Application of MT to hydrocarbon exploration in northeast Japan

摘要

The Yurihara area is located at the southern edge of Akita Prefecture, an important hydrocarbon-producing province in Japan (Figure 1). This area, about 20 km north of Chokai volcano, consists mainly of the Yurihara Plateau. The geologic structure has been analyzed by drilling, surface geology, and seismic surveys (Figure 2). Deep and commercial oil and gas reservoirs have been found in the Miocene age Nishikurosawa Formation (mainly basalt lava and pyroclastic rocks).