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Geoscience Conference & Exhibition
Innovative Geoscience Solutions – Meeting Hydrocarbon Demand in Changing Times
March 7-10, 2010 – Manama, Bahrain
Late Cretaceous Seismic Stratigraphy Offshore Batinah Coast
(1) Applied Geology, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia.
Seismic interpretations of the late Cretaceous sediments from the deep water area south of Block-18, in the Gulf of Oman show interesting seismic facies for frontier exploration. Despite absence of well control in the deepwater area, it’s still valid to interpret seismic facies using the shallow well B from the near top late Cretaceous unconformity which was interpreted from downlapping of early Tertiary reflectors on it. These facies could represent the deepwater end of the onshore fluvial origin Al Khawd Formation, from north Oman. It is more than three seconds thick in the block and occupies low areas between basement sub-highs. It consists of five seismic facies (sf) from 1 to 5 as shown in the proposed seismic stratigraphic log. The seismic stratigraphy first started with sub-marine fan deposits down slope in the basin under subaqueous conditions followed by intervals of seismic facies 2 to 5, exhibited by the high and low amplitude acoustic facies. It is expected to show better reservoir facies development from the well B shaly section Moreover, channels show axes trending NE-SW with minor presence of soft sediment diaprism interpreted at depths greater than 6sec twtt. Generally, structurl development during late Cretaceous were influnced with start of the Oman Mountains uplift and its continuous subsequent erosion (Nolan et al, 1990) whereas the study area remained under structural quiescence which provided potential source rock developments especially within the deeper sections beside potential reservoir facies represented by prospective channel sands.