A new Mississippian biozonal scheme for the Finnmark Platform, Norway - Palynostratigraphic integration of exploration wells 7128/4-1 and 7128/6-1

A new biozonal scheme for the Mississippian succession in the Finnmark Platform, offshore Norway, is presented. Palynological analysis of exploration wells 7128/4-1 and 7128/6-1 that penetrated the Billefjorden Group, allow integration of all of the Mississippian palynological data from the region, providing better age constraint, and correlation of the sedimentary successions on the Finnmark Platform. Two new biozones and three subzones are described, in ascending stratigraphic order: the Granulatisporites granulatus Biozone (mid to late Visean), consisting of the Potoniespores delicatus Subzone (mid Visean), the Monilospora mutabilis Subzone (late Visean) and the Convolutispora vermiformis Subzone (late Visean), and the Tripartites vetustus Biozone (late Visean). The new biozones are correlated to the Carboniferous miospore biozones of Western Europe based on first and last occurrences of selected taxa.