[5] Multibeam echosounder images collected during R/V Sonne cruise SO174 show the northern Campeche Knolls as distinct, elongated hills that average 3 by 6 mi (4.8 by 9.7 km) in size, with reliefs of 1,475 to 2,625 ft (450 to 800 m) and slopes of 10 to 20 percent.

The thick sediments provided prolific petroleum source rocks with the most productive one being of latest Jurassic and Cretaceous age.

[5] Hydrocarbon generation makes Campeche Knolls a highly ranked and prolific petroleum region, with studies showing that salt activity supports leakage of gas and oil.

[5] This knoll was named Chapapote, the Aztec word for “tar,” and is located at 21° 54’ N by 93° 26’ W in approximately 1.8 mi (3, 000 m) water depth.

[4] A diverse biological community is also present on the Chapapote, with a range of organisms, including tubeworms, bacterial mats, and chemosynthetic mussels all calling the area home.

[4] The Chapapote asphalt volcano is located in the Campeche Knolls.It was there that the deepest known recovery of surficial gas hydrate occurred at a water depth of 1.8 mi (3,000 m).