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Avo Leads Identified along the Natal Valley, Offshore South Africa
- Source: First Break, Volume 42, Issue 10, Oct 2024, p. 43 - 49
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- 01 Oct 2024
Abstract
The offshore Natal valley along the east coast of South Africa is a large, underexplored frontier region. Newly acquired seismic datasets not only reveal new play and lead opportunities, but also allow the application of limited AVO analysis. Legacy seismic data were acquired during the 1970s along the narrow continental shelf only. However, the 2013 and 2018 PGS datasets expanded across the continental, transitional and oceanic crustal domains. The available seismic datasets include the full stack (5–35°), near (5–16°) and far offset (27–38°). The latter was loaded, and addition trace calculations conducted, comprising of far minus near and far minus near multiplied by far. The new data not only adds new play opportunities to this frontier basin but also identifies four leads that produce a positive AVO response. While additional seismic data is required to test the viability of the leads and derive maximum benefit from AVO analysis, the results of this study assist in de-risking the leads and provide new optimism to the frontier Natal valley.