SPRINGVALE FORMATION
Author of name GUPPY (R.J. L.) (1910). A collection of fossils from Springvale near Couva, Trinidad. Agric. Soc. Trinidad and Tobago, Soc. Paper 440, paged separately 1—15. Repr. Bull. Amer. Pal, vol. 8, no 35, 1921.
Type locality: Springvale, Mt. Pleasant Quarry, three-fourths to one mile south of Milton (MANSFIELD, 1925, p. 7).
Thickness: Up to 4 300 feet.
References: WALL (G. P.) & SAWKINS (J. G.) (1860); GUPPY
(R.J. L.) (1911); GUPPY (R. J. L.) (1912); MAURY (C. J.) (1925a);
MANSFIELD (W. C.) (1925); WARING (G. A.) (1926); MAURY (C. J.)
(131); VOLKES (H.3.) (138); RENZ (H H.) (1942); RUTSCH (R)
(1942b); SUTER (H.H.) (1951); KUGLER (H.G.) (1953).
The Springvale Formation is divided into three members :
Chickland Clay Member (=Melajo Clay) – The Chickland Clay is an unctuous blue-grey clays, silts and sandy clays, thin glauconitic sand and lignitic sandy clay. There are occasional thin “conglomerates” made up of Oyster shells.
Savaneta Glauconite Sandstone Member – The Savanetta Glauconitic Sandstone ranges thickness I inn outcrop from10’ – 300′. It is a yellowish brown limonitic calcareous coquina of sandy aspect with broken shells and entire molluscs.
Gransaull Clay Member – The Gransaul Clay is a monotonous sequence of generally fine grained sand, sandy clay and clays, with the clays being blue-grey, slightly calcareous and gypsiferous. There are occasional thin glauconitic sands rich in fossils.
These members are certainly not recognisable in the Gulf of Paria wells.
The Top Springvale is defined on the first drilled occurrence of Elphidium 15. Elphidium 1/3 and pyritised molluscs and Ostracods are also characteristic of this fauna. 3D seismic suggests the Springvale Formation rests conformably on the Manzanilla Formation. It may, however, rest with angular conformity on the pre-Manzanilla surface.
In the western side of the Gulf of Paria sands are fine grained , well sorted and sub-angular, accessory mineral include common rounded siderite grains and rare dark pyritic grains, glauconitic fecal pellets, shell fragments.
While to the eastern edge sands are firm, very fine grained, well sorted, silty, grey, thin lignite laminations, pyrite, shell fragments, non – very calcareous, dark – lt blue fluorescence, porosities range from 22.2 – 28.6, perms 12.9 – 195md. Claystones are pure, non-calcareous, medium grey, some whitish specks.
North of the North Marine Master Fault lithologies include sands that are white – light grey, tight, occasionally dirty, very fine grained – moderately Sand- loose, clear , translucent, , sub rounded – sub angular moderately – well sorted, moderately – well cemented, friable, occasionally free quartz, non-calcareous, carbonaceous, glauconite, trace limestone, hard, brown, white micro crystalline, trace silt, trace shell fragments. Claystones are light grey – green grey, soft occasionally soluble, non-calcareous, blocky – slightly fissile, pyrite nodules, occasional shell fragments. Shales are green – grey, non – very calcareous, soft – very firm, occasionally silty, trace pyrite, abundant shell fragments, gastropods and bivalves. Siltstones are light grey, poorly – moderately indurated, slightly – very carbonaceous, arenaceous – argillaceous, occasionally pyrites. (Gallai & Archie 2015)
Outcrop Localities
CHICKLAND CLAY MEMBER
1.CUNAPO SOUTHERN ROAD
SAVANNETTA GLAUCONITIC SANDSTONE MEMBER
1. FORRES PARK
Fossils of the Savenatta Glauconotic Sandstone
GRANSAULL CLAY
1.MT. PLEASANT SCHOOL