Organic Geochemistry DSDP Leg 40, Continental Rise of Southwest Africa

Abstract

During the course of Leg 40, the author served as shipboard geologist-geochemist with the responsibility of detecting evidence of petroleum genesis and making recommendations to the Operations Manager and Chief Scientists on whether it was necessary to suspend drilling to avoid penetrating a petroleum or natural gas accumulation and causing pollution. The shipboard methods used to accomplish this function and measurements and observations during the cruise are discussed in the Introduction and Site Reports of this volume. This subsequent section is based on shorebased MS-GLC analyses and characterization of both solid and gas samples collected during the leg. The primary objective of this study was to determine and describe the degree of thermal carbon diagenesis found in strata recovered on Leg 40.