A 3D Seismic Chronostratigraphy and Attribute Assessment of Late Jurassic Evaporite Sequences at the Gothnia Basin Margin, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Jurassic sequences on the Arabian Platform contain widespread carbonate reservoirs, source rocks and seals, which contribute to a world class petroleum system. Since the Triassic period, the Platform was subjected to alternating periods of transgression and regression and differentiation with intrashelf basins. One key variation in sediment deposition was the formation of evaporite seal beds associated with these intrashelf basins. To elucidate the basin depositional history near the flank of the Gothnia Basin margin, a 3D seismic chronostratigraphy technique and attribute assessment were adopted to assess the evaporite distribution during the Late Jurassic. Seismic chronostratigraphy cubes and Wheeler transform models were generated and interactively assessed for structural controls to deposition and assessment of transgression and regression, unconformity and hiatus events at the basin margin. The seismic chronostratigraphy model, which represents dense semi-automatically generated horizons chronostratigraphic order, was derived from mapping samples in the seismic trace. This allowed the interactive assessment of the Jurassic basin margin depositional history in both time and space, and use of horizon sets for attribute and geobody assessment. The techniques applied in this study area proved beneficial in accurately defining the limits of the evaporite salt beds and basin depositional history during the Late Jurassic