Evolution of the Orange Basin; Cretaceous Deepwater Fold-and-Thrust Belts to Cenozoic Mass Transport Systems

Abstract

Summary The focus of this study is on the deepwater Orange Basin, offshore SW Africa, in which several DWFTB systems are found. Previous studies have mainly focused on the 2D seismic interpretation of the Orange Basin, which is naturally limited. In this study, the availability of high-resolution, 3D seismic reflection data will allow us to constrain the strato-structural architecture of the deep-water Orange Basin from a Cretaceous DWFTB system to the overlying Cenozoic deposits using Schlumberger’s Petrel E & P software package for seismic interpretation. Understanding the architectural elements of southern Africa’s passive margin, and the tectonic evolution of the DWFTB systems contained within, is important in building on the scientific knowledge known of what occurs in these settings worldwide and in further constraining prospective sites for petroleum exploration in similar settings.