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610)
Basin geohistory and proven and potential petroleum plays,
Offshore Indian Sedimentary Basins
Main author-Dr. Mark Cowgill
Nick Stronach, Rachael Harrison, Simon Otto and TELLUS Project Team, Fugro
Robertson Ltd, Llandudno, UK

Description and application of work

Integration of a series of extensive public and non-proprietary in-house petroleum geological
evaluation studies has allowed a full catalogue of the existing petroleum plays to be defined for the
Indian Offshore Sedimentary Basins, along with identification of key geohistory events and controls.
This creates a platform for prioritising potential and for defining appropriate future work programmes.

Observations and analysis

Six of the offshore sedimentary basins are described here Kachchh, Mumbai-Saurashtra, KonkanKerala, Cauvery, Krishna-Godavari and Mahanadi. Plays are categorised by their principal reservoir
package and are related to the megasequences of the basins tectonic history (Figure 1). In each
case, rift, post-rift and passive margin phases can be defined and punctuated by tectonic and thermal
events.
The Kachchh Basin contains three proven plays of Early Cretaceous to Eocene age, spanning the
second Proto-Indian Ocean Rift event through to the Cenozoic Passive Margin megasequence. The
Mumbai-Saurashtra Basin has eight proven plays from the fractured gneiss of the Precambrian
basement to the Middle Miocene sediments deposited during the extensive passive margin phase.
The Konkan-Kerala Basin has similar stratigraphic coverage, however the petroleum system is spans
a shorter interval of time and lacks major discoveries. Four unproven plays span the early Paleogene
Deccan Uplift event to the Pliocene epoch of the passive margin phase. The Cauvery Basin has eight
plays from the Upper Gondwana rift sediments of the Late Jurassic to the Oligocene rocks of the
Passive Margin megasequence. Seven of the plays contain significant discoveries. Ten plays occur in
the Krishna-Godavari Basin, ranging from the Permo-Triassic Lower Gondwana Rift event to the
Pliocene epoch of the passive margin megasequence. Nine of the plays are proven and eight are
currently productive. The Mahanadi Basin has only documented three unproven plays, all of which lie
within the passive margin section of the Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene.

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Regional Play
Elements
Chart

Key events in geohistory

(i) West Indian Offshore
Basins on the West Indian Margin developed as a result of the phased rifting and separation of first
Madagascar and then the Seychelles from the Indian Plate. This was followed by the northward
passage of India and the late Tertiary Himalayan collision.

Kachchh Basin

There are three proven plays in this basin from Cretaceous to Eocene, in both clastic and carbonate
reservoirs. Discoveries exist within each play, however the basin remains non-productive.

Rifting as old as Triassic occurs as part of the incipient Indian Ocean opening or as a result of
extension related to the Tethyan margin to the north. NNW striking rifts nucleated along the
ancestral Delhi-Aravalli structural grain. Localised fluvio-lacustrine basins may contain
potential source and reservoir.

Passive margin sedimentation in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous consisted of

transgression and carbonate deposition on pre-existing highs. Renewed extension along preexisting lineaments took place through the Cretaceous, with a regional shelf edge developing
through to the Indus Basin. Topography developed at this time generated influxes of coarse
sandstone and causing episodic progradation of the shelf to the northwest.

Hotspot related uplift occurred in the Late Cretaceous accompanied by the development of a
regional unconformity and the extrusion of Deccan lavas at the Cretaceous Tertiary boundary.

Deposition recommenced in the Upper Paleocene in the southwest of the basin as a result of
thermally driven subsidence. Sedimentation was initially dominated by fine-grained clastics
but as with the Mumbai-Saurashtra Basin, Lower Tertiary paleohighs were probably fringed
by carbonate deposits that became more frequent later in the Tertiary.

Regional Miocene Himalayan collision caused regional onshore uplift and localised
transpressional inversions, leading to redistribution of earlier-formed hydrocarbons. Despite
this burial continued offshore due to the rapid development of shelf deltas.

Mumbai-Saurashtra Basin

Eight proven plays exist in the Mumbai-Saurashtra Basin ranging from fractured Precambrian
basement to the Miocene clastics and carbonates. Seven of the plays are productive with discoveries
in the eighth.

Basement reservoirs can be found on local highs, including the Bombay high where
secondary porosity and permeability has developed due to a combination of fracturing and
weathering. The exact age of the continental basement is unknown but its involvement in the
petroleum system didnt occur until the Eocene with the deposition of localised source and
seal rocks.

The Pre-Deccan sedimentary section is obscure there is some evidence of Neocomian synrift strata in the Saurashtra Basin, but it is believed to be more extensively developed, as in
the Konkan-Kerala Basin. Continuing activity of this inferred basement structure controlled the
distribution and thickness of the volcanics, with absences over major structural highs where
the basement play is likely to exist. Continuing strike-slip motion propagated along the
Western Indian margin creating localised Paleocene depocentres and source rock formation.

Lower Tertiary carbonates on the shelf and on outer shelf margin highs form a dominant
reservoir, but these were supplanted in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene by westward
tilting of the basin and clastic progradation of the Tapti Delta. Tilting occurred as a result of
cooling of the passive margin, flexural subsidence induced by the Himalayan collision and by
loading generated by the development of the Indus Fan to the northwest.

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Konkan-Kerala Basin

Four potential plays are defined in reservoirs from Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene age. Oil shows have
been observed in three out of four plays (all except the Upper Miocene to Pliocene Sandstone Play),
confirming the generation of hydrocarbons within the basin.

Highly oblique break-up in the Santonian of India/Seychelles from Madagascar led to the
formation of a series of transtension sinistral NNW-SSE structures with dextral motion on the
conjugate transverse structures. This period localised syn-rift source deposition. Distal highs
are associated with localised potential carbonate build-ups. These include the Kori-Comorin
Ridge, interpreted as a late Mesozoic volcanic high associated with separation from
Madagascar. Deposition of sediments above these horst and graben-like structures lead to
the formation of compaction and drape style traps in the overlying sediment.

Late Cretaceous uplift manifest as extensive bauxite and laterite formation preceded the
eruption of the Deccan Traps and the final separation of India from the Seychelles. Continuing
reactivation of the syn-rift structural fabric led to the development of localised depocentres,
with carbonates on starved horsts. Transfer zones and arches on the continental margins
controlled clastic sediment input points.

Shallow water sandstones on attenuated/oceanic crust of Paleocene age indicate uplift at the
time of break-up and/or eustatic lowstand; these represent an important distal potential
reservoir facies. Limestone deposition became dominant from Early to Mid Eocene times,
particularly in the west of the basin away from the influence of clastic input. These limestones
form both reservoir and seal horizons within the basin.

The initial collision with Eurasia in the Middle Miocene led to subsidence, drowning of the
shelf and even more widespread deposition of carbonates. Eventually increased sediment
supply in late Miocene restricted carbonate accumulation to the far west during the final burial
of the basin. However, clastic input points from westward draining rivers are limited, restricting
potentially mature kitchens to localised depocentres distal of the Late Tertiary shelf edge.

(ii) East Indian Offshore

Basins on the East Indian Margin record the separation of India from Australia-Antarctica and the
creation of the Bay of Bengal.

Cauvery Basin

Seven proven plays exist within the Cauvery Basin, with reservoirs ranging from Precambrian to
Oligocene in age. Five of these plays are productive with discoveries in the other two. An addition
potential Lower Tertiary play has been found to contain shows within a carbonate sequence.

The basin is essentially a failed Upper Gondwana, Late Jurassic rift, now plunging beneath
the continental margin to the south. Its structure, however, propagates through the
Cretaceous and Palaeogene, in part by continuing strike slip motion during the northward
passage of India. Thus a series of half graben and associated shelf edges are maintained
providing a number of potential source (mainly Lower and Upper Cretaceous) and reservoir
horizons. Polarities of the half-grabens change at WNW transfer faults. The prevailing
structures supported a northeast drainage pattern and aided the development of basement
plays on elevated footwall blocks. Potential is mainly clastic, although carbonate build-ups did
occur on sediment-starved horst blocks.

The final stage of basin development was associated with tilting and the establishment of a
slope-shelf system. The drainage network, now orientated towards the southeast fed largescale deltas and distal fan turbidites as the shelf edge propagated, reaching the continental
margin in the Miocene.

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Krishna-Godavari Basin

Nine proven plays exist in Triassic to Pliocene reservoirs, with production of oil and gas from eight. A
potential play is indicated by shows in Permian sandstones.

There is clear evidence of an early phase, Permo-Triassic Lower Gondwana rift with a second
phase of Jurassic reactivation, preceding the rifting seen in the Mahanadi Basin to the north
and Cauvery Basin to the south. These rifting events localise source rock deposition and
restricted it to the west of the basin. Basement faults in the Prahnita-Godavari rift appear
reactivated as dextral slip transfer faults in the major NE-trending horsts and grabens, which
dominate the basin.

Unlike the Mahanadi to the north there are no major break-up volcanics, but the endCretaceous Deccan event is recognised in the Razole Volcanics, a series of discrete basaltic
extrusions.

Early Tertiary tilting of the entire Indian plate due to thermally induced uplift associated with
the Deccan Trap event lead to rejuvenated sedimentation. This rapid influx of sedimentled to
the development of basinward-thinning deltaic wedges containing shallow, listric structures
and diapirism of the Lower Tertiary shales responsible for the main Tertiary plays, which are
among the most productive in the basin. In addition late structuring at the shelf edge may
have resulted from propagation of transpressive motion along the margin of the Upper
Tertiary delta.

Mahanadi Basin

Three unproven plays are defined in the Cretaceous Pliocene sandstones of the Mahanadi Basin,
with additional potential in lower Tertiary, and possibly Cretaceous carbonate reservoirs. Two of the
three plays have drilled hydrocarbon shows.

The key factors governing potential are the development of structuration in the Upper
Cretaceous sandstone play, controlled by the ENE-WSW trending syn-rift faults, with
associated NNW-SSE oriented transfer zones. There is in addition uplift and transpression as
a result of the eruption of the Rajmahal Trap basalts at continental break-up (~118-107Ma)
and development of the immediately succeeding 85oE ridge (~107-102Ma), appearing to
result from changes in the direction of spreading and resultant intra-plate stress. Horsts
formed at this time may localise carbonate build-ups.

Early Tertiary tilting led to the creation of a pronounced shelf edge, with associated carbonate
build-ups, beyond which lies a potential Eocene kitchen able to charge younger Tertiary
reservoirs. Major uplift and shelfal exposure, in part controlled by underlying basement
extensional faulting, led to potential lowstand sandstone deposition during the Oligocene.
Tertiary traps are highly dependant on syn-sedimentary growth structures.

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Conclusions and recommendations

Key controls on existing and future potential include:

Extent, basement controls and orientation of Early Gondwana (East India) and Proto Indian
Ocean (West India) rifts, containing both potential source and reservoir rocks;
Definition of sub-volcanic structure and stratigraphy;
Timing and extent of major uplifts including those associated with Gondwana break-up,
Deccan Volcanics and Rajmahal Volcanics, affecting sedimentation patterns, preservation
and generation, migration and remigration of hydrocarbons;
Generation of continental margin/oceanic ridges and resultant effect on clastic sediment
transport, localisation of carbonate distribution, source rock deposition and burial history;
Late Cretaceous to Tertiary phases of reorientation of drainage and clastic input as a result of
eastward cratonic tilting.

Significance and usefulness of work

This integrated project defines the existing and potential plays of six of the Indian Offshore
Sedimentary Basins on a consistent basis and in direct relation to their geological history. It has
defined a series of key local and regional events, the understanding of which is critical to developing
future hydrocarbon potential.

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