Crustal Structures of the Eastern Sundalands Rifts, Central Indonesia :

Geophysical Constraints and Petroleum Implications

Awang Harun Satyana (1)
(1)

BPMIGAS (Executive Agency for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities, Republic of Indonesia)

ABSTRACT
Being positioned on the active margin of
southeastern Eurasian plate, Eastern Sundaland had
recorded the history of subduction, accretion, and
collision from oceanic plates of the Tethys Seas and
Gondwanan microcontinents during the Mesozoic.
The processes had grown the area of Eastern
Sundaland by terrane amalgamation.
Started in the middle Eocene, Eastern Sundaland
dispersed through rifting due to a number of
mechanisms. South and Makassar Straits, East Java
Sea, Gorontalo and Bone Bays rifted forming
sedimentary basins. Sediments capable to become
petroleum sources, reservoirs and seals were
deposited into the basin and a number of traps were
formed. North and South Makassar Basins and East
Java Sea Basin are the proven petroleum basins,
whereas Gorontalo and Bone basins are potential
basins for the occurrences of petroleum
accumulation.
Seismic, gravity, and magnetic data are employed to
understand the origin and nature of crustal
structures of Eastern Sundaland. These provide
tectonic interpretation of the areas discussed and the
implications for petroleum accumulation.
KEY WORDS: tectonics, seismic interpretation,
gravity and magnetic modeling

generally shallower than 100 meter between IndoChina Peninsula, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, and
Kalimantan.
Occupying the position of active continental margin
since the Jurassic, the Sundaland had recorded the
history of growing and slivering of a continent by
accretion and dispersion, respectively (Satyana,
2003). In the light of terrane analysis, the Sundaland
is composed of a number of terranes which came
from the northern Gondwanaland (Metcalfe, 1996),
drifted separately, assembled, and accreted forming
the Sundaland. The terranes composing the
Sundaland are : Sibumasu (formerly called Mergui
and Malacca), East Malaya, Indochina, Southwest
Borneo (partly called Schwaner), Semitau and
Paternoster-Kangean. Later dispersion of eastern
terranes broke the assembly and slivered the
Sundaland. Therefore, the Sundaland records the
histories of growing and slivering of a continent by
accretion and dispersion, respectively.
Started at around 50 Ma, in the Middle Eocene,
some of the accreted mass of SE Sundaland
dispersed through rifting and drifted eastward and
southeastward slivering the continent, leaving rifted
structures of the Eastern Sundaland presently
located at the Makassar Straits, East Java Sea,
Gorontalo Bay and Bone Bay (Figure 1).

METHODS
INTRODUCTION
The term Sundaland strictly defines the landmass of
southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Java,
Kalimantan, Malaya, and present waters around
them which stood above the sea during the low sea
levels of the Pleistocene epoch (Figure 1). The
Sundaland represents the southeastern corner of
stable Eurasian continental plate. The Sundaland
was cratonized in Late Triassic times and is now
generally aseismic (Hutchison, 1989). In the nonglacial Holocene epoch, the Sundaland has been
flooded by sea resulting in the present Sunda Shelf.
The Sunda Shelf is a present broad shallow sea

The goal of the paper is to show the configurations

of the rifted basins in Eastern Sundaland including
the Makassar Straits, East Java Sea, Gorontalo and
Bone Basins. Interpreted seismic sections of these
areas are keys to understand the tectonics and
configurationss of crustal structures of the rifted
basins. Some rifted basins may be floored by
continental and/or oceanic crusts. In the absence of
well penetrating the basement, gravity and magnetic
modeling is applied to consider the nature of
basement. Petroleum system analyses are applied
mostly based on seismic characteristics.

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

RESULTS
Dispersion and Rifting of Eastern Sundaland
The history of dispersion and rifting of Eastern
Sundaland is complicated and there are a number of
mechanisms proposed by authors for the rifts of
Eastern Sundaland (Satyana, 2003), involving: (1)
crustal breakdown to the west of South Sulawesi
volcanic arc by the Plio-Pleistocene diastrophism,
(2) back-arc spreading of marginal basins of
Southwest Pacific areas, (3) rotation of the
continental Southeastern Sundaland, (4) back-arc
spreading due to subduction rollback related to
India-Eurasia collision at 50 Ma, (5) southern
extension related to sea-floor spreading of the
Sulawesi Sea, (6) tectonic escape due to IndiaEurasia collision and (7) mantle delamination by
upwelling plume under the Eastern Sundaland.
The eastern margin of Sundaland is fragmented and
tectonically very complicated. The accreted rocks
comprise variably metamorphosed accretionary
complexes, imbricated terranes, melange, turbidite
and broken formations, and ophiolites. These rocks
have suffered considerable dismemberment,
tectonic and structural modification, and thermal
overprinting due to tectonic and metamorphic
activity throughout the Tertiary, related to the
convergence of the Indo-Australian, Eurasian and
western Pacific microplates (Parkinson et al, 1998).
The provenance and way of dispersion of some
fragments believed once parts of Eastern Sundaland
are also complex and variably interpreted.
Post-Accretionary Dispersion of Circum-Pacific
Region
Post-accretionary dispersion is a usual case in the
Circum-Pacific region (Howell et al., 1985). The
main period of accretionary activity ended by Early
Tertiary time in the Cordillera and northeastern
Siberia. These accretionary episodes have been
followed by a history of complex strike-slip faulting,
folding, and thrust faulting resulting in the breakup
of some terranes. In North America, large-scale
right-slip faults such as the San Andreas,
Fairweather, and Fraser River all have minimum
displacements of a few hundred kilometers, and
some may have much more. The cumulative relative
movement on all of these, plus innumerable
subsidiary faults, must amount to several thousand

kilometers, and some may have much more. In

Japan, left-slip faults are smearing out and
dispersing the terranes while accretion is still
occurring, and in eastern China, east-west trending
left-slip faults resulting from the northeastward
movement of India are fragmenting the collection of
terranes in that area. At the eastern margin
Sundaland, the accretion stopped at around 50 Ma
(Middle Eocene) and the accreted crust started to
disperse beginning with the opening of the
Makassar Straits. The dispersion of terranes, by
either rifting or sliding, results in the diminution of
continents.
Rifted Structures of the Makassar Straits
East Borneo and West Sulawesi were part of a
single area in the Late Mesozoic but were separated
during the Cenozoic by the opening of the Makassar
Straits. The Makassar Straits formed by rifting
(Figure 2). There has been debate about the age of
formation of the straits between Neogene and
Paleogene. Eocene age for the opening is now
generally accepted. Extension began in the Middle
Eocene and formed graben and half-graben above
which is an important unconformity of probable
Late Eocene age. The unconformity marks the top
of the synrift sequence. Thermal subsidence
continued during the Oligocene. Flexural
subsidence due to loading on the west and east sides
may have deepened the straits, as inversion in
eastern Kalimantan migrated east and the Mahakam
delta prograded east since the Early Miocene, while
folding and thrusting of western Sulawesi migrated
west since the Early Pliocene.
The mechanism of the opening has also been the
subject of controversy (see discussion above). Most
authors have favored an extensional origin for the
straits. The nature of crust underlying the straits has
also long been the subject of scientific debate
between continental and oceanic. Most authors
agree with attenuated (due to rifting) continental
crust composing the South Makassar Strait, but the
basement for the North Makassar Strait which is
much deeper than that of the South Makassar Strait
is difficult to determine. There have been much
arguments arguing that the North Makassar Strait is
floored by oceanic crust however, another
possibility that the strait is floored by attenuated
continental crust is also possible. Flexural loading
model, gravity-magnetic model and seismic data
show variable interpretations hence complicating
the matter. This paper will not discuss the matter

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

any further. Further discussion on the nature of

basement of North Makassar Strait can be found in
recent paper by Hall et al. (2009) but, this
publication can not conclude the nature of the
basement of North Makassar Strait.
The
disagreement is likely to continue amongst those
working in the area.
Free-air gravity shows there is a broad gravity low
beneath the central North Makassar Basin. This
includes an elongated low northeast of the
Paternoster Platform that follows the narrow trough
connecting the North and South Makassar Basins,
and an irregular low between the Mahakam delta
and the Mangkalihat Peninsula. There is large
gravity high beneath the Mahakam delta depocenter.
In the last few years more than 10,000 km of new
data have been acquired or reprocessed by TGSNOPEC Geophysical Company during seismic
surveys covering large parts of the North Makassar
Straits (Figure 2). The bathymetry in the North
Makassar Straits reflects some obvious features of
the deeper structure. The seafloor in the central
North Makassar Straits is flat and undeformed. In
the north the water depth is almost 2500 m and is
about 200 m less in the south. Depths decrease
towards the carbonate-dominated Paternoster
Platform in the south and the Mangkalihat
Peninsula in the north. To the west, the seafloor
rises gradually to the very shallow East Kalimantan
Shelf, crossing the front of the Mahakam delta. In
the east, the seafloor shallows towards western
Sulawesi, rather more abruptly than on the west side,
reflecting folding and thrusting of a deformed zone
that is now described as the Offshore West Sulawesi
Foldbelt.
From south to north, the Offshore West Sulawesi
Foldbelt can be divided into three provinces
(Puspita et al., 2005): the Southern Structural
Province (SSP), Central Structural Province (CSP)
and Northern Structural Province (NSP) based on
seafloor characteristics, subsurface deformation, in
particular the character and position of the
deformation front (Figure 2, lower section). The
Cenozoic sedimentary sequence in the central part
of the North Makassar Straits is undeformed and
separated from the Offshore West Sulawesi Foldbelt
by a change in slope at which there are folds, and
blind and emergent thrusts and backthrusts.
The nature of the basement to the central part of the
Makassar Straits can be interpreted only indirectly,
because the very thick sediment cover and the great

depth to basement means that no direct sampling is

possible. The oceanic crust interpretation is favored
by the great width of the extended zone and, in
particular, the 200 km width of the deepest part of
the straits where depths are close to 2.5 km water
depth and there are several kilometers of almost
undisturbed flat-lying sediments above the
basement. The continental crust interpretation is
favored by the observations that rifting structures
can be seen below the basal unconformity. Gravity
and magnetic modeling show attenuated continental
crust floors northern Makassar Straits (Figure 3).
Half-graben and graben are evident in places, and
the pattern of faulting mapped below the basal
unconformity is similar to that expected from
oblique extension of a basement with a pre-existing
NWSE fabric. Structures can be seen above the
unconformity which could be carbonate build-ups
on tilted fault blocks or volcanic edifices. Recent
drillings in the North and South Makassar Straits
showing the presence of both volcanic edifices
above the horst (Rangkong-1, Exxon 2009) and
carbonate build-up (Sultan-1, Exxon 2009). The
NWSE lineaments which segment the basin are
interpreted to be Cretaceous or Paleocene structures,
which in places may have been reactivated. The
northern margin of the Paternoster Platform is
clearly a major steep fault with about 2 km of
normal offset of the Eocene and the large
displacement is inconsistent with an oceanic
transform fault.
Rifted Structures of East Java Sea
The sub-basins of the East Java Sea are part of an
extensive and complex basin system which has
developed around the margins of the Southeastern
Sundaland. Separation of West Sulawesi from
Kalimantan with the opening of the Makassar Strait
is considered to have rifted the basement of East
Java Sea located to southwest and south of the
Makassar Straits. Rifting arms of the southern
Makassar Strait extended southwest- and southward
into the East Java Sea segmenting its basement.
Rifted structures comprising horsts and grabens
trending SW-NE were resulted from, comprising
(Figure 4): Karimunjawa Arch Muriah Trough
Bawean Arch Pati/ Tuban/ Bawean/ Florence
Trough JS 1/ Masalembo High Central/
Masalembo Deep North Madura Platform JS 5
Trough Sibaru Platform. The general
characteristics of the rifted structures are as below
(Manur and Barraclough, 1994).

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

The Muriah Trough lies between the

Karimunjawa Arch and the Bawean Arch. No
sedimentary rocks older than Early Oligocene
(Sangka-1) have been encountered in the
Muriah Trough. However, Pre-Tertiary
sediment section is expected to be present in
deeper parts of this trough.
The Bawean Arch separates the Muriah Trough
from the Tuban-Camar Trough and is
apparently of granitic composition (well H-1).
The Bawean Arch remained an emergent island
until Early Miocene times, when it was finally
transgressed.
The Tuban-Camar Trough is situated between
the Bawean Arch and the JS-1 Ridge. The
underlying basement in the JS 10-1 well is
Early Cretaceous metamorphics.
The JS-1 Ridge is an elongate basement high.
Basement lithology is primarily basic igneous
rocks of pre-Tertiary age. Transgressive
deposits did not reach this ridge until the Early
Oligocene.
The Central-Deep Depression runs parallel to
the JS-1 Ridge. Pre-Tertiary basement in this
area consists of meta-sedimentary and intrusive
igneous rocks.
The Masalembo Basin is cut off from the
Central-Deep by an intervening high and may
have formed as an isolated sub-basin.
The North Madura Platform was a massive
carbonate shelfal area during the Miocene and
the Pliocene.

Another possibility for the origin of the rifted East

Java Sea basement is by back-arc spreading behind
the volcanic arc due to subduction roll-back
mechanism of plate convergence at 50 Ma (middle
Eocene) (Bransden and Matthews, 1992). The onset
of rifting within the East Java Sea is broadly
coincident with the collision of the Indian continent
with Eurasia and the re-organisation of the Pacific
Plate during the middle Eocene. The resultant
reduction in convergence rate around the Southeast
Sundaland, possibly resulting in subduction rollback, is a plausible mechanism for back-arc
extension around the margins of the Southeastern
Sundaland. The variable rates of subduction around
the arc during and after the Indian collision and
Pacific Plate re-organisation are likely to be the
fundamental control on stress vector variation, and
hence fault movement sense, throughout the
Palaeogene. A detailed understanding of the East
Java Sea rift history is fundamental to the analysis
of stratigraphic fill. Localized extension was

underway by early Eocene, and rifting was very

widespread by late Eocene, based on interpretation
of the geometry and timing of motion on major
faults, which show a marked stratigraphic thickness
contrast from hangingwall to footwall for time
equivalent sequences.
During the Neogene, the rifted structures of the East
Java Sea, especially in each southern ends, subsided
due to extensional stress generated from left-lateral
strike-slip fault of theRembang-Madura-KangeanSakala Fault Zone. This fault zone deformed the
areas presently located at the northern East Java
from Rembang to Sakala areas.
Rifted Structures of Gorontalo Basin
Prior to 2005 no seismic data coverage or offshore
wells existed for the Gorontalo Basin. In 2006,
following encouraging interpretation of the 2005
new look deep recording 2D reconnaissance nonexclusive seismic survey, some 5800 line
kilometers of 2D non-exclusive seismic data was
acquired. Subsequent interpretation of this data
(Jablonski et al., 2007) revealed a new geological
picture that challenges pre-existing ideas about
tectonic development and the hydrocarbon
prospectivity of the region (Figure 5).
The Gorontalo Basin is underlain by Eocene rift
grabens similar in geometry to the fluvio-lacustrine
source rock-rich megasequences that underlie many
oil-prone petroleum systems surrounding the
Sundaland. The current geological positioning of
the Gorontalo Basin is the result of older, Mesozoic
collisions of Australian micro-plates with
Sundaland. This has been followed by the Eocene
stretch of Sundaland. A relatively quiescent period
of widespread carbonate platform deposition, with
some intrusions associated with volcanic arc
processes, ensued during the Oligocene to Middle
Miocene. This depositional system was disrupted in
the latest Miocene, with increased clastic deposition
mostly terminating carbonate platform in eastern
Indonesia. Carbonate pinnacle growth with
localized deposition of clastic deltas was
establisheda system that continues today.
Contrary to widespread belief, the Gorontalo Basin
appears to have a similar geological history to the
neighboring Makassar Basin. Extensive continental
crust has been identified to underlie the Gorontalo
Basin. This is in contrast to the general view that a
relatively young sedimentary basin is underlain by

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

oceanic crust. The present-day central Sulawesi

Neck appears to be a relatively recent feature
caused by the Pliocene to Recent compression. A
pre-Eocene collision has also been identified,
elucidating the break-up history of Gondwana and
present-day eastern Indonesia. Despite the
complexity of the onshore geology, which displays
mostly compressional features, the offshore region
of the Gorontalo Basin predominantly displays
extensional tectonics. Large structures at multiple
stratigraphic levels are similar to the Makassar and
Banggai basins. , where there have been a number
of significant hydrocarbon discoveries. While still
classified as a frontier region, the Gorontalo Basin
offers an offshore opportunity that challenges the
perception of the region.
Rifted Structures of Bone Basin
The Gulf of Bone separates the eastern and western
arcs of Sulawesi. It is thought to be the result of
extension.
Sudarmono (1999) interpreted that the Bone Basin
is a composite basin, with its origin as a subduction
complex and suture between Sundaland and
Gondwana-derived
micro-continents.
It
subsequently evolved as a submerged intra-montane
basin. The basin had two major periods of
development: (a) Paleogene to Early Miocene, and
(b) Early Miocene to Recent. Originally, the basin
probably occupied a forearc setting as part of a
westward subduction complex during the Paleogene
to Early Miocene. Subsequently, westerly plate
convergence of Australian-derived micro-continents
toward the subduction complex during the Middle
to Late Miocene, dramatically changed the style of
deposition, structural framework, and configuration
of the basin. A Middle Miocene collision of the
microcontinents with the subduction-related
accretionary complex, followed by collision of the
microcontinents with West Sulawesi, built orogens
surrounding the Bone Basin which shed large
volumes of sediment into the northern depocenter of
the Bone Basin.
The collision led to an eastward rotation of
Southeast Sulawesi, which resulted in rifting and
submergence of the southern part of the basin. The
two colliding plates began to lock during the
Pliocene, and the continued plate convergence was
accommodated by strike-slip movements along the
Walanae, Palukoro and many other faults.
Subsequently the Bone Basin submerged into an

intra-montane basin setting. Clastic sediments

derived from surrounding mountains to the east,
north and west were deposited progradationally
southward toward the depocenter of the basin.
Strike-slip movements are still active, and the
bathymetry of the Gulf of Bone reflects the present
day tectonic activity.
Recent data (2007) acquired by TGS Nopec in the
Gulf of Bone (4,687 km of 2D seismic data with
grid spacing 10 km to 30 km, 11,564 km of gravity
and seismic) give another interpretation of the Bone
Basin (Figure 6). The Bone Basin is rifted basin
like rifted basins of Western Indonesia surrounding
the Sundaland. Accordingly, the Bone Basin
represents the basin that developed in the eastern
margin of the Sundaland. There is no appearance of
typical forearc basins as previously interpreted.
Eocene deep, thick synrift package developed. Late
Miocene potential reefal buildups grew on both
basin flanks. A platform to the southeast and
volcanic high to the west restrict the synrift to early
post rift sediment accumulation. Numerous
basement highs appear to be capped by Late
Miocene carbonates / reefs. Deep synrift sections
developed in north, central and south of the basin.
Bone Basin may an Eocene rift basin, formed
together with Makassar Straits and other Eocene rift
basins in response to far-field extensional stresses.
Whether the basin is an Eocene forearc or rift basin,
the key difference is in the interpreted edge of
Sundaland at the onset of Eocene extension.
Compilation and analysis of all onshore and
offshore geologic and geophysical data may resolve
the issue.
The nature of the basement of Bone Basin is not
known. Yulihanto (2004) interpreted that the basin
is floored by oceanic crust in the centre and
continental crust on the flanks. Basin depocenter is
restricted by the West Bone Bay Fault Zone and the
East Bone Bay Fault Zone.
Petroleum Implications
Widespread synrift sequence across the whole or
most of the Makassar Straits are potentially a
greater number of exciting exploration targets in
deeper water (Hall et al., 2009). If the straits are
floored mainly by oceanic crust, success will
depend on organic material carried into deep water
and distributed through sand-rich sequences which
appears a riskier system. If the floors are thinned

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

continental crust, there is possibility of the

development of lacustrine source rocks in the rifts,
with synrift reservoirs and carbonate build up
growing on horst areas (Figure 2). Oil seeps in
West Sulawesi onshore have been characterized
geochemically and reveal the Eocene sources of
lacustrine to transitional facies. This show that
sources deposited in the Eocene rifts of Makassar
Straits and West Sulawesi have generated oils.
Eocene sourced-oils are also indicated from
Ranggas oil field reservoired by Miocene Kutei
turbidite fans. The Eocene sources may come from
the Eocene rifts of the Makassar Straits.
Eocene to Oligocene East Java Sea rifts have been
proven as sites for kitchens and traps. SW-NE
trending grabens formed during the Middle Eocene
and were filled with alluvial clastics, lateritic clays
and lacustrine shales (Figure 4). Organic rich shales
in this sequence provide the source rock for
hydrocarbons throughout the region. The main oil
prone source potential is largely restricted to
organic rich shales of the Eocene (Ngimbang)
Formation which are found in the following areas:
the Muriah Trough; the Camar-Tuban Trough; the
Central-Deep Depression; the Masalembo Basin;
and the Madura basinal area to the south of the
North-Madura platform (Manur and Barraclough,
1994). The source rocks are of marginal marine,
deltaic and lacustrine origin and are of varying
quality. The flank of high areas of the rifts become
the sites for deposition of Ngimbang synrift
sandstones proven to be reservoirs. High areas of
the rifts also controlled the development of Early
Oligocene CD carbonates and Oligo-Miocene
Kujung I carbonate build ups. The carbonates are
proven reservoirs in East Java Basin. The most
common traps are tilted fault blocks related to the
rifting and graben formation that created the basin).
Most of these hydrocarbon producing structures
were formed during the early phase of active
faulting in the Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene.
These old pre-existing structures were present
during the initial phase of hydrocarbon generation,
whether it was pre-inversion or associated with the
elevated heat flow during inversion.
While still classified as a frontier region, the
Gorontalo Basin offers an offshore opportunity that
challenges the perception of the region (Jablonski et
al., 2007). An active petroleum system is suggested
by east-west oriented depocenters with thicknesses
locally exceeding 10 kilometers, the mostly
southward focused hydrocarbon migration routes,

and the presence of numerous onshore oil seeps

along the southern edge of the Gorontalo Basin.
Numerous Amplitude with Offset (AVO) anomalies
observed on newly acquired seismic sections also
suggest the presence of hydrocarbons at a variety of
stratigraphic levels. The new seismic data indicate
the following pre- Paleogene to Recent plays, some
of which may contain stacked reservoirseal pairs
sourced by several Tertiary source rocks: older rift
fault blocks associated with the Australian plate
rifting, and subsequent collision with Borneo in the
Cretaceous; Eocene rift fault-blocks; Oligocene to
Middle Miocene platform carbonates; Late Miocene
to Pliocene carbonate build-ups; Late Miocene to
Recent lowstand deltas and turbidites (Figure 5).
In the Bone Basin, the Eocene rift interpretation
implies a more favorable environment for
hydrocarbon generation, and if proven could
significantly reduce exploration risk in this frontier
basin (Figure 6). ALF (airborne laser fluorescence)
fluors have been detected in the northern and
southern Bone Basin suggesting a working
petroleum system. Synrift Eocene to Oligocene
potential source package is up to >2.5 sec thick,
areally extensive synrift package and buried by 2
3.5 seconds of postrift sediments. ALF fluors may
be related to postulated hydrocarbon kitchen in very
deep and mature half grabens. Traps are provided
by combination of carbonate reefs, canyon fill and
deep water turbidite plays. Numerous basement
highs appear to be capped by Late Miocene
carbonates / reefs. Play types of the Bone Basin
may include: faulted anticlines, tilted fault blocks,
carbonate reefs, stratigraphic subcrop plays, drape
over basement highs, turbidite fans, slope channel
fill, and stratigraphic pinchout.

CONCLUSIONS
1. Eastern Sundaland was built by amalgamation of
terranes during Cretaceous through subduction,
accretion and collision which then they were reseparated through a number of mechanisms
resulting in extensional rifted structures.
Identified rifted structures forming Eastern
Sundaland are Makassar Straits, East Java Sea,
Gorontalo Basin and Bone Basin.
2. Gravity, magnetic and seismic data show crustal
structures of the rifted basins. The rifted
structures are typical products of crustal
extension forming horsts and grabens and ended
by sagging period. Some of basements

Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

underlying the basins are variably interpreted

due to the absence of well penetrating the
basements. The basements are various composed
of continental, intermediate and oceanic crusts.
3. The rifted basins are proven and/or potential for
petroleum implications. The grabens become the
sites for synrift sources and reservoirs. The
horsts become the sites of carbonate build ups
which are sealed by shales deposited during the
sagging period. Petroleum accumulation
occurred when the traps on horsts were charged
by petroleum from graben kitchens.

6.

7.

8.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author thanks Mr. Yunan Muzafar (Directorate
General of Oil and Gas, Republic of Indonesia) for
sharing seismic sections of Gorontalo and Bone
basins published in this paper, and Mr.Stephen Hay
(StatOil Karama) for seismic sections across the
Makassar Strait. Gravity and magnetic modeling
was contributed by Unocal (presently Chevron)
Makassar Strait. The Management of BPMIGAS is
acknowledged for giving support and permission to
publish this paper.

9.

10.
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Proceedings of The Bali 2010 International Geosciences Conference and Exposition, Bali, Indonesia, 19-22 July 2010

MakassarStraits
Gorontalo

Sundaland

Bone
EastJavaSea

Figure 1. Boxes showing study areas marking rifted basins located at Eastern Sundaland. The
areas include the Makassar Straits, East Java Basin, Gorontalo Basin and Bone Basin.

Mahakam Delta

100km

Sulawesi Fold Belt

Top Basement

Central High

Sulawesi Fold Belt

100km

Sulawesi Fold Belt

Sangkulirang
FZ

Paternoster
Platform
Top Basement

Figure 2. Seismic sections showing crustal structures of the Makassar Straits rifted basin. Upper
section trends west-east, lower section trends south-north. The sections show rifted basement
resulting in horsts and grabens.
grabens Synrift sediments were deposited within the rift/graben.
rift/graben Neogene
sediments of Sulawesi were tightly folded.

West

East

Synrift
Continental
LowerCrust

AttenuatedCrust

Continental

Mantle

Figure 3. Gravity and magnetic profiles of observed and calculated values and interpretation of the
crustal architecture.
architecture The section crosses the northern Makassar Straits from west to east.
east It is interpreted
that the basin is floored by attenuated (thinned) continental crust.

Figure 4. Rifted basement of East Java Sea showing the presence of a series of
highs/arches/platforms/ridges/horsts and lows/depressions/troughs/grabens trending
SW-NE. The rifts may result from extension of southern Makassar Strait or related to
back-arc spreading due to subduction roll back at middle Eocene.

Figure 5. 2006-acquired seismic section showing crustal structures of the Gorontalo rift basin and its
petroleum implications. Extension resulted in a series of horst and grabens. Very thick synrift sediments were
deposited within the grabens with capability to become kitchen generating petroleum trapped in various
plays sealed by sagging shales (seismic section courtesy of Directorate General of Oil and Gas/ Ditjen Migas
and Fugro).

Figure 6. 2007-acquired seismic section showing crustal structures of the Bone rift basin. Extension
resulted in a series of horst and grabens. Thick synrift sediments were deposited within the grabens with
capability to become kitchen generating petroleum trapped in various plays formed in synrift and postrift
sequences
q
or at horst and sealed byy sagging
gg g shales. ALF ffluors are seeps
p at sea surface
f
indicating
g active
kitchens at subsurface. (seismic section courtesy of Directorate General of Oil and Gas/ Ditjen Migas and
TGS Nopec).