Application of Seabed Core Geochemistry for Further Exploration in Banggai-Sula Area

Banggai-Sula area is the complex tectonic region located in the east of Sulawesi. The recent basin, called Sula Basin, lies in the northern part of the Taliabu and Mangole island. It is part of frontier exploration area with no significant hydrocarbon discoveries. However, the adjacent basin, Banggai Basin is a mature basin with some fields such as Senoro, Donggi, Minahaki, Matindok, and Dongkala, Sukamaju, and Maleo Raja gas fields and Tiaka oil field. Previous drilled wells such as Loki-1 resulted in significant gas show while Alpha-1 indicated no show. Significant new directions for further exploration in Banggai-Sula area are required. By utilizing the new data, this study is aimed to approach this concern. Several surface and subsurface data are utilized in this study, including seabed core geochemistry, 2D seismic lines and the multibeam data. The geochemistry analysis result of seabed core data shows that the occurrence of hydrocarbon seeps mostly in the central part of the study area. The northern part area represents the most hydrocarbon seepages occurrence. The collision process leads to the generation and expulsion of hydrocarbon and provide suitable traps for hydrocarbon accumulation. This area is recommended for further exploration of Banggai-Sula region. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.