Work

Structural mapping of Quseir area, northern Red Sea, Egypt, using high-resolution aeromagnetic data

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: Exploration in the northern Red Sea of Egypt has had little success in locating hydrocarbon accumulation. The main exploration problems in this region are the complex block faulting and Miocene salt structures. The complex basement block structure arises from the different ages of faults and the difficulty of determining the exact age relations. In this paper, we present a case study of structural mapping using application of the Euler method to high-resolution aeromagnetic data collected in the Quseir area of the northern Red Sea of Egypt. The results indicated that the area is affected by sets of fault systems, which are mainly trending in the NNW-SSE, NW-SE and NE-SW directions. The results also delineated boundaries of a long and wide magnetic body on the offshore part of the study area. This basement intrusion is most probably related to the Red Sea rift and perhaps associated with structures higher up in the sedimentary section. As a result, the area above this anomaly is highly recommended for further oil exploration. This example illustrates that high-resolution aeromagnetic surveys can help greatly in delineating subsurface structure in the northern Red Sea of Egypt.

Source: Earth Planets and Space

DOI: 10.1186/bf03351855

Authors: Ahmed Salem, Essam Aboud, Abuelhoda Elsirafy, Keisuke Ushijima

Institutions: Nuclear Materials Authority, Kyushu University

Language: English

Topic: Geological and Geophysical Studies

Subfield: Geology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,640

Funder: Nuclear Materials Authority