Iodp Expedition 308: Gulf of Mexico Hydrogeology Site U1324 Summary

Site U1324 is the westernmost site drilled in the Ursa basin by Expedition 308. Of the three sites in the Ursa Basin, Site U1324 has the thickest sediment loading above the permeable Blue Unit. The principal objectives of drilling Site U1324 were to document rock physical properties at the location of maximal overburden in the Ursa Basin, measure in-situ formation temperature and pressure, document geochemical composition of the pore water, and establish a preliminary age model leading to an estimate of sediment accumulation rates at this location. The ultimate goal of drilling the Ursa Basin is to explore fluid flow and fluid pressures in an overpressured basin.