Anallysiis off Specttrrall IInverrsiion Apprroach off tthe Bougeurr Grraviitty Datta wiitth an Applliicattiion tto Esh Ell--Mallllaha Arrea,, Soutthwestterrn Gullff--off--Suez,, Egyptt.

Abstract

The ultimate goal of this research work was to invert geophysical gravity data using sequential inversion and optimization strategies in frequency domain, upon performing the conventional data reduction and filtering steps for obtaining the best bounded range of optimal model parameters to recover three dimensional subsurface model of the basement relief "i.e. swells, troughs and corresponding faulting/folding structures" matching and correlating with the available constraints and prior information. Numerous gravity inversion schemes have been developed to delineate both geological structures and depths of the sedimentary basin from the observed Bougeur gravity data either in spatial- or frequencydomain. In this study we attempted to analyze and evaluate the 'Oldenburg's inversion approach' which is one of the most common spectral layered-earth inversion schemes; by applying it to both synthetic and real data sets using a kind of sequential multi-dimensional inversion strategy. Inversion and data analysis of the created synthetic data was first performed on structural models either simple, complicated and model simulated to the probable actual model in the study area of Esh EL Mallaha to determine how accurate and sensitive of such a spectral inversion approach would be for both simple and complicated geometric layered-density models. Inversion of the observed data at Esh El-Mallaha area one of the most promising Southwestern Gulf-of-Suez hydrocarbon basins with faulted basement in Egypt was then performed to examine the applicability of such a spectral inversion approach to obtain plausible layered-density models which can be correlated with the available stratigraphic-control wells' results.