A Three-Dimensional Multi-Body Inversion Process of Gravity Fields of the Gheshm Sedimentary Basin

Abstract

Understanding the response of a particular exploration target necessitates modelling the response from other sources that are of less interest. Three-dimensional (3D) modelling can provide accurate results of targets of interest with less calculation error due to the simultaneous computations of the responses from anomalous sources. This paper presents a 3D multi-body model to match the observed gravity data in the seashore and shallow waters from east of the Gheshm Island to the Hormoz Island and its northern seashores. A commercial software called ModelVision Pro was used to perform modelling process to determine the geometry and physical properties of geological structures and oil traps. The 3D modelling results were compared with the geological and depth information from wells. The results of anomaly separation identified few gravity lows due to the salt plug intrusion. The depth of the anomalous sources and other geological structures were determined. An approximate depth of 1,800 m was predicted for depth to the top of the source N next to the Gheshm salt plug. This correlates fine with the depth obtained from well Gh 2 (1,660 m); showing a relative error of 8.4 %. The results obtained from this research can provide useful information about the likely oil traps in the study area.