Subsiden~E Curves and Modelling of Some Indonesian Tertiary Basins
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AAPG [nternalioMl Con/erena d &bihilion '94 Augwl21-24, 1994, KmJIJJ. Lumpur, MaIo.yJUz Subsiden~e curves and modelling of some Indonesian Tertiary basins R.P. KOESOEMADINATAi, LUKI SAMUEL2 AND M. IWAN TACHJUDIN1 1Geocomputation Research Laboratory Department of Geology Institute of Technology Bandung, Indonesia 2Pertamina Abstract: Subsidence curves of North Sumatra, South Sumatra, Barito Basin, North-East Java Basin and Salawati Basins were constructed using well-bore data, calibrated by micropalaeontology and seismic sections. All the studied basins are Tertiary in age, but they show essential differences and similarities from the point of view of basin forming mechanics, depositional fill and final basin modifYing tectonics. The differences are related to the different tectonic setting of the basins; position of the basin in relation to the type of lithospheric substratum, proximity to a plate margin and type of plate boundary nearest to the basin (diverge:Qt, convergent, transform). INTRODUCTION Age-depth curves are constructed on the basis of biostratigraphic data, by converting relative age Purpose and scope of study ranges of microfossils, particularly planktonic foraminifera, to numerical ages. By using this age This paper presents the preliminary results of depth curves of each well numerical ages (in million a research project conducted by the Geology years, Ma) of tops of stratigraphic units, horizons Department of the Institute of Technology Bandung, or even of any particular layer, can be obtained. sponsored by Pertamina under a Research Grant Total basement subsidence for a particular time Program. The paper discusses subsidence curve instant is obtained by decompaction of strata studies on some Tertiary basins of western deposited prior to a particular time slice (generally Indonesia. Basins to be discussed are Barito Basin, the age of the top of a stratigraphic unit) by using SE Kalimantan (Borneo), North Sumatra, South Sclater and Clnistie's (1980) sediment compaction Sumatra, West Java and NE Java "basinal areas. equation and method as outlined by Angevine et al. Purpose of study (1990). This allows the sedimentary column to expand to its thickness at the time of The purpose of this study is to understand basin deposition. forming mechanism by studying changi.ilg rates of Correction is made for paleo-bathymetry and subsidence. The final objective is to obtain proper eustatic sea-level changes. Paleobathymetric curves basin parameters required in basin modelling. have been constructed for each well, by converting Scope of study paleoecologic data (using benthonic foraminifera) into numerical values of their paleodepth ranges. The scope of this study is to compare subsidence Tectonic subsidence, also called basement curves of various basin types of western Indonesia, subsidence, is obtained by subtracting subsidence to relate subsidence to basin mechanisms and basin entirely due to sediment loading from total classification or basin models. Only the qualitative subsidence, using the backstripping method of aspect of subsidence curves will be discussed in Steckler and Watts (1978), which is unloaded this paper. basement depth. Missing stratigraphic intervals are estimated METHODS AND TECHNIQUES using various methods such as: " structural restoration, extrapolation of time depth-curves, Subsidence curves are based on well sections, extrapolation of compaction curves etc. Geohistory with lithologies determined from well cuttings diagram are also constructed for reference. "analysis and depths from wireline logs. For decompaction, backstripping, and the Geol. Soc. Malay,tia, Bulletin 37, July 1995; pp. 205-230 206 R.P. KOESOEMADINATA, LUKI SAMUEL AND M. IWAN TACHJUDIN construction of age-depths and paleobathymetric basinal area is considered as the extension of the curves, in-house PC-based computer programs have Malay and West Natuna basins, which are classified been developed. as rift basins due to extension of the central part of the Sunda Shield, where wrenching and strike-slip TECTONIC FRAMEWORK AND BASIN faulting played an important role. CLASSIFICATION BASIN TYPES AND BASIN Major elements of plate tectonics in western CLASSIFICATION Indonesia (Fig. 1) Western Indonesia consists of pre-Tertiary Problem in basin classification landmass which was tectonically stabilized toward Several attempts have been made to classify the end of the Mesozoic. This landmass is generally Tertiary basins of western Indonesia, such as by considered as a shield or craton, being underlain by Murphy (1975), Gage and Wings (1980), Barber continental crust, and is called the Sunda Shield or (1985), Hutchison (1986) and others. Basin Sundaland, although the name Sunda Shelf also classifications is supposed to reflect the basin prevailed. This craton is a southeastern extension forming mechanism, its stratigraphic sequences and of the Asian continent, and many authors basin sedimentary infill. Most attempts on basin (Tapponier et al. (1982, 1986), Huchon et al. (1994) classification for SE Asia have been based on the and others) explain the presence of this continental present tectonic framework. protuberance by extrusion tectonics. As the Indian However, as has been pointed out by Hutchison subcontinent collided with the main Asian continent (1986), Tertiary basins of SE Asia are of disparate to produce the Himalaya Mountain Range, great origin and it is difficult to use the existing slabs of the Asian continent were extruded laterally classifications by Kingston et al. (1983), unless one along large strike-slip faults (i.e. the Red River has detail and extensive knowledge of the basins. Fault) toward the east with subsequent clockwise Hutchison (1984, 1986) presented a classification rotation. The extruded Sunda continental crust of Tertiary basins of Southeast Asia mainly based collided with northward moving Indian-Australian on the classification of Kingston et al. (1983). In plate and the westward moving Pacific plate. this classification scheme all convergent related In the southwest, the Indian-Australian plate basins are considered to be formed by shear or converged with the Sunda continent resulting in wrenching mechanism, and back-arc and foreland the subduction of the Indian oceanic crust under basins are called LL-type basins, while fore-arcs the Sunda continental crust, particularly during are called Trench-Arch related basin (TA basins). the Neogene and Quaternary time. This In this paper it will be shown that basin forming convergence produces the typical island arc system mechanism as indicated by subsidence curves do consisting of an accretion wedge, the fore-arc basins, not necessarily reflect the categories of basin the magmatic arc and the back-arc basins of classifications based on present day plate tectonic Sumatra and Java. The back-arc basins are the oil framework. producing provinces. Most classifications have As pointed out by Dickinson (1993) basins in assigned these basins as back-arc basins. similar morphotectonic settings (e.g. forearc, The eastern side of Sundaland is more retroarc, foreland, intra-cratonic, miogeoclinal etc.) complicated due to the convergence of the westward need not have been affected by identical geodynamic moving Pacific plate and the northward moving parameters, and a process-orientated typology of Australian continental plate. This has resulted in basins takes this truism explicitly into account. numerous wrench faulting, sliding and colliding The geodynamic causes of subsidence are clearly microcontinents and opening of spreading centers. the crux of basin formation. He also stated that (1) Tertiary basins on the eastern periphery of there are a number of generic processes that can Kalimantan, the Barito Basin, Kutei Basin and the cause and control basin subsidence; (2) these Tarakan Basin have not been satisfactorily mechanisms combine in different proportions, in classified. Barber (1985) designated the Barito both space and time, and vary markedly in their Basin as an intra-cratonic basin. respective magnitudes for different basins; and (3) The northeastern periphery ofthe Sunda Shield, consequently, each basin is unique in some mixtures the East Natuna Basin, is also difficult to classify, or blends of the same set of subsidence mechanism. due to the presence of the extinct South China Sea However, for the sake of discussion systematics, spreading center and the extinct NW Borneo use will be made of basin-type terms related to the subduction zone. In general the East Natuna present day framework of plate tectonics. Geot. Soc. MataYJia, BuLLetin 37 Figure 1. Tectonic framework of Indonesian Tertiary basins. 208 R.P. KOESOEMADINATA, LUKI SAMUEL AND M. IWAN TACHJUDIN Basin types back-arc basin with continental wrench or shear. The following type of basins are developed along The Barito Basin (Fig. 2) is bordered in the the Sunda continental plate periphery: west and southwest by the Sunda continent, while • Active margin basins (Back-arc and fore-arc to the east it is bordered with a high angle thrust basins) by the Meratus Range which contains ophiolite • Collision/suture related basins (Foreland. basin) belts, which is interpreted as an obduction during • Rift /passive margin basins the end of the Mesozoic (Sikumbang, 1987). East of the Meratus Range is the Paternoster Platform Active margin basins which is underlain by continental crust. East of Active margin basins are related to convergent the Paternoster Platform is the Makassar Strait plates, the subduction of Indian-Australian