Some aspects of basement architecture of Kuwait inferred from high resolution multi-physics data

Mapping and understanding of the basement architecture becomes more relevant and important for Paleozoic exploration in Kuwait. It is a challenging task to configure the basement from one set of data alone. Due to greater depth and huge accumulation of overburden, each method of investigation, including well drilling and geophysical methods such as gravity, magnetic and seismic, has inherent limitations and inadequacy in modeling the basement. Hence, an integrated analysis of all available data, in addition to shallow well information, is essential to obtain a meaningful picture of the basement. The study is restricted to qualitative analysis of potential field anomaly maps and seismic data, focusing Paleozoic and basement. Kuwait Arch is mapped as a gravity high in response to massive metamorphic rock formed over the crystalline basement which could be much deeper. The structural highs formed within the magnetic low, namely, Mutriba, Kra Al Maru, Minagish, Umm Gudair, Burgan and Magwa are not likely to be basement highs. A detailed analysis is required to explain the origin of these structures as deep-seated salt diapirism alone may not explain the evolution.