Correlation of the early Paleogene in northwest Europe: an overview

The last wo decades have seen a major resurgence of interest, both commercial and scientific, in the early Paleogene stratigraphy of northwest Europe. The commercial interest has arisen primarily as a result of major oil and gas finds in the central and Northern North Sea, mostly in deep-water sand-stones of late Paleocene to mid Eocene age. Increased interest in he onshore sections has been stimulated partly in response to the offshore hydro-carbon exploration, but largely through the activities of international (IUGS/IGCP) working groups, whose primary concern is the establishment of a globally standardized system of series and stages. The onshore sections of the southern North Sea Basin area are of particular importance in