Geological Evolution and the Hydrocarbon Potentiality of the Bay of Bengal
Author: Aftab Alam Khan*DOI: doi.org/10.70279/bmj-v5-i1-1077
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Geological history reveals that the sea-floor spreading process back in 1185 Ma has formed the ocean-basin of the Bay of Bengal with the initial sedimentation began at least 65 to 85 Ma back. Two characteristics properties prevail in the geological records of the Bay of Bengal are the occurrence of oceanic crust (basaltic) in the offshore basin and the marine environment of sedimentation for the entire period of its occurrence. Petroleum source rock generation and maturation requires marine sedimentation for organic matter enrichment and TTP for proper cooking respectively. Geochemical analyses of sediments and discoveries of gas in the Mahanadi Basin of India to the west and the Rakhain Basin of Mayanmar to the east strongly suggest hydrocarbon generation, expulsion and trapping in the offshore Bengal Basin of the Bay of Bengal. Hydrocarbon after migration from source rock finds either a suitable structural trap or a stratigraphic trap. Offshore Bengal basin is dominantly characterized by stratigraphic trap mostly channel sands for hydrocarbon accumulation. On the other hand, the development of structural traps are limited upto the deformation front in the eastern part of the basin where deformation front has obstructed for the limited development of structural traps in the deep offshore basin region. Crustal segmentation and deformation has developed complex folding and inversion wherein young structures have been superimposed on to the older structural trends. The sediments represent an overall basinward progradation of sedimentation from deep marine to coastal marine setting is overlain by continental-fluvial deposition. The lower part of the sequence represents a slope sedimentation within a westward migrating structural development of accretionary prism complex. Thick mud rock sequence of accretionary complex at around 5-6 km depth is considered as upper source rock undergone high degree of maturation with a possible oil window phase. Two major zones have been identified where the development of hydrocarbon traps occurred viz., a) the zone of intense channeling in the upper part of the accretionary prism, and b) the limited development of structural highs between the paleodeformation and neodeformation fronts. Favorable traps of hydrocarbon likely to occur at 4-6 km depths zone. Further, mud and sand-filled channels, incised valleys of intense channeling, and pro-delta clays frequently pass up-dip to delta-front sand wedges as favorable stratigraphic trap.
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| Serial | 8 |
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| Article Volume | Volume 05 |
| Article Issue | Issue 1 |
| Article DOI | doi.org/10.70279/bmj-v5-i1-1077 |
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| Article Slug | geological-evolution-and-the-hydrocarbon-potentiality-of-the-bay-of-bengal |
| Article Keyword | Geology, Hydrocarbon potentiality, Trapping, Offshore basin, Bay of Bengal |
| Article Entry Time | 16:38:55 |
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