Subsurface structural mapping Melut Basin using satellite gravity data

Abstract

Melut Basin is one of the largest and most important oil producing areas in South Sudan. It is located in the northeastern part of the South Sudan and is covered by a sedimentary succession of Cretaceous and Tertiary continental strata that attain a thickness of more than 5km in the depocentres of the basin. Melut Basin is considered as one of the most perspective basins with respect to oil in South Sudan. Extensive exploration activities are going on in the northern part of this basin. Other parts are still unstudied and little is known about their prospectivty. The overall objective of the present study is investigate the subsurface structures of Melut Basin using the potential field data obtained from both ground measurement and satellite observations. The method used in this study is Gravity method that depends on densities variations. For the present work various data types, from different sources (ground and satellite gravity data) were made available. That individually constitute part of the spatial information system pertaining to the Melut area have been used. The difference between the ground and satellite gravity data is very minor. Accordingly, satellite gravity data used in present study. This is because satellite gravity data are better than the ground measurement. Average method was used in order to separate the regional from the residual component of the gravity. The Derivatives of the Gravity were computed in order to study the presence of faults. Moreover, two profiles were constructed across the residual gravity map in an approximately SW-NE and NW-SE directions cutting the most prominent anomalies in the area. 2.5D Gravity modeling established to decipher the subsurface structure along two profiles in the study area. The results of interpretation maps and profiles defined boundary of Basin, identified there