A Preliminary Assessment of the Hydrocarbon

Potential of
Kerio Valley Basin: Gravity and Magnetic
Interpretation Abiud Masinde1, Cleophas Simiyu1, Innocent Murunga1, George Muia1, Aaron Waswa2, Justus Barongo2
1
[National oil Corporation of Kenya, Kenya]
2
[Geology, University of Nairobi, Kenya]

Summary
The aim of the study was to assess the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Kerio Basin in the Kenya Rift. Regional gravity and magnetic data sourced from
the International Gravity Bureau (BGI) and Earth Magnetic Anomaly grid (EMAG2) respectively, were processed and analysed for major structures and
geological anomalies based on variations in density magnetism and or chemistry of the rocks. Gravity Isostacy data shows low gravity anomalies of up
to -100mGals that depict a deeper basement prominent to the southern part of the study area. Gravity profiles show that sediment thickness gradually
increases to the south where we expect hydrocarbon accumulation. The magnetic anomaly map reveals low susceptibility rocks of between -20nT to
-200nT to the south of the basin. Magnetic tilt depth indicates sediment thickness of 2-3.5Km above the basement. The results agree with the observed
gravity values of -100mGals to -200mGals in the same area. Hence the southern part of the study area shows the highest potential for hydrocarbon
accumulation. Integration of these data with seismic and other geophysical methods in the southern area of the Kerio Basin can help gauge the
hydrocarbon potential and reduce the uncertainty in the preliminary results.

Keywords: Analytic signal, Gravity Isostacy, Hydrocarbon prospectivity, Kerio basin, tilt depths
1. Study Location, Kerio Valley 6. Results: Isostatically corrected gravity anomaly
Kerio basin is characterised by low gravity anomalies ranging between
35mGals to -55mGals.
The west bound fault (Elgeyo border fault) is a basement fault influences
The study area, sedimentation.
located within the
central part of the Distance (Km)

Kenyan Tertiary rift.

The basin falls

between the
Cheranganyi hills
and the Tugen Hills.

Profile 1 indicates gravity variation of 50mGals-

150mGals.
Profile 2 depicts lowest gravity of about -120mGals.
This is the location of the largest depocentre and
with the deepest section of the basin.
2. Methodology 5. Results: Magnetic Anomaly & Analytic Signal
Gravity data are analysed to determine the dominant
anomaly trends, describe structures constraining
sedimentation, map basement depths and recommend
possible prospects. To avoid often ambiguity of gravity
interpretation, magnetic and other geophysical data are
integrated to constrain the interpretation. The gravity
data consisting of Isotactic, Free-air and Bouguer anomaly
grids were obtained from the International Gravity Bureau
(BGI). The EGM2008 model includes surface gravity
measurements from land and satellite gravity with a 1X1
grid resolution.
Magnetic data were derived from the Global Earth
Magnetic Anomaly grid (EMAG2). Satellite, ship and
airborne magnetic measurements were compiled to
generate the EMAG2 grid with a resolution of 2arc min
and an altitude of 4km above geoid
Residual analytic signal anomaly map calculated from the Magnetic anomaly map reveals low The analytical signal anomaly map shows
Bouguer grid was used to capture the response of susceptibility rocks south-west. presence of volcanics identified as the high
existing near surface volcanic signatures and map the Depocentre filled with low amplitude signatures.
near-surface distribution of theA( xvolcanic d 2 g layers d 2 g (Purucker susceptible sediments of 20nT to These potential volcanics are dominant to the
2 2 2
d 2g
, y ) i 2

and Clark, 2011). The analytic signal dxdz is calculated dydz as
dz the west as compared to the southern section
square root of the sum of the squares of the data

6.about
Depth
-197nT.Estimation
3. Data Processing
derivatives in the X, Y and Z directions (Roest et al.,
1992).
An Isostatically corrected anomaly map produced from a
Bouguer anomaly grid was levelled, filtered using a Tilt depth predicts deep to basement bellow
Hanning low pass filter of order 10km and a Gaussian high mean sea level.
pass of 10Km to remove low and high wavelengths
respectively (Kucks, 1999). The Isostacy map was used to The south-west section is estimated to be about
delineate the basin boundary and identify highly 3km in depth representing the deepest part of
prospective areas. Four profiles were extracted from the the basin.
grid to give 1D interpretation along straight lines.
This corresponds to both gravity and magnetic
Magnetic grid was corrected for IGRF, diurnal, filtered using interpretation of the same region.
a 1 Hz low pass 10km Hanning filter to reduce noise, then
reduced to equator. Tilt derivative of the magnetic grid was
used to estimate depth to basement (Fairhead et al.,
7. Conclusion
2011).
The study reveals a dominant gravity anomaly trending north-south, related to the major rift axis.
Sedimentation is constrained by the two major normal faults on either side of the basin.
Sediment thickness to the southern region is about 3km, with the basin being 10km wide, hence the highest potential for
hydrocarbon.References
8. Sample
Fairhead, J.D., et al., New developments of the magnetic tiltdepth method to improve structural mapping of sedimentary basins. Geophysical
Prospecting, 2011. 59(6): p. 1072-1086.
Kucks, R.P., Isostatic residual gravity anomaly data grid for the conterminous US. 1999.
Purucker, M.E. and D.A. Clark, Interpretation of the lithospheric magnetic field. Geophys. J. Int.,(in Press), 2010.
Roest, W.R., J. Verhoef, and M. Pilkington, Magnetic interpretation using the 3-D analytic signal. Geophysics, 1992. 57(1): p. 116-125
Prepared by: Abiud Masinde amasinde@nockenya.co.ke