Salt Imaging with Gravity Gradiometry and Magnetic Data – Nordkapp Basin, Barents Sea

Reflection seismic investigation of salt diapirs may have – as in the Nordkapp Basin in the Norwegian Barents Sea – considerable imagining problems to define the shape of salt structures. To improve salt imaging, joint interpretation of full-tensor gravity gradiometry data (FTG), high-resolution magnetic data, controlled-source electromagnetic data and magnetotelluric data, together with 2D and 3D seismic data was applied. This paper focuses on major improvements of the gravity and magnetic modelling process, and presents as such a more sophisticated workflow, which utilizes gravity gradiometry and high resolution magnetic data as well as advanced isostatic investigations. The modelling results contributed to more confidence in the salt imaging, especially with respect to the base of the salt diapirs, which supported volume estimation of potential hydrocarbon traps and gained a better tectonic understanding of the Southern Nordkapp Basin and its salt structures, as a part of the integration workflow with EM and seismics. Advantageous of the novel, iterative modelling process are the utilization of potential field properties, the iterative workflow and the combination of gravity and magnetic data with advanced isostatic investigations.