Deepwater Channel Systems in Turkey as a Comparative Architectural Analogue for Sinuous Depositional Channel Systems in High-Resolution 3-D Seismic

L. Faulkenberry¹, B. Kneller², J. Peakall¹, and B. T. Cronin^3
1University of Leeds, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Leeds, UK
²University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
³University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

Deepwater systems are important hydrocarbon targets for many plays around the world. Tying the seismic architectural geometries to those seen in outcrop is essential for understanding deepwater channel evolution and reservoir potential. Of course, this comparison is problematic due to both a lack of resolution within seismic data and a limited number of continuous outcrop exposures. Improvements in seismic data quality have led to significant advances in imaging the internal architectures of channel systems, especially in shallow high-resolution 3-dimensional seismic data, which contain the highest frequencies and show the best preservation of depositional geometries. Continuous outcrop exposures of the Tertiary Kirkgecit and Lice Formations in Turkey have excellent potential for direct mapping of contemporaneous channel and levee deposits at a seismic and sub-seismic scale. Channel systems within these formations allow for a more complete analysis of the temporal and spatial evolution of channel axis and levee deposits. These channel systems show promise as an architectural analog to near-surface sinuous depositional channel systems seen in high-resolution seismic data.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90902©2001 AAPG Foundation Grants-in-Aid