High Resolution 2d Seismic Reflection Mapping Over A Potash Depost

This paper addresses the early contributions made by surface seismic surveys to an ongoing exploration programme over a shallow potash prospect. The latter is underlain by Lower Cretaceous evaporates hosting thin potash (sylvinite) beds near the top of the 100 m thick Upper Evaporite sequence, separated by a 30 m thick Bischofite unit from the 260 m thick Lower Evaporite Sequence. The Evaporate Sequences are capped by Upper Cretaceous anhydrites and carbonates which in turn are overlain by up to 200m of Triassic and Neogene-age sediments. In the complete absence of any information relating to formation “seismic properties, an ongoing borehole geophysical logging programme was extended to include density and sonic logging in order to provide essential information for use in the interpretation process, namely formation velocities and the location of significant reflection events modelled from synthetic seismograms.