Deep Pore Pressures and Seafloor Venting In

The pore pressures of the S, R, Q and P sands follow the hydrostatic gradient and are in pressure communication across the entire Auger basin, Gulf of Mexico. At the structural crests of these sands the pore pressures exceed the least principle stress; directly above the sand crests, are a series of mud volcanoes. Using 3-D seismic and pressure data we map the distribution of subsurface pressures and show that sand overpressures are nearly constant across 19km (12 miles). We interpret that the Auger sands are venting fluids from reservoir level to the seafloor. The mud volcanoes at the seafloor have low impendence craters that expel densified (higher impedance) mud flows. The expelled material from multiple mud volcanoes in the Auger basin covers an area over 25km2 and may be a useful analogy for present day natural disasters. Auger and Macaroni fields are protected traps because the pore pressure is limited by the least principle stress at the crestal location.