VII.

NORTH EAST JAVA SEA BASIN

VII.1 Introduction
The North East Java Sea Basin is one of the Tertiary back-arc sedimentary
basins situated in Java Sea. The Bawean Arc separates the North East Java
Sea Basin with the Muriah Trough and the Pati Trough. To the west basin is
terminated by North Madura Platform, and limited by Masalembo High in the
north (Figure 1).
VII.2 Regional Geology
VII.2.1 Tectonic Setting
The North East Java Sea Basin area has evolved structurally in response two
major episodes of fault reactivation which followed the accretion of the East
Java Sea Microplate during the Late Cretaceous (Figure 2). The first phase of
reactivation involved Paleogene extension on Pre-Tertiary thrusts which
produced low-angle and locally listric extensional geometries. Elsewhere much
steeper normal faults were developed due to the absence of such pre-Tertiary
lineaments. The second phase of reactivation occurred during the Neogene
inversion when all of the major Paleogene faults experienced reversed
movements leading to maximum uplift in those areas of pre-existing Paleogene
depocentres. Several structurally induced seismic boundaries of regional
significance are recognized.
The most contentious structural issue concerns the relative importance of dipslip and strike-slip components of movement during both those phases of
structural evolution described above. This has important implications for
prospectivity, since different clastic fill pattern will result from different regimes.
In general the Paleogene rifting produced a basin system which is dominated by
fault-controlled subsidence, rather than a combination of extensional and
contractional structures characteristic of strike-slip basins.
Paleogene rifting within the East Java Sea must be evaluated regionally as part
of the back-arc extensional system which fringed the southeast Eurasian Plate.
The Paleogene extension direction around this arcuate system may have
changed due to the variable relative convergence vectors. The observed
VII-1

variability of fault trends and the probable influence of inherited structural grain
within the East Java Sea require that some faults will inevitably have
experienced oblique-slip during the Paleogene, irrespective of extension vector.
Early Miocene and younger uplift has affected a large area of the East Java
Sea. This was developed by episodic reserved movement on faults which had
accommodated subsidence in the Paleogene, some of which can also be seen
to reactivate pre-Tertiary thrusts. The graben and half-grabens which existed at
Early Miocene times have been inverted, resulting in several of the regional
structural dip and altering the sediment fill pattern which had existed prior to
uplift.
VII.2.2 Stratigraphy
In contrast to the East Java and Madura basins which are dominated by
deepwater sediments the basins of the East Java Sea are filled almost entirely
by subaerial to shallow marine shelfal sediments (Figure 3). Facies boundaries
occur along a diffuse zone of faults and flexures located close to the north
coasts of East Java and Madura Island. These form the northerly limit of intense
inversion.
Basement
The pre-Tertiary of the Bawean area includes basinal sediments, intrusives and
altered volcanics. The oldest penetrated rocks have been found to be Jurassic
to Upper Cretaceous metasediments.
Palaeogene
Pre-CD and CD formations
Since the deepest basinal areas have not been penetrated the WE known
basinal fill comprises alluvial, fluvial, lacustrinal or marginal marine sediments of
the pre-CD Formation, of (Middle to) Late Eocene age. Basal clastics are
widespread in this formation and contain coally shales. To the east and possibly
to the south are more open marine marly sediments. The top of the pre-CD
Formation is marked by the widespread Upper Eocene/Lower Oligocene
transgressive CD Limestone, representing truly marine conditions.

VII-2

Kujung Formation
The overlying early Kujung Formation continued to transgress basin margins,
with the deposition of argillaceous shelfal carbonates, and local shoreline sands
on the margins of highs. To the south shelf/slope break occurred along the
Kujung Fault system, with thick bathyal muds deposited in the East Java and
Madura areas.
Carbonate content increased in the increasingly open marine Kujung limestones
with continued transgression. Best reservoir facies are found in patch reefs
located on the platform areas to the north of the Kujung Fault (eg Camar,
Poleng and KE fields). Kujung limestones deposition culminated in deposition of
the massive Kujung I platform sequence over a very wide area in the earliest
Miocene. This is equivalent to the Prupuh Limestone of the other East Java
basins. The platform is locally karstified over the Northwest Bawean Arch
resulting in a highly diffractive seismic event.
Neogene
A widespread Kujung I/Prupuh Limestone marine flood event is recognized and
is overlain by several regressive cycles of fine to coarse clastic input including
the important Ngrayong Formation reservoirs. The basal Tawun or Lower OK
formations are shale dominated. Local limestones such as the Rancak
Formation probably relate to minor transgressive events. Further reefal
carbonate growth occurred locally at the shelf edge to the south.
Ngrayong Formation
Significant sand input occurs in the Ngrayong Formation towards the top of the
sequence. Structurally the basin architecture was inherited from the Kujung
Formation, with a prominent shelf edge located in the northern coastal areas of
present day Java and Madura. Three main units are recognised by Trend
(Ardhana, 1993), of which the lower two are regressive and the upper
transgressive. These are:
-

Unit I comprises cross-bedded sands interbedded with muds and thin

limestones deposited on the shelf and upper slope in the north and
northwest.

VII-3

A facies change occurs to Unit II which includes sandy turbidites and

hemipelagic mudstones which accumulated in the basin to the south.

Unit III, which transgresses both of the lower units. Unit III contains sandy
bioclastic limestones in the north (Platten or Bulu limestones) and the
equivalent channelised sandy turbidites, hemipelagic mudstones and
contourites in the south.

Late Miocene to Recent

The remainder of the Miocene is transgressive in character and is mudstone
/carbonate dominated. The Upper Miocene/Lower Pliocene Karren Formation
(Upper OK) limestones are widely developed and may in part be the platform
equivalent of the hemipelagic Paciran chalks which form the reservoirs at MDA
and Sirasun. A shelf edge between these two facies is rarely developed due to
the

widespread

structural

inversion.

More usually, the northern shelfal

limestones onlap the northern flanks of inverted structures and on the southern
flanks thin reefal limestones pass rapidly into deepwater marls and globigerinid
limestone.
VII.3 Petroleum System
VII.3.1 Source Rock
The Lower OK (Ngrayong) Formation and Kujung III Units are the best source
potential, with local TOC greater than 1%. Organic matter is predominantly
structured terrestrial, with only 30% of sapropelic or amourphous oil prone
kerogen. The Ngrayong Formation (OK shale) has good source potential but is
not buried deeply enough in the Central Deep.
Wells to the south and east of the Bawean area show generally low organic
richness (TOC <1%) throughout. Some coal layers within the CD Formation and
Kujung Unit II and III contain mostly gas prone kerogen.
VII.3.2 Reservoir
Upper Eocene and Lower Oligocene
The overlying CD Formation consists of basal transgressive sands and platform
carbonates with local reefal development are the potential reservoirs. The

VII-4

sands represent the deepest reservoir targets in the area and such quartz-rich
sands are present in this basin. Carbonates have variable reservoir quality but
in the Bawean area are deeply buried with poor reservoir potential.
Kujung III (Late Oligocene)
This interval consists of mixed shelfal clastics and carbonates. Sands are
medium to coarse, and locally tuffaceous, and are interbedded with muds,
micritic limestone and lignite. The Kujung III Formation reservoir performance is
enhanced considerably by fracturing.
Kujung II (Late Oligocene)
These limestones form one of the main targets in the Central Deep and provide
the reservoirs at the Camar Field. Limestones of high energy and reefal facies
overstep basement on the flanks but are fine grained in the basin centre.
Primary reservoir quality id fair and performance is enhanced by fracturing
adjacent to reactivated fault zones.
Kujung I (Late Oligocene to Early Miocene)
This is the shelfal equivalent to the deepwater Prupuh Limestone of the East
Java/Madura Basins. It has the best reservoir characteristics of the North East
Java Sea Basin.
Ngrayong Formation
Sands are shallow, uncompacted and of excellent reservoir quality. However,
reservoir is low, production drawdown will be limited and reserves will depend
largely on abandonment pressure. Ngrayong Formation sands are present in
the Central Deep but the unit is carbonate dominated and nothing has been
tested from the clastics.
VII.3.3 Seal
The primary seal in the North East Java Sea Basin is the thick shaly facies of
the Tuban Formation. Tuban shale therefore provides primarily top seal to the
underlying Kujung and Ngrayong reservoirs. The shale generally drapes over
the Kujung reef and effectively capped any trapped hydrocarbons below it.

VII-5

Additional top seals are provided by the intraformational Kujung shales and
dense limestones that act as good top seal for the underlying Ngimbang &
Kujung reservoirs.
VII.3.4 Trapping Mechanism
Proven plays are largely extensional drape of faulted dip closures, and reefal
build-ups. The two often combine in the same feature to give multiple play
horizons. The failure of inverted traps is possibly due to their late development
and the limited amount of adjacent subsidence post-dating inversion.
Largely structural traps include the KE-2 (Madura) Field and Camar Field. The
KE-5/6 and Poleng Fields are largely patch reef complexes with some structural
control which probably initiated reefal growth.
VII.4 Hydrocarbon Play
The Muriah Trough and Central Deep are characterized by multiple producing
horizons due to stacked reservoir/seal couplets. Accumulations may produce
from some or all of the CD, Kujung II, Kujung I, Ngrayong and Rancak
Formations.
The stratigraphy in the Central Deep is relatively well tested in all but the
deepest parts. Clastics reservoirs are likely to have poor remnant quality but
carbonate reservoirs may have good reservoir potential, particularly if fractured.
The remaining potential of the Muriah Trough is limited to the shallow Ngrayong
and Kujung I Formation plays, the deeper section being flushed by CO2. Little
Structural potential remains untested at the shallower levels and the plays have
little or no stratigraphic trapping potential on a large scale (Figure 4).

VII-6

References
Bransden P.J.E., and Mathews S.J., 1992, Structural and Stratigraphic
Evolution of the East Java Sea, Indonesia, Proceed. Indon. Petrol.
Assoc.21st Ann. Conv. pp 417-453.
Darman H., and Hasan Sidi F., 2000, An Outline of The Geology of Indonesia,
Published by IAGI-2000, pp 54-59.
IEDS, 1995, An Evaluation of Proven and Potential Gas Reserves Section 2
Java, Vol.1.
Kaldi J.G., Macgregor D., and ODonnell G.P., 1997, Seal Capacity in Dynamic
Petroleum Systems; Example from Pagerungan Field, East Java Sea,
Indonesia, Proceeding of the Petroleum Systems of SE and
Australian Conferences, pp 829-836.

VII-7

Northeast Java Sea Basin

FIGURE 1. Location Map of North East Java Sea Basin

1 1 5oE

LEGEND :
STRUCTURALHIGH

BARITO
PLATFORM

BASINMARGIN/TERRACE
STRUCTURAL/BASINALLOW
FAULTZONE

125

NORMALFAULT
THRUSTFAULT

Kil ometers

STRIKESLIPFAULT

AROSBAYAHIGH
KUJUNGHIGH
NGIMBANGSUB-BASIN

Surabaya
PORONG
SUB-BASIN

115E

FIGURE 2. Tectonic Element of North East Java Sea Basin

CHRONO
STRATIGRAPHY

EPOCH

ONSHORE AREA
AND MADURA STRAIT

NORTHEAST JAVA SEA

LIDAH

PLEIS

MT

KAWENGANFM.

OL

KARREN

WONOCOLOFM.

(UPPEROK)

NGRAYONG
TUBANFm.

S
RANCAK

(LOWEROK)

S
UNIT-I

UNIT-II R
KIJUNGFm.

UNIT-III R

NGIMBANGFm.

CD

KB

S Source S Seal R Reservoar

FIGURE 3. Generalized Stratigraphy of North East Java Sea Basin

MADURAISLAND

JAVASEA

NNW

JS - 2 0 A R E A

JS 1 - 1

JS19-1

AROSBAYAAREA

BD-1

10

12
11

9
1000

MADURASTRAIT
MS1-1

GIGIR-1AREA

1
5

2000

3000

2
7

4000
5000

S
PRE-TERTIARYBASEMENT

6000

1.KujungIIU.Oligocene
2.NgimbangL.Oligocene
3.KujungII-U.Oligocene
4.KujungII-U.Oligocene
5.KujungI-L.Miocene
6.Rancak-M.Miocene

7.KujungI-L.Oligocene
8.Tuban-M.Miocene
9.Ngrayong-U.Miocene
10. Wonocolo-U.Miocene
11.Lidah-Pliocene
12. Lidah-Pleistocene

FIGURE 4. Hydrocarbon Play of North East Java Sea Basin

SSE