Print this pageExploration Opportunities in Melawi Frontier Basin, Central Part of West Kalimantan, Indonesia
SODIK, ABDULLAH, SURYADI OEMAR, WURYADI SADIRSAN
Petroleum within the western Indonesia basins (i.e. North, Central and South Sumatra, Sunda, West and East Java, Kutai, Barito, Tarakan, etc.) are produce mainly from Tertiary reservoirs. Currently, hydrocarbon exploration in the western Indonesia basins have been intensively explored since the beginning of the century. The objective of this paper is to describe petroleum geology the Melawi Basin, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Exploration frontier usually cover frontier of geological, physiographical and geographical nature. Within this scope frontier of strategic or tactical values intertwine. Tactical aspect commonly have short to medium term operational consequences. Strategic geological frontier refer to scopes of geologic thinking with long term implications.
The Melawi Basin lies in the central part of West Kalimantan, Indonesia between the Scwanner montain massif to the south and a wrenching zone to the north. This wrench zone has a distinct N 110 degrees E trend and marks the southern limit of the Silat syncline in the northern part of the basin.
The Melawi Basin is filled with 7,000 - 10,000 meters of Paleogene sediments on its northern margin which is the Lupar Line for the Ketungau Basin to the north and the Semita Ridge for the Melawi Basin to the south. This sedimentary wedge thins to zero on the south margin of the basin.
Oil will likely be sourced from the Silat and possibility from the Payak shales in the deeper parts of the basin. Early structures which existed during this maximum burial phase have been identified in the Melawi Basin.