The effect of tectonic subsidence on the evolution of depocenters and development of the Mundaú sub-basin, Brazilian Equatorial margin

Located on the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, the Mundaú Sub-Basin is the only offshore hydrocarbon-producing region of the Ceará Basin. The origin and evolution of the Mundaú Sub-basin are a consequence of the rupture of the Pangea supercontinent during the Early Cretaceous, which led to the opening and development of the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. This area has been considered a new exploration frontier, promoting research to be developed in recent years. However, the interactions between transtensive events and spatial-temporal distributions of tectonic subsidence have been poorly studied. To cover this gap, fifty-seven wells and approximately 5800 km of 2D seismic lines were analyzed to understand these events. From these data, stratigraphic and structural interpretations were performed throughout the sub-basin, enabling the construction of 43 pseudo-wells. Using descompactation of the wells and pseudo-wells using the backstripping method, it was possible to reconstruct seven tectonic phases for the Sub-Basin, which correspond to the rift sequence (RP01, RP02, and RP03), the transition sequence (BP01), and the drift sequence (DP01, DP02, and DP03). Four sets of faults of three zones of the three zones (WZ, CZ and EZ) proposed for the Mundaú Sub-Basin were also analyzed. The faults are distributed in two orthogonal families, formed in two distinct events. Older R and P faults, respectively trending NWW-SEE and NNESSW, formed during RP01 (first event). Younger R and P faults, respectively trending NNW-SSE and NEE-SWW, formed during RP02 (second event). Tectonic reconstruction revealed the diachronic formation of two depocenters, one in the West Zone (WZ) during RP01, and the other in the Central Zone (CZ) during RP02. Despite the intense tectonic activity in WZ and CZ, the East Zone (EZ) showed low subsidence rates and little development during the entire rift phase. In turn, BP01 showed faster subsidence rates when compared to RP03, indicating tectonic influence even during the breakup phase. Finally, the drift phase showed the lowest subsidence rates, spatially distributed in an opposite pattern to the rift phase. From these results, a rotation of the Principal Displacement Zone (PDZ) was identified, with initial parallel motion vectors, forming the WZ depocenter and generating the first fault family during RP01; after RP02, motion vectors were oblique, forming the second depocenter in CZ and generating the second fault family. Significant thermal control associated with magmatic events was identified during the drift phase. This study also describes the main structures formed along with the overlap of parallel and oblique PDZ displacement.