Lowermost Carboniferous (Tournaisian) Miospore Assemblages from the July Field, Gulf of Suez, Egypt: Biostratigraphic and Palaeoenvironmental Implications

Abstract

The Nubia Sandstone in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, is a well-known unclassified sediment. Palynology is considered the most effective tool for dealing with this problem. Miospore assemblages from the Lowermost Carboniferous (Tournaisian) have been discovered from the J62-86 and the J62-64 AST1 wells located in the July Field of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Spores are moderately to poorly preserved, suggesting a stratigraphical position within Lowermost Carboniferous ages. The studied sediments include poorly preserved conodont fragments and present significant identification challenges due to the drilling methodologies’ complexities. Spore assemblage consists of 31 genera with 56 species. The dominant spores include zonate genera Vallatisporites, Densosporites, and Archaeozonotriletes, camerate genera Grandispora, Geminospora, apiculate genera Apiculiretusispora, and laevigate trilete genus Punctatisporites and megaspores of the Lagenoisporites type are recorded. Marine microphytoplankton including Schizocystia bicornuta, Lophosphaeridium, Leiosphaerida, and some filamentous green algae of unknown affinity are recorded. The dispersed spore assemblage is associated with carbonized plant fragments. The palynological data have effectively dated the lower intervals of the Nubia Sandstone from the Nubia “B,” indicating a Lowermost Carboniferous (Tournaisian) age, i.e., Vallatisporites vallatus–Retustriletes incohatus palynozone (VI). The stratigraphic differentiation of the Nubia Sandstone is crucial for subsequent correlating subsurface wells in the Gulf of Suez within the context of geology and hydrocarbon exploration, particularly given the scarcity of other fossil groups.

Keywords

• Carboniferous
• Tournaisian
• spores
• Gondwana
• Gulf of Suez
• Egypt