Horizontal gradient and band-pass filter of aeromagnetic data image the subsurface structure; Example from Esh El Mellaha Area, Gulf of Suez, Egypt.

Summary The Esh El Mellaha area is located on the western coast of the Gulf of Suez that is considered the main hydrocarbon resource in Egypt. The main exploration problems in and around the Gulf of Suez are the complexity of the basement structure and the Pre-Miocene salt formation that masks the seismic energy. Herein, we attempt to image the subsurface fault-system structure of the study area using interpretation of magnetic data based on band-pass filter and horizontal gradient technique. The results are compared with the available information; such as geologic map, drill-hole data, topographic data, and 2D seismic data in the northern part of the area. In general, the area is dissected by a system of faults most of them trending in the NW-SE (Red Sea trend) and NEE-SWW (Tethyan trend). Also, the bandpass filter and horizontal gradient technique could be used in imaging the subsurface structure of the area.