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7th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition
Manama, Bahrain
March 27-29, 2006
Fault
System: A 3-D seismic Case Study in Onshore Bahrain
1 Exploration & Development, BAPCO, Bapco, Petex Building, P.O.Box:25504, Awali, Bahrain,
phone: 00973-17753859, fax: 00973-17753322, [email protected]
2 Exploration & Development, Bapco, Petex, P.O.Box:25504, Awali, Bahrain
The study is focused on the effectiveness of 3D seismic data for imaging subsurface faults of Cretaceous system.
Interpretation was carried out through standard horizon and fault
correlation tools on vertical displays as well as through
generation and interpretation of time slices and horizon seismic attributes like dip and azimuth displays, which afford a quick
and conclusive alignment of the lineaments.
The 3-D interpretation effort has brought out a detailed fault
pattern imaging. Though the observed faults are predominantly
oriented in north-south direction in line with previous work, 3-D data demonstrates that this complex
fault
zone actually
consists of numerous
fault
blocks. In addition, a NW-SE trending younger
fault
system, not observed in earlier studies,
offsetting the N-S
fault
system has been identified in this study mainly due to capabilities of horizon attribute analysis. Such
enhanced
fault
pattern imaging immensely helped in appreciating the regional and local stress field orientations, thus
supplementing the present day understanding of
fault
tectonics at the field scale. It will also be useful in planning of
development effort of the Cretaceous oil reservoirs in Ahmadi, Wara, Mauddud and Nahr Umr formations. Present work
reveals and reaffirms the undisputed imaging capability of 3-D technique in search of potential subsurface geological
features, signifying its applicability in the central part of the Gulf through some characteristic illustrations extracted from one
of Bahrain onshore 3-D surveys.