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The Wunut Field: Pleistocene Volcaniclastic Gas Sands in East Java
The Wunut Field: Pleistocene Volcaniclastic Gas Sands in East Java
The Wunut Field: Pleistocene Volcaniclastic Gas Sands in East Java
Arse Kusumastuti*
Agung B. Darmoyo*
Wahyudin Suwarlan*
S.P.C. Sosromihardjo*
Regionally, the Brantas PSC is located along the Two further volcanic episodes occurred, during
southern flank of the East Java Basin (Figure 2). Oligocene to Middle Miocene times. The first
Throughout its Tertiary history, most of the block was episode happened during the late Oligocene through
situated along the east-west aligned axis of the early Miocene when the ancestral Java arc developed
depocenter of the East Java Basin. There are three to the south of its present-day southern Java position
major distinct structural provinces recognized in the (Old Andesite Formation). The second episode took
East Java Basin: the Northern Platform, the Central place during the early Miocene through to the end of
High and the Southern Basin. The Brantas PSC is the Middle Miocene. This phase is probably related
situated within the Southern Basin, along the northern to the initiation of the modern Sunda-Java arc and
flank of the present-day Java volcanic arc. resulted in the formation of a volcanic belt
approximately fifty kilometers to the north of the
Oligocene-aged volcanic arc. This arc has remained
The East Java Basin is a Tertiary-aged back-arc basin in this position until the present day.
which is bounded to the west and northwest by the
Karimunjawa Arch and the stable Sunda Shelf. To the
north the basin is limited by the Meratus High of SE The tectonic setting present in the Late Miocene
Kalimantan and to the east by the Masalembo-Doang continued through the Pliocene and the Pleistocene.
High. The Southern Java Volcanic Belt or magmatic Widespread reactivation of folds occurred in the late
arc forms the southern boundary of the East Java Pliocene and further reactivation also occurred in the
Basin. Late Pleistocene. The latest phase of volcanism of
the Sunda-Java arc started in the Late Pliocene and
The sedimentary section of the East Java Basin, of has continued until the present day.
Tertiary to Recent age comprises more than 15,000
feet of section ranging in age from Eocene through Stratigraphy
Recent and overlying on Pre-Tertiary basement.
Miocene and Oligocene rocks crop out in the The stratigraphy of the Brantas PSC can be divided
Southern Mountains which are located in the south of into three major sequences, including Eocene-Early
the volcanic arc. To the north of the arc, two major Oligocene, Late Oligocene-Miocene and Plio-
distinct features are observed: the Kendeng Zone and Pleistocene sequences (Figure 4).
the Tuban Ridge (North Rembang Zone) in which
outcrops of Miocene to Pleistocene rocks occur.
Holocene-aged and alluvial sediments cover the The Eocene-Early Oligocene sequence is associated
remaining area. The Brantas PSC is situated within with the early rifting of the East Java Basin and
the Southern Basin between the Kendeng Zone consists of clastics and carbonates of the Ngimbang
(Central High) and the Southern Java Volcanic Belt. Formation. The Eocene clastics were deposited in a
predominantly alluvial-fluvial environment with local
Volcanism lacustrine conditions and believed to contain the main
source rocks for generation of the hydrocarbons in the
The origin of the Tertiary-aged, East Java back-arc East Java Basin.
basin is related to northward-directed subduction of
oceanic crust, which was attached to the leading edge The late Oligocene-Miocene section is separated from
of the Indian-Australian Plate, beneath the continental the underlying sequence by a regional unconformity
Sunda Plate and resulting in a roughly E-W trending, which overlies the ENE-WSW oriented carbonate
volcanic arc. This subduction activity resulted in trends (BD-Porong Trend). Platform carbonates of
several volcanic episodes throughout the Tertiary and the Prupuh Formation were deposited during the Late
provided the sediment influx for most of the southern Oligocene and were followed by the development of
half of East Java Basin (Figure 3) reefal limestones during the Early Miocene.
During the Late-Middle Miocene to Late Miocene a volcaniclastic sedimentary wedge. The unit resulted
massive influx of clastics from both the northern and from erosion of the latest phase of volcanism in East
the southern areas of the basin caused cessation of Java, which has continued until the present-day. The
carbonate deposition. Volcaniclastic deposition depositional environments ranged from inner to
covered the southern half of the basin southward from middle neritic in the deeper section, gradually
approximately just north of the present-day Java- shallowing upwards to continental to terrestrial at the
Madura coast. In the Brantas PSC, the clastics are present-day surface.
dominated by volcaniclastics which are thought to
represent reworking of the "Old Andesite Formation”. Sequence stratigraphic analysis for the volcaniclastic
In the Tuban-Cepu area along the northern coast, the deposits of Pleistocene to Recent age was performed
clastics originated from erosion of granitic rocks and for well sections of the Wunut -1, -2, -8, -10 and
resulted in the deposition of sandstones of the Porong-1 wells. Using the combined litho- and
Ngrayong Formation. biostratigraphic data, five sequences can be
recognized within the studied interval. The base of
The Plio-Pleistocene sequence unconformably each sequence is identified based on biostratigraphy,
overlies the Late Oligocene-Miocene sequence. cuttings and log data. Sequences I, II, III and IV are
Locally, the unconformity removed the entire Middle Pleistocene in age whilst Sequence V is of Holocene-
and Late Miocene sequences. In the Brantas PSC, Recent age (Figure 5, Darmoyo et.al., 1999).
deposition of the sequence commenced in the eastern
part with limestones of the Paciran Formation and These five sequences may have been deposited as a
marls of Kalibeng Formation in the western part. The result of eustatic sea-level changes. Since no
Paciran Formation consists of pelagic limestones rich significant regional tectonic event has been
in globigerinids and grades westwards into the more recognised at the end of the Pleistocene, tectonism
marly sequence of the Kalibeng Formation. may not have had any effect on deposition of these
sedimentary sequences. A comparison is made
Following the sedimentation of the Paciran/Kalibeng between the five cycles and the published eustatic
formations, a rapidly northeastward-prograding sea-level changes (Figure 6).
wedge of sediments was deposited as the Pucangan
and Lidah Formations. The Pucangan Formation The base of Sequence I is a sequence boundary at the
sediments consist predominantly of volcaniclastics top of the Pliocene "Blue Clay” Formation. This
derived from the volcanic arc located to the south of massive clay is overpressured and was deposited in a
the Brantas PSC. In general, the volcaniclastics were middle to outer shelf environment. The faunas at this
deposited from the southwest in shallowing upward. level are dated at 1.74 Ma, which suggests that if
The Lidah Formation is the more marine equivalent eustacy is suspected to cause this sequence boundary,
of the Pucangan Formation and comprises the erosional surface at the top of the Pliocene "Blue
predominantly marine shales with occasional Clay" may be equivalent to the 1.9 Ma sequence
limestones, which probably represent reworked boundary (Figure-6, Mitchum et al., 1993).
carbonate materials from older limestones.
A well-developed sand unit occurs at the base of
During the latest Pleistocene to Recent, most of the Sequence I in the Wunut-10 well and thins rapidly
Brantas PSC was in a non-marine setting during towards the east and northeast through the Wunut-8, -
deposition of the Kabuh and Notopuro formations. 1, -2 and Porong-1 wells. Sedimentary analysis of
cores from the interval in the Wunut-8 well suggests
GEOLOGY OF THE WUNUT FIELD that the unit was the product of high volcaniclastic
input deposited rapidly into the basin and is
Sequence Stratigraphy interpreted as a turbiditic deposit. The sand is massive
and blocky and contains bioturbation structures.
The entire reservoir section of the Wunut Field
comprises volcaniclastic materials deposited during In general, the basal parts of the Sequences II through
the Pleistocene to Recent. The interval of interest IV consist of thin, possibly condensed, shale-rich
occurs within the Pucangan Formation which was intervals which appear to be the transgressive to
deposited as a northeastward prograding, maximum flooding part of a sedimentary cycle.
Much thicker, coarsening- and shallowing-upward, believed to be an unconformity surface in the
highstand systems follow each event. From the faunal uppermost part of the Late Pliocene. The
evidence the shaly section at the base of Sequence II overpressured nature of the clay suggests that it was
may be equivalent to the 1.37 Ma maximum flooding deposited rapidly. The blue clay in outcrops in the
or downlap surface of the Global Sea-Level Chart. Kendeng Zone is equivalent to the upper part of the
Similar to Sequence II, if caused by eustacy, the basal Kalibeng Formation and was deposited in a deeper
part of Sequence III is equivalent to the 0.76 Ma marine setting of outer to middle neritic conditions.
maximum flooding or downlap unit. The
corresponding sequence boundary for this maximum
flooding surface is 0.8 Ma. During the Pleistocene to Recent the region was
transformed from initially a deep marine environment
The uppermost marine section of the Pleistocene-aged to the present-day terrestrial environment of East
volcaniclastics interval in the Wunut Field is Java. In the Wunut area, however, the lowermost part
Sequence IV. The thin, transgressive to maximum of the Pleistocene was deposited in middle to outer
flooding unit at the base of the sequence is equivalent neritic conditions. The high sedimentation rates of up
to the 0.36 Ma maximum flooding or downlap to 1,000 m/million years appear to be associated with
surface. This flooding surface may correspond to the the massive, mostly andesitic volcanism along the
0.4 Ma sequence boundary (Figure 6, Mitchum et. al., active volcanic arc which is located less than 100 km
1993). to the south of the Wunut Field (Willumsen &
Schiller, 1994).
Sequence V is dominated by non-marine deposits.
There is no faunal dating for the section and it is
interpreted as a Holocene deposit. According to the The basal unit, Sequence I was deposited in a middle
Global Sea-Level Chart the basal part of the sequence to outer neritic environment. Although the basal
may include the 0.1 Ma sequence boundary and 0.06 sequence is frequently turbiditic, upwards and
Ma maximum flooding surface (Figure 6, Mitchum et. eastwards the sequence was deposited in a lower
al., 1993). However, the flooding surface is not energy, marine environment.
clearly evident which may be due to the presence of
non-marine sediment or erosion.
Sequences II to IV are three, coarsening upward
sequences representing three different periods of
Sedimentology - Depositional Facies sediment influx, possibly as a result of sea level
changes or different phases of volcanism. These
The majority of the Pleistocene interval in the Wunut sequences were deposited generally in upward
Field is composed of volcanic, epiclastic sediments shallowing conditions from an open marine, inner
which have been extensively reworked by marine and shelf environment (II), a proximal shoreface or inner
fluviatile processes. Based on the volcaniclastic shelf environment (III), and fluvio-marine, delta front
facies classification (Vessel and Davies 1988; after environment (IV).
Mathisen and McPherson, 1991; Figure 7), the Wunut
section can be differentiated as distal, non-marine
and distal deltaic-marine facies. Sequences I through Sequence V, Holocene to Recent age consists of
IV are the distal deltaic and marine parts whilst volcanics and volcaniclastic claystones and
Sequence V represents the only distal non-marine conglomeratic sandstones with occasional tuffs.
facies. The sorting and reservoir quality of the Occasionally, there is abundant mollusc debris
volcaniclastics generally increases as the particles are indicating a high-energy environment. In general the
transported farther away from the source (Willumsen interval was deposited in a fluvial-terrestrial regime
& Schiller, 1994), therefore, generally the distal with high clastic input. The depositional environment
volcaniclastic facies have far greater reservoir is interpreted to be non-marine with strong fluvial
potential than the more poorly sorted, proximal facies. influences and high clastic input. The Wunut Field
surface location is situated just onshore of the modern
The Wunut section of Pleistocene age was deposited Brantas delta which contains brackish water
above the "Blue Clay Formation" the top of which is ostracods.
Petroleum System b. Seal
The hydrocarbon source rocks for the Wunut Field • Although intensive volcanic activity has occurred
are believed to be Eocene sediments as yet in the area through the Quaternary that could have
undrilled, due to their being beyond drillable overprinted the eustatic effects to a certain
depth. A source rock study based on the well data degree, five depositional sequences can be
indicates that the Eocene sediments constitute the recognized which are related to eustatic sea-level
only known good-excellent quality source rocks, changes. A comparison is made between the five
which may account for most, if not all, the cycles and the published eustatic sea-level
hydrocarbons in the area. These source rocks are changes (Mitchum et.al., 1993) as follows:
largely restricted to organic rich shales and coals
of the Middle-Late Eocene deltaic/estuarine and - SB-I : 1.9 Ma (mfs - 1.74 Ma).
lacustrine sequences. These sediments are believed - SB-II : 1.4 Ma (mfs - 1.37 Ma).
to be at depth over the whole Southern Basinal - SB-III : 0.8 Ma (mfs - 0.76 Ma).
area. - SB-IV : 0.4 Ma (mfs - 0.36 Ma).
- SB-V : 0.1 Ma (mfs - 0.06 Ma).
Hydrocarbons were probably trapped originally in
the Miocene Porong Reef which is located just to • A total of 17 sand reservoirs within the Wunut
the east of the Wunut structure at a depth of 10,000 Field contain gas at depths of between 600 to
feet. Due to the collapse of the seal, as shown by 3,000 feet. The average porosities of the
seismic data (Figure 11), the Porong trap leaked individual sands range from 25 to 35 percent
and hydrocarbons then migrated up through faults. whilst the average permeabilities range from 25
When the permeable, volcaniclastic sands were to 195 millidarcies. Plots of depth versus
reached the hydrocarbons migrated laterally porosity and permeability both indicate a general
through the lowermost sands of the Pleistocene- increase with increasing depth. This suggests that
aged volcaniclastics section and filled the Wunut secondary porosity may be developed at an early
structure (Figure 13). stage of buvial and the immediate gas charging
into the pore space potentially keeps the rocks
When charging the structure, vertical migration from later diagenesis and compaction.
took place through the incompetent seals, as
previously discussed. This vertical migration is • The Wunut structure was formed during the Late
also evidenced by geochemical data, which show or post-Pleistocene and could be related to the
that gas gravity and wetness increase with magmatic uplift which occurred 10-15 kilometers
increasing depth and are accompanied by a to the south. This magmatic uplift produced a
northward-directed detachment along an intra- REFERENCES
Pliocene surface, and resulted in folding during
the Late Pleistocene to Recent (or post Darmoyo, A.B., Satyamurti, B and Sosromihardjo,
Pleistocene). This conclusion is preferred since S.P.C., 1999. The Sedimentology of Pleistocene
the folding is too young to be associated with Volcaniclastic in the Lapindo Brantas Block, East
collision of the Sunda and Australian Plates, Java, Tectonic and Sedimentation - A Regional
which occurred during the Pliocene. Seminar, Indonesian Sedimentologist Forum.