Abstract: Fault
Patterns in Benin River and Makaraba Fields: A Regional Play Type for the Niger Delta
A. B. Adeyekun, B. D. Faparusi, A. G. Nunns, T. L. Heidrick, H. Xiao
Using 830 km2 of excellent 3-D seismic data, we determined the fault
patterns that are responsible for hydrocarbon entrapment in the Benin River and Makaraba fields, onshore northwestern Niger Delta. Both fields are trapped downthrown to the major listric GbokoMaka growth
fault
system, which trends E18°S for over 40 km, and has at least 2000 m of displacement, down to the southwest.
Several major splay faults break off the main trend in a southeasterly direction, creating a series of fault
-bounded structural compartments. Each of these compartments opens w We southeast and has a structural attic at the junction of the splay
fault
with the main
fault
trend.
These compartments create large-scale traps for hydrocarbons migrating from east to west up the gentle regional dip within the Miocene Ughelli depobelt. The Benin River field is trapped in the major compartment between the GbokoMaka fault
and the Benin River splay
fault
. The large Makaraba field is similarly trapped between the GbokoMaka and MakaWest faults. Such traps require an upthrown
fault
seal at the master
fault
and a downthrown
fault
seal at the splay
fault
. In the Makaraba field, the trap potential is enhanced by rollover into the GbokoMaka
fault
.
The same structural style is also evident along several other major fault
trends to the north and the south, and probably represents an important play type in the onshore western Niger delta.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90956©1995 AAPG International Convention and Exposition Meeting, Nice, France