Subsurface structural investigation based on seismic data of the north-eastern Potwar basin, Pakistan

1258-1268The north-eastern Potwar is present in the foothills of Himalayas on the northern boundary of the Indian Plate and is filled by the Infra-Cambrian to Pliocene sedimentation. The area is affected by the regional structures of the Potwar and the Salt-Range Structures, such as the North Potwar Deformed Zone (NPDZ), the Soan Syncline, the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and the Jhelum Fault. Due to complex tectonic-structural framework, it is extremely significant to understand the subsurface structural mechanisms for further hydrocarbons exploration. The 2D seismic data was acquired in the NE-Potwar in the Rawat area is used for this purpose. The current study helps to present rigorous and mechanically feasible structure understanding of the Rawat and associated local structures of the area in the context of the Sub-Himalayas. The study area mainly comprises on the eastern Potwar with tight anticlines and wide synclines with associated thrusts showing collisional regime of the Himalayan Fold and the thrust belt. The structural interpretation and restoration of paleo-section provide a mechanically feasible model for the Rawat area. The interpretation of seismic data shows that this area is associated with conjugate faults and a triangle zone. The results of this study help us to develop understanding in geological history, structural overprint and future leads for hydrocarbons in this geological province