f Typical Pore Pressure Regimes in the Malay Basin – Insight for Other Basins Globally

The Malay Basin is a Tertiary trans-tensional rift basin located in offshore Peninsular Malaysia and is one of the most prolific hydrocarbon-producing basins in Southeast Asia. Over 12 km of fine-grained Tertiary sediments were deposited during the last 35 Ma, leading to development of overpressure in the deeper parts of basin (Hoesni et al., 2003). On the Basin Flank (Resak-Beranang – Regime A), reservoir sediments are normally pressured to depths in excess of 3.0km, on account of a high sand/shale ratio. Beneath Regime A sediments, a strong pressure transition zone is expected (e.g. Beranang-1; Mohamad et al., 2006), with attendant challenges for pre-drill prediction and safe well planning. Shale-prone sediments, both shallow (e.g. on continental slopes) and deep (e.g beneath Regime A) which have been isolated from fluid escape by low-permeability shales correspond to Regime B, which is characterised by having high overpressures. Pressure prediction in Regime B characterised by Well LA-3, works satisfactorily if reservoirs are limited in their vertical relief and/or there are no open faults connecting stacked or cross fault reservoirs.