The limited suitability of silica diagenetic boundaries as isothermal markers: Insights from seismic reflection imaging, Offshore Sakhalin, Russian Far East

In many sedimentary basins the seismic reflections that mark the conversion of opal-A to opal-CT and the subsequent conversion of opal-CT to quartz, are parallel to the present-day seabed. As the reactions are in part thermally activated these boundaries have been proposed as potential isothermal markers and could have utility for hydrocarbon exploration. We describe opal-A to opal-CT and opal-CT to quartz diagenetic boundaries using 2D seismic data from the North Sakhalin Basin (NSB). These are not parallel to the present-day seabed, but for 80% of the area of the basin are parallel to an unconformity of Late Miocene age and may represent palaeo-isotherms that were parallel to the Late Miocene seabed. This characteristic has been identified in other basins and may indicate silica diagenetic boundaries do not make reliable present-day isothermal boundaries. We propose diagenetic boundaries, which are not parallel to the seabed, are not present-day isothermal boundaries. This characteristic could result from: (1) temperature decrease, such as through a declining geothermal gradient or erosion of the overburden, which will cause the rate of conversion to slow; (2) variations in the burial rate that would cause changes to the rate of conversion; and (3) a change in the rate of conversion as a result of variation in the physico-chemical factors influencing the silica diagenetic reactions.