Regional Structural Variability in the Deepwater Salina del Istmo – Impact on Petroleum Systems

Abstract

Abstract

Tectonic imprints in the onshore and shallow-water regions of the Salina del Istmo are fairly well understood and have been well documented, but so far there has been very little exposure to the structural complexity in the deepwater area. A newly acquired 3D, broadband, wide azimuth seismic data, reveals tectonic episodes and resultant spatial variability of structural style from basement to the seafloor in the deepwater Salina del Istmo.

Availability of new seismic data, covering a vast area within the Salina del Istmo basin, provides and unparalleled sub-surface illumination of structural elements, such as faults, folds, and diapiric features in the salt province. Integration of the seismic data with shipborne gravity and magnetic data demonstrates structural lineaments and basement blocks.

This paper presents evidence and discusses detailed basin subdivisions that are controlled by structural variations rooted to basement architecture within the salt province. Salt diapirs in the proximal deepwater area and extensive pop-up structures in the distal areas of the Campeche suggest the degree of contraction and shearing that happened during the Cenozoic Era, with a peak during Neogene Period. Variations in paleo-stress regimes resulted in distinct spatial distribution of halokinetic and compressional features within the basin. Some of these structures are still active, as they are surfaced on the seafloor. This paper demonstrates the implication and significance of the complex structural evolution on petroleum systems in the deepwater Salina del Istmo.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90260 © 2016 AAPG/SEG International Conference & Exhibition, Cancun, Mexico, September 6-9, 2016