High-resolution aeromagnetics as an exploration tool in the Timor Sea, northwestern Australia
- Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra (Australia)
The Mesozoic Vulcan Graben in the Timor Sea, northwestern Australia, is one of Australia's most active oil exploration areas, with a number of discoveries made within the last five years. To further assist in understanding the structural setting of the region, the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) carried out a regional high-resolution aeromagnetic survey over the Vulcan Graben in late 1989. Three to twelve km wavelength, 0.2-2.0 nT amplitude magnetic anomalies have northeast strikes and correlate well with the position and orientation of the rift faults, as defined by seismic reflection data. Significantly, the magnetic trends closely match the fault trends at the prospective Valanginian unconformity horizon, where all of the major producing reservoirs are located. Numerous northwest-trending (strike-slip ) faults have also been mapped as zones of low anomaly, some of which correspond with offsets in the major northeast-trending anomalies. These faults, which are probably due to the reactivation of either Mesozoic transfer faults or Paleozoic normal faults, may have a major role in the entrapment of hydrocarbons in the Timor Sea, as most producing fields are located close to a northwest-trending fault or its extension. The northwest-trending faults have not previously been defined using seismic data. This survey shows that even in an area with extensive seismic coverage such as the Timor Sea, high-resolution aeromagnetics can provide important information that both complements and supplements the seismic data.
- OSTI ID:
- 7025181
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910403-; CODEN: AABUD
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 75:3; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Dallas, TX (United States), 7-10 Apr 1991; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AUSTRALIA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
MAPPING
EXPLORATION
MAGNETIC SURVEYS
CONTINENTAL SHELF
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
INDIAN OCEAN
OFFSHORE SITES
AUSTRALASIA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MINERAL RESOURCES
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration