Comparative Analysis of Salt Structures in the Southern North Sea, Dutch Offshore, the Netherlands

Abstract

Comparative analysis of three randomly chosen salt structures (diapir A, diapir B and diapir C) of the Southern North Sea has been presented through the interpretation and reconstruction of the 2D seismic data set (SNSTI-NL-87 & SNST-NL-83). The study area lies in the Southern North Sea, Dutch offshore and it was tectonically active in the Permian or prior to that, as the basement was faulted at several locations before the deposition of salt in the Late Permian. The salt started to move in the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic and the resulting salt structures developed until the Mid-Miocene. In most of the cases salt started to move due to the basement faults but buoyancy and differential loading are also main factors for the initiation of the salt movement. Two main time periods are believed to enhance the salt movement in the study area i.e. the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous (extension), and the Late Cretaceous to the Early Tertiary (inversion). The results show thick Triassic and Jurassic sediments in the graben area. In contrast, due to the possible erosion, thin layers of sediments observed on the structural highs. The Late Cretaceous was reported as the compressional period resulting thickness variations of sediments in the area.