Dynamics and Evolution of Growth Faults - Implications on Stratigraphic Geometries and Facies Distribution

An integrated structural and stratigraphic analysis of a regional seismic from Eastern Niger Delta was carried out with the objective of improving the understanding of fault development through time. The classifications of faults with respect to their initiation, propagation and termination have been limited. Part of the problem is that there is lack of very good seismic data that will image accurately the subsurface dynamics of faults over geologic time. The proper understanding of fault dynamics has a strong implication on stratigraphic geometries associated with sand deposits. An added scope is to create predictive models that could aid the understanding of different extensional fault segments and identification of major shelf-edge delta play when found on seismic. The study utilized a regional 3D seismic, 27 wells, biostrat and paleobathymetry data. Different fault segments were created to better understand wedge evolution and stratigraphic geometries associated with faults that were formed independently and faults that were initiated from paleostress of coplanar adjacent faults. The semblance slices aided the interpretation of the fault dynamics. Faults formed independently have more accommodation space / depocentres in the form of wedges while faults that were initiated by adjacent coplanar faults have lower accommodation space.