Abstract

The western offshore of India has been divided into five peri-cratonic basins viz., Kutch offshore, Saurashtra offshore, Bombay offshore, Konkan offshore and Kerala offshore basins from north to south. These basins extend beyond the shelf into the deepwaters and are separated from each other by east-west trending positive basement features viz., Saurashtra Arch, Son-Narmada Lineament, Vengurla Arch and Tellicherry Arch respectively. These features have had a crucial role in the evolution of these basins. Out of these basement features, the Saurashtra Arch is most prominent because of its size and tectonic intensity. It separates the northern Kutch basin from the southern Saurashtra basin and extends from the land across the shelf plunging into the deepwater realm.