Seismic Interpretation of Contractional Fault-Related Folds

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Seismic Interpretation ofContractional Fault-Related Folds

An AAPG Seismic AtlasStudies in Geology #53

JOHN H. SHAW, CHRISTOPHER CONNORS, AND JOHN SUPPE





Edited byJOHN H. SHAW, CHRISTOPHER CONNORS, AND JOHN SUPPE

Published by

The American Association of Petroleum GeologistsTulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A.


Shaw, Connors, and Suppe

ii

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Seismic Interpretation of Contractional Fault-Related Folds

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AAPG wishes to thank the following

for their generous contributions

to



Robert AlexanderThomas W. Bjerstedt

Chevron Texaco, Gulf of Mexico, Deepwater Business UnitExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

Harvard UniversityUnocal E&ET, Deepwater U.S.A.

Contributions are applied toward the production costs of publication,

thus directly reducing the book’s purchase price and making

the volume available to a larger readership.




v

John H. Shaw is the Harry C. Dudley Professor of Structural and EconomicGeology at Harvard University, and leads an active research program instructural geology and geophysics, with emphasis on petroleum explo-ration and production methods. He received a Ph.D. from PrincetonUniversity in structural geology and applied geophysics, and wasemployed as a senior research geoscientist at Texaco’s Exploration andProduction Technology Department in Houston, Texas. Shaw’s research

interests include complex trap and reservoir characterization in fold and thrust belts anddeepwater passive margins. He heads the Structural Geology and Earth Resources Programat Harvard, an industry-academic consortium that supports student research in petroleumsystems.

Christopher Connors is an assistant professor in structural geology and geo-physics at Washington & Lee University. Before coming to Washington & Leehe worked at Texaco Exploration as a structural geologist and seismic inter-preter contributing to exploration efforts throughout the world. He earned aB.S. from Penn State University, a M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, anda M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University. His current research interests are

in forward and inverse modeling of fault-related folding, seismic interpretation of complexstructures, and the development of growth strata associated with fault-related folding.

John Suppe is Blair Professor of Geology at Princeton University and is amember of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences. Since 1978 he and his stu-dents have been at the forefront of research on fault-related folding in coop-eration with many petroleum companies, including Texaco, ChinesePetroleum Corporation, and PetroChina. The photo is taken in the field inwestern China where he is currently studying active growth of petroleum

anticlines in the Tarim and Jungaar basins.

About the Editors


Shaw, Connors, and Suppe

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Table of Contents

About the Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Part 1: Structural Interpretation Methodsby John H. Shaw, Christopher D. Connors, and John Suppe

A) Defining Structural Geometry1) Defining fold shape and dip domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2) Recognizing thrust and reverse faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3) Recognizing growth strata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

B) Classes of Fault-related Folds1) Fault-bend folds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2) Fault-propagation folds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

3) Detachment folds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

4) Shear fault-bend folds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

5) Imbricate fault-bend folds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

6) Structural wedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

7) Interference structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57



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Part 2: Case Studies

Fault-Bend Folding1) Pitas Point anticline, California, U.S.A.: by John H. Shaw, Stephen C. Hook, and John Suppe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

2) Toldado anticline, Upper Magdalena, Colombia: by Alexis Rosero and Juan Carlos Ramon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

3) Sequatchie anticline, Tennessee, U.S.A.: A small displacement fault-bend fold: by Shankar Mitra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

4) El Furrial Field cross section, Eastern Basin, Venezuela: by Enrique Novoa, László Benkovics, Claudia Fintina, and Javier De Mena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

5) Rosario Field, Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela: by Ted Apotria and M. Scott Wilkerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6) Medina anticline, Eastern Cordillera, Colombia: by Mark G. Rowan and Roberto Linares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

7) Three-D interpretation of the El Furrial Trend, Eastern Venezuela Basin, Venezuela: by Miguel Morales, Enrique Hung, and Richard Bischke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

8) Shear fault-bend fold, deepwater Niger Delta: by Freddy Corredor, John H. Shaw, and John Suppe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Fault-Propagation Folds9) Basil anticline, Northern Apennines, Italy: by Fabrizio Storti, Stefano Tavani, Saverio Merlini, Alessandro Mosconi, and Francesco Salvini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

10) Salt weld detached fault-propagation folds: by Frank Bilotti, Timothy Brickner, Thomas Elliott, Chip Morgan, Richard Redhead, Yusri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

11) Structural inversion along the Sakala Fault, East Java Sea, Indonesia: by Shankar Mitra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Detachment Folds12) Detachment fold, deepwater Niger Delta: by Frank Bilotti, John H. Shaw, Ronald M. Cupich, and Roisin M. Lakings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

13) Mississippi Fan Fold Belt, Gulf of Mexico: by Mark G. Rowan and Frank J. Peel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

14) Yakeng detachment fold, South Tianshan, China: by Aurélia Hubert-Ferrari, John Suppe, Xin Wang, and Chengzao Jia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Imbricate, Wedge, and Interference Structures15) Odd geologic structures of southern Oklahoma revisited, Oklahoma, U.S.A.: by Paul Genovese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

16) Fault-bend folds in the Southern Caribbean Ranges, San Carlos, Venezuela: by P. E. Kraemer and J. Silvestro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

17) Quirk Creek anticline, Alberta, Canada: by Steve Lingrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

18) Imbricate fault-related folding, South Caribbean Basin, Colombia: by Freddy Corredor, Tomas Villamil, and John H. Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

19) Oligocene fold belt, western Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.: by Thomas W. Bjerstedt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

20) Edge-Sigsbee folds, Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.: by Robert J. Alexander, Thomas W. Bjerstedt, and Sharon L. Moate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

21) Fault-related folding in reactivated offshore basins, California: by Carlos Rivero and John H. Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

22) Coalinga anticline, San Joaquin basin, California, U.S.A.: by Chris Guzofski and John H. Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

23) Wedge structure, Nias Basin, Sumatra, Indonesia: by Peter A. Brennan and John H. Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

24) Interference structure, Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.: by Rion H. Camerlo, Thomas W. Bjerstedt, and Edward F. Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

25) End members of gravitational fold and thrust belts (GTFBs) in the deep waters of Brazil: by Pedro Victor Zalán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147




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This AAPG Atlas is a product of long-standing research partner-ships between industry and academia. ChevronTexaco, Arco,Unocal, ExxonMobil, Shell, Ecopetrol, PDVSA, CNPC (Petro-China), and other companies have supported the developmentof fault-related folding concepts at Princeton and HarvardUniversities for more than two decades. We offer special thanksto the scientists at these companies that have participated inthese collaborations, including Frank Bilotti, Peter Brennan,George Chou, Ronald Cupich, Joyce Evans, Stephen Hook,Elizabeth Harvey, Gunvor Kristiansen, Alfred Lacazette, SteveMcDougall, Donald Medwedeff, Shankar Mitra, Van Mount,Wayne Narr, Rafael Ramirez, Robert K. Sawyer, Tai Shih, TedSnedden, Richard W. Wiener, and Sherilyn Williams-Stroud.

Many individuals at the Universities have contributed to the sci-ence of fault-related folding, and most of these researchersappear in citations and as Case Study authors in Part 2 of thisAtlas. The authors wish to extend special acknowledgments to

the following current and former graduate students andresearchers at Princeton and Harvard Universities, who havecontributed to these efforts, including Frank Bilotti, RichardBischke, Freddy Corredor, Gregg Erikson, Paul Genovese, ChrisGuzofski, Stuart Hardy, Aurelia Hubert-Ferrari, Pablo Kraemer,Jay Lieske, Donald Medwedeff, Jon Mosar, Van Mount, KarlMueller, Jay Namson, Wayne Narr, Enrique Novoa, AndreasPlesch, Carlos Rivero, Delphine Rouby, Luther Strayer, M. PeterSüss, Xin Wang, and Hongbin Xiao.

We also acknowledge the support of Landmark GraphicCorporation, which has generously provided HarvardUniversity with seismic reflection processing and interpretationsoftware that was used for the analysis and presentation ofmany datasets in the Atlas. Through provision of software,Landmark, Schlumberger, Karl Thompson & Associates,MicroSeismic Technologies, and Paradigm also facilitated theuse of these datasets in research and teaching, and the

exchange of results with our industry sponsors. We also sin-cerely thank Texaco Inc., Veritas, Mabone Ltd., PetroChina, andthe many other companies that have allowed the presentationof their data.

The Atlas benefited from very helpful reviews by RichardAllmendinger, Peter Brennan, Stephen C. Hook, Alfred Lacazette,and Thomas Pratt.

Finally, the most practical and perhaps exciting aspect of devel-oping fault-related fold concepts has been their application andtesting in petroleum exploration and production projects. Forthis opportunity, their friendship, and their critical support aswe began the Atlas, the authors extend their most sincereappreciation to Peter Brennan, John (Jack) Carnes, Stephen C.Hook, and Geoffrey Newton.

Acknowledgments



Introduction Seismic Interpretation of Contractional Fault-Related Folds

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IntroductionPurpose of the volume This AAPG Seismic Atlas serves as an instructional guide and resource for the interpretation of com-plex structures imaged in seismic reflection profiles using fault-related folding theories. The focus ison contractional fault-related folds, which develop above fault bends, propagating fault tips, and/ordetachment surfaces. These structures form the majority of the large hydrocarbon traps in both oro-genic and passive-margin fold and thrust belts worldwide. Quantitative relations between fold andfault shapes guide structural interpretations of seismic reflection profiles, yielding balanced andkinematically viable geologic sections that can define exploration prospects and complex reser-voirs. This Atlas emphasizes the common elements of the various fault-related folding theories, andgraphically demonstrates how these concepts are applied to make better structural interpretations.

Contents and format The Atlas consists of two parts: 1) a graphic instructional guide to seismic interpretation authoredby the volume’s co-editors (J. H. Shaw, C. Connors, and J. Suppe); and 2) a compilation of case stud-ies with applications of fault-related folding methods by authors with diverse industry and academ-ic affiliations. The Atlas contains seismic sections from the U.S.A. (Texas, California, Oklahoma,Tennessee, the Gulf of Mexico), Canada (Alberta foothills), Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina,Brazil, Nigeria (Niger Delta), Angola, China, Italy, and Indonesia.

The large-format layout of the Atlas facilitates the display of seismic reflection profiles at usablescales, thus serving the volume's function as a workstation “companion” and instructional refer-ence. Wherever possible, the Atlas includes both un-interpreted and interpreted reflection profilesin depth, with additional data (well control and surface geology) posted where applicable. Brief textdiscussions, kinematic models, structural restorations, field photos, graphs, and other supportinginformation are also included on these displays. A companion CD-ROM is available with the Atlas,making the examples available for use in teaching and research.

Intended audience This volume is intended to assist E&P professionals involved in the interpretation of seismic reflec-tion data for trap delineation and reservoir characterization. The volume should also be a useful toolfor supervisors who evaluate structural interpretations to assign and reduce drilling risks. The for-mat and layout are designed to be used as a reference while interpreting seismic at the workstation,and as a resource in educational courses. Moreover, we hope the Atlas will be an important sourceof modern industry data for academics.

If you have comments or questions regarding the technical content of the Atlas, please contact:

John H. ShawProfessor of Structural and Economic GeologyDepartment of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University20 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA [email protected]

Basic structural observations

Quantitative structural interpretation based on fault-bend fold theory

growth strata

fault bends

thrust

multi-panel forelimb


Seismic Interpretation of Contractional Fault-Related Folds

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