Application of a probability model to detect unrecognised igneous intrusions in sedimentary basins
Simon Holford A * , Mark Bunch A , Nick Schofield B and Michael Curtis AA Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
B Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Scotland.
The APPEA Journal 62 S426-S430 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21051
Accepted: 24 February 2022 Published: 13 May 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.
Abstract
Mafic igneous intrusions are a common feature in extensional sedimentary basins, particularly those located at volcanic rifted margins, and are important in both exploration and development contexts due to their range of interactions with the petroleum system and their role as potential drilling hazards. Experience from a range of basins containing mafic igneous intrusions suggests that seismically resolvable intrusions are typically accompanied by a large number of intrusions that are too thin to be confidently identified and interpreted from seismic reflection surveys. The increased vertical resolution of wireline log data affords an opportunity to identify such sub-seismic-scale intrusions, though in many wells with full wireline suites igneous intrusions are often misidentified as sedimentary units, including felsic intrusions whose physical properties are more similar to sedimentary rocks. Here we apply a wireline-log-based probability model to well data from a number of basins. In previous applications, the model has proven highly effective in predicting the occurrence of carbonate cementation zones in sandstones in comparison to neural network approaches. We demonstrate its ability to predict the presence of igneous intrusions that were not previously identified by either seismic interpretation, or through the analysis of well-derived datasets. The broader application of this model to large suites of legacy data could lead to improved knowledge of the occurrence of intrusions in basins with implications for basin modelling and well planning.
Keywords: drilling, igneous intrusions, machine learning, magmatism, probability, sedimentary basins, seismic reflection, wireline logging.
Professor Simon Holford is South Australian State Chair of Petroleum Geoscience at the Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources, University of Adelaide. Simon has published ~100 papers on the prospectivity and tectonics of rifted margins, petroleum geomechanics and magmatism in basins. Simon has successfully supervised ~15 PhD students and ~60 Honours and Masters students. Simon has a PhD from the University of Birmingham and a BSc (Hons) from Keele University. Simon has won multiple awards, including Best Paper prizes at APPEA 2012 and AEGC 2019, Best Extended Abstract at APPEA 2021 and the Geological Society of Australia’s Walter Howchin and ES Hills medals. Simon was President of the SA/NT branch of PESA during 2015–2017. |
Mark Bunch is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Geoscience at the Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources, University of Adelaide. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) from Durham University in 2000, before completing an MSc in 2001 then a PhD in 2006 at the University of Birmingham. His research interests include the application of AI and machine learning to petroleum industry problems, formation evaluation and seismic geomorphology. Mark is a member of AAPG, ASEG and PESA. |
Nick Schofield is a Reader in Igneous and Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen. He gained his undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Edinburgh, before undertaking a PhD at the University of Birmingham investigating the emplacement of sill intrusions. Nick has worked and published extensively on intrusive and extrusive volcanism within sedimentary basins globally and works closely with the petroleum industry on igneous-related aspects of the subsurface. |
Michael Curtis graduated from the University of Bristol, UK, with an MSci Geology degree in 2010. He moved to Perth shortly after to work in the West Australian mining industry. He worked as an exploration geologist with several small minerals exploration companies on nickel, copper, tungsten and potash projects. When the minerals industry collapsed in 2014, Michael transitioned into the petroleum industry, working at RISC Advisory as a geoscience consultant until 2017. Michael began his PhD at the Australian School of Petroleum and Energy Resources, University of Adelaide, in 2018, where he is currently researching the impacts of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous magmatism on petroleum systems of the Northern Carnarvon Basin. Michael has won several awards for the quality of his research including the PESA Postgraduate Scholarship and an ASEG Research Foundation Grant. Michael is a current and active member of PESA, ASEG and GSA. |
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