© IPA, 2006 - 11th Annual Convention Proceedings, 1982

PROCEEDINGS INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION

Eleventh Annual Convention, June 1982 ,

SEISMIC SEQUENCES INTERPRETATION, A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STRATIGRAPHlCAL

FRAMEWORK OF THE MAHAKAM AREA

B. LOIRET * J.F. MUGNIOT **

ABSTRACT Detrital series in the northern and central

The Sepinggan Area t o the South was the
best place to define comprehensive seismic
sequences because it is located on the southern
border of the Kutei Basin, the basin edge being
the most favourable location to find the limits
of sedimentary cycles and consequently of
seismic sequences, due to the greater relative
changes of sea level and topography which
modify both geometry and types of sediments.
Starting from this key area for the seismic
interpretation, it is possible to distinguish
different deltaic cycles and a main tectonic
event at the end of Middle Miocene. A regional
correlation from South to North Mahakam is
presented.
INTRODUCTION
The entire Mahakam Contract Area (Fig. 1)
presents important geological changes from
Attaka in the North to Maruat in the South.
The northern and central parts of the area are
dominated by the detrital deltaic sedimentation
of the Mahakam river depocenter which has
been active since early Miocene time.
To the South, more marine influences occur
and important WNW--ESE faulting marks the
limit of the basin and the transition to the
Pater Noster Carbonate Platform.
* TOTAL - Compagnie Francaise des Petroles 3943, Quai Andre Citroen 75015, PARIS, FRANCE
areas are not favourable for planktonic fauna,
and detailed correlations are mostly restricted
to a single oil or gas field.
In the South it is possible to distinguish
individual sedimentary cycles and an im-
portant unconformity.
Numerous wells and seismic lines have been
exchanged between UNION, HUFFCO and
TOTAL in order t o extend and correlate these
main geological events from South to North
throughout the entire Mahakam area.
1. DEFINITIONS OF MAIN SEISMIC
SEQUENCES AND MARKERS
They can-be defined on a NW--SE seismic
section which passes through Sepinggan-1,
Mandu-1 and Sepatu Kuda-1 in the South Ma-
hakam area; a schematic representation is given
on figure 2.
Clear geometrical relationships allow the dis-
tinction of different seismic sequences separated
by characteristic markers.
THE SEPINGGAN DELTAIC SEQUENCE
This seismic sequence corresponds to the Se-
pinggan Deltaic Series: alternations of sands,
shales and lignites.
Its base, the "Co" marker, shows onlaps in
some places and is well defined in Maruat,

** TOTAL INDONESIE - Tromolpos 10 Jkt Pusat, Jakarta - lndonesia

324
Tunan and Jumelai blocks by a strong marker
corresponding to a limestone bank. This lime-
stone does not extend very far to the North
East, and then the "Co" marker becomes very
difficult to pick.
/
The top of the Sepinggan deltaic sequence,
the 90" marker, corresponds to a local erosi-
onal unconformity which clearly appears in the
TOTAL Tunan Selatan - Tunan Utara area,
and in the UNION Yakin area.
The picking of the "Bo" is more difficult to
the North-East where the unconformity is not
visible, but the marker can be followed because
it is a relatively strong reflection corresponding
to the top of deltaic sequence. Thus, this
marker appears as a very good sequence limit
from both geological and geophysical point
of view.
THE SEPINGGAN CARBONATE SEQUENCE
This sequence lies between the Bo at the base
and the "B" marker at the top.
SEPINGGAN S.1
"B" Marker 967 m 1527 m
"Bo" Marker 1050 m 2362 m
"Co" Marker 1277 m not reached
(depths BRT)
2. SEISMIC CORRLEATIONS BETWEEN
SOUTH, CENTRAL AND NORTH MAHA-
KAM AREA
Following the Bo, B and Co markers, using
onsh&e and offshore seismic lines exchanged
with UNION and HUFFCO, it is possible to
establish the correlation between the South,
Central and North Mahakam Area (Fig. 3).
* "Bo" markers is not present in Sepinggan V.l because of an important fault which cut the series withis the
Sepinggan deltaic sequence. A synthetic representation of the differen sequences o f the outhern Mahakam
area is given in f i r e 3 part 1.
The Y3'i mrker is a strong reflection at the
top of a carbonate horizon reached in several
wells (Sepatu Kuda, Mandu, Telakai, Sepinggan)
and overlain by a marine transgressive argilla-
ceous sequence.
On figure 2, the Sepinggan carbonate se-
quence is clearly transgressive on the "Bo"
erosional surface.
The sequence is characterised by the presence
of thick shelf limestones, sometimes reefal,
which produce strong seismic reflections;
shales and sandstones are also present. This
seismic character contrast markedly with the
overlying argillaceous sequence almost devoid
of clear internal reflections.
The Bo-B interval shows a pinch-out and even
a hiatus which marks the limit of the trans-
gression to the west of Sepinggan field.
As a reference, the depths of occurrence of
B, Bo and Co markers in the most important
wells are indicated in the following table:
SEPINGGAN V.l
1465 m 1449 m
* 2884 m
3365 m not reached
CENTRAL MAHAKAM AREA : HANDIL
- BEKAPAI - DIAN (fig. 3. part 2).
Co Marker
The Co marker has been followed onshor
between south Mahakam and Hand field.
The Co is roughly equivalent to the R27
log marker, which corresponds to a thin but

continuous limestone level identified in Handd
wells.
The Co has never been reached in the Beka-
pai or Dian area because prodelta no prospec-
tive series are expected at this depth.
Bo Marker
The Bo marker is roughly correlative with the
R5 Handil marker, which is the top of the main
pay zone.
So the deltaic Sepinggan sequence corre-
ponds to the main pay zone of Handil field.
The sequence has also been drilled recently
(1981) in the Bekapai-11 deep well (T.D.
4602 m), in a more distal position where the
Bo marker (3873 m BRT) corresponds to a
slight increase of the sand content in the upper
part of the sequence. The lower part becomes
shalier and more calcareous due to the delta
front environment as seen in figure 4 where
the delta front/prodelta limit of the equivalent
Sepinggan deltaic sequence lies on the western
flank of the Bekapai field.
B marker
The B marker here corresponds to the top of
the fresh water sands of Bekapai which are
overlain by a marine transgression proven by
microfauna.
NORTH MAHAKAM : BADAK - NILAM -
ATTAKA - SANTAN - LANTANG (fig. 3
part 3).
Co marker
This horizon has been followed onshore
between Handil and Nilam where it corresponds
roughly to the Nilam N22 log marker at the
top of a thin limestone representing a minor
marine transgression.
Bo marker
The Bo corresponds roughly to the Nilam
N7-8 log marker which is also affected by a
minor marine transgression.
In the Attaka and Marangkayu areas, the Bo
325
marker is well d e f i e d as the top of strong
reflections with progradational features inter-
preted as the delta front / prodelta limit com-
parable with those described on figure 5.
The deep limestone reached by UNION in
Attaka 12 and 14 seems also to correspond
to a marine transgressive even corresponding
to the Bo marker.
B marker
In the north, the B marker is the top of the
"Fresh water sands" which produce in the Atta-
ka field.
3. STRATIGRAPHICAL DATA
From the comparison between the outcrops
of the seismic markers onshore and the geologi-
cal map (fig. 1) it appears that :
- The B Marker is intra Kampung Baru.
- The Bo Marker seems to be equivalent to the
boundary of the Balikpapan Beds and the
Karnpung Baru Beds.
The Co Marker is difficult to correlate with
onshore formations it has been dated by Lemi-
gas Robertson in Maruat and Tunan wells as
Middle Miocene (N12-N13).
Furthermore, in the Southern area in Maruat
and Tunan wells, Lemigas Robertson assume
a Middle to Upper Miocene age for the Bo
Marker (N15--N16) and an Upper Miocene
age for the B marker (N16-17). Correlations
between onshore formations, seismic sequences
and stratigraphy are summarized on figure 6 .
4. PALEOGEOGRAPHICAL COMMENTS
Based on the above presented correlations,
two paleogeographical maps are shown ;
one at the top of Middle Miocene, Bo Mar-
ker (fig. 7)
one at the top of Upper Miocene, B Marker
(fig. 8)
326
Cornparisons between the two maps show The Middle to Upper Miocene tectonic
that in Middle Miocene time deltaic facies were phase created N-S structural axes which acted
more developed to the South than at Upper as barriers to former Middle Miocene Paleo-
Miocene time where marine influence restricted rivers.
the deltaic facies to the periphery of the Above the unconformity detrital influence
present IvZdtakam delta. still exists in the South but within a more
The Bo unconformity is contemproaneous to marine environment with frequent limestone
the Mddle to Upper Miocene tectonic com- deposits. On the contrary, deltaic sedimen-
pressive {hase which was responsible for the tation in the central and northern areas is pre-
Meratus 'Jplift. dominant and progrades eastward compared
Thi:; tectonic compressive phase was also to the previous deltaic cycle. It corresponds
responsible for the NE-SW folding in this to the Handil shallow and very shallow produc-
Mahakam area which initiated the anticlinal tive zones, to the Bekapai "Fresh Water"
axes of Balikpapan-SambodjaSanga Sanga, productive sands and to the Attaka "Fresh
Handil-Ni'lam-Badak,and Bekapai-Attaka. Water" productive sands.
These NNE--SW axes may have acted as
barriers fLothe E-W paleorivers which furnished
the detrital material in the Middle Miocene and LIST O F FIGURES
have limited the earlier linear delta front (fig.7) FIGURE 1 LOCATION MAP
to fcrm the more lobate delta of the Upper
Miocene (fig. 8). FIGURE 2 GEOMETRICAL RELATION-
The paleo Mahakam river becomes at this SHIPS BETWEEN SEISMIC SE-
time the main agent for detrital material QUENCES
transport. FIGURE 3 MAHAKAM AREA GENERAL
CORRELATIONS
5. CONCLUSIONS FUGURE 4 HANDIL - BEKAPAI - DIAN
CORRELATIONS
This geophysical correlation from the South
to the North of the Mahakam Contract area FIGURE 5 DELTA FRONT/PRODELTA
enables the establishment of a parastratigraphi- SEISMIC EXPRESSIONS
cal relationship between the main sedimentary FIGURE 6 GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY
productive units of the area. PALEOGEOGRAPHIC MAP AT
FIGURE 7
The most interesting fact is the evidence of TOP MIDDLE MIOCENE (Eo
the Middle to Upper Miocene unconformity MARKER)
which limited an important deltaic sequence
FIGURE 8 PALEOGEOGRAPHIC MAP AT
corresponding to the Sepinggan productive
TOP UPPER MIOCENE (B
area, Handil main pay zone and Ndam-Badak
MARKER)
pay zone.
 327

I Figure 1
118OE
I
 GEOMETRICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SEISMIC SEQUENCES
SEISMIC LINES

om

I s

2s

3s

I 4rL I
I t 1

MARKERS "rd' r A R K E R
UELATIOISHllS

Figure 2
 MAHAHAM AREA GENERAL CORRELATIONS

N O R T H w~~~~~~~
sw a

A A

A * : LOCMAlIt1
i 01 HAlDll flilD

Figure 3
 W
W
0

I
HAN DI1- BEK APAl - 0IA N CO R R E 1AT1ONS
SEISMIC LINES 1230-1001-1310-W602-KM 127

W E
BEKAPAI DlAN
I H-8 b i r 8-17 DIAN-I
 DELTA FRONT/ PRODELTA
SEISMIC EXPRESSIONS
NW I LINE 135 I SE

w
w
figurr 5 c
332

GENERAL STRATIGRAPHY
ONSHORE SEISMIC SEISMIC
AGE MARKERS
FORMATIONS SEQUENCE S

UAMPUNG BARU
BEDS

- “6“-
MARKER
SEPINGGAN
CARBONATE
SEQUENCE
w h “85--
MARKER
SEPINGGA N
2 BAL IK PA P A N
DELTAIC
BEDS
w SEQUENCE
I “CO-
0 MARKER

0 BEBULU MARUAT
I
BEDS SEQUENCE

2
P A MALUAN
BEDS

- Figure 6
 333

AT TOP MIDDLE MIOCENE

( 6 , MARKER)

I 117.E
1

Figure 7
334

Figure 8