1^ sessione

RICERCA E
COLTIVAZIONE
DI IDROCARBURI
IN BASILICATA E
NEL BACINO DEL
MEDITERRANEO
modera:
Maurizio Lazzati
attilio
sulli
93
The contribute of oil exploration in Sicily to produce new
data and geological models
A. Sulli
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare, Universit di Palermo,
Via Archiraf 22, 90123 Palermo
attilio.sulli@unipa.it
Atti del 1 Congresso dellOrdine dei Geologi di Basilicata,Ricerca, Sviluppo ed Utilizzo delle Fonti Fossili:
Il Ruolo del Geologo, Potenza, 30 Novembre - 2 Dicembre 2012.
Oil exploration in Sicily started in the 1950s with promising discoveries in the eastern Sicily
(Ragusa and GelaFields). Several exploration wells were drilled onshore, and the frst borehole
in Europe located in offshore was performed in Sicily (Gela,1959), followed by many other also
productive wells. The exploration, at frst allowed only to the public companies, was extended
as well to minor and foreign companies.
During the following ffty years the implementation of the geophysical techniques (mainly
2D and recently 3D seismic refection profles), calibrated by a large amount of boreholes,
increased the geological dataset regarding the buried and submerged framework, both on
land and offshore Sicily. The availability of these data accompanied the contemporaneous
restless activity of the research institutions, which collected mainly detailed feld data. The
resulting work provided new insights intothe reconstruction of the geometric relationships of
the rock bodies and yielded new stratigraphic and structural data, down to some thousands
of meters, comprising the surrounding offshore areas, and produced an up-to-date geological
model of Sicily.
The collisional complex is composed of (Catalano et al., 1996): 1) a foreland, which outcrops
in the south-eastern Sicily (Iblean Plateau) and is submerged in the Pelagian sea (Pelagian
foreland); 2) a Late Pliocene-Pleistocene foredeep, partially buried by the frontal termination
of the Gela Thrust System, between Gela and Catania and submerged in the Sicily Channel; 3)
a complex E to SE vergent fold and thrust belt,thick more than 15 km, outcropping on land and
submerged in the adjacent seas, formed by an European element (Kabilian-Calabrian Units),
a Tethyan element (Sicilide Units) and an African element (Sicilian-Maghrebian Units).
Field and geophysical data (Catalano et al., 2000; Bello et al., 2000), calibrated by boreholes
and recently supported by a deep seismic refection profle (Si.Ri.Pro., Accaino et al., 2011),
revealed in the chain the main structural elements, deriving from the deformation of mainly
Meso-Cenozoic carbonate successions, originally deposited in the African passive continental
margin, and their Tertiary terrigenous covers. These structural elements form almost horizontal
levels separated by regional detachments and lying on a presumably not involved northward-
dipping crystalline basement.
The lowest element results from a Meso-Cenozoic mostly carbonate platform S-vergent
imbricate fan (Panormide, Trapanese and Saccense domains) overthrusting the Iblean foreland
and the Pelagian offshore: it appears as the main bulk of the chain.
The intermediate element is a wedge of fat-lying Meso-Cenozoic deep water carbonate thrust
sheets (Imerese and Sicanian domains) overthrusting the deformed carbonate platform rock
units. The overlying element is a wedge of nappes of deep water deposits (Sicilide domain)
and detached Tertiary terrigenous cover of the carbonate units (NumidianFlysch). The
highest element consists of syntectonic uppermost Miocene-lower Pleistocene clastics, which
unconformably seal the whole underlying shortened tectonic units.
The fold and thrust belt in Sicily appears as the result ofthe interference of shallow and deep-
seated compressional structures generated and developed at the different structural levels
(Avellone et al., 2010; Albanese and Sulli, 2012). The shallow structures, characterized by
duplex geometries, involved during the Late Miocene relatively thin deep-water units (Sicilide,
94
Imerese, Sicanian units), whichwere superimposed on thick platform carbonate units, along
wide and originally almost fat foor thrusts.The deep-seated structures, characterized by high-
angle, transpressive ramps,and consisting of large, double-verging pop-up structures, involved
during the Latest Miocene-Pleistocene thicker platform carbonate successions (Panormide,
Trapanese, Saccense units). The foor thrust of the shallow structures was passively deformed by
the subsequent growth of the underlying, younger deep-seated structures.
During the Plio-Pleistocene the compressional events alternated with both extensional and
strike-slip episodes, giving rise to the present morphostructural setting.
The contribute of oil exploration in Sicily to produce new data and geological models
Attilio Sulli
95
References
Accaino F., Catalano R., Di Marzo L., Giustiniani M., Tinivella U., Nicolich R., Sulli A., Valenti V., Manetti P.
(2011). A crustal seismic profle across Sicily. Tectonophysics, 508, 5261.
Albanese C., Sulli A. (2012).Backthrusts and passive roof duplexes in fold-and-thrust belts. The case of
Central-Western Sicily based on seismic refection data.Tectonophysics, 514517, 180198
Avellone G., Barchi M.R., Catalano R., Gasparo Morticelli M., Sulli A.(2010).Interference between shallow
and deep-seated structures in the Sicilian fold and thrust belt, Italy. Journ. of the Geological Society,
167, 109-126.
Bello M., Franchino A., Merlini S. (2000).Structural model of Eastern Sicily. Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 55, 6170.
Catalano R., Di Stefano P., Sulli A., Vitale F.P.(1996).Paleogeography and structure of the central
Mediterranean: Sicily and its offshore area. Tectonophysiscs, 260, 291323.
Catalano R., Franchino A., Merlini S., Sulli A.(2000).Central Western Sicily structural setting interpreted
from seismic refection profles. Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 55, 516.
The contribute of oil exploration in Sicily to produce new data and geological models
Attilio Sulli
1^ sessione
RICERCA E
COLTIVAZIONE
DI IDROCARBURI
IN BASILICATA E
NEL BACINO DEL
MEDITERRANEO
modera:
Maurizio Lazzati
1 C O N G R E S S O D E I G E O L O G I D I B A S I L I C A T A
I L R U O L O D E L G E O L O G O
1 C O N G R E S S O D E I G E O L O G I D I B A S I L I C A T A
I L R U O L O D E L G E O L O G O
www.geologibasilicata.it/
http://congresso.geologibasilicata.it/2012/
ORDINE DEI GEOLOGI
DI BASILICATA
RICERCA, SVILUPPO ED UTILIZZO
DELLE FONTI FOSSILI
1 CONGRESSO DEI GEOLOGI DI BASILICATA
IL RUOLO DEL GEOLOGO
1 CONGRESSO DEI GEOLOGI DI BASILICATA
IL RUOLO DEL GEOLOGO
30 NOVEMBRE > Potenza
01 DICEMBRE > Potenza
02 DICEMBRE > Marsico Nuovo
Teatro Stabile,
Piazza M. Pagano
Sede Parco Nazionale dellAppennino
Lucano-Val dAgri-Lagonegrese
ATTI DEL CONGRESSO
SEGRETERIA ORGANIZZATIVA
ORDINE DEI GEOLOGI DI BASILICATA
Via Zara 114 - Potenza
Tel: 0971.35940, Fax: 0971.26352
congresso@geologibasilicata.it
Responsabile: Sig.ra Angela Rubolino
Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
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Con lAlto Patronato di:
Presidenza della Repubblica Italiana
E il Patrocinio di:
Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
COMITATO PROMOTORE| Geol. Carlo Accetta, Geol. Raffaele Carbone, Geol. Filippo Cristallo,
Geol. Franco Guglielmelli, Geol. Domenico Laviola, Geol. Maurizio Lazzari, Geol. Raffaele Nardone,
Geol. Nunzio Oriolo, Geol. Mary William
COMITATO ORGANIZZATORE|Geol. Raffaele Nardone - Coordinatore, Geol. Annamaria Andresini,
Geol. Maurizio Lazzari, Geol. Nunzio Oriolo, Geol. Mary William
COMITATO SCIENTIFICO|Dott. Raffaele Nardone - Coordinatore,
Dott. Fabrizio Agosta, Dott. Mario Bentivenga, Dott. Claudio Berardi, Dott. Gerardo Colangelo,
Ing. Ersilia Di Muro, Arch. Vincenzo L. Fogliano, Dott. Ivo Giano, Dott. Fabrizio Gizzi, Dott. Vincenzo
Lapenna, Dott. Maurizio Lazzari, Dott. Sergio Longhitano, Ing. Maria Marino, Prof. Marco Mucciarelli,
Dott. Lucia Possidente, Prof. Giacomo Prosser, Prof. Marcello Schiattarella, Prof. Vincenzo Simeone,
Prof. Marcello Tropeano, Dott. Maria Pia Vaccaro, Dott. Donato Viggiano.
Tre intense giornate di sessioni ed interventi organizzate per i tecnici di
tutti gli Ordini e Collegi, Operatori del settore Oil&Gas, Top Manager,
Amministratori, Dirigenti e Funzionari della Pubblica Amministrazione,
Studenti.
Lobiettivo primario quello di focalizzare lattenzione sul ruolo che
il geologo ha assunto in relazione allo sfruttamento compatibile e
sostenibile delle fonti fossili naturali.
La tematica verr affrontata grazie allintervento di relatori di
altissimo livello tecnico ed istituzionale, con interessanti di batti ti
ed una tavol a r otonda sul l a gesti one ambientale e formazione
professionale.

Propriet letteraria riservata
Editore
1a edizione: 2013
Tutti le immagini sono il frutto della ricerca dei relatori e quindi
sono utilizzate in questa pubblicazione ad esclusivo scopo
didattico e divulgativo.
PRESIDENZA DEL CONGRESSO
Dott. Raffaele Nardone
RESPONSABILE ATTI CONGRESSUALI
Dott. Raffaele Nardone