Sub Andean basins: Depth to basement study based on potential field data

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The Sub Andean basin system of South America, represents a huge potential for oil exploration. Much of the region has very difficult access and hence remains underdeveloped. As a consequence, gravity and aeromagnetic methods have been used extensively in the initial geological appraisal of the region. The coverage of these disparate gravity and aeromagnetic surveys is such that they now provide near continuous coverage over most of the Sub Andean basin system. These data have been integrated into coherent data sets as part of two separate compilation studies involving the whole of South America. This study focuses on the Sub Andean basin system located to the east of the Andes and extending from Venezuela., in the north, to northern Argentina, in the south. The outline of the study area is shown in the attached figures. A range of derivatives and interpretation methods have been applied to the unified data sets to derive geological information on basement depth and structure. The principal interpretation tool has been the Werner profiling method. The results of the study have been constrained by published borehole and seismic data to provide important new insights to regional variations of basin architecture, tectonic fabric and sediment thickness. Since the study is primarily derived from potential field data and not seismic data, this study provides a new regional perspective for the whole of the Sub Andean basin system and is likely to stimulate and enhance exploration of the region.