Seismic and petrophysical properties of Faroe Islands basalts: the SeiFaBa project

Flood basalt-covered basins exist worldwide along continental margins and are now in focus as targets for future hydrocarbon exploration. It is generally difficult to image through the basalt cover by conventional seismic reflection methods, and this is a major challenge to future petroleum exploration offshore the Faroe Islands. Long-offset profiling has proven very successful (White et al. 2003). Surprisingly, however, it is possible to image through kilometre-thick basalt sequences on some conventional profiles. Details of basalt stratigraphy are revealed on old, reprocessed seismic profiles as well as on recently acquired profiles, even though the imaging may be unsuccessful on nearby profiles (e.g. Boldreel & Andersen 1993). This stresses the need for a better understanding of the acoustic and other physical properties of basalt as well as of the degree of three-dimensional heterogeneity. The SeiFaBa project (Seismic and petrophysical properties of Faroes Basalt, 2002–2005) is funded by the Sindri Group as part of the programmes for licensees within the Faroese offshore area, and addresses these issues with special focus on the subaerially extruded flood basalts of the Faroe Islands (cf. Japsen et al. in press).