ABOUT THE COURSE
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Students will learn advanced structural interpretation skills through hands-on mapping of offshore geologic structures. Exercises will include application of the “kink method” of volume-balanced interpretations to extensional and compressional marine structures and the evolution of salt structures. In optional final project, students interpret 3-D volumes and time slices in an offshore exploration environment.
- Learn the basic principals of balanced geologic interpretations of marine structures.
- Recognize and interpret compressional (fault-bend folds and fault propagation folds) and extensional structures (roll over anticlines).
- Interpret evolution of marine salt structures.
- Learn how to interpret 3D volumes and time slices.
COURSE CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. EVALUATION OF BALANCED CROSS SECTIONS
3. KINK-BEND METHOD
4. FAULT-BEND FOLDS
5. TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF OCEANIC PLATES: DIVERGENT, CONVERGENT, AND TRANSCURRENT BOUNDARIES
6. EVALUATION OF BALANCED CROSS SECTIONS
7. FAULT PROPAGATION FOLDS
8. IMBRICATE DUPLEX STRUCTURES
9. CONSTRUCTION OF BALANCED CROSS SECTION
10. TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE MAGDALENA FAN, NORTHERN COLOMBIA, COMPRESSIONAL FOLDS AND MUD DIAPIRS
11. EVALUATION OF BALANCED CROSS SECTIONS
12. CONSTRUCTION OF RETRODEFORMED SECTION
13. GEODYNAMICS OF CONVERGENT MARINE PLATE BOUNDARIES – CARIBBEAN AND NAZCA PLATES
14. SEISMIC INTERPRETATION WITH KINK METHOD
15. EXTENSIONAL STRUCTURES. DOUBLE FAULT-BEND ORIGIN OF ROLLOVER ANTICLINES, GROWTH FAULTING. EXERCISE: BRAZOS RIDGE FIELD, GULF OF MEXICO
16. INTERPRETATION OF GRAVITY DATA
17. SALT TECTONICS. MECHANICS AND STRUCTURE, SALT THICKNESS, RIM SYNCLINES, SUBSALT EXPLORATION. EXERCISE: SOUTHERN NORTH SEA
18. INTERPRETATION OF MAGNETIC DATA
19. SEISMIC INTERPRETATION WITH KINK METHOD – GROWTH FAULTS
20. 3D DATA INTERPRETATION: USE OF 3D VOLUMES AND TIME SLICES
21. EXERCISE: TIGER SHOAL GULF OF MEXICO (PAPER OR PAPERLESS VERSION OF EXERCISE DEPENDS ON AVAILABILITY OF COMPUTERS AND VISUALIZATION SOFTWARE – SUCH AS KINGDOM SUITE)
22. VOLUME BALANCING
23. APPLY KINK METHOD TO INDIVIDUAL DATA
24. WRAP UP