatites howardi and Striatricolporites catatumbus. These Zones are of Early to Middle Miocene age. The sediment is made of 70% shale and 30% sand of progradational paralic Agbada Formation. The palynological analysis revealed dominance of mangrove swamp, rain forest, freshwater plants which suggest warm, humid and heavy precipitation tropical coastal climate. Also the dominance of terrestrially derived palynomorphs over marine taxa infers a lot of continental influence in coastal area ranging from fluvio-deltaic to a shallow marine setting.