Influence of pallet pattern on top-to-bottom compression performance of unitized loads

Environmental scaling factors estimate a corrugated container’s ability to withstand various conditions it will encounter during the storage and distribution process. In this project, we examined the compressive resistance of unitized loads using differing pallet stacking patterns. To simulate real-world failure scenarios in our laboratory tests, we used two different nominal board grades of single-wall C-flute regular slotted containers loaded with a plywood panel and bagged salt to direct the failure location to the bottom of the stack. Our results showed that the columnar aligned pattern provided the greatest compressive resistance and the interlocked stacking arrangement yielded the lowest of the patterns evaluated. Based on the study results, we calculated box compression retention multipliers for each pattern and compared them to scaling factors published by the Fibre Box Association.

Lateral migration of large sedimentary bodies in a deep-marine system offshore of Argentina

Contourite features are increasingly identified in seismic data, but the mechanisms controlling their evolution remain poorly understood. Using 2D multichannel reflection seismic and well data, this study describes large Oligocene- to middle Miocene-aged sedimentary bodies that show prominent lateral migration along the base of the Argentine slope. These form part of a contourite depositional system with four morphological elements: a plastered drift, a contourite channel, an asymmetric mounded drift, and an erosive surface. The features appear within four seismic units (SU1–SU4) bounded by discontinuities. Their sedimentary stacking patterns indicate three evolutionary stages: an onset stage (I) (~ 34–25 Ma), a growth stage (II) (~ 25–14 Ma), and (III) a burial stage (< 14 Ma). The system reveals that lateral migration of large sedimentary bodies is not only confined to shallow or littoral marine environments and demonstrates how bottom currents and secondary oceanographic processes influence contourite morphologies. Two cores of a single water mass, in this case, the Antarctic Bottom Water and its upper interface, may drive upslope migration of asymmetric mounded drifts. Seismic images also show evidence of recirculating bottom currents which have modulated the system’s evolution. Elucidation of these novel processes will enhance basin analysis and palaeoceanographic reconstructions.

Delineating Depositional Environment through Lithostratigraphy and 2D Sequence Stratigraphy of a Typical Ramp Succession: In the Obom Field Niger Delta

Modelling the most appropriate depositional environment is essential in the reservoir characterisation and 3D modelling of oil bearing sands and the integration of various workflows reduces the uncertainty in deciding the appropriate depositional model which serves as a precursor into petrophysical property distribution during 3D modelling. This paper elaborates a robust study of the integration facies analysis, 2D sequence Stratigraphy and biostratigraphy data in depicting the environment of deposition of the OBOM field. The lithological description of the G8 to the F5 reservoirs ranged from finning upward sequence and blocky shaped sequence as channel sands and coursing upward shoreface deposits. Mineralogical descriptions of the penetrated sands were also carried out, especially on the F5 reservoir in which the presence of radioactive minerals was decisive to constrain the depositional environment to lower shoreface. In the Sequence stratigraphic analysis two 3rd Order depositional cycles was identified from top to bottom in the field. This is substantiated by the facies trend, facies cross plot and cycles indicators like maximum flooding surfaces identified by regional marker shales, biofacies population and biodiversity charts and sequence stratigraphic methods like sequence thickness, bed stacking patterns and facies depositional patterns with regards sea level change. It was noticed that reservoir thickness reduces from the bottom to the top with the proximal channel sands in deep intervals gradually overlain by distal upper shoreface sands and lower shoreface sands at the shallower intervals. The gross depositional environment was a transgressive marine settings ranging from the lower shoreface and channelized upper shoreface deposits. The results from the integration of facies analysis, biofacies, seismic analysis and sequence stratigraphy results reduces uncertainty in depositional environment models.

Recognition of High-Frequency Sea-Level Fluctuations in Late Silurian to Early Permian Deposits, Perlis, Malaysia.

The purpose of this paper is to present information on the past sea-level fluctuations of sedimentary rock succession of the Perlis area that covers the Mempelam Limestone, Timah Tasoh Formation, Sanai Limestone, Telaga Jatoh Formation, Kubang Pasu Formation, and Chuping Formation at Bukit Tungku Lembu and Guar Sanai, Perlis, Malaysia. Based on sedimentology logging, cycle stacking patterns, and accommodation variations revealed by Fischer plots, 51 cyclic sequences of third-order depositional sequences are recognized. These sequences generally consist of transgressive and regressive events. As the thickness of the cycle column increases, it forms an increase in accommodation space and subsidence rate and results in rising sea level. As the thickness of the cycle column decreases, it will form a decrease in accommodation space and subsidence rate and resulting in sea-level fall. Generally, the facies of the cycle are vertically arranged, forming coarsening and fining upward patterns observed from sedimentology logging. The Silurian Mempelam Limestone-Carboniferous Chepor Member sequence is characterized by a progressive increase and decrease in accommodation space, indicating a rise and fall in sea level. In contrast, the Carboniferous Uppermost Kubang Pasu-Permian Chuping Limestone sequence is characterized by a progressive decrease in accommodation space, indicating a longer-term fall in sea level. The regressive-transgressive cycles recognize deviations in the accommodation space and sediment supply from the cyclic successions. In turn, these cycles are expressing the long-term of Perlis’s sea-level fluctuations. The results notably reflect the cycles consistent with the long-term rising and falling trend on different regions globally in Paleozoic times.

Topset-to-forest rollover trajectories as reliable predictors of sediment-volume partitioning into deep-lake areas

Topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and their relation to sediment- and sand-budget partitioning into deep-lake areas are far from being well understood, as compared with their marine counterparts of shelf edges. Two quantitatively distinctive topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and clinothem-stacking patterns were recognized in the Oligocene Qikou Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin and are quantified in terms of trajectory angles (Tse), topset thickness (Tt), forest thickness (Tf), bottomset thickness (Tb), and clinothem-set relief (Rc). Rising topset-to-forest trajectories have positive Tse of 0.15°–0.51° (averaging 0.35°). Ranges in Tt, Tf, Tb, and Rc of their associated progradational and aggradational clinothem sets are, respectively, 32.4–58.7 m (averaging 42.7 m), 76.9–176.2 m (averaging 148.3 m), 0 m, and 167.8–320.8 m (averaging 272.9 m). Falling topset-to-forest rollover trajectories, in contrast, have negative Tse of − 0.12° to − 0.02° (averaging − 0.06°). Ranges in Tt, Tf, Tb, and Rc of their associated progradational and downstepping clinothem sets are, respectively, 0 m, 266.0–395.7 m (averaging 333.4 m), 441.1–542.5 m (averaging 464.1), and 874.9–922.6 m (averaging 892.5 m). These two topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and clinothem-stacking patterns are closely linked to two distinctive patterns of sediment- and sand-volume partitioning into deep-lake areas, which are quantified in terms of Tt, Tb, and differential sediment aggradation of topset segments and forest-to-bottomset compartments (As/Ad). Rising topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and associated progradational and aggradational clinothem sets are characterized by aggradational topsets (reported as Tt of 32.4–58.7 m), a lack of time-equivalent bottomsets, and As/Ad of 0.22–0.87 (averaging 0.33), and are fronted by mud-dominated depositional deposits, with sporadic occurrence of thinner and regionally localized forest sands. They are, therefore, inefficient at delivering terrestrial sediments or sands into deep-lake settings. Falling topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and associated progradational and downstepping clinothem sets, in contrast, are characterized by toplap, erosional terminations but aggradational bottomsets (reported as Tb of 266.0–473.4 m), and As/Ad of 0, and are fronted by sand-rich depositional deposits, with widespread occurrence of thicker and regionally extensive time-equivalent deep-lake bottomset sands. They are, thus, efficient at delivering terrestrial sediments or sands into deep-lake settings. Topset-to-forest rollover trajectories and associated clinothem-stacking patterns are thus reliable predictors of sediment- and sand-volume partitioning into deep-lake areas, assisting greatly in developing a more dynamic stratigraphy.

Stratigraphic variability of Mississippian Meramec chemofacies and petrophysical properties using Machine Learning and geostatistical modeling,STACK trend, Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma

Mississippian Meramec deposits and reservoirs in the Sooner Trend in the Anadarko (Basin) in Canadian and Kingfisher counties (STACK) play of central Oklahoma are comprised of silty limestones, calcareous sandstones, argillaceous-calcareous siltstones, argillaceous siltstones, and mudstones. We have used core-derived X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data and established environmental proxies to evaluate the occurrence of specific elements (Al, K, Ti, Zr, Sr, Ca, and Si) and to illustrate their stratigraphic variability. For the Mississippian Meramec, six indicator elements or element ratios serve as proxies for clay (Al and K), detrital sediment (Ti and Zr), carbonate deposits (Sr and Ca), calcite cement (Sr/Ca), and biogenic and continentally derived quartz (Si/Ti and Si/Al). We used an unsupervised K-means classification to cluster elemental data from which we interpret three chemofacies: (1) calcareous sandstone, (2) argillaceous-calcareous siltstone, and (3) detrital mudstone. We used a random forest approach to relate core-derived chemofacies to well logs and classify chemofacies in noncored wells with an accuracy of up to 83% based on blind test results. We integrated core-derived XRF, conventional well logs, and chemofacies logs to produce a dip-oriented cross-sectional chemofacies model that trends from the northwest to the southeast across the southern STACK trend. Meramec chemofacies distributions reflect parasequence stacking patterns. The stratigraphic variability of chemofacies indicates an upward increase of argillaceous detrital mudstone from parasequences 1 to 3. Parasequence 3 is capped by a maximum flooding surface. From parasequences 4 to 5, an increase in argillaceous-calcareous siltstone and calcareous sandstone reflects the progradational stacking. Porosity is relatively low in calcareous sandstones primarily due to calcite cement. Water saturation is high in argillaceous-calcareous siltstone, moderate in calcareous sandstone, and low in detrital mudstone. Within the Meramec, biogenic quartz is associated with drilling issues, specifically frequent bit trips due to its hardness. Interpreted biogenic quartz from element profiles corresponds to the calcareous sandstone chemofacies, which can be estimated from triple-combo well logs and can be mapped. Effective porosity and water saturation models reflect the stratigraphic variability of chemofacies and rock types and can be predicted within the defined chemostratigraphic framework. Understanding the spatial variability of effective porosity and water saturation is important for reservoir development planning.

Morphological types in the Deccan Volcanic Province, India: implications on emplacement dynamics of continental flood basalts

We review and compare morphologies from continental basaltic lavas, using examples from the Deccan Volcanic Province to compile their internal configurations, mutual associations and compare them. The mechanism of endogenous transfer of lava within an insulating (rapidly developed) crust provides an efficient mode of dispersal of the molten lava in flood basalts. The growth of the lava flow can be achieved by a single extrusion or by multiple pulses of endogenous emplacement that enable the lava to efficiently spread over large areas and thicken.We show that the morphology of a lobe manifests the response of the molten lava to several parameters (including volumetric rate of emplacement, substrate topography, viscosity, vapour loss, etc) that govern the dynamics and cooling history of basaltic lava after it starts to spread on the surface. The lateral transition from one morphology to another within lobes of a lava flow is a testimony to the interactive response of the lava dynamics and rheology to variation in the local systems in which they were emplaced. The morphologies do not evolve as rigid partitioned categories from ‘áā and pāhoehoe lava types’ but as parametric progression of interactive variations in the spreading and cooling lava.A hierarchical recognition of lobes, flows and flow fields and mapping of the morphology (and their lateral transition or continuity) combined with the stacking patterns provides the volcanological framework for a sound stratigraphic mapping of flood basalts. Such an architectural documentation of flood basalt provinces will lead to robust models of their eruptive histories.