Acoustic characteristics of the Abu Gharadig Basin sediments, Western Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The present investigation is mainly devoted to the critical analysis of the available exploratory data obtained from more than 35 deep holes, with the aim of delineating the geo-seismic characteristic features of the different rock units existing within the conspicuous Abu Gharadig Cretaceous Basin. Such a study reveals that the base Tertiary, which is separating the strongly deformed Cretaceous reflectors from the undeformed Tertiary ones, has a medium positive reflectivity, whereas the top Alamein ‘dolomites’ (top Aptian) and the top Massajid (top Middle Jurassic) reflectors have strong positive reflectivity of the first order. Moreover, the top Apollonia (top Middle Eocene) and the top Abu Roash (top Coniacian) are found to show up with a medium of strong positive reflectivity of second order. Also, the top Dabaa (top Oligocene), top Bahariya (top Lower Cenomanian) and top Kharita (top Albian) reflectors are considered as weak variable reflectors of the third order. Implications as to the structural setting of the basin are introduced here in view of such acoustic characteristics when applied to some seismic lines in the area studied.