Publications

The Lingan Fan is a Late Miocene/Early Pliocene (TB 3.3 through TB 3.6) complex of turbidite fans located offshore north-west Sabah. Utilizing 3464 km of 1995 long cable (6000 m) 2D seismic data, the turbidite fan entry point, fan dimensions, internal seismic sequences and seismic facies were identified and mapped.The thickest portion of the fan complex or the main depositional corridor lies directly downdip from the turbidite entry point. Additionally numerous erosional features were identified on the paleo-shelf edge updip of the fan system. These comprise numerous incised channels often associated with large slump features (or a combination of the two). The fan system can be divided into 4 seismic sequences which were regionally mapped. All events appear to fit the global eustatic sea level curve except the lower most event, which may be related to inboard uplift and outboard thrust ridge development. The basin topography consists of a series of elongated thrust ridges with intervening basins. Turbidite systems first pond into the higher, more proximal basins and reach the more distal basins by successive fill and spill processes. Four seismic facies have been identified in terms of reservoir potential. Mapping of these facies within each sequence resulted in a series of depositional models. The Lingan Fan depositional system can be used as an analogue to understand older turbidite depositional systems in north-west Sabah.