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Structural characteristics and 3D seismic detection of gas migration pathways in the deep‐water Orange Basin, South Africa

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Abstract

A high-resolution 3D reflection seismic dataset acquired over a deepwater exploration block in the Orange Basin, offshore of South Africa was used to achieve a detailed description of the contractional domain within a gravity-driven system. Conventional seismic analysis combined with novel horizon-based and volumetric seismic attributes highlight 5 main stratigraphic intervals, ranging from Cenomanian-Turonian to present-day in age. Coniacian to Santonian stratigraphic sequences were disrupted by numerous folds and a thrust fault system. The thrust fault system soles into two detachment layers, which coincide with the shale hydrocarbon source rocks at the Cenomanian−Turonian boundary and the top of the Turonian marine shale unit. The thrust fault system also propagates upwards into the Maastrichtian and Palaeogene sedimentary units and exploits S to WSW dipping normal faults along which hydrocarbons appear to have been transported to the present-day seafloor, forming pockmarks. Seismic attributes show 6 large pockmarks with diameters between 700 m and 1100 m and depths between 75 and 103 m. Thus, we suggest that hydrocarbons from the Cenomanian−Turonian source rocks were channelled up-section by the Cenomanian-Santonian thrust faults, followed by smaller-scale S-WSW dipping normal faults and in turn escaping into the ocean, resulting in pockmark formation.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Shell South Africa for the seismic data and for funding the Seismic Research Centre; to CGG for software and funding; to Schlumburger for Petrel software support and IHS Kingdom Suite for Kingdom Suite software licenses. We also thank Dr. Steven E. Zhang for providing constructive feedback to the manuscript. We thank Dr. Wei-Chung Han and an anonymous reviewer for their reviews, as well as Dr. Wu-Cheng Chi for editorial handling. This work was funded by DSI-NRF CIMERA and NRF. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) (Grant Number: 46979) towards this research is hereby acknowledged.

Funding

This work is based on the research supported in part by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant Number: 46979), JSPS and DSI-NRF CIMERA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    V. Mahlalela, M. S. D. Manzi, Z. Jinnah & R. J. Durrheim

  2. PG Techno Wox, 39 Kiewiet Street, Helikon Park, 1759, Randfontein, South Africa

    J. E. Bourdeau

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  1. V. Mahlalela
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  2. M. S. D. Manzi
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  3. Z. Jinnah
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  4. J. E. Bourdeau
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Contributions

VM conceived the original idea, conducted all data analyses, including seismic processing and interpretations and prepared the manuscript. MSDM provided seismic expertise and helped in the interpretation of seismic data, as well as writing of the manuscript. ZJ and JEB provided geological interpretations and assisted in the writing of the manuscript. RJD assisted in proof-reading and writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the writing, design and content of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to M. S. D. Manzi.

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Mahlalela, V., Manzi, M.S.D., Jinnah, Z. et al. Structural characteristics and 3D seismic detection of gas migration pathways in the deep‐water Orange Basin, South Africa. Mar Geophys Res 42, 8 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-021-09428-y

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