Investigation of the Interaction Between Salt Movement, Faulting and Deposition, Using High-resolution 3-D Seismic Data; Eugene Island South Addition, Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Deformation on the Louisiana shelf results from the complex interaction between salt movement, faulting and deposition. The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between these processes through detailed structural interpretation of Eugene Island South addition, Gulf of Mexico. We used a high-resolution 3D seismic dataset that it is approximately 1850km^2 seismic survey acquired by Petroleum Geo-Services in 1995–1996. The seismic data was processed through Kirchhoff prestack time migration. We interpreted the fault systems, sedimentary bodies and salt based on 3D seismic data, well data and previous work in adjacent areas. We calculated the displacement-length values based on our faults and horizons interpretation. Fault displacement-length data was used to evaluate the distribution of extension and its history. Strain analysis of the fault system shows that extension is primarily accommodated by the major faults in the middle of the study area. We used the 29 publically available wells to convert the 3D data time to depth. We interpreted 31 faults and 7 horizons. The fault systems in the study area consist of 25 concave basinward normal faults. Most of the faults sole into salt, a salt weld or a salt roller. Moreover, we show that most faults were active during the Pleistocene (0.46–0.65 Ma) based on the age of growth strata in their hanging wall. This implies that salt movement and fault displacement are contemporaneous with sedimentation.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90194 © 2014 International Conference & Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey, September 14-17, 2014