Sedimentology and Origin of Microporosity in Miocene Carbonate Platforms, Central Luconia, offshore Sarawak, Malaysia

Central Luconia is situated in the north of Bintulu in a water depth of approximately 40-160 feet. In the mid-sixties, a large number of Miocene carbonate buildups were seismically detected in the offshore shelf area of the Central Luconia province. Especially in the north, a chain of deeply buried carbonate buildups are present, located west of the Baram hinge line. These buildups were generally covered by 3000-6000 ft of clastics, whereby a higher burial depth was observed for buildups located in the north of Central Luconia. Drilling activity started in 1967 and some 60 buildups were tested. The resulting discovery of six giant gas fields and some 20 smaller accumulations make this area an important gas province.