TITLE:
Structural Style and Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of the Growth Faults Related Structures in the Bengal Basin
AUTHORS:
Md. Fazle Rabbi Joy, Md. Mostafizur Rahman, S. M. Mainul Kabir, Tamanna Binte Arfan, Farhad Hsossain
KEYWORDS:
Plate Tectonic, Subsidence History, Structural Relief, Syn-Depositional Model, Growth Fault, Petroleum System
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.8,
August
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: The structural and tectonic evolution of the Bengal Basin is characterized by a complex interplay of factors, including sedimentation, the rise of the Himalayan Mountains, and the movements of Jurassic syn-rift faults. This study aims to comprehend the progression of growth faults inside the basin by examining fault geometry, basin development, and structural relief patterns. We used high-quality 2D seismic lines from the PK-MY-8403, classical seismic interpretation techniques and modeling were carried out to reveal the plate tectonic conditions, stratigraphy, and sedimentation history of the basin. The break-up unconformity, Paleocene and Eocene submerged conditions, and crucial geological formations including the Sylhet Limestone, Barail Group, and Surma Group were among the notable features recognized in seismic section. With an emphasis on growth strata and pre-growth strata, significant variations in layer thickness and relief were remarked in different stratigraphic levels. Basin development events like the evolution of the Miocene remnant ocean basin, sedimentation in Oligocene, Eocene Himalayan collision, and the Pliocene reverse fault development are analyzed. In the early the Pliocene compressional forces outpaced sedimentation rates and syn-depositional normal faults of Oligocene time began to move in opposite direction. Syn-depositional growth faults may have formed in the Bengal Basin as a result of this reversal. This research provides a detailed comprehensive knowledge of growth fault development in the Bengal Basin following the seismic interpretation, modelling, and thickness/relief analysis. The outcomes point to a substantial hydrocarbon potential, especially in regions like the Eocene Hinge Zone, where the prospectivity of the area is enhanced by carbonate reefs and Jalangi shale. However, the existence of petroleum four-way closure in the investigated region requires further investigation.