Outcrop Analogue for Basement Exploration in Songkhla Basin, Gulf of Thailand
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Abstract
This study focuses on the lithological and structural variations in the pre-Cenozoic rocks of the Songkhla and Phatthalung areas, likely constituting the basement rocks of the offshore Songkhla Basin, where subsurface exploration is limited by seismic resolution. The methodology employed includes field studies and digital outcrop analysis to determine the relationships and patterns of bedding planes, fractures, and folding. Four lithological facies are defined: 1) Sandstone-dominated facies, 2) Shale-dominated facies, 3) Chert facies, and 4) Granite. The fold analysis indicates contraction varying from WNW-ESE to NW-SE. The dominant fracture patterns align with the NW direction, running subparallel to the maximum horizontal stress and perpendicular to the fold axis. Conversely, secondary fracture patterns appear in the NE-SW direction. At the outcrop scale, fracture characterization indicates that open fractures predominantly occur in coarse-grained and poorly sorted sandstone, chert—especially in the forelimb zone—and granite. In contrast, finer sediments and sedimentary rocks adjacent to the granite are typically clay-filled or filled with quartz veins and veinlets. The results are expected to enhance the understanding of the geology at a sub-seismic scale of the pre-Cenozoic fractured basement potential in the Songkhla Basin.
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Copyright © 2008 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Parts of an article can be photocopied or reproduced without prior written permission from the author(s), but due acknowledgments should be stated or cited accordingly.
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