Abstract

The paper attempts to bring out an integrated regional picture of the structure and stratigraphy synthesizing the latest landsat, surface and subsurface geological, seismic and laboratory information obtained so far from onshore as well as offshore regions of the convergent Indian Plate margin in the east and northeast. This also makes an assessment of the Petroleum prospects of the region.

Reinterpretation of the old data and analysis of recently acquired information, though very limited, in the light of new concepts put the region in proper perspective for intensification of exploration efforts.

The frontal fold belt is Cretaceous-Pliocene sedimentary tract that extends from the Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal to Arunachal Pradesh of India in the north. The onshore part of the remnant basin that formed as a result of collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates was being filled by fluvio-deltaic sediments during late Tertiary while the oceanward part mainly by turbidites. Intense deformation during late Tertiary, largely closed the basin and formed the fold and thrust belt. The marine and fluvio-deltaic sediments of the remnant basin of the onshore part are adequately mature and have generated oil and gas with several commercial oil and large gas fields. But in the offshore region to the west of Andaman-Nicobar, the bulk of the sediments is turbidite where only one deep well drilled so far, has not met with any success, though, surface indications of oil are present. With intense exploration effort, this entire region is likely to prove in future an important petroleum province associated with convergent plate boundary.