Characteristics of selected Palaeogene and Cretaceous lacustrine source basins of Southeast Asia

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Abstract
Lacustrine rift systems have sourced a large portion of the known hydrocarbon reserves in Southeast Asia, and their importance as exploration targets is well established. Our exploration experience has shown that the source rock quality, maturation and the presence of a post-rift marine sag sequence containing reservoirs are the most important factors controlling the hydrocarbon potential of these basins. However, variability in rift architecture, depositional processes, sedimentary geochemistry and thermal history of rift systems is poorly documented in the published literature. Often in the early stages of exploration of rift basins, data available to assess their prospectivity is limited. A more extensive data base of analogues to draw on, particularly non-producing analogues, would allow the explorationist to make better interpretations. In this paper the rift architecture, depositional sequences and sedimentary geochemistry of four Palaeogene and one Cretaceous/Palaeogene graben systems in Indonesia (Sumatra), Thailand and China are described. The graben described are in the Bandar Jaya Basin in South Sumatra, Kampar Kanan Basin in Central Sumatra, Ombilin Basin in West Sumatra, Phetchabun Basin in North Thailand and Dongting Basin in China. These graben cover a range of rift architectures related to wrench tectonic regimes and represent depositional sequences deposited in freshwater to saline lacustrine environments in deep to shallow water lakes. Climatic conditions range from arid in Dongting to tropical throughout Indonesia and Thailand. The geochemical characteristics of the source rocks in these graben are described in the context of their depositional systems.

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