Abstract
In recent years, the Brazilian Equatorial Margin has drawn attention due
to its similarity to areas with new hydrocarbon discoveries in the
African conjugated margin, and in French Guiana. However, studies on the
tectonic regimes associated with transform margins and their evolution,
structures, and petroleum potential are still lacking due to the
geological complexity of this region. To address this knowledge gap,
research has been done to better understand the geological structures,
as well as to identify potential hydrocarbon accumulations in the
deepwater Ceara'. Basin. To achieve this, we performed an integrated
interpretation of a large 2D seismic data, new exploratory borehole
data, as well as older well data with revised biostratigraphy. This data
analysis refines the basin architecture and the Cretaceous-Paleocene
tectonic evolution, including implications for hydrocarbon prospectivity
in the Ceara'. Basin deepwater. 2D seismic interpretation was performed
using modern concepts of continental break-up. To accomplish this, the
transition of continental-oceanic crust was taken into account for
restoration of the sediments of the rift stage in the basin. The
analysis also identifies potential hydrocarbon accumulations in
turbiditic reservoirs and presents new insights about the dimensions of
the underlying rift features situated in the continental slope. The
results reveal a high potential for drift sequences in deepwater where
the Late Albian-Early Cenomanian-Turonian sediments reach thicknesses of
approximately 3048-4894 m. Moreover, this research shows evidence of
Cretaceous to Paleocene magmatism, indicated by the well-imaged
volcanoes and associated sills in the seismic data. This analysis
indicates that the Mundaii sub-basin can be classified as a volcanic
passive margin that was developed during the oblique dextral separation
between South America and Africa. The variety of stratigraphic and
structural features developed through the Cretaceous history of the
Mundaii sub-basin offers a variety of potential hydrocarbon traps and
plays in a number of rift and post-rift sequences.
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