Quantitative Biostratigraphy and Paleoenvironmental Analysis of the Neogene Succession in Temsah Field, Nile Delta Basin, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The Nile Delta is a primary province for petroleum exploration. However, traditional biostratigraphic frameworks often struggle in proximal environmental settings where marine microfossils are scarce and qualitative palynozones suffer from low temporal resolution due to long‐ranging taxa. This study establishes a high‐resolution biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental framework for the Neogene succession (comprising the Sidi Salim, Wakar and Kafr El Sheikh formations) by integrating quantitative palynology with palynofacies analysis based on 82 samples. This investigation employs constrained cluster analysis (CONISS) and Q‐mode cluster analysis to reveal hidden stratigraphic trends from offshore wells TNW‐4 and TNW‐7 in the Temsah Field. Seven distinct palynozones (T‐1 to T‐7) spanning the Middle Miocene (Serravallian) to the Early Pliocene (Zanclean) were identified and calibrated against Mediterranean planktonic foraminiferal zones (MMi7–MPL2). Additionally, four palynofacies types (A, B, C, and D) were characterised, representing a spectrum from highly distal dysoxic to highly proximal oxic depositional environments. The results demonstrate that these quantitative palynozones are not mathematical artefacts but reflect repeatable basin‐wide physical changes and climatic events. This integrated approach provides a robust tool for precise subsurface geological mapping and lateral correlation, particularly in proximal deltaic sections where traditional marine‐based methods reach their functional limits, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of petroleum exploration in the region.