Deformation of Carbonate Sequences in Offshore Bondoc Peninsula, S. Luzon, Philippines Interpreted from 3-D Seismic Data

Aurelio, Mario Juan¹; Taguibao, Kristine Joy¹; Cutiongco, Edgar Benedict²; Forbes, Monina³; Foronda, Joseph³
¹National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines.
²Pearl Energy Limited, Singapore, Singapore.
³Philippine National Oil Company - Exploration Corporation, Taguig, Philippines.

The offshore region south of Bondoc Peninsula in Southern Luzon is one of the very few areas in the tectonically active Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) which is covered by 3-D seismic data. This provides a rare opportunity to analyze the stratigraphic and structural characteristics of a sedimentary basin located in this tectonically complex region. In particular, a carbonate layer, observed onshore in Bondoc Peninsula and Burias Island as Neogene limestones, is expressed as a strong seismic reflector. This carbonate layer is affected by faults and folds manifesting a fold-and-thrust system. While a positive flower structure suggesting a transpressional regime appears to be the dominant feature, there are also indications of extensional tectonics expressed in the form of normal-faulted tilted blocks in the overlying sedimentary rocks. Manifestations of both positive and negative tectonic inversion processes can be observed. This complex structural set-up is the result of successive shifts of tectonic regimes occurring in the bounds of a geodynamically active plate boundary within a relatively short period of time inside the latter half of the Cenozoic.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90155©2012 AAPG International Conference & Exhibition, Singapore, 16-19 September 2012