Φ GEOX · REGIONAL CROSS-SECTION · NW SABAH

Kinabalu Basin — NW–SE Transect

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SRTM topography: Open-Meteo API · Bathymetry: published values · Geology: Balaguru & Hall (2009), Madon & Jong (2022), PETRONAS MPM (2025), TGS Choi (2026)

Geological cross-section — Kinabalu Basin

WHERE arif-fazil.com / earth / cross-section WHAT NW–SE transect, ~600 km SCALE vertical ~4× exaggerated LAYERS 12 provinces · 2 unconformities
Geological-grade cross-section · SRTM + interpreted geology arif-fazil.com / earth / kinabalu-cross-section
MSL · 0 m Ophiolite obduction RAJANG GROUP L. Cretaceous – Eocene · deep-marine mudstones & turbidites Dangerous Grounds extended crust listric growth fault → half-graben Gomantong Lst Gomantong Lst Gomantong carbonate platform · shallow shelf E. Miocene (Burdigalian) · 200 km belt T1 Closure 1 T2 KINABALU CLOSURE 500 MMbbl OOIP T3 T4 progradation → W STAGE IV CLASTIC · Kinabalu Basin Mid–Late Miocene · post-MMU turbidite reservoirs West Crocker Fm L. Eocene – Olig. KINABALU granodiorite 10–8 Ma growth fault TANJONG FM E–M. Miocene deltaic MÉLANGE Central Sabah circular basins SEBAHAT FM Late Mio.–Pliocene delta Sulu Sea deep basin fill DRU / BMU · 15.5–22 Ma angular unconformity · truncates Rajang, West Crocker, Labang SRU · 8.6 Ma NW SE MELIAU OROGENY · NW–SE STRIKE-SLIP TRANSPRESSION · L. PLIOCENE – RECENT MEGAH-1 oil (Oligo. carb.) TEPAT-1 gas (syn-rift) WELL B oil (post-MMU) WELL A gas oil (deeper) ZOISIT DEEP-1 gas + oil deeper pool 4,095 m ~1,025 m ~300 m SCS ~1,000 m ~2,000 m SABAH TROUGH · ~2,900 m ~1,200 m ~2,500 m ~3,000 m DANGEROUS GROUNDS Extended continental crust LAYANG-LAYANG BASIN Oligocene syn-rift · Megah-1 oil SABAH TROUGH Sediment-filled foredeep KINABALU BASIN Post-MMU fold-thrust · Stage IV clastic CROCKER RANGE Accretionary prism (L. Eocene – Olig.) CENTRAL SABAH Tanjong Fm + Mélange SANDAKAN BASIN Post-rift delta (Sebahat Fm) 0 50 100 200 300 450 ~600 km HORIZONTAL SCALE · KILOMETRES 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9 −10 km DEPTH (km) VERTICAL EXAGGERATION ~32× · SRTM TOPOGRAPHY + PUBLISHED GEOLOGY · STRUCTURES INTERPRETIVE, NOT MEASURED LEGEND Sandstone Shale Limestone Conglomerate Turbidite (Crocker) Rajang Gp (Eoc.) Granodiorite Ophiolite bsmt Mélange Cont. crust Syn-rift cl. Stage IV cl. Post-rift δ Thrust (W-verge) Normal fault Unconformity Strike-slip Gas Oil Well Sediment transp. T1–T4 thrust sheets anticlinal closures imbricated fan W-vergent N S W E SE NW SOURCES · SRTM (Open-Meteo) · BALAGURU & HALL 2009 · MADON & JONG 2022 · PETRONAS MPM 2025 · TGS CHOI EAGE 2026 · CORNWELL JGR 2025

Tectonic Events · 5 Acts

  • ~40 MaSarawak Orogeny — Rajang Group folded, Crocker accretion begins
  • 22–20 MaSabah Orogeny — Dangerous Grounds collision · BMU cut
  • 15.5 MaCagayan Arc — MMU/DRU · end of rifting · inversion begins
  • 10–8 MaKinabalu granite — granodiorite emplacement · SRU
  • L. Plio.Meliau Orogeny — NW–SE strike-slip · ongoing

Real Elevations · SRTM

  • Mt Kinabalu: 3,951 m (SRTM) · 4,095 m (geodetic)
  • Crocker Range: ~900–1,025 m
  • Central Sabah: ~300–630 m
  • Sabah Trough: ~2,800–2,900 m below MSL · foredeep
  • Sulu Sea: ~1,500–4,000 m deepening east

Wells (5) — Plays Tested

  • Megah-1 — Oligocene carbonate · oil · Layang-Layang
  • Tepat-1 — Oligocene syn-rift · gas · Layang-Layang
  • Well B — Stage IV post-MMU · oil · Kinabalu
  • Well A — Stage IV (Kinabalu closure) · gas + oil · Kinabalu
  • Zoisit Deep-1 — deeper pool · gas + oil · 2025

Fold-Thrust Belt · T1–T4

  • W-vergent imbricated fan · 4 thrust sheets · toe-thrust dominant
  • Anticlinal closures form the petroleum traps
  • Kinabalu closure · 500 MMbbl OOIP · the producing field
  • Closure 1, 3, 4 · undrilled or sub-commercial
  • Sediment transport: E→W · Crocker source → Stage IV sink
Cross-section · SRTM topography via open-meteo.com · Bathymetry from published values · Geology from Balaguru & Hall (2009), Balaguru et al. (2003), Bait (2003), Madon & Jong (2022), PETRONAS MPM (2025), TGS Choi (2026), Ab Ghani et al. EAGE (2026). Vertical exaggeration ~4×. F7 humility: body shapes are interpretive schematics, not seismic picks.
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