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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

The Hammerhead Delta—deepwater fold-thrust belt, Bight Basin, Australia: 2D kinematic and geomechanical reconstructions*

J. MacDonald A , G. Backé A , R. King A and R. Hillis B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of Adelaide.

B Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre.

The APPEA Journal 51(2) 739-739 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ10119
Published: 2011

Abstract

The Hammerhead Delta—deepwater fold-thrust belt is located in the Ceduna Sub-basin of the Bight Basin, offshore southern Australia. It is a short-lived gravity gliding system, Late Santonian-Maastrichtian in age. It exhibits a distinctive spoon shape in cross-section and detaches on a master horizon above Santonian marine shales of the Tiger Supersequence. Here, we have interpreted a large seismic dataset—including the recently acquired regional two-dimensional seismic dataset provided by Ion Geophysical—to constrain the regional structural geometry of the Hammerhead Delta—deepwater fold-thrust belt.

Two structural restorations were completed to quantify the amount of extension and shortening in the system. These restorations were: a two-dimensional kinematic restoration, using 2D MOVE; and a two-dimensional geomechanical restoration, using Dynel 2D. By comparing results from the two techniques we demonstrate that the amount of observed extension in the delta top is nearly balanced by the shortening in the delta toe. The near balance (< 2 % excess extension) of the system is a unique result. Other passive margin systems demonstrate larger amounts of extension compared to shortening, due to the regional-scale pro-gradational nature of the systems.

These results suggest that the balanced geometry of the Hammerhead Delta—deepwater fold-thrust belt is consistent with either a sudden decrease in sediment supply during the upper Maastrichtian, resulting in a cessation of prograding fault activity, or a loss of extension to the underlying Cenomanian growth faults or some combination thereof. Thus, the system failed to develop into an extensive passive margin delta—deepwater fold-thrust belt.

Justin MacDonald is a PhD student at the Australian School of Petroleum and the recipient of a prestigious International Postgraduate Research Scholarship for his research. He is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland (BSc Hons), and the University of Waterloo (MSc). Justin’s MSc thesis involved structural analyses of the Mackenzie Mountains foreland fold and thrust belt in northern Canada. His present research interests pertain to structural controls on delta—deepwater fold-thrust belts with particular emphasis on the late-Cretaceous Ceduna Delta systems of the Bight Basin. He is the past president and active member of the Adelaide University AAPG Student Chapter, and the PESA SA postgraduate representative. Member: AAPG, PESA, EAGE, ASEG, SEG.

Guillaume Backé is a structural geologist with an expertise in seismic interpretation, three-dimensional geomodelling and geomechanical modelling. He joined the Australian School of Petroleum in May 2009, following a two year Post Doctoral research position at the Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover (CMXUC) of the University of Adelaide. He obtained a Master of Geophysics at the University of Toulouse III in France in June 2002, and completed a PhD at the University of Pau et des Pays de l’Adour in December 2006 with a dissertation on the tectonic evolution of the Venezuelan Andes (Venezuela), the Southern Central Andes and the Neuquén basin (Argentina). His main research focus is in the integration of geophysics and geology for the construction of accurate and validated three-dimensional models of the earth’s sub-surface, in particular for petroleum, geothermal or geological storage of carbon dioxide applications.

Dr Rosalind King successfully completed her BSc (Hons) and PhD at the University of Liverpool in 2001 and 2005. Her PhD research was the structural evolution of the Cape Fold Belt, South Africa. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Australian School of Petroleum (UA) from 2005—10 studying the present-day stresses of North West Borneo and delta—deepwater fold-thrust belts. Rosalind is a lecturer in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (UA) and her research includes the tectonics of deepwater fold-thrust belts, detachments, fold and thrust mechanics and petroleum geomechanics. Ros is the vice president of SA PESA. Member: GSL, AAPG and PESA.

Richard Hillis is CEO of the Deep Exploration Technologies CRC. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) from Imperial College, London (1985), and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (1989). Until recently, he was the State of South Australia Professor of Petroleum Geology and Head of the Australian School of Petroleum at the University of Adelaide. He has published over 100 papers in the areas of petroleum geomechanics and basin tectonics and has consulted extensively to, and run short courses for, the petroleum industry on these topics. Richard is a non-executive director of JRS Petroleum Research (a privately owned image log and geomechanics consultancy), Petratherm (ASX-listed geothermal company) and AuScope (a national research facility in the earth sciences). Member: AAPG, AGU, ASEG, EAGE, GSA, GSL, PESA, SEG and SPE.


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