Philippines Marine Seismic Survey: 2750 km of Geophysical Data from 1992

A joint Australian-Philippine marine survey collected 2750 km of 192-channel seismic data, plus geochemical sniffer, gravity, magnetic, and bathymetric data across four offshore sedimentary basins from March to May 1992. The project was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources and the Philippine Office of Energy Affairs using the vessel Rig Seismic. The data show structuring and deep depocentres, with geochemical anomalies indicating potential hydrocarbon seeps.

Use Cases

• Mapping subsurface geological structures based on 192-channel seismic reflection data.
• Identifying hydrocarbon seepage anomalies based on geochemical sniffer data showing methane, ethane, and propane concentrations.
• Analyzing basin geometry and sediment thickness based on seismic sections showing up to 4 seconds of stratified section.
• Integrating gravity and magnetic data with seismic profiles for comprehensive geophysical interpretation.
• Assessing petroleum prospectivity in specific areas like Ragay Gulf based on identified anomaly types and fault correlations.

Strengths

• Data collection covered 2750 km across four distinct geographic areas: NE Palawan Shelf (580 km), Cuyo Platform (730 km), Tayabas Bay (490 km), and Ragay Gulf (950 km).
• Multiple complementary data types were acquired simultaneously: seismic, sniffer, gravity, magnetic, and bathymetry.
• Very calm weather during the survey period likely contributed to low-noise, high-quality data acquisition.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Seismic data acquisition was abandoned at night in some areas due to fishing activities, potentially creating gaps.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from a joint project by the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources and the Philippine Office of Energy Affairs.

Collection Method

Acquired via a marine survey using the geoscience research vessel Rig Seismic.

Time Range

March to May 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:04:22.011784; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Four Philippine offshore sedimentary basins: NE Palawan Shelf, Cuyo Platform, Tayabas Bay, and Ragay Gulf.