Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:45:51.796Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Structural features and formation conditions of mud diapirs in the Andaman Sea Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2018

WENGANG HE  and
JIANXUN ZHOU
WENGANG HE*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China Key Laboratory of Tectonics and Petroleum Resources of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
JIANXUN ZHOU
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
*
†Author for correspondence: hewengang123@aliyun.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Data from offshore oil and gas explorations have revealed that mud diapirs occur widely not only at continental margins but also in foreland basins and may have played an important role in the entrapment of oil and gas. Although the structural features and formation mechanism of salt diapirs have been extensively investigated, mud diapirs are still not fully understood, largely due to the difficulty of identifying them from seismic data. In this paper, the structural features and main controlling factors of mud diapirs in the Andaman Sea Basin are investigated based on seismic profiles combined with drilling data and regional tectonic settings. The results show that there are five types of mud diapir in the Andaman Sea Basin: turtleback mud diapir, mud dome, piercing mud diapir, mud volcano and gas chimney-like mud diapir. Turtleback mud diapirs mainly occur in the southern segment of the accretionary wedge of the Andaman Sea Basin, which is far from the Bengal Fan and characterized by low deposition rate and strong compression tectonic setting. Piercing mud diapirs exist mainly in the central segment of the accretionary wedge, which is close to provenances of sediments and characterized by rapid sedimentation rates, large mudstone thickness and transpressional tectonic setting. Mud domes and mud volcanoes mainly occur in the northern segment of the accretionary wedge, which is characterized by rapid sedimentation rates, large mudstone thickness and sedimentary wedge growth tectonic setting. The gas chimney-like mud diapirs only occur in the northern segment of the back-arc depression close to the Sagaing strike-slip fault belt, which is characterized by high deposition rate, large mudstone thickness and high geothermal gradient. These features suggest that thick mudstone deposit, rapid sedimentation rates, large geothermal gradient, strong tectonic stress and gravitational spreading and sliding may have prompted the formation of mud diapirs in the Andaman Sea Basin.

Keywords

Andaman Sea Basinmud diapirstructural featureformation conditionseismic data interpretation
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 156 , Issue 4 , April 2019 , pp. 659 - 668
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, J., Ge, Z. & Sanchez, M. 2012. Post-rift salt tectonic evolution and key control factors of the Jequitinhonha deepwater fold belt, central Brazil passive margin: insights from scaled physical experiments. Marine & Petroleum Geology 37, 70–100.Google Scholar
Alam, M., Alam, M., Curray, J., Chowdhury, A. & Gani, M. 2003. An overview of the sedimentary geology of the Bengal Basin in relation to the regional tectonic framework and basin-fill history. Sediment Geology 155, 179–208.Google Scholar
Albertz, M., Beaumont, C. & Ings, S. 2010. Geodynamic modeling of sedimentation-induced overpressure, gravitational spreading, and deformation of passive margin mobile shale basins. In Shale Tectonics (ed. Wood, L.), pp. 29–62. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir no. 93.Google Scholar
Brown, K. 1990. The nature and hydrogeologic significance of mud diapirs and diatremes for accretionary systems. Journal of Geophysical Research 95, 8969–82.Google Scholar
Brun, J. & Fort, X. 2011. Salt tectonics at passive margins: geology versus models. Marine & Petroleum Geology 28, 1123–45.Google Scholar
Cai, W., Zhu, G., Jiang, Y., Yang, S. & Li, A. 2012. Petroleum geologic characteristics and exploration potential of accretionary wedge in Myanmar. Natural Gas Geoscience 23, 742–7.Google Scholar
Cartwright, J. 1994. Episodic basin-wide hydrofracturing of overpressured Early Cenozoic mudrock sequences in the North Sea Basin. Marine & Petroleum Geology 11, 587–607.Google Scholar
Chen, S., Hsu, S., Wang, Y., Chung, S., Chen, P., Tsai, C., Liu, C., Lin, H. & Lee, Y. 2014. Distribution and characters of the mud diapirs and mud volcanoes off southwest Taiwan. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 92, 201–14.Google Scholar
Curray, J. 2005. Tectonics and history of the Andaman Sea region. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 25, 187–232.Google Scholar
Fei, Q. & Wang, Y. 1982. A preliminary study on diapiric structure in oil and gas bearing basins in eastern China. Oil & Gas Geology 3, 113–23.Google Scholar
Gopala Rao, G., Bhattacharya, M., Ramana, V., Subrahmanyam, T., Ramprasad, T., Krishna, K., Chaubey, A., Murty, G., Srinivas, K. & Desa, M. 1994. Analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection and magnetic data along 13°N latitude across the Bay of Bengal. Marine Geophysical Research 16, 225–36.Google Scholar
Graue, K. 2000. Mud volcanoes in deep water Nigeria. Marine & Petroleum Geology 17, 959–74.Google Scholar
Hao, F., Li, S., Gong, Z. & Yang, J. 2001. Diapir mechanism and fluid episodic charging in the Yinggehai Basin. Science in China (Series D) 31, 471–6.Google Scholar
He, J., Xia, B., Zhang, S., Yan, P. & Liu, H. 2006. Origin and distribution of mud diapirs in the Yinggehai Basin and their relation to the migration and accumulation of natural gas. Geology in China 33, 1337–44.Google Scholar
He, J., Zhu, Y., Weng, R. & Cui, S. 2010. Characters of north-west mud diapirs volcanoes in South China Sea and relationship between them and accumulation and migration of oil and gas. Journal of China University of Geosciences 35, 75–86.Google Scholar
He, W., Mei, L., Zhu, G., Yang, S., Hu, Z., Xiao, S. & Zou, Y. 2011. Study on tectonic and evolution characteristics of basins in Andaman Sea. Fault-Block & Gas Field 18, 178–82.Google Scholar
Hudec, M. & Jackson, M. 2007. Terra infirma: understanding salt tectonics. Earth-Science Reviews 82, 1–27.Google Scholar
Ismail–Zadeh, A., Talbot, C. & Volozh, Y. 2001. Dynamic restoration of profiles across diapiric salt structures: numerical approach and applications. Tectonophysics 337, 23–38.Google Scholar
Jackson, M. & Talbot, C. 1986. External shapes, strain rates, and dynamics of salt structures. Geological Society of America Bulletin 97, 305–23.Google Scholar
Jackson, M. & Talbot, C. 1991. A Glossary of Salt Tectonics. University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology Geological Circular, vol. 91, 44 pp.Google Scholar
Khan, P. & Chakraborty, P. 2005. Two–phase opening of Andaman Sea: a new seismotectonic insight. Earth & Planetary Science Letters 229, 259–71.Google Scholar
Kopf, A. 2002. Significance of mud volcanism. Reviews of Geophysics 40, 2.1–2.52.Google Scholar
Milkov, A. 2000. Worldwide distribution of submarine mud volcanoes and associated gas hydrates. Marine Geology 167, 29–42.Google Scholar
Morley, C. 2012. Late Cretaceous – Early Paleogene tectonic development of SE Asia. Earth Science Reviews 115, 37–75.Google Scholar
Morley, C. 2013. Discussion of tectonic models for Cenozoic strike-slip fault-affected continental margins of mainland SE Asia. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 76, 137–51.Google Scholar
Morley, C. & Alvey, A. 2015. Is spreading prolonged, episodic or incipient in the Andaman Sea? Evidence from deepwater sedimentation. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 98, 446–56.Google Scholar
Morley, C. & Guerin, G. 1996, Comparison of gravity driven deformation styles and behaviour associated with mobile shales and salt. Tectonics 15, 1154–70.Google Scholar
Nielsen, C., Chamot-Rooke, N. & Rangin, C. 2004. From partial to full strain partitioning along the Indo-Burmese hyper–oblique subduction. Marine Geology 209, 303–27.Google Scholar
Nikolinakou, M., Hudec, M. & Flemings, P. 2014. Comparison of evolutionary and static modeling of stresses around a salt diaper. Marine & Petroleum Geology 57, 537–45.Google Scholar
Qi, J., Xia, Y. & Yang, Q. 2005. Analysis of the Oil and Gas Bearing Structure. Dongying: Petroleum Industry Press, 161 pp.Google Scholar
Raju, K., Ramprasad, T., Rao, P., Ramalingeswara Rao, B. & Varghese, J. 2004. New insights into the tectonic evolution of the Andaman basin, northeast Indian Ocean. Earth & Planetary Science Letters 221, 145–62.Google Scholar
Raju, K., Ray, D., Mudholkar, A., Murty, G., Gahalaut, V., Samudrala, K., Paropkari, A., Ramachandran, R. & Surya Prakash, L. 2012. Tectonic and volcanic implications of a cratered seamount off Nicobar Island, Andaman Sea. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 56, 42–53.Google Scholar
Rangin, C., Maurin, T. & Masson, F. 2013. Combined effects of Eurasia/Sunda oblique convergence and East-Tibetan crustal flow on the active tectonics of Burma. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 76, 185–94.Google Scholar
Robinson, R., Bird, M., Oo, N., Hoey, T., Aye, M., Higgitt, D., Lu, X., Swe, A., Tun, T. & Win, S. 2007. The Irrawaddy river sediment flux to the Indian Ocean: the original nineteenth–century data revisited. Journal of Geology 115, 629–40.Google Scholar
Rowan, M., Peel, F., Vendeville, B. & Gaullier, V. 2012. Salt tectonics at passive margins: geology versus models e discussion. Marine & Petroleum Geology 37, 184–94.Google Scholar
Samuel, H. 2012. A re-evaluation of metal diapir breakup and equilibration in terrestrial magma oceans. Earth & Planetary Science Letters 313, 105–14.Google Scholar
Sautter, B., Pubellier, M., Jousselin, P., Dattilo, P., Kerdraon, Y., Choong, C. & Menier, D. 2017. Late Paleogene rifting along the Malay Peninsula thickened crust. Tectonophysics 711, 205–24.Google Scholar
Smit, J., Brun, J. & Sokoutis, D. 2003. Deformation of brittle-ductile thrust wedges in experiments and nature. Journal of Geophysical Research 108, 2480. doi: 10.1029.2002JB002190.Google Scholar
Talukder, A., Bialas, J., Klaeschen, D., Buerk, D., Brueckmann, W., Reston, T. & Breitzke, M. 2007. High-resolution, deep tow, multichannel seismic and side scan sonar survey of the submarine mounds and associated BSR off Nicaragua pacific margin. Marine Geology 241, 33–43.Google Scholar
Tang, L., Jia, C., Jin, Z., Pi, X., Chen, S. & Xie, H. 2003. Tertiary salt pillow structures in the central section of the Kuqa foreland fold-and-thrust belt, Traim Basin, Northwest China. Chinese Journal of Geology 38, 413–24.Google Scholar
Uddin, A. & Lundberg, N. 2004. Miocene sedimentation and subsidence during continent–continent collision, Bengal Basin, Bangladesh. Sedimentary Geology 164, 131–46.Google Scholar
Van Rensbergen, P., Hillis, R., Maltman, A. & Morley, C. 2003. Subsurface sediment mobilization. In Subsurface Sediment Mobilization (eds Rensbergen, P. van, Hillis, R., Maltman, A. & Morley, C.), pp. 1–3. Geological Society of London, Special Publication no. 216.Google Scholar
Van Rensbergen, P., Morley, C., Ang, D., Hoan, T. & Lan, N. 1999. Structural evolution of shale diapirs from reactive rise to mud volcanism: 3D seismic data from the Baram delta, offshore Brunei Darussalam. Journal of the Geological Society, London 156, 633–50.Google Scholar
Vendeville, B. & Jackson, M. 1992. Numerical models of salt diapir formation by down-building: the role of sedimentation rate, viscosity contrast, initial amplitude and wavelength. Marine & Petroleum Geology 186, 390–400.Google Scholar
Wacheul, J., Bars, M., Monteux, J. & Aurnou, J. 2014. Laboratory experiments on the breakup of liquid metal diapirs. Earth & Planetary Science Letters 403, 236–45.Google Scholar
Wang, C. Y. & Xie, X. 1998. Hydrofracturing and episodic fluid flow in shale-rich basins: a numerical study. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 82, 1857–69.Google Scholar
Wang, J., Pang, X., Wang, C., He, M. & Lian, S. 2006. Discovery and identification of the central basin of Baiyun Depression in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Earth Science – Journal of China University of Geosciences 31, 209–13.Google Scholar
Warsitzka, M., Kley, J. & Kukowski, N. 2013. Salt diapirism driven by differential loading: some insights from analogue modeling. Tectonophysics 591, 83–97.Google Scholar
Xie, X., Li, S., Dong, W., Zhang, M. & Yang, J. 1999. Trace marker of hot fluid flow and their geological implications: a case study of Yinggehai Basin. Earth Science – Journal of China University of Geosciences 24, 183–8.Google Scholar
Xu, S., Zheng, D., Zhu, G., Yang, S., Li, C. & Yang, C. 2012. Main controlling factors and models of gas accumulation in back arc depression of Andaman Sea, Burma. Journal of Earth Science & Environment 34, 29–34.Google Scholar
Yu, J., Li, S., Wang, J., Wang, X. & Lu, S. 2005. Salt diapirs and faulting of the central uplift belt in the Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, North China. Chinese Journal of Geology 40, 55–68.Google Scholar
Zhang, M. 2000. Migration-accumulation characteristics of natural gas in the diapir structure belt of Yinggehai Basin. Journal of the University of Petroleum, China 24, 39–42.Google Scholar
Zhu, G. & Li, L. 2012. Exploration status and major controlling factors of hydrocarbon accumulation in the continental margin basin of the Bengal Bay. Geological Science & Technology Information 31, 112–18.Google Scholar
Zhu, G., Xie, X. & Qiu, C. 2010. Petroleum geology and exploration potential in back-arc strike slip and extension basins: a case of Martaban Bay Basin in Andaman Sea, Myanmar. China Offshore Oil & Gas 22, 225–31.Google Scholar