Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 78, November 2024, pp. 59-73

Palynology of Late Oligocene to Pliocene succession in Temana Field of Balingian Province, offshore Sarawak

Ahmad Zamzamie Ishak¹,*, Zainey Konjing², Abdul Hadi Abd Rahman³, Mohd Suhaili Ismail¹, Numair Ahmed Siddiqui¹

¹ Geosciences Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Persiaran UTP, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

² Orogenic Geosample Facilities & Laboratories, Lot 6744-3, Jalan Tekali-1, Kawasan Perindustrian Tekali, 1 ½ Miles, Jalan Sungai Tekali, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia

³ Geoscience Consultant, 43, Taman Bertam Perdana, 13200 Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

*Corresponding author email address: ahmad_20001019@utp.edu.my

Abstract: Palynological records in Late Cenozoic succession from two Temana wells were reviewed and investigated for palynomorph assemblages, biostratigraphic correlation and age dating, as well as for paleoenvironment and paleoclimate interpretation. The data indicates abundant and diverse pollen and spores deposited in marginal marine with tidal influence setting. Three main palynomorph assemblages were identified from the Temana wells: (1) Zone-1 (dated as Late Oligocene), characterized by abundant Florschuetzia trilobata and dominant montane and seasonal elements such as Picea, Tsuga and Pinus, (2) Zone-2 (Early to Middle Miocene), dominated by Kerapah Casuarina-type pollen and characterized by increasing abundance of Rhizophoraceae mangrove pollen. Zone-2 can be further differentiated into Subzone-2a and Subzone-2b based on later appearance of Florschuetzia levipoli, and (3) Zone-3 (Late Miocene to Pliocene) occurring above a major angular unconformity is marked by a high percentage of the rainforest pollen Rubiaceae and a minor increase in seasonal elements. The interpreted paleoclimate inferred from temporal variations in hinterland-derived pollen shows cyclical pattern from seasonally dry climate in the Oligocene to warm and ever-wet climate, marked by the growth of Kerapah peat swamp during Early to Middle Miocene, and finally a prolong humid climate characterized by rainforest vegetation with minor intermittent seasonality since Late Miocene/Pliocene.

Keywords: Palynology, Sarawak, Late Cenozoic, marginal marine, paleoclimate

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Manuscript received 3 July 2023;
Received in revised form 27 October 2023;
Accepted 2 January 2024
Available online 30 November 2024

https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm78202406

0126-6187; 2637-109X / Published by the Geological Society of Malaysia.
© 2024 by the Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License 4.0.