Integration of Seismic Sequence Analysis and High Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy for Delineating the Sedimentation Characteristics and Modeling of Baltim Area, Off-Shore Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract:

The current study is aiming to discuss the Messinian Prospectivity of the concerned area, which is located in the offshore Nile Delta, about 25 Km from the Mediterranean Sea shoreline. An integrated exploration approach applied, using a variety of the 2D/3D seismic data, subsurface borehole geologic and log data of the selected wells distributed in the study area, as well as the geophysical and biostratigraphic data. The well data comprise well markers, and electric logs, where the geological data represented by litho-stratigraphic information, as well as ditch samples analysis of the studied interval. The geophysical data include check shots, VSP, velocity cubes and 3D seismic lines. Biostratigraphic data include biozones, benthonic to planktonic ratios, nannofossils and foraminiferal data.

Seismic interpretation and seismic stratigraphic analysis, in the form of seismic sequence analysis, seismic facies analysis, seismic unit analysis and geologic confirmation have been done by the aid of Petrel and Kingdom computer softwares. The seismic lines were interpreted for defining the different parasequences and picking the various smaller sequences for mapping, after picking each sequence from the seismic correlation, it is facilitated the mapping of every sequence laterally. In addition, the interpretation of structures and isopach of every sequence has been carried out, and the seismic attributes for every sequence were possible, to extract the sands present in each sequence, and to study the extensions of these sands that act as a reservoir.

The integration of all results was taken as a base to produce the various models for the study area. The first one was the depositional environmental model, which showed that, the area varies from intertidal-littoral southward at Nidoco wells to inner-middle neritic at Baltim East wells then to outer neritic, and changes to bathyal and then to abyssal at the extreme north. The geologic model for the area was constructed revealing that, the area is changed from shelf to delta channels, and then converted to marine channels towards north. The depositional environments were shown to be delta front mouth bars on the shore face to the south, then this part was sloped to the north with the start of valley cut and a stage of submarine erosion and slumps.