Structural fairway prospectivity

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Definition

Certain structural domains or specific portions of those domains provide the greatest opportunities for exploration success. Those areas are called prospective structural fairways. In a prospective structural fairway, the structural history, trap configuration, and major elements of the hydrocarbon system combine to present a likely scenario for an economic accumulation of hydrocarbons.

Important considerations in identifying a prospective structural fairway are as follows:

Assessing fairway prospectivity

The above considerations and their interdependencies, along with the following data sources, help us assess which structural fairways might be prospective:

  • Regional geologic data (tops, cross sections, maps)
  • Natural and productive analogs of structures
  • Reconnaissance seismic data
  • Potential fields
  • Remote sensing data (satellite and air photo)
  • Surface geologic data
  • Fabric analysis
  • Tectonic subsidence analysis
  • Surveys for remote detection of hydrocarbons

If the structural fairway has most, if not all, of the major components needed for a viable hydrocarbon system, the next step is to identify structural leads and convert these to prospects.

See also

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Structural fairway prospectivity