f Marine Magnetotelluric (Mmt) Mapping Of Basement And Salt Bodies In The Santos Basin, Brazil

The marine magnetotelluric (MMT) method is rapidly emerging as a practical electromagnetic tool for<br>investigating the deep resistivity distribution beneath the sea-floor and aid the exploration for hydrocarbons<br>especially in areas of poor-seismic data. Remarkable advances in field instrumentation over the last few years<br>now permit the use of MMT for hydrocarbon exploration in the marine environment (Constable et al., 1998;<br>Sandberg et al., 2008). The MMT method has been successfully used to achieve marine exploration objectives<br>such as imaging sub-basalts, carbonates and subsalts in situations where seismic imaging is poor. The high<br>contrast in electrical resistivity between salt bodies and the surrounding sediments makes for a good target and<br>provides an opportunity to test the applicability of the MMT method in oil exploration studies. The deep water<br>basins in offshore Brazil are the sites of giant oil and gas discoveries, and should provide excellent test sites<br>for evaluating the MMT method.