HR: 17:00h
AN: U24A-05    [Abstracts]
TI: An integrated geospatial model to investigate tectonics of the Caspian Sea region
AU: * McCaffrey, K
EM: k.j.w.mccaffrey@durham.ac.uk
AF: Durham University, Earth Sciences, Durham, DH13LE, United Kingdom
AU: Jolly, R
EM: richard.jolly@uk.bp.com
AF: BP Exploration and Production, Chertsea Rd, Sunbury Upon Thames, TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
AU: Reynolds, T
EM: tony.reynolds@uk.bp.com
AF: BP Exploration and Production, Chertsea Rd, Sunbury Upon Thames, TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
AU: Riley, G
EM: gregory.riley@uk.bp.com
AF: BP Exploration and Production, Chertsea Rd, Sunbury Upon Thames, TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
AB: The South Caspian Basin provides an outstanding example of a rifted marginal basin now undergoing 3D contractional deformation. It is a young, deep basin which contains a prolific hydrocarbon system and thus is an extremely valuable natural laboratory with extensive industry data coverage. Folds and mud volcanoes are notable features of the basin and both are actively growing in the Cenozoic sedimentary sequence. Here, we discuss ongoing work to understand the dominant controls on the origin and evolution of the South Caspian structures. Within the basin, a thick fluvio-deltaic sequence is being actively folded into trains of 10-20km wavelength, 5- 10km amplitude upright folds. Four main spatial domains are identified in regional 2D seismic interpretations with linear, closely spaced fold arrays near the western and northern basin margins. Towards the basin centre folds display short, bifurcating hinge traces that form polygonal patterns in places. Mud volcanoes are found on or near fold crests and where hinge traces meet or are segmented. Exposures of similar stratigraphy and structure are available in adjacent uplifted regions in onshore Azerbaijan and provide analogues for subsurface sedimentary and structural architectures. Current efforts are underway to integrate the surface and subsurface geology which means directly addressing issues of scale, resolution and multidisciplinary integration. We use a common platform (CoViz®) to covisualize, access, and interrogate a range of different datasets from the subsurface including seismic volumes, reservoir structure models, well data, image logs, structural sections and reservoir simulation models, reservoir cartoons (GDE maps) and horizon data. The onshore datasets comprise topographic data, remote sensed imagery, GIS layers, surface mapping data, outcrop photographs, stratigraphic logs and ground-based lidar data. Our work suggests that the interaction between plate movements, basement influence and mechanical stratigraphy produce effects that vary spatially across the basin and with scale of observation. These interactions have produced fold geometries that are not typical of those developed by buckling alone and the mud and fold systems are linked by feedback mechanisms.
DE: 8002 Continental neotectonics (8107)
DE: 8005 Folds and folding
DE: 8108 Continental tectonics: compressional
DE: 8426 Mud volcanism
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting