--> Southern Africa's Potential Uncovered Using Integrated Data Sets

2018 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition

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Southern Africa's Potential Uncovered Using Integrated Data Sets

Abstract

Most of the vast areas offshore Southern Africa and beyond the shelf remain undrilled and can be classified as under explored and frontier acreage. Key to our geotechnical evaluation of this area is Getech's extensive magnetic and land gravity station data and our 2016 satellite-derived gravity data, with the latter covering the offshore areas. Added to this are the new, reprocessed, 100,000-line km, pre-2014, non-exclusive gravity and magnetic data held by Petroleum Agency SA. The region’s structural and tectonic evolution was constrained by 13 2D modelled gravity and magnetic profiles that were integrated with good-quality seismic cover, on-shelf well control and data provided by Petroleum Agency SA. New integrated and standardised tectonostratigraphic and stratigraphic frameworks were constructed to better evaluate the petroleum prospectivity of the 5 basins and 12 sub-basins located between the Walvis Ridge in the west and the Mozambique Basin in the east. We have applied Getech’s comprehensive geotechnical workflow that: 1) investigates the structural evolution and crustal architecture; 2) integrates this data with our Global Plate Model; 3) assesses seismic and well data, stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, thermochronology and chronostratigraphy for a corresponding region-wide seismic stratigraphic framework; 4) applies our palaeoclimate and palaeodrainage models, and 5) evaluates the play elements for each basin. Defining the timing of formation and the geometry of the basins allows greater insight into the age and type of sedimentary fill that may be preserved in these, as yet, predominantly under explored basins. Several key uncertainties are addressed and answered by applying our workflow and data sets in combination with Petroleum Agency SA’s data and publicly available data. The key objectives of this poster are as follows: 1) To demonstrate how a fully integrated data set can help to reduce exploration risk and resolve key prospectivity questions for Southern Africa’s frontier areas and underexplored basins 2) To show our integrated and standardised stratigraphy of the region and the related distribution of key play elements (i.e. sources, reservoirs and seals) 3) To identify the proven and potential plays present within the basins and sub-basins 4) To display a few of our integrated gravity, magnetic and seismic examples from various Southern African basins