SEDIMENTARY BASINS AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF THE MIDDLE EAST
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ELSEVIER SCIENCE B.V. Sara Burgerhartstraat 25 P.O. Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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First edition 1997 Second impression 2003 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Alsharhan, A.S. Sedimentary basins and petroleum geology of the Middle East / A.S. Alsharhan, A.E.M. Nairn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-444-82465-0 1. Sedimentary basins--Middle East. 2. Geology, Structural-Middle East. 3. Petroleum--Geology--Middle East. I. Nairn, A.E. M. I1. Title. QE615.5.M628A38 1997 97-48322 553.2'8'0956--dc21 CIP British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record from the British Library has been applied for. ISBN:
0-444-82465-0
O The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). Printed in Hungary.
PREFACE
The wealth of petroleum has made the Middle East one of the most actively explored regions of the world. The volume of geological, geophysical and geochemical data collected by the petroleum industry in the last several decades has been enormous. The Middle East may be a unique region in the world where the volume of subsurface data and information exceeds that based on surface outcrop. Because of the confidential nature of petroleum exploration, however, a large amount of the most sensitive data and interpretations have been kept in oil company files, although other less sensitive information has been published in international, regional and local scientific journals. Unfortunately, however, these published data and information have caused confusion, due to a lack of uniformity and consistency. The problem has been particularly serious in the field of stratigraphy when a regionally accepted stratigraphic nomenclature has not been established. The situation has improved substantially since the 1960s, following a number of regional conferences such as Geo '94 and "96 as well as stratigraphic meetings between the operating companies. As a first step toward solving the problems of lithostratigraphic unification and standardization in countries where they operate, the Union Internationale des Sciences Geologiques in France established seven volumes of the Lexique Stratigraphique International under the direction of L. Dubertret. Published between 1.959 and 1975, they cover some parts of the Middle East, but left the remaining parts without a detailed stratigraphic lexicon. Prior to WWI, there was little in the way of a comprehensive study of the Middle East. Since that time, syntheses of the geology have tended to be of restricted areas, conducted by such pioneers as Powers in Saudi Arabia, Bender in Jordan, Dunnington in Iraq and Glennie in Oman. Comprehensive regional geologic overviews have been left to a few authorities of whom the contributions made by Beydoun are outstanding.. In completing this volume, we are indebted greatly to these earlier workers as well as to the many other geological experts whose detailed contributions have provided the groundwork for further synthesis. The chapters included in this volume cover the main aspects of regional stratigraphic and paleographic history, and of regional hydrocarbon potential. The regional stratigraphy and paleogeography are described on a country-by-country basis. Even through some repetition of description is inevitable by this method, it may be the most informative approach for readers because the many changes of formation names or formation lithology from area to area or from country to country are rather confusing. Furthermore, such repetition may be used as an indicator of stratigraphic similarities or differences. In an attempt to smooth out the differences in the stratigraphic nomenclature, the paleogeographic section at the end of each chapter describes and illustrates lateral facies changes from one part of a basin to another. From the Permo-Carboniferous onward, the cyclicity of deposition is more apparent in the region and an early rampplatform model was proposed by Murris (1980). Subsequently generalised under the influence of ethe ideas of eustatic sea-level change, the model emphasizes both the vertical and lateral variations of facies as clastics swept from paleohighs or older Paleozoic formations onto the platform during sea-level lowstands and renewed transgression restored dominant carbonate sedimentation~
As in the case of most Mesozoic formations of the Arabian Basin, the lithological description based on outcrops around the basin margins is inadequate because coarser clastic facies are commonly replaced in the deeper platform by carbonates and in the basins by argillaceous and fine carbonate muds. Therefore, it has been considered necessary to establish new type and reference sections based on wells as well as on outcrops in different parts of the basin. We have broken away from the traditional system-by-system approach, particularly when dealing with stratigraphy of the Paleozoic sequence, because of the paucity of faunal data that could clearly establish geologic age. Instead, we have applied the sequence stratigraphic terms introduced by Sloss, which emphasize the uniformity of the geologic events of the early Phanerozoic along the northern edge of Gondwana from Algeria to Jordan and beyond. It also emphasizes the diachroneity of the basal clastic features over the unconformity that terminated the late Proterozoic-early Phanerozoic sequence. By contrast, the Mesozoic sequence, so much better known and with a greater complexity, can be more readily handled in the classical manner integrated with the sequence stratigraphy proposed by Sloss for North America. The hydrocarbon potential of the region varies a great deal; in such countries as Jordan and Turkey, there have been relatively few oil/gas discoveries, whereas abundant oil production is known in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and the more recent active oil explorationt begun in Yemen. Both the richness of the petroleum resource and the stage of exploration have influenced the abundance and/or availability of critical geologic data. We have attempted to collect and analyze the available data and to tabulate major play types in each area. The principal sources of data are derived from such journals as the Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Oil and Gas
Journal, Proceedings of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Middle East Conference), the Arab Petroleum Congress proceedings and the Organization of the Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) proceedings, as well as some local journals. The discussion of petroleum potential also is made on a country-by-country basis, because most oil statistics have been published by each country and cross-references to the stratigraphic and paleogeographic chapters of this book is madee easier. We believe that an understanding of geology and geologic history is essential for assessing the regional hydrocarbon potential. Many figures and tables drawn from the literature are included. Some of these have been modified, and some have been prepared especially for this volume. The list of acknowledgments is long, not only reflecting the diversity of sources, but even more emphasizing the courtesy extended to the authors of the present work. Inevitably, much has been missed, some of it because it was unavailable, some because it was or still is covered by confidentiality agreements, and some for linguistic reasons. There are gaps in information often reflecting the lack of published data, particularly apparent in the section dealing with hydrocarbon production. The inequality of the treatment is clearly apparent in the data-survey tables. However, errors and other shortcomings are the responsibility of the authors. The ultimate measure of the success of the volume is the use it will be to those interested in the geology of the Middle East in industry and academia. The areas we have not attempted to cover, despite their importance, are those of water, mineral resources and environmental issues.
A. S. Alsharhan, AI Ain, U.A.E. A. E. M. Nairn, Columbia, SC
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge our deep gratitude and appreciation to our wives and families for their forbearance and support, and their acceptance of the inroads c~ our time which resulted from the preparation of this volume. The book could never have taken shape without the help of many co-workers of whom we would like particularly to express our thanks to Ma. Bonita P. Valdez-Cruzada and Dhabia Bakhit for their help in all phases of writing, drafting and assembly of the book also to Eileen Ross, Jo Render and Connie Bartemus for their assistance in the preparation of the Text and to Rhonda Boyle, Valerie Gray, Joel McGee and Jamil Antar for their help in drafting the figures, and to our colleagues in the Earth Sciences and Resources Institute, especially M. Waddell, for their encouragement and support. We were fortunate to have colleagues such as R.W. Scott, K.W. Glennie, J. St6cklin, A.A. A1Laboun, R.J. Murris, J. Rogers, and K. Magara, who read critically initial rough drafts of some chapters of the book before finalization and whose comments improved the final text, and the long list of fellow scientists who provided copies of their work basic to the geology of the region. We thank our editor, Mrs. Femke Wallien, of Elsevier for her patience and encouragement from the inception of this book to its completion. The editors and publishers of many journals provided permission to reproduce many of the figures, in particular Elsevier Sciences and associate publisher Pergamon Press, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, Geological Society of London and associate journal Petroleum Geoscience, Dr. M.I. Husseini of Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Journal of Petroleum Geology, American Geophysical Union, Schlumberger Middle East Technical Review, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Gordon and Breach (Modem Geology), Micropaleontology, John Wiley and Sons, Analytical Chemistry, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Palynology, Canadian Journal of Earth Science, Balkema, Cambridge University Press and associate joumal Geological Magazine, Chapman and Hall, Journal of Geophysics, International Association of Sedimentologists, Springer-Verlag, Oil and Gas Journal, and Nature. We would like to express our appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak A 1 Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University for his encouragement and support. In attempting to synthesize such a field as the Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East, we have undoubtedly missed many references and under-represented a part of the field of study. We apologize for the pertinent work not cited and for the "gaps" in our text.
vii
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my mother and to the memory of my father.
A.S.A.
This book is dedicated to my family and friends.
A.E.M.N.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE Chapter 1: An Introductory Overview G e o g r a p h i c and G e o m o r p h o l o g i c S e t t i n g ................................................................................. 1 Geologic Setting ................................................................................................................. 4 S e q u e n c e Stratigraphy .......................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East Introduction ........................................................................................................................ Geological History ............................................................................................................... Phase 1 T h e C o n s o l i d a t i o n of the A r a b o - N u b i a n M a s s i f ................................................ Phase 2 T e c t o n i c S t a b i l i t y ...................................................................................... Phase 3 T h e H e r c y n i a n E v e n t .................................................................................. Phase 4 T h e T r i a s s i c E x t e n s i o n a l P h a s e .................................................................... Phase 5 J u r a s s i c and C r e t a c e o u s E v e n t s ..................................................................... Phase 6 C e n o z o i c E v e n t s ....................................................................................... M a i n S t r u c t u r a l E l e m e n t s ..................................................................................................... 9 S e d i m e n t a r y B a s i n s .................................................................................................. T a b u k s u b - b a s i n , S a u d i A r a b i a ................................................................................ W i d y a n s u b - b a s i n , S a u d i A r a b i a .............................................................................. S i r h a n s u b - b a s i n , J o r d a n ........................................................................................ R u b A1 Khali and Ras A1 K h a i m a h sub-basins, Saudi A r a b i a - U . A . E ........................... Z a g r o s B a s i n , Iran ................................................................................................ P a l m y r a and Sinjar sub-basins, S y r i a - I r a q .................................................................. T h e M e s o p o t a m i a n s u b - b a s i n , Iraq ........................................................................... R e d Sea and G u l f of A d e n sub-basin, Saudi A r a b i a - Y e m e n .......................................... 9 Arches ................................................................................................................... H u q f - H a u s h i A r c h , O m a n ....................................................................................... H a d h r a m o u t A r c h , Y e m e n ...................................................................................... C e n t r a l A r a b i a n A r c h , Saudi A r a b i a .......................................................................... Q a t a r - S o u t h Fars A r c h , Q a t a r - Iran .......................................................................... H a i l - R u t b a h - G a ' a r a and K h l e i s s a Arches, Saudi A r a b i a - Iraq ........................................ M a r d i n H i g h , T u r k e y ............................................................................................. 9 T r a n s f o r m F a u l t s and N o r m a l Faults ........................................................................... S o u t h e a s t e r n A r a b i a n p l a t f o r m ................................................................................ M a s i r a h T r a n s f o r m Fault, O m a n ........................................................................ M a r a d i F a u l t , O m a n ........................................................................................ S a i w a n - N a f u n F a u l t , O m a n .............................................................................. D i b b a Z o n e , O m a n - U A E ............................................................................... O m a n Line, O m a n .......................................................................................... O w e n F r a c t u r e Z o n e , Y e m e n - O m a n .................................................................. N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n P l a t f o r m : Central Syrian F a u l t Z o n e .............................................. N o r t h w e s t e r n A r a b i a n P l a t f o r m : J o r d a n - D e a d Sea Fault S y s t e m ................................... Fold Belts: T a u r u s M o u n t a i n s , T u r k e y ................................................................... Z a g r o s , M o u n t a i n , Iran ........................................................................ O m a n M o u n t a i n s , O m a n - U . A . E .......................................................... Discussion ........................................................................................................................
15 22 22 36 37 38 38 39 44 46 47 47 47 48 48 50 50 50 52 52 52 52 53 53 53 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 55 58 59 62
TWO Chapter 3: Infracambrian of the Middle East
PART
Introduction ................................................................................................................... S t r a t i g r a p h y of I n f r a c a m b r i a n R o c k s in O m a n : ......................................................................... H u q f Group: ............................................................................................................. A b u M a h a r a F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Khufai F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ S h u r a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... B u a h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. Ara F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................................
65 69 69 70 70 70 73 73
ix
CONTENTS
Th e A g e of the H u q f G r o u p ......................................................................................... C o m p a r i s o n of the Huqf Group with other Outcrops in Oman ..................................................... M i s t a l F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................................... Haj ir F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................................ M i ' a i d a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................... K h a r u s F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................................... H i j a m F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................................... C o m p a r i s o n of Oman with other Outcrops in the Middle East .................................................... C o m p a r i s o n with the Republic of Y e m e n ....................................................................... C o m p a r i s o n with the United Arab Emirates .................................................................... C o m p a r i s o n with Saudi Arabia .................................................................................... C o m p a r i s o n with Jordan ............................................................................................. C o m p a r i s o n with Southeast T u r k e y .............................................................................. C o m p a r i s o n with Iraq ................................................................................................. C o m p a r i s o n with Iran ................................................................................................. P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and Geologic History of the Infracambrian .........................................................
74 76 76 76 76 76 76 77 77 78 78 80 81 81 81 84
Chapter 4: The Early Paleozoic Quiescent. Phase in the Middle East: The Sauk Cycle and the Early Part of the Tippecanoe Cycle Introduction ................................................................................................................... The E arl y P a l e o z o i c of O m a n ................................................................................................ 9 The Sauk Sequence in Central and South-central Oman ................................................... H a i m a G r o u p (Cambrian? to earliest Silurian): .......................................................... The Karim and Haradh formations ..................................................................... T h e A m i n F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... The M a h w i s / A n d a m f o rm at i o n s ........................................................................ 9 The T i p p e c a n o e Sequence in Central Oman: ................................................................. G h u d u n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... Safiq F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. 9The Sauk and Tippecanoe Sequences in Southern Oman (Dhofar Province): ......................... M u r b a t S a n d s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. 9The Sauk and Tippecanoe Sequences in Eastern and Southwestern Arabia ........................... O m a n Mountains (Oman Region): A m d e h Fo r m at i o n ................................................ Oman Mountains (United Arab Emirates Region): R a ' a n Formation .............................. S o u t h w e s t e r n Saudi Arabia: Dibsiyah F o r m a t i o n ....................................................... The Early Paleozoic of Northern Saudi Arabia and Jordan ........................................................... 9 The Sauk Sequence in North and Northwestern Saudi Arabia: ........................................... Y a t ib F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. Saq F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................... 9 T h e Sauk S e q u e n c e in Jordan ..................................................................................... R a m G r o u p ....................................................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : .................................................................................. Salib F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... Burj and Abu K h u s h e i b a formations ............................................................ A j r a m F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... A m u d F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... S u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : ....................................................................................... Salib Arkosic Sandstone F o r m a t i o n ............................................................ U m m Ishrin S a n d s to n e F o r m a t i o n .............................................................. Disi S a n d s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................... U m m Sahm Sandstone F o r m a t i o n .............................................................. 9 The Tippecanoe Sequence in North and Northwestern Saudi Arabia: .................................... T a b u k G r o u p : ................................................................................................ H a n a d i r F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Kahfah F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... R a ' a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Quwarah Formation (and its equivalent Ordovician Formations 1-5) .....................
87 94 94 94 94 95 95 96 96 96 97 97 98 98 100 100 103 103 103 103 108 108 108 108 110 110 110 110 110 111
111 111 111 111 112 112 113 114
CONTENTS
Z a r q a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ S a r a h F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Q a l i b a h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in J o r d a n ............................................................................ K h r e i m G r o u p ............................................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : ............................................................................... Sahl as S u w w a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................... U m m T a r i f a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. T r e b e e l F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... B a t r a F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... A l n a F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... S u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s " . ................................................................................... H i s w a h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... D u b a y d i b F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ M u d a w w a r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. K h u s h s h a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in Iraq: K h a b o u r F o r m a t i o n .................................................... 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in Kuwait: T a b u k F o r m a t i o n .................................................. 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in Qatar: ............................................................................. T a b u k F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ S h a r a w r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in the United Arab Emirates: S h a r a w r a F o r m a t i o n ....................... T h e E a r l y P a l e o z o i c S e q u e n c e in Southeast T u r k e y and Syria ...................................................... 9 T h e S a u k S e q u e n c e in S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y : ..................................................................... S a d a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Z a b u k F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... K o r u k F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... S o s i n k F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... S e y d i s e h i r F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... 9 T h e S a u k S e q u e n c e in Syria: Zabuk, Burj and Sosink f o r m a t i o n s ...................................... 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in S o u t h e a s t Turkey" B e d i n a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... S o r t T e p e F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e in Syria: ............................................................................. K h a n a s s e r F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... S w a b F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Afandi Formation ......................................................................................... T a n f F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. T h e E a r l y P a l e o z o i c o f I r a n .................................................................................................... 9 T h e S a u k S e q u e n c e ................................................................................................... L a l u n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... D a h u F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ M i l a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. K a l s h a n e h F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... D e r e n j a l F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ I l e b e y k F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... 9 T h e T i p p e c a n o e S e q u e n c e : ......................................................................................... S h i r g e s h t F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... N i u r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. L a s h k e r a k F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... Z a r d K u h F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and G e o l o g i c History o f the Early P a l e o z o i c ......................................................
114 115 115 115 116 116 116 119 119 119 119 119 119 120 120 120 120 121 121 121 121 122 123 123 123 123 126 126 126 128 128 128 128 128 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 129 130 130 130 130 133 133 133 133 134 134
Chapter 5: The Early-Late Paleozoic of the Middle East: The Kaskaskia Cycle Introduction ................................................................................................................... T h e K a s k a s k i a C y c l e in the M i d d l e E a s t ................................................................................. 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in N o r t h e r n Saudi A r a b i a ........................................................
141 141 141
xi
CONTENTS
J a u f F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................... S a k a k a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ P r e - U n a y z a h Clastics ( B e r w a t h F o r m a t i o n ) ............................................................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a Sequence in Southwest Saudi Arabia: K h u s a y y a y n F o r m a t i o n ....................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Qatar: Tawil F o r m a t i o n ....................................................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in the United Arab Emirates: .................................................... O u t c r o p F o r m a t i o n : A y i m F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n : T a w i l F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Oman: M i s f a r G r o u p ........................................................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Kuwait: J a u f F o r m a t i o n ....................................................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Iran: ................................................................................. P a d e h a F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... S i b z a r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... B a h r a m F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... G e i r u d F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Iraq" . Pirispiki Redbeds K a i s t a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... O r a S h a l e F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... H a r u r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y : ............................................................... D a d a s F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... H a z r o F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Y i g i n l i F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... K o p r u l u F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Kirtas Quartzite and H a s a n b e y l i F o r m a t i o n s ........................................................ 9 T h e K a s k a s k i a S e q u e n c e in Syria: M a r k a d a G r o u p .......................................................... P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and G e o l o g i c History of the Late Paleozoic K a s k a s k i a C y c l e .................................
141 147 148 148 149 149 149 149 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 151 151 151 151 151 151 153 153 153 154 154 156
Chapter 6: The End of the Paleozoic and the Early Mesozoic of the Middle East: The Absaroka Cycle T h e L o w e r Part o f the A b s a r o k a C y c l e (Latest C a r b o n i f e r o u s - P e r m i a n ) ......................................... T h e P a l e o z o i c Part o f the A b s a r o k a C y c l e ............................................................................... A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e South of the Central Arabian Arch ...................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in O m a n ................................................................................ Haushi Group" . ............................................. A1 K h l a t a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... G h a r i f F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... S a i q F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in the United Arab Emirates: ..................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : H a u s h i G r o u p : .............................................................. G h a r i f F o r m a t i o n .................................................. A1 K h l a t a F o r m a t i o n .............................................. K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ................................................... Surface F o r m a t i o n s : A s f a r and Q a m a r f o r m a t i o n s .................................................. R u s s A1 Jibal G r o u p : ................................................ B i h F o r m a t i o n ...................................................... H a g i l F o r m a t i o n ................................................... G h a i l F o r m a t i o n ................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Qatar: ................................................................................ H a u s h i F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a Sequence in southwestern Saudi Arabia:Juwayl M e m b e r " . ......... 9 A b s a r o k a Sequence in the Republic of Yemen: Akbra Shale F o r m a t i o n ........................ A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e North of the Central Arabian Arch: ..................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Central and Northern Saudi Arabia ..........................................
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161 161 168 168 169 169 169 171 173 173 173 174 175 175 175 175 176 176 176 176 176 177 178 178 178 178
CONTENTS
U n a y z a h F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Kuwait: K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ...................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Bahrain: K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ..................................................... A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in N o r t h w e s t and Northeast of the A r a b i a n P l a t f o r m ............................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in J o r d a n ................................................................................. O u t c r o p Section: U m m Irna F o r m a t i o n .............................................................. S u b s u r f a c e Section: H u d a y b G r o u p ................................................................... A n j a r a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................... H u w a y r a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................ B u w a y d a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................ 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Iraq ................................................................................... W e s t e r n Iraq ( H a i l - R u t b a h A r c h area)" Nijili F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. G a ' a r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ N o r t h e r n Iraq (Northern Thrust Belt Area): Chia Zairi F o r m a t i o n ............................. 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y ................................................................ G o m a n i i b r i k F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Syria" Dolaa F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Heil F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. A m a n u s S a n d F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. 9 A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in Iran: .................................................................................. S o u t h w e s t Iran: F a r a g h a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................ D a l a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ N o r t h e r n and C e n t r a l Iran: ............................................................................ D o r u d F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ R u t e h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ N e s e n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ J a m a l F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ T h e U p p e r Part o f the A b s a r o k a C y c l e (Triassic) .............................................................. T h e E n d o f the A b s a r o k a C y c l e in Central A r a b i a ............................................................ 9 T r i a s s i c o f S a u d i A r a b i a : ..................................................................................... S u d a i r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Jilh F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Minjur F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... T h e E n d o f the A b s a r o k a C y c l e in E a s t e r n Arabia: ............................................................ 9 T r i a s s i c o f U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s .......................................................................... A b u D h a b i and D u b a i R e g i o n ( S u b s u r f a c e Section) .............................................. S u d a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ Jilh ( G u l a i l a h ) F o r m a t i o n ..................................................... M i n j u r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................... N o r t h e r n E m i r a t e s R e g i o n ( O u t c r o p S e c t i o n ) ...................................................... M i l a h a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................... G h a l i l a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................. 9 T r i a s s i c o f O m a n ................................................................................................ C e n t r a l and S o u t h e r n O m a n ( S u b s u r f a c e Section) ................................................. S u d a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ Jilh F o r m a t i o n ................................................................... C e n t r a l O m a n M o u n t a i n s ( A l l o c h t h o n o u s Units) ................................................. Mahil F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Sumeini Group" M a q a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. J e b e l W a s a F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................... H a w a s i n a A s s e m b l a g e ............................................................................... H a m r a t D u r u G r o u p : Z u l l a F o r m a t i o n ...................................................... W a h r a h F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. A1 A y n F o r m a t i o n ..............................................................................
178 182 186 186 186 186 186 187 187 188 188 189 189 189 189 189 189 190 190 190 191 191 191 192 192 192 192 193 193 193 193 194 194 197 198 198 199 199 199 199 199 199 201 201 201 201 201 202 203 203 204 204 204 206 206 206 207 207
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CONTENTS
Halfa F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. H a l i w F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ A1 A r i d h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ Ibra F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... H a y b i Complex" ...................................................................................... H a w a s i n a M61ange .............................................................................. Exotic L i m e s t o n e ............................................................................... H a y b i V o l c a n i c s ................................................................................. B a s a l S e r p e n t i n e a n d T e c t o n i c M61ange ................................................... Batinah Complex" B a r g h a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. Sakhin F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... Salahi F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ B a t i n a h L i m e s t o n e B l o c k s .................................................................... 9 T r i a s s i c o f Q a t a r ................................................................................................ S u w e i ( S u d a i r ) F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ G u l a i l a h (Jilh) F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. M i n j u r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... T h e E n d o f the A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in the E a s t e r n A r a b i a n Gulf: . S o u t h w e s t e r n Iran .................. K a n g a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... D a s h t a k F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ K h a n e h K a t F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... T h e E n d o f the A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in the C e n t r a l and N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n Gulf: ....................... 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f B a h r a i n : ...................................................................................... Sudair F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Jilh F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f K u w a i t : ....................................................................................... Sudair F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Jilh F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... M i n j u r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... T h e E n d o f the A b s a r o k a S e q u e n c e in N o r t h and N o r t h e a s t e r n Arabia: .................................. 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f Iraq: ........................................................................................... M i r g a M i r F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... B e d u h S h a l e F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... G e l i K h a n a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... M u l u s s a F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Z u r H a u r a n F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... K u r r a C h i n e F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... Baluti F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f J o r d a n : ........................................................................................ O u t c r o p F o r m a t i o n : ....................................................................................... A b u R u w e i s F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... U m T i n a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... I r q A1 A m i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. M u k h e i r i s F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... H i s b a n F o r m a t i o n ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ain Musa Formafon ................................................................................... D a r d u n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Ma'in Formation ........................................................................................ S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n : R a m t h a G r o u p : ............................................................... S u w a y m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... H i s b a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ M u k h e i r i s F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... Salit F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... A b u R u w e i s F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f S y r i a : .......................................................................................... A m a n u s S h a l e F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. K u r r a C h i n e F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... B u t m a h F o r m a t i o n ..........................................................................................
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209 209 209 211 211 211 211 211 211 211 213 213 213 213 213 213 213 214 214 216 217 217 217 217 217 217 218 218 218 218 218 218 218 218 218 219 219 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 221 221 221 221 221 222 222 222 222 223 223 223 223 223 224
CONTENTS
A d a i y a h F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Mus Formation .............................................................................................. Alan Formation .............................................................................................. 9 T h e T r i a s s i c o f S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y : .......................................................................... Cigli Group ................................................................................................... Cudi F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Aril Formation ............................................................................................ B e d u h F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and G e o l o g i c History of the A b s a r o k a C y c l e .............................................. T h e L o w e r Part of the A b s a r o k a Cycle (latest C a r b o n i f e r o u s - P e r m i a n ) ............................ T h e U p p e r Part of the A b s a r o k a C y c l e (Triassic) .........................................................
224 224 224 224 224 224 224 224 225 225 229
Chapter 7: The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic Introduction ................................................................................................................... T h e J u r a s s i c S e c t i o n in C e n t r a l A r a b i a ................................................................................... T h e J u r a s s i c o f S a u d i A r a b i a : ....................................................................................... Marrat F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ Dhruma Formation ............................................................................................... T u w a i q M o u n t a i n F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. Hanifa Formation ................................................................................................. Jubailah Formation ............................................................................................... Arab Formation .................................................................................................... Hith Formation .................................................................................................... T h e J u r a s s i c o f B a h r a i n ................................................................................................ Marrat Formation ................................................................................................. Dhruma Formation ............................................................................................... T u w a i q M o u n t a i n F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. Hanifa Formation ................................................................................................. Jubailah Formation ............................................................................................... Arab Formation .................................................................................................... Hith Formation .................................................................................................... T h e Jurassic Section in Southern and S o u t h w e s t e r n Arabia: T h e Republic of Y e m e n ....................... Kohlan Formation ................................................................................................ Amran Group: ...................................................................................................... Shuqra Formation .............................................................................................. M a d b i F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Sabatayn F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Naifa Formation ................................................................................................ T h e J u r a s s i c S e c t i o n in E a s t e r n Arabia: ................................................................................... 9 T h e Jurassic of the U n i t e d Arab Emirates (Subsurface F o r m a t i o n s ) .................................... Marrat F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ Hamlah Formation ................................................................................................ Izhara F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. Araej Formation ................................................................................................... Diyab Formation .................................................................................................. Arab F o r m a t i o n and its equivalents (Fahahil and Qatar formations) ................................. Hith F o r m a t i o n and its e q u i v a l e n t s .......................................................................... The Jurassic of the Northern United Arab Emirates (Surface F o r m a t i o n s ) : M u s a n d a m G r o u p 9 T h e J u r a s s i c o f Q a t a r ................................................................................................ H a m l a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Izhara Formation ............................................................................................... Araej Formation ................................................................................................ Diyab Formation ............................................................................................... Darb Formation ................................................................................................. H a n i f a and J u b a i l a h F o r m a t i o n s .............................................................................. A r a b F o r m a t i o n and its e q u i v a l e n t s : ........................................................................... Fahahil Formation ...........................................................................................
235 245 245 245 245 248 250 250 250 252 254 254 254 254 254 254 254 254 254 255 257 258 258 258 258 259 259 259 259 261 261 262 263 263 266 266 266 267 267 269 269 269 269 269
XV
CONTENTS
Qatar Formation Arab F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Hith Formation .............................................................................................. T h e Jurassic S e c t i o n in E x t r e m e E a s t e r n Arabia" O m a n ............................................................... 9 T h e Jurassic o f N o r t h e r n Oman" M u s a n d a m G r o u p ......................................................... 9 T h e J u r a s s i c o f C e n t r a l O m a n ..................................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : S a h t a n G r o u p : .................................................................... Mafraq F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. D h r u m a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... T u w a i q M o u n t a i n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... Hanifa Formation .............................................................................................. Jubailah Formation ............................................................................................ S u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : S a h t a n G r o u p : .......................................................................... Saih Hatat F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Mayhah Formation ............................................................................................ G u w e y z a S a n d s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. G u w e y z a L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................... ~ T h e Jurassic o f S o u t h O m a n : K o h l a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................ T h e Jurassic Section on the Eastern Side of the Arabian Gulf: S o u t h w e s t e r n Iran ............................. Neyriz Formation ....................................................................................................... Adaiyah Formation ..................................................................................................... Mus Formation .......................................................................................................... Alan Formation .......................................................................................................... Sargelu Formation ...................................................................................................... Najmah Formation ...................................................................................................... Gotnia Formation ....................................................................................................... Hith Formation ......................................................................................................... Surmah Formation ...................................................................................................... T h e J u r a s s i c S e c t i o n in N o r t h e a s t e r n A r a b i a : ............................................................................ ~ T h e J u r a s s i c o f K u w a i t : ............................................................................................. Marrat Formation ................................................................................................. Dhruma Formation ............................................................................................... Sargelu Formation ................................................................................................ Najmah Formation ................................................................................................ Gotnia Formation ................................................................................................. Hith Formation .................................................................................................... ~ T h e J u r a s s i c o f Iraq ................................................................................................... 1. L i a s s i c S e c t i o n o f Iraq: ..................................................................................... Ubaid Formation ............................................................................................ Butmah Formation' . ............................. Baluti Formation ............................................................................................ Adaiyah Formation ......................................................................................... Mus Formation .............................................................................................. Alan Formation .............................................................................................. Sarki Formation ............................................................................................. Sekhanian Formation ...................................................................................... 2. D o g g e r S e c t i o n o f Iraq: ..................................................................................... Muhaiwir Formation ....................................................................................... Sargelu Formation .......................................................................................... 3. M a l m S e c t i o n o f Iraq (Early S u b - C y c l e ) : ............................................................... Najmah Formation .......................................................................................... G o t n i a ( A n h y d r i t e ) F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................... N a o k e l e k a n F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... Barsarin F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... 4. M a l t a S e c t i o n of Iraq (Late S u b - c y c l e ) : ................................................................ Makhul Formation .......................................................................................... Chia Gara F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... K a r i m a M u d s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ Sulaiy Formation ........................................................................................... ~ 1 7 6 1 7 . 6 . 1 . 7 . 6. 1 7~ 6 . . . . . . . . .
xvi
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~ 1 7 6 1 7 .6 .1 .7 .6 1. 7. 6. .
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271 271 271 271 271 273 273 273 273 273 273 274 274 275 277 278 278 279 279 279 279 279 279 279 279 279 280 280 280 280 280 280 282 282 283 283 283 283 283 283 283 283 284 284 284 284 285 285 285 285 285 286 286 286 286 286 286 287 287
CONTENTS
T h e Jurassic Section in N o r t h w e s t e r n and N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n Platform: .......................................... 9 T h e J u r a s s i c o f J o r d a n ............................................................................................... Surface Formations" . ............... D e i r A l i a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Zarqa F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. D h a h a b F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... U m m M a g h a r a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ A r d a F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. M u a d d i F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : ......................................................................................... A z a b G r o u p ...................................................................................................... Hihi F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. N i m r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Silal F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. D h a h a b F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... R a m l a and H a m a m F o r m a t i o n s ......................................................................... M u g h a n n i y a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... 9 T h e J u r a s s i c o f Syria: Q a m c h u q a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................. 9 T h e J u r a s s i c o f S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y : Cudi G r o u p ............................................................... J u r a s s i c P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and G e o l o g i c H i s t o r y ..........................................................................
287 287 287 287 287 288 289 289 289 289 290 290 290 290 290 290 291 291 291 291
Chapter 8: The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous Introduction ................................................................................................................... T h e F i r s t Cycle" T h e E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s ..................................................................................... 9 E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s o f Saudi A r a b i a : ................................................................................ Sulaiy F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. Y a m a m a F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. B u w a i b F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ B i y a d h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... 9 E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s o f E a s t e r n A r a b i a : .............................................................................. E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s in the U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s .... ....................................................... S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : .................................................................................. R a y d a and Salil F o r m a t i o n s ......................................................................... H a b s h a n F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... L e k h w a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... K h a r a i b F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... S u r f a c e Section: M u s a n d a m G r o u p U n i t 4 ........................................................... E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s in Q a t a r ....................................................................................... Sulaiy F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Y a m a m a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Ratawi F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Kharaib F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... H a w a r S h a l e F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s o f B a h r a i n .................................................................................... Sulaiy F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Y a m a m a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Ratawi F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Kharaib F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... H a w a r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s o f O m a n ...................................................................................... W e s t e r n O m a n M o u n t a i n s ( s u b s u r f a c e f o r m a t i o n s ) ............................................... R a y d a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Salil F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
297 311 311 316 316 317 317 319 319 319 319 319 320 321 321 321 321 324 324 324 324 324 324 324 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 325 327
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H a b s h a n F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... L e k h w a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... Kharaib F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Central Oman Mountains (Allochthonous Units) .................................................. Sidr F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... N a y i d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ M a y h a h Formation C M e m b e r ...................................................................... M a y h a h Formation D M e m b e r ...................................................................... Northern Oman Mountains (Musandam Peninsula) ................................................ M u s a n d a m M e m b e r G ................................................................................. M u s a n d a m M e m b e r H and I .......................................................................... 9Early Cretaceous on the eastern side of the Arabian Gulf: southwestern Iran ........................ F a h l i y a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ G a d v a n F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... D a r i y a n F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Garau F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ 9Early Cretaceous in the Northern, Northwestern and Northeastern Arabian Platform: ............. Early Cretaceous in Kuwait: ............................................................................. S u l a i y / M a k h u l F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................... M i n a g i s h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. Ratawi F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... Early Cretaceous in Iraq: .................................................................................. 1. Southern Iraq: ...................................................................................... Ratawi F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. Zubair F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... Shuaiba F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. 2. Northern Iraq ....................................................................................... Garagu F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. L o w e r Balambo Formation .................................................................. L o w e r Sarmord Formation ................................................................... Lower Qamchuqa Limestone Formation ................................................. Early Cretaceous in Syria: ................................................................................ Q a m c h u q a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ R u t b a h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... H a y a n e F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... Early Cretaceous in Jordan: Kurnub Group .......................................................... Early Cretaceous in Southeast Turkey: ................................................................ M a r d i n Group ......................................................................................... A r e b a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ 9 Early Cretaceous in Southern and Southwestern Arabia: ............................................ The Republic of Yemen: Qishn Formation ................................................................ The S e c o n d Cycle: The Mid-Cretaceous ................................................................................... 9 Mid-Cretaceous in Eastern Arabia: The United Arab Emirates ........................................... S u b s u r f a c e Formations: ........................................................................................ N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ Shilaif/Khatiyah F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Outcrop Formations" Nahr Umr and Mauddud formations ............................................ 9 Mid-Cretaceous in Eastern Arabia: Oman ..................................................................... Western Oman Mountains (subsurface formations) ...................................................... N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... Natih F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Central Oman Mountains (Allochthonous Units): Qumayrah Formation .........................
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CONTENTS
N o r t h e r n O m a n M o u n t a i n s ( M u s a n d a m P e n i n s u l a ) ..................................................... O u t c r o p Section" W a s i a G r o u p .......................................................................... S u b s u r f a c e S e c t i o n : ........................................................................................ K a z d h u m i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. K h a t i y a h / M i s h r i f f o r m a t i o n s ...................................................................... S o u t h e r n O m a n ( D h o f a r R e g i o n ) ............................................................................. Q a m a r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... H a r s h i y a t F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Fartaq F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ 9 M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in S o u t h w e s t e r n Iran ............................................................................ B a n g e s t a n G r o u p : ................................................................................................ K a z d h u m i F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Sarvak F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Surgah F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... 9 Mid-Cretaceous in C e n t r a l and E a s t e r n Arabia: .............................................................. M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in Central and Eastern Saudi Arabia: W a s i a F o r m a t i o n .......................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in N o r t h w e s t e r n Saudi Arabia: W a s i a F o r m a t i o n ................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in K u w a i t : W a s i a G r o u p ................................................................... B u r g a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ W a r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... M a g w a F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in Q a t a r : . W a s i a G r o u p ..................................................................... N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... K h a t i y a h F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in Bahrain: W a s i a G r o u p .................................................................... N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ W a r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... R u m a i l a F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n P l a t f o r m : ................................................................. 9 M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in I r a q ......................................................................................... 1. S o u t h e r n and S o u t h w e s t e r n Iraq: .................................................................... N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. W a r a F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... R u m a i l a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... 2. W e s t e r n Iraq: ............................................................................................. R u t b a h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... M ' s a d F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... 3. N o r t h e r n and N o r t h e a s t e r n Iraq: ..................................................................... R i m S i l t s t o n e F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................... J a w a n F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... U p p e r Q a m c h u q a L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ........................................................ U p p e r S a r m o r d F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................... U p p e r B a l a m b o F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................... Kifl F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... D o k a n L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................... 9 M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in J o r d a n ..................................................................................... Ajlun Group: ................................................................................................ N a u r F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................
347 347 348 348 348 348 348 348 348 348 349 349 349 349 349 349 350 352 352 352 352 353 353 353 354 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 355 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 356 357 357 357 357 357 358 358 358 358 358 358
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Fuheis F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Hummar Formation Shuayb Formation .................................................................................... W a d i As Sir F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. Khureij F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... 9 M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in S y r i a ....................................................................................... Judea F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. M a s s i v e L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................... 9 M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y ...................................................................... S a b u n s u y u Formation ..................................................................................... D e r d e r e F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s in Southern and Southwestern A r a b i a : T h e Republic of Y e m e n ....................... Harshiyat F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Fartaq F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. T h e T h i r d C y c l e : T h e L a t e C r e t a c e o u s ..................................................................................... Late C r e t a c e o u s in the southern Arabian Gulf:United Arab Emirates ................................... A r u m a G r o u p ......................................................................................................... Laffan F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. Halul F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................... Ilam F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................... Fiqa F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................... S i m s i m a Formation .............................................................................................. Muti F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. J u w e i z a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... Q a h l a h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in E a s t e r n Arabia: O m a n ........................................................................ 1. W e s t e r n O m a n M o u n t a i n s .................................................................................. L a f f a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Fiqa F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Muti Formation ............................................................................................. J u w e i z a F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Qahlah F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... S i m s i m a Formation ........................................................................................ 2. C e n t r a l O m a n M o u n t a i n s ( A l l o c h t h o n o u s Units): ................................................... S e m a i l ( O p h i o l i t e ) N a p p e ................................................................................. 3. N o r t h e r n O m a n M o u n t a i n s ( M u s a n d a m P e n i n s u l a ) .................................................. O u t c r o p Section: M u t i F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................... Subsurface Section: L a f f a n F o r m a t i o n .............................................................. I l a m F o r m a t i o n ................................................................... G u r p i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................. L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in Eastern Arabian Gulf: S o u t h w e s t e r n Iran .............................................. I l a m F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................... G u r p i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. T a r b u r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ A m i r a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in W e s t e r n and N o r t h w e s t e r n A r a b i a n G u l f ........................................................ 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in Qatar: .................................................................................... A r u m a G r o u p .................................................................................................. Laffan F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Halul F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. F i q a / R u i l a t F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... S i m s i m a Formation ........................................................................................ 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in Bahrain: A r u m a G r o u p ............................................................... 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in Kuwait: ................................................................................. K h a s i b / M u t r i b a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... Sa'di F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Hartha Formation ........................................................................................... Bahrah F o r m a t i o n ...........................................................................................
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CONTENTS
T a y a r a t F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................... ..................... L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in C e n t r a l a n d S o u t h w e s t e r n A r a b i a : ................................................................. 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in S a u d i A r a b i a : A r u m a F o r m a t i o n ................................................... 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in the R e p u b l i c o f Y e m e n " Mukalla Formation ....................................................................................... Sharwain Formation ........................................................................................ Tawilah Group .............................................................................................. Ghiras Formation ....................................................................................... Medj-Zir Formation ..................................................................................... L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in the N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n P l a t f o r m : .................................................................... 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in I r a q ......................................................................................... 1. S o u t h e r n I r a q : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Khasib Formation ..................................................................................... Tanuma Formation ................................................................................... Sa'di Formation ....................................................................................... Hartha Formation ..................................................................................... Qurna Formation ...................................................................................... Tayarat Formation .................................................................................... 2 . W e s t e r n Iraq" D i g m a F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................... 3 . H i g h F o l d e d Z o n e o f Iraq: ............................................................................. Gulneri Formation .................................................................................... Kometan Formation .................................................................................. Shiranish Formation ................................................................................. Bekhme Formation ................................................................................... Hadiena Formation .................................................................................... Tanjero Formation .................................................................................... Aqra Formation ........................................................................................ 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in J o r d a n : B e l q a G r o u p ................................................................... S u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : ................................................................................. W a d i U m m G h u d r a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ Amman Formation 9 A1 H i s a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M u w a q q a r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ S u b s u r f a c e F o r m a t i o n s : ............................................................................ Rajil Formation ................................................................................... Hamza Formation ................................................................................. Hazim Formation ................................................................................. A m m a n a n d A1 H i s a f o r m a t i o n s .............................................................. Usaykhim Formation ............................................................................ M u w a q q a r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in S y r i a ...................................................................................... Soukhne Formation .................................................................................. Shiranish Formation ................................................................................. 9 L a t e C r e t a c e o u s in S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y ...................................................................... Karababa Formation ........................................................................................ Karabogaz Formation ...................................................................................... Sayindere Formation ....................................................................................... Korkandil Formation ....................................................................................... Kastel Formation ............................................................................................ T e r b u z e k F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Besni Formation ............................................................................................. Germav Formation .......................................................................................... C r e t a c e o u s P a l e o g e o g r a p h y a n d G e o l o g i c H i s t o r y ............................................................. Tectonic Events .................................................................................................... P a l e o g e o g r a p h y a n d C y c l i c i t y : ................................................................................ E a r l y C r e t a c e o u s C y c l e .................................................................................... M i d - C r e t a c e o u s C y c l e ...................................................................................... Late C r e t a c e o u s C y c l e .....................................................................................
373 373 373 374 374 374 374 374 374 375 376 376 376 376 376 376 376 376 376 377 377 377 377 377 377 377 377 377 378 378 378 378 379 379 379 379 379 379 379 379 380 380 380 380 380 380 380 380 380 381 381 382 382 382 384 384 388 390
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Chapter 9: The latest part of the Zuni and Tejas cycles of the Middle East: The Cenozoic Introduction ....................................................................................................................... Part 1: The P a l e o g e n e of the M i d d l e East ................................................................................ 9 The P a l e o g e n e of the Central, Eastern and Northeastern Arabian Platform ........................... P a l e o g e n e of Saudi A r a b i a .................................................................................... U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Rus Formation ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. P a l e o g e n e of Q a t a r .............................................................................................. U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Rus F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. P a l e o g e n e of B a h r a i n ........................................................................................... U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Rus Formation ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. P a l e o g e n e o f K u w a i t ........................................................................................... R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... Rus Formation ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. P a l e o g e n e of Southern and W e s t e r n Iraq .................................................................. U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Rus Formation ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. P a l e o g e n e of Southwestern and Southeastern Iran and adjoining areas ........................... P a b d e h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. Jahrum F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. S h a h b a z a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. T a l e h Z a n g F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ K a s h k a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ Asmari F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. P a l e o g e n e of the U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s ................................................................... U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Rus Formation ...................................................................................... D a m m a m F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................. A s m a r i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ P a b d e h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. P a l e o g e n e o f O m a n ............................................................................................. Central and W e s t e r n O m a n M o u n t a i n s (outcrop formations) ..................................... J a f n a y n L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................ Rusayl F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ S e e b L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ R u w a y d a h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... F a h u d F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... M u t h a y m i m a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. Southern O m a n (Dhofar Region): (outcrop formation) H a d h r a m o u t G r o u p .................. U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................ Rus Formation ............................................................................................ A n d h u r and Q a r a f o r m a t i o n s ........................................................................... Taqa F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Central and Southern Oman: (subsurface formations) H a d h r a m o u t G r o u p .................... U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................ Rus Formation ............................................................................................ D a m m a m Formation .................................................................................... F a r s Group" T a q a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... N o r t h e r n O f f s h o r e O m a n ................................................................................... Pabdeh F o r m a t i o n .........................................................................................
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CONTENTS
L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... Guri Formation ............................................................................................. M i s h a n and y o u n g e r f o r m a t i o n s ....................................................................... 9 T h e P a l e o g e n e of Southern, S o u t h w e s t e r n and W e s t e r n A r a b i a ......................................... P a l e o g e n e of W e s t e r n Saudi A r a b i a (Red Sea R e g i o n ) ................................................. Suqah Group: ................................................................................................. Pre-Usfan F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. Usfan Formation ...................................................................................... Matiyah Formation ........................................................................................... P a l e o g e n e o f the R e p u b l i c o f Y e m e n ....................................................................... P a l e o g e n e of East and Southeast Y e m e n : H a d h r a m o u t G r o u p ................................... U m m Er R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n ..................... : ............................................... Jeza Formation ......................................................................................... Rus Formation ......................................................................................... H a b s h i y a F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. P a l e o g e n e o f W e s t and N o r t h w e s t Y e m e n ........................................................... Y e m e n V o l c a n i c s ( A d e n Trap Series) ............................................................ 9 T h e P a l e o g e n e of the N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n Platform: .......................................................... P a l e o g e n e o f N o r t h w e s t Saudi Arabi: Hibr G r o u p ...................................................... P a l e o g e n e o f J o r d a n .............................................................................................. Subsurface Formation: U m m R i j a m F o r m a t i o n .................................................... W a d i S h a l l a l a F o r m a t i o n .................................................. Surface Formation: U m m R i j a m F o r m a t i o n ........................................................ W a d i S h a l l a l a F o r m a t i o n ....................................................... Taiyiba F o r m a t i o n ................................................................ T a q i y e M a r l F o r m a t i o n ......................................................... S a r ' a C h a l k - F l i n t F o r m a t i o n .................................................. M a ' a n N u m m u l i t i c L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ................................ D h a h k i y e C h a l k F o r m a t i o n ................................................... 9 P a l e o g e n e o f S y r i a .............................. ............................................................... Aaliji Formation .............................................................................................. Palmyra Formation ........................................................................................... K e r m a v F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Sinjar Formation .............................................................................................. Jaddala F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Chilou Formation ............................................................................................ Midyat Formation ............................................................................................ 9 P a l e o g e n e of N o r t h e r n Iraq ................................................................................... Kolosh Formation ............................................................................................ Sinjar Formation .............................................................................................. K h u r m a l a F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Aaliji Formation .............................................................................................. Jaddala F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Avanah Formation ............................................................................................ Gercus Formation ............................................................................................. P i l a Spi L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................ Kirkuk Group: S h u r a u L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n .................................................... S h e i k h Alas F o r m a t i o n ........................................................... Tarjil F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................... B a j a w a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................. Baba F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................... Anah F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................... A z k a n d F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Ibrahim F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. 9 P a l e o g e n e o f S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y ............................................................................. Part 2: T h e N e o g e n e of the M i d d l e East .................................................................................. T h e N e o g e n e of the Central and Eastern A r a b i a n Platform: ................................................ 9 N e o g e n e of S a u d i A r a b i a .....................................................................................
428 428 428 428 428 428 428 429 429 429 429 429 429 429 429 429 430 430 430 431 432 432 433 433 433 433 433 434 434 434 434 434 434 434 434 434 434 435 435 435 435 435 435 435 436 436 436 436 436 436 436 437 437 437 437 437 439 439
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H a d r u k h F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... D a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... H o f u f F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Kharj F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. 9 N e o g e n e of Q a t a r ............................................................................................... L o w e r Fars F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... D a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... H o f u f Formation .............................................................................................. 9 N e o g e n e o f B a h r a i n ............................................................................................ J a b a l C a p F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... R a s al A q r F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ 9 N e o g e n e of the U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s ..................................................................... G a c h s a r a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... M i s h a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ H o f u f F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. 9 N e o g e n e o f O m a n .............................................................................................. M i o c e n e C o n g l o m e r a t e and Y o u n g e r D e p o s i t s ....................................................... The N e o g e n e o f Southern and W e s t e r n Arabia: ................................................................ 9 N e o g e n e of W e s t e r n Saudi Arabia (Red Sea R e g i o n ) ................................................. Tayran Group: M u s a y r F o r m a t i o n .................................................................... Y a n b u F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................... A1 W a j h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................. Jizan V o l c a n i c F o r m a t i o n .......................................................... Burqan F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. M a g n a Group: Kial F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................... J a b a l Kibrit F o r m a t i o n .............................................................. M a n s i y a h Formation ......................................................................................... G h a w w a s F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Lisan Formation .............................................................................................. 9 N e o g e n e of Y e m e n : A d e n V o l c a n i c Series .............................................................. T h e N e o g e n e o f N o r t h e a s t e r n Arabia" 9 N e o g e n e of K u w a i t ............................................................................................ Ghar Formation .............................................................................................. L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... D i b d i b b a F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ 9 N e o g e n e of S o u t h e r n Iraq .................................................................................... Ghar F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... U p p e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... Zahra F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. B a k h t i a r i F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ 9N e o g e n e o f S o u t h w e s t e r n Iran ............................................................................. G a c h s a r a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... R a z a k F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Mishan Formation .......................................................................................... A g h a Jari F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... B a k h t i a r i F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ T h e N e o g e n e of the N o r t h e r n A r a b i a n Platform: .............................................................. 9 N e o g e n e o f J o r d a n .............................................................................................. S i r h a n - A z r a q - J a f r Basins (Subsurface F o r m a t i o n ) ................................................. Qirma Formation ............................................................................................ Azraq F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. Jafr F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N o r t h e a s t e r n and Eastern Jordan (Surface Outcrop) .................................................. T e r t i a r y B a s a l t i c P l a t e a u ................................................................................... Surface o u t c r o p in D e a d S e a - J o r d a n Rift ............................................................... D a n a C o n g l o m e r a t e F o r m a t i o n .................................................................... L i s a n M a r l F o r m a t i o n ...............................................................................
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439 439 439 439 439 439 439 439 439 439 439 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 442 442 442 442 442 442 442 442 442 443 443 443 443 443 443 443 443 443 443 443 444 444 444 444 445 445 446 446 447 447 447 447 447 447 447 447 447 447 448
CONTENTS
9 N e o g e n e of S y r i a ............................................................................................... Dhiban F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... Jeribe F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... U p p e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... B a k h t i a r i F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ 9 N e o g e n e of the Foothills and High F o l d e d Z o n e of Northern Iraq ................................ E u p h r a t e s L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................ S e r i k a g n i F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Dhiban F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... J e r i b e L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................. 9 N e o g e n e of S o u t h e a s t T u r k e y ............................................................................... Part 3: C e n o z o i c P a l e o g e o g r a p h y and G e o l o g i c History ............................................................. P a l e o g e n e P a l e o g e o g r a p h y .......................................................................................... N e o g e n e P a l e o g e o g r a p h y ............................................................................................
449 449 449 449 449 449 449 449 449 449 449 449 451 458 462
PART THREE Chapter 10 : Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Middle East Introduction ....................................................................................................................... S u r f a c e Oil and G a s S e e p s .................................................................................................... Turkey ..................................................................................................................... Iran ......................................................................................................................... Iraq ......................................................................................................................... Kuwait .................................................................................................................... S a u d i A r a b i a ............................................................................................................. Bahrain .................................................................................................................... Yemen ..................................................................................................................... Syria, L e b a n o n and J o r d a n ........................................................................................... H i s t o r y o f E x p l o r a t i o n ......................................................................................................... C u r r e n t Status o f M i d d l e E a s t Oil .......................................................................................... H y d r o c a r b o n P r o d u c t i v i t y ............................................................................................ Source Rocks ............................................................................................................ G e o c h e m i s t r y of Oil and Gas ....................................................................................... R e s e r v o i r R o c k s ........................................................................................................ I n f r a c a m b r i a n to P a l e o z o i c ..................................................................................... T r i a s s i c and J u r a s s i c ............................................................................................. C r e t a c e o u s .......................................................................................................... Tertiary .............................................................................................................. C a p R o c k s ( S e a l s ) ..................................................................................................... Traps ....................................................................................................................... T i m i n g o f T r a p F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... T h e G r e a t e r A r a b i a n and O m a n i Basins ..................................................................... T h e Z a g r o s B a s i n ................................................................................................. Potential Plays ...................................................................................................................
467 467 468 468 469 469 469 469 469 469 470 473 489 492 502 510 511 516 516 517 517 520 521 521 521 522
Chapter 11: Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basin Introduction ....................................................................................................................... K u w a i t and the K u w a i t - S a u d i A r a b i a Neutral Z o n e .................................................................... S t r a t i g r a p h i c H i s t o r y .................................................................................................. S t r u c t u r a l H i s t o r y ...................................................................................................... R e s e r v o i r R o c k s ........................................................................................................ L o w e r C r e t a c e o u s R e s e r v o i r s ................................................................................. M i n a g i s h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... R a t a w i F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... M i d d l e C r e t a c e o u s R e s e r v o i r s .................................................................................
525 525 527 528 530 530 530 530 530 531
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B u r g a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... 531 W a r a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 U p p e r C r e t a c e o u s R e s e r v o i r s .................................................................................. 531 T a y a r a t F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... 531 T e r t i a r y R e s e r v o i r s ............................................................................................... 531 R a d h u m a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 S e a l s a n d Seal F o r m a t i o n s ............................................................................................ 532 G o t n i a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 S a r g e l u F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 R a t a w i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 B u r g a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 M u t r i b a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 K h a s i b F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 R u s F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. 532 Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y and S o u r c e R o c k s .............................................................................. 532 M i d d l e C r e t a c e o u s S o u r c e R o c k s ............................................................................ 534 R u m a i l a and M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n s ...................................................................... 534 A h m a d i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 W a r a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... 534 B u r g a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 L o w e r C r e t a c e o u s S o u r c e R o c k s ............................................................................. 534 S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534 Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 R a t a w i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 M i n a g i s h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 S u l a i y F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 J u r a s s i c S o u r c e R o c k s .......................................................................................... 537 D h r u m a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 S a r g e l u F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 N a j m a h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 K u w a i t Oil F i e l d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 G r e a t e r B u r g a n F i e l d ............................................................................................. 538 B a h r a h F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540 R a u d h a t a i n F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541 S a b r i y a F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 M i n a g i s h F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542 U m m G u d a i r F i e l d ............................................................................................... 544 K h a f j i F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 W a f r a F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 D o r r a F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 H o u t F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 L u l u f i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 U m m G u d a i r S o u t h F i e l d ...................................................................................... 547 S o u t h F u w a r i s F i e l d ............................................................................................. 547 Bahrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548 S t r u c t u r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549 S t r a t i g r a p h y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551 R e s e r v o i r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551 K h u f f F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553 A r a b F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
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CONTENTS
Seals ....................................................................................................................... S o u r c e R o c k s and H y d r o c a r b o n M i g r a t i o n and A c c u m u l a t i o n ............................................. P r o d u c t i o n a n d R e s e r v e s .............................................................................................. Qatar .............................................................................................................................. Structure .................................................................................................................. S t r a t i g r a p h y .............................................................................................................. R e s e r v o i r C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ............................................................................................. T a b u k F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. S h a r a w r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. T a w i l F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. H a u s h i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. I z h a r a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. Araej F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. A r a b F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. K h a r a i b F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. M i s h r i f a n d K h a t i y a h f o r m a t i o n s ............................................................................ S e a l s a n d S e a l F o r m a t i o n s ........................................................................................... T a b u k F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. S h a r a w r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. T a w i l F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. H a u s h i F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ S u d a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. I z h a r a a n d A r a e j f o r m a t i o n s .................................................................................... H a n i f a a n d L o w e r J u b a i l a h f o r m a t i o n s ..................................................................... A r a b F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................... Hith A n h y d r i t e .................................................................................................... H a w a r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ K h a t i y a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. L a f f a n F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. S o u r c e R o c k s ............................................................................................................ S h a r a w r a F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. H a u s h i F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... H a n i f a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................ J u b a i l a h F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. M a u d d u d F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. M i s h r i f / K h a t i y a h f o r m a t i o n s ................................................................................. Oil c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a n d h y d r o c a r b o n m a t u r a t i o n .................................................................. O i l a n d G a s F i e l d s ..................................................................................................... D u k h a n F i e l d ...................................................................................................... I d d E l S h a r g i F i e l d ............................................................................................... M a y d a n M a h z a m F i e l d .......................................................................................... B u l H a n i n e F i e l d ................................................................................................. N o r t h Field ........................................................................................................ United Arab Emirates ........................................................................................... R e g i o n a l S t r a t i g r a p h y ........................................................................................... Reservoirs ........................................................................................................... Haushi G r o u p ............................................................................................... K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... S u d a i r - G u l a i l a h - M i n j u r f o r m a t i o n s ..................................................................... A r a e j F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ D i y a b F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ A r a b F o r m a t i o n ..............................................................................................
554 554 558 559 559 559 561 561 562 562 562 562 562 562 563 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 564 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 565 566 566 566 568 571 571 574 575 575 576 578 578 578 578 579 579
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CONTENTS
Thamama Group ............................................................................................. Habshan Formation .................................................................................. L e k h w a i r F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. Kharaib Formation ................................................................................... Shuaiba Formation .................................................................................. Mishrif Formation ......................................................................................... Aruma Group: ................................................................................................ Ilam Formation ....................................................................................... Halul Formation ...................................................................................... Simsima Formation ................................................................................. A s m a r i and G a c h s a r a n f o r m a t i o n s ..................................................................... S e a l s a n d S e a l F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ S o u r c e R o c k s a n d Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ........................................................................ Traps ................................................................................................................ O i l a n d G a s F i e l d s ............................................................................................... Z a k u m Oil Field ............................................................................................ A s a b Oil Field .............................................................................................. B u H a s a Oil F i e l d .......................................................................................... M a r g h a m G a s - C o n d e n s a t e F i e l d ........................................................................ F a t e h Oil F i e l d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bab Oil Field ................................................................................................ E1 B u n d u q Oil F i e l d ....................................................................................... S a j a a G a s - C o n d e n s a t e F i e l d ............................................................................. Jordan .................................................................................................................... H i s t o r y of E x p l o r a t i o n .......................................................................................... T h e S e d i m e n t a r y B a s i n s and their H y d r o c a r b o n P o t e n t i a l ............................................. D e a d S e a - J o r d a n V a l l e y B a s i n ........................................................................... Azraq Basin .................................................................................................. Sirhan Basin ................................................................................................. N o r t h J o r d a n i a n H i g h l a n d s ............................................................................... A1 J a f r B a s i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Risha Basin .................................................................................................. Basalt Plateau ............................................................................................... Saudi Arabia ........................................................................................................ T e c t o n i c and S t r a t i g r a p h i c F r a m e w o r k ..................................................................... H y d r o c a r b o n S y s t e m s ........................................................................................... Source Rocks ...................................................................................................... P a l e o z o i c F o r m a t i o n s ..................................................................................... Jurassic Formations ....................................................................................... C r e t a c e o u s F o r m a t i o n s ................................................................................... Cenozoic Formations ..................................................................................... Reservoir Rocks .................................................................................................. Saq Formation ......................................................................................... Tabuk Formation ..................................................................................... J a u f F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... U n a y z a h F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................. Khuff Formation ..................................................................................... Marrat Formation .................................................................................... Dhruma Formation .................................................................................. T u w a i q M o u n t a i n F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................... Hanifa Formation .................................................................................... Jubailah Formation .................................................................................. Arab Formation ...................................................................................... Hith Formation ....................................................................................... Sulaiy Formation .................................................................................... Yamama Formation ................................................................................. Buwaib Formation .................................................................................... Biyadh Formation .....................................................................................
xxviii
579 579 579 579 579 579 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 585 590 590 590 591 594 595 595 595 596 598 602 604 604 605 605 605 607 607 607 608 608 611 613 613 618 621 622 625 626 626 626 626 627 628 628 628 628 629 629 631 631 631 631 631
CONTENTS
S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n ............................................. 9..................................... W a s i a F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... L o w e r A r u m a F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................... T e r t i a r y F o r m a t i o n s ................................................................................. Cap R o c k ...................................................................................................... H a n a d i r S h a l e M e m b e r ............................................................................ R a ' a n S h a l e M e m b e r ................................................................................ Q u s a i b a S h a l e m e m b e r ............................................................................ U n a y z a h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................ K h u f f F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................... L o w e r S u d a i r F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................... M a r r a t F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... D h r u m a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. H a n i f a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... J u b a i l a h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................. A r a b F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... H i t h F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... B u w a i b F o r m a t i o n . ................................................................................. B i y a d h F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... W a s i a F o r m a t i o n ( A h m a d i M e m b e r ) .......................................................... W a s i a F o r m a t i o n ( R u m a i l a M e m b e r ) .......................................................... A r u m a F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................... D a m F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... M a n s i y a h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... G h a w w a s F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................... S t r u c t u r e and T r a p M e c h a n i s m s .............................................................................. Oil F i e l d E x a m p l e s .............................................................................................. S u p e r g i a n t G h a w a r Oil F i e l d ............................................................................ H a r m a l i y a h Oil F i e l d ...................................................................................... Q a t i f Oil F i e l d .............................................................................................. K h u r s a n i y a h Oil F i e l d ................................................................................... A b q a i q Oil F i e l d ............................................................................................ Yemen .................................................................................................................... S t r u c t u r a l and S t r a t i g r a p h i c F r a m e w o r k .................................................................... H y d r o c a r b o n P a r a m e t e r s ........................................................................................ M a ' r i b - J a w f - S h a b w a - B a l h a f G r a b e n S y s t e m ........................................................... E a s t e r n T a b l e l a n d .............................................................................................. N o r t h e r n F l a n k ......................................................................................... H a d h r a m o u t - J e z a - Q a m a r B a s i n ..................................................................... S a y h u t B a s i n ............................................................................................ R e d Sea C o a s t a l A r e a and the T i h a m a Sub-basin ..................................................... G u l f of A d e n B a s i n ...........................................................................................
633 633 633 633 633 633 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 634 637 637 638 638 639 639 642 643 644 644 644 644 644 647 647 647
Chapter 12: The Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Zagros Basin Introduction
....................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... I n t r o d u c t i o n and H i s t o r y of E x p l o r a t i o n .......................................................................... S t r u c t u r e and T r a p s ..................................................................................................... R e s e r v o i r C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ............................................................................................. Paleozoic ............................................................................................................ B e d i n i a n F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ H a n d o f F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... H a z r o F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... Mesozoic ............................................................................................................ A r i l F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. Mardin Group: ............................................................................................... S a b u n s u y u F o r m a t i o n ..............................................................................
Southeast T u r k e y
651 653 653 653 658 659 659 659 659 659 659 659 659
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CONTENTS
Derdere Formation .................................................................................. Karababa Formation ................................................................................. Karabogaz Formation ..................................................................................... Raman Formation .......................................................................................... Garzan Formation .......................................................................................... Germav Formation ......................................................................................... L a t e M e s o z o i c to C e n o z o i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sinan Formation ........................................................................................... C r u d e Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ............................................................................................... Source Rocks: ........................................................................................................... Paleozoic Formations" Bedinian Formation ........................................................................................ Dadas Formation ........................................................................................... Triassic-Jurassic Formations .................................................................................. Cretaceous Formations: ......................................................................................... Derdere Formation ......................................................................................... Ortabag Formation ......................................................................................... Kiradag Formation ......................................................................................... Karababa Formation ....................................................................................... Karabogaz Formation ..................................................................................... Kastel Formation .......................................................................................... Tertiary Formations .............................................................................................. Seals and Seal Formations ............................................................................................ Telhasan Formation ............................................................................................. Kastel Formation ................................................................................................. Mardin Group ...................................................................................................... K a r a b o g a z , S a y i n d e r e a n d B e l o k a f o r m a t i o n s .............................................................. Kiradag Formation ............................................................................................... Germav Formation ............................................................................................... Gercus formation .................................................................................................. Oil Field Examples ..................................................................................................... Raman and Bati-Raman fields .................................................................................. Garzan Field ........................................................................................................ Dodan Field ........................................................................................................ Syria ............................................................................................................................... I n t r o d u c t i o n and History of E x p l o r a t i o n .......................................................................... Structure and Traps ..................................................................................................... Reservoir Characteristics .............................................................................................. Kurra Chine Formation ........................................................................................ Mulussa Formation .............................................................................................. Butmah Formation ............................................................................................... Dolaa Group ....................................................................................................... Cherrife Formation .............................................................................................. Qamchuqa Formation ........................................................................................... Soukhne Formation ............................................................................................. Massive Limestone .............................................................................................. Shiranish Formation ............................................................................................ Jaddala Formation ................................................................................................. Chilou Formation ................................................................................................ Dhiban Formation ............................................................................................... Jeribe Formation ................................................................................................. Source Rocks ................................. . ........................................................................... Crude Oil Geochemistry ............................................................................................... Seals and Seal Formations ............................................................................................ Mulussa Formation .............................................................................................. Kurra Chine Formation ......................................................................................... Adaiyah Formation .............................................................................................. Alan Formation ...................................................................................................
xxx
659 659 659 659 659 660 660 660 661 662 664 664 664 664 664 664 664 664 664 664 665 665 667 667 667 667 667 667 667 667 667 667 669 669 670 670 673 673 680 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 683 685 688 688 689 689
CONTENTS
Iraq
S a r g e l u F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 C h e r r i f e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 S h i r a n i s h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 A a l i j i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 J a d d a l a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 D h i b a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689 O i l F i e l d E x a m p l e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 690 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691 I n t r o d u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691 S t r a t i g r a p h y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 694 S t r u c t u r e a n d T r a p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 696 R e s e r v o i r C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 697 K h a b o u r Q u a r t z i t e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 A l a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 G o t n i a A n h y d r i t e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 N a j m a h L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 Y a m a m a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 S u l a i y F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698 R a t a w i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700 Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700 S h u a i b a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 00 N a h r I m r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 00 R u m a i l a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700 M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 00 H a r t h a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n / G h a r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 Z a g r o s B a s i n R e s e r v o i r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 K u r r a C h i n e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 B u t m a h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 S a r g e l u F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 C h i a G a r a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 G a r a g u F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 S a r m o r d F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 J a w a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 D o k a n L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 U p p e r B a l a m b o F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 K o m e t a n F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 M u s h o r a h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 S h i r a n i s h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 A s m a r i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 K a l h u r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 S e r i k a g n i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 E u p h r a t e s L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 J e r i b e L i m e s t o n e F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703 Q a m c h u q a G r o u p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703 K i r k u k G r o u p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703 S o u r c e R o c k s a n d O i l G e o c h e m i s t r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705 S e a l s a n d S e a l F o r m a t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 06 C a p R o c k s in the A r a b i a n B a s i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10 G o t n i a F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10 R a t a w i F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 Z u b a i r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10 N a h r U m r F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10 K h a s i b F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 S h i r a n i s h F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710 L o w e r F a r s F o r m a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10
xxxi
CONTENTS
C a p R o c k s in the Z a g r o s B a s i n .................................................................................... P i r i s p i k i R e d b e d s ................................................................................................. Baluti F o r m a t i o n .................................................................................................. A d a i y a h F o r m a t i o n .............................................................................................. N a o k e l e k a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... K h a s i b F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... S h i r a n i s h F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................ Aaliji F o r m a t i o n ................................................................................................. D h i b a n F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................... Oil F i e l d E x a m p l e s ..................................................................................................... A i n Z a l a h F i e l d ................................................................................................... B u t m a h Field ....................................................................................................... K i r k u k Field ....................................................................................................... Bai H a s s a n Field ................................................................................................... Q a i y a r a h Fields ..................................................................................................... B u z u r g a n Field ..................................................................................................... N a h r U m r Field .................................................................................................... R u m a i l a Field ...................................................................................................... Z u b a i r Field ......................................................................................................... Iran
..................................................................................................................................
Introduction ............................................................................................................... Stratigraphy ............................................................................................................... S t r u c t u r e a n d T r a p s ..................................................................................................... R e s e r v o i r C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s .............................................................................................. Z a g r o s B a s i n R e s e r v o i r F o r m a t i o n s .......................................................................... F a r a g h a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... D a l a n F o r m a t i o n ( K h u f f e q u i v a l e n t ) .................................................................. K a n g a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... S u r m e h F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... F a h l i y a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... G a r a u F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... D a r i y a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... B a n g e s t a n G r o u p ........................................................................................... S a r v a k F o r m a t i o n .......................................................................................... I l a m F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. A s m a r i L i m e s t o n e ......................................................................................... M i s h a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... A r a b i a n B a s i n R e s e r v o i r s F o r m a t i o n s ....................................................................... K h u f f F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... K h a m i G r o u p ................................................................................................ A r a b F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. F a h l i y a n F o r m a t i o n ....................................................................................... G a d v a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... D a r i y a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... K a z h d h u m i F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... M i s h r i f F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... J a h r u m F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... G h a r F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. S o u r c e R o c k s a n d Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y .............................................................................. A s m a r i F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... P a b d e h F o r m a t i o n ............................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G u r p i F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... K a z h d h u m i F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... G a r a u F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... S a r g e l u F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... P a l e o z o i c s o u r c e r o c k s ................................................................................................. Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ........................................................................................................
xxxii
710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 711 711 712 712 712 713 713 713 716
716 716 718 720 720 720 721 721 721 721 721 721 721 721 721 721 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 722 723 723 723 723 724 724 726 726 726
CONTENTS
S e a l s a n d S e a l F o r m a t i o n s ........................................................................................... D a s h t a k F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................ K a n g a n F o r m a t i o n ......................................................................................... Hith F o r m a t i o n ............................................................................................. G a d v a n F o r m t i o n ........................................................................................... K a z h d h u m i F o r m a t i o n ..................................................................................... G u r p i F o r m a t i o n ........................................................................................... G a c h s a r a n F o r m a t i o n ...................................................................................... Oil F i e l d E x a m p l e s .................................................................................................... P a z a n u n F i e l d ..................................................................................................... K u h - i - M u n d F i e l d ................................................................................................ M a s j i d - i - S u l a i m a n F i e l d ........................................................................................ N a f t - i - S h a h F i e l d ................................................................................................. Lali Field ........................................................................................................... A g h a Jari F i e l d ..................................................................................................... G a c h s a r a n Field .................................................................................................... B a h r e g a n s a r F i e l d .................................................................................................. H a f t K e l F i e l d ..................................................................................................... B i b i H a k i m e h F i e l d .............................................................................................. A b o u z a r ( A r d e s h i r ) F i e l d ....................................................................................... N a f t - S a f i d F i e l d ....................................................................................................
729 729 729 729 729 729 729 730 730 730 730 730 733 733 733 733 734 734 735 735 735
Chapter 13: The Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Oman Basin I n t r o d u c t i o n ....................................................................................................................... T h e O m a n S e d i m e n t a r y B a s i n ................................................................................................ S o u r c e Rocks, Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y and H y d r o c a r b o n G e n e r a t i o n ............................................. Source Rocks ...................................................................................................... Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ................................................................................................ I n f r a c a m b r i a n H u q f Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ................................................................ I n f r a c a m b r i a n " Q " C r u d e Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ......................................................... S i l u r i a n Safiq Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ....................................................................... U p p e r J u r a s s i c D i y a b Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ............................................................. C r e t a c e o u s N a t i h Oil G e o c h e m i s t r y ................................................................... H y d r o c a r b o n G e n e r a t i o n and M i g r a t i o n .................................................................... B u r i a l H i s t o r y ............................................................................................... R e s e r v o i r R o c k s ........................................................................................................ I n f r a c a m b r i a n R e s e r v o i r s ................................................................................. C a m b r o - O r d o v i c i a n R e s e r v o i r s ......................................................................... P e r m i a n R e s e r v o i r s ........................................................................................ L o w e r C r e t a c e o u s R e s e r v o i r s ........................................................................... M i d d l e C r e t a c e o u s R e s e r v o i r s ........................................................................... P a l e o c e n e R e s e r v o i r s ...................................................................................... S e a l s and Seal F o r m a t i o n s ........................................................................................... I n f r a c a m b r i a n S e a l s ........................................................................................ C a m b r o - O r d o v i c i a n S e a l s ................................................................................ P e r m i a n and T r i a s s i c Seals .............................................................................. C r e t a c e o u s S e a l s ............................................................................................ P a l e o c e n e S e a l s ............................................................................................. S t r u c t u r e and T r a p s .................................................................................................... Oil F i e l d E x a m p l e s .................................................................................................... F a h u d and N a t i h F i e l d s ................................................................................... A1 H u w a i s a h F i e l d ......................................................................................... L e k h w a i r F i e l d .............................................................................................. Yibal Field .................................................................................................... S a f a h F i e l d ................................................................................................... M u k h a i z n a F i e l d ............................................................................................ M a r m u l F i e l d ................................................................................................
737 738 746 746 747 747 747 747 750 750 750 751 753 755 755 756 757 757 757 757 758 758 758 758 758 758 760 760 762 763 764 766 766 767
xxxiii
CONTENTS
Nimr Field .................................................................................................... 770 Saih Rawl Field ............................................................................................ 770 Qaharir Field ................................................................................................. 771 Rima Field .................................................................................................... 772 Bukha Field ................................................................................................... 772 References ............................................................................................................................ 775-811 Index .................................................................................................................................. 813-843 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... A2-A99
xxxiv
Chapter 1 AN INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW
GEOGRAPHIC AND GEOMORPHOLOGIC SETTING
The countries of the Middle East (Fig. 1.1), the region reviewed in this book, cover parts of the lands of the eastern Mediterranean and the greater part of Arabia (Arabian Shield, Arabian Platform and Arabian Gulf), and the western Zagros Thrust Zone, an area enclosed between 13 ° and 38 ° N and 35 ° and 60 ° E (Figs. 1.2 and 1.3). Topographically, the higher elevations generally lie to the west in the Arabian Shield and pass eastward into the lower-lying areas occupied by the Arabian (Persian) Gulf and the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. To the east of these lie the Zagros ranges, with the Zagros Crush Zone forming the boundary of the region considered here, although as will appear in the following pages, it makes geological sense to include southwestern Iran in the early Phanerozoic. The Arabian Gulf is a shallowly submerged area, with an average depth of only 60 m (197 ft); even the deepest part, lying at the southeastern end, has a depth of only 240 m (787 ft). Bathymetric charts show a depth asymmetry, with the deeper parts lying closer to the Iranian than to the Arabian shore. At its northern end, the Arabian Gulf gradually is being filled by sediments forming the prograding TigrisEuphrates Delta (Fig. 1.2). At the southeastern end of the Arabian Gulf, there is a sharp change in trend, and the gulf narrows, forming the Strait of Hormuz, where the Musandam Peninsula projects toward the Iranian shore. The submarine continuation of the Arabian Peninsula further restricts open contact of the gulf with the Arabian Sea. However, the greatest depths are found in the Straits. Beyond the Straits (Hormuz and Bab A1 Mandab near the Gulf of Aden), a profound geological change occurs; while the Arabian Gulf lies on continental crust, the floor of the Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden is oceanic. The natural boundaries of the Middle East are most easily defined to the north and northeast, where the Taurus Mountains pass eastward to the Zagros Fold Belt (Figs. 1.1 and 1.3). North of the Taurus Mountains lies the Anatolian Plateau, which is bounded to its north by the Pontic Mountains. Topographically, these two ranges combine to the east, although the geological continuation of the Pontian Belt may be sought in the Caucasian province. In a similar manner, their eastward extension also divides to form the Zagros and Alborz Mountains, which together enclose the Iranian Plateau. Topographically, the Zagros is continued to the east by the Makran ranges. The Makran ranges are geologically very young and still in the process of formation; the geological continuation of the Zagros is formed
by the mountains of Oman. The region is bounded by Owen Fracture Zone and Gulf of Aden rifting to the south and by the rift system of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west. The area enclosed within the boundaries of the region is more than 1,000,000 km e and is sparsely populated, with the exception of the fertile crescent of the TigrisEuphrates Valley. It contains within its borders a major part of the world's known hydrocarbon reserves and a disproportionate number of the supergiant and giant fields. It is the economic importance of these resources that has stimulated an interest in the area that has increased as the extent of the resources has become better established. The northern third of the region is covered by the alluvial deposits from the Tigris-Euphrates River System, which drains the area from the mountains to the north and east. Presently, the Tigris-Euphrates Delta is prograding and gradually filling the Arabian Gulf. The larger area to the south contains two of the world's great deserts: the An Nefud (Nafud) in the north, and the Rub al Khali in the south. Within the Rub al Khali is a large sand sea, with dunes up to 200 m (656 ft) in height; in the Great Nefud, the sand dunes, which cover about 145,000 km e, are up to 300 m higher than the surrounding terrain. Farther north in the Syrian desert, ablation has removed most of the loose sand, thereby exposing extensive gravel-or rock-covered plains, and desert pavements, making crossing the desert difficult. Geomorphology and climate (principally the availability of water) have controlled human settlement and communications in the Middle East. In western Saudi Arabia lies an old pediplane with inselbergs. Although its exact age is not known, it is overlain by early Tertiary lavas. Several erosion surfaces have been defined; the principal surfaces are those at 1,650 m (5,280 ft), 1,200 m (3,840 ft) and 900 m (2,880 ft), the last and youngest of which is known to predate rifting. The whole region lies within the arid subtropical zone, and only a few, very restricted parts of Lebanon and Turkey are not classified as extremely arid. During the summer, the main track of the jet stream that controls the paths of atmospheric depressions passes north of the Pontic Mountains. During the winter, the track of the jet stream moves rapidly southward to cover the northern Arabian Gulf. Few depressions pass south of 30 ° N. Therefore, the area receives little benefit from the depressions during summer, except perhaps the Caspian shores of Iran, or winter; thus, it is not surprising that large areas have a rainfall regime of 100-300 mm/year. In general, the
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changes to sierozems, or gray desert soil in the southwest and northeast. In the north, reddish prairie soils develop, and within the neighboring mountains, chernozem or chestnut soils develop. The natural vegetation is characteristic of desert sand semi-deserts, with scrub woodlands at the higher elevations and steppe in the extreme north. Cultivation is restricted mainly to the flood plains. Along the low, fiat and sandy shores, salt fiats or sabkhas have formed in shallow depressions. Due to the high rates of evaporation, salt crusts develop that, when the salt is relatively free from sand, have been exploited locally. Under storm conditions, these low-lying areas may be flooded by the sea, which can extend miles inland. Under other conditions, aeolian dunes may bury the sabkhas. Agriculture is still important in the economies of many of the countries in the region, not only providing food and export revenue, but a source of employment. For environmental and technological reasons, crop yields generally are low, and crop variety is restricted. Oil revenues have meant that a progressively larger percentage of the food requirements are met by imports as well as fueling economic development. Politically, the area contains a number of large coun-
An Introductory Overview
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Fig. 1.2. Major subdivisions of the Middle East (from Dubertret and Andr6, 1969; Brown, 1972; Saint-Marc, 1978). tries, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Oman, most of them sparsely populated; and a number of small states bordering the Arabian Gulf, such as the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. In southern Arabia lies the Republic of Yemen; in the Levant are the smaller states of Israel/Palestine and Lebanon. The economy of the greater part of the region is dominated by petroleum, not only in terms of current production, but also in terms of potential. The first commercial oil was discovered in the Middle East region in Iran in 1908. Subsequently, commercial oil was discovered in Iraq in 1927, in Bahrain in 1932, in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in 1938, in Qatar in 1939, in Turkey in 1951, in the Divided Zone in 1953, in Syria in 1956, in the U.A.E. in 1958, in Oman in 1962, in Yemen in 1984 and in Jordan in 1985. Many of the Middle East countries have non-associated natural gas accumulations, as well as considerable volumes of associated gas. The development of the hydrocarbon resources has led not only to the exportation of crude oil and gas, but also to the development of significant refining and petrochemical capacities. Both economic and
political factors have led to the development of an extensive network of pipelines (Fig. 1.4). Other primary minerals exist; but, on the whole, these are poorly known, and even less exploited. Only the chromium and antimony in Turkey is of significance in world trade. There are, however, important phosphate deposits in Jordan and Israel/ Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Shield has good potential deposits of copper, gold, iron, silver, manganese and lead. Yemen has a fair potential in copper, iron and salt. In Oman, occurrences of copper, chromite, asbestos, nickel and lead were reported in antiquity. In the U.A.E., asbestos, chromite and copper have been discovered recently. In Iran, there are potential important mineral discoveries, such as lead, chrome, manganese, coal and copper. In northern Iraq, iron ore, chromite, lead and zinc occur; while in central and western Iraq, sulfur and phosphate are found. In Syria, chromite and asbestos deposits are known in the Lattakiya area, and some deposits of asphalt, iron and phosphate have been developed. Two fundamental reasons have inhibited development: the low level of exploration and the inaccessibility of the potential
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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G E O L O G I C SETTING In plate-tectonic terms, the area lies within the Arabian Plate. It covers the Republic of Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, the
fertile crescent of Syria and Iraq, southeastern Turkey, and southwestern Iran during the Paleozoic and earliest Mesozoic. The generalized geologic map (Fig. 1.5) and illustrative cross sections (Fig. 1.6) are simplifications of the combined results of field research by governments, academic institutes and detailed hydrocarbon exploration by the petroleum industry. Excluded from consideration here are the continental part of the Levantine Plate and Sinai, that is the areas west of the Levantine Fracture System (Dead Sea Rift).
An Introductory Overview
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An Introductory Overview in the lithofacies changes seen in the stratigraphic record. The first major orogenic activity is not observed until the Late Cretaceous collision, when the Iran Block, which had only separated from the Arabian Plate during the PermoTriassic, collided with it along the Zagros line. Nappes were emplaced from northeast to southwest, as the collision zone closed and the Zagros foredeep formed (Murris, 1981). Across the Dibba Line in the southern Arabian Gulf, ophiolitic nappes were emplaced in northern Oman. In the broadest sense, until these events in the Mesozoic
and Cenozoic, the Arabian Platform was a slowly subsiding continental margin at the edge of the Tethys dominated by facies characteristic of shelf conditions; whereas in Iraq and Iran, miogeosynclinal facies predominated. A major sea-level fall in the late Oligocene-early Miocene is reflected in a major unconformity. This was the time of the tectonic activity related to the opening of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The final phases of Alpine activity, from the Miocene to Pleistocene, are associated with the uplift and folding of the Zagros.
13
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Chapter 2 THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
INTRODUCTION
the Arabian Shield and the Arabian Platform may mark the suture between plates that were independent units until the end of the Pan-African movements around the beginning of the Phanerozoic. The major tectonic events during the Phanerozoic in the Middle East are summarized in Tables 2.1-2.3, according to their tectonic content in Table 2.4. The present geological boundaries of the region as defined here are the result of the latest phase in a long history of tectonic activity, of which the breakup of the AfroNubian Dome with the separation of Arabia from the Nubian Shield across the Red Sea spreading center is one of the more spectacular events. The southern end of the Red Sea links up with the Gulf of Aden Rift and Transform System through the Afar Depression and is in continuity with the Carlsberg Ridge (Fig. 2.1). The onshore
The boundaries of the Arabian Shield, Arabian Platform and Arabian Gulf and the margins of the Arabian Plate (Fig. 1.1) are all recently formed, dating from midand late Tertiary. In that sense, the region forms a coherent unit relatively easy to define. However, the changing face of the globe over geological time makes it difficult to define a unit that can be treated as such for even as short a time as the Phanerozoic. Consequently, the present boundaries are arbitrary; for example, using the Zagros Mountains and the Zagros Crush Zone as the present limits separates the Arabian Platform from central Iran, although the early Paleozoic history of both is similar. Going one step further, it may be argued that the boundary between
PLATE TECTONIC MAP OF THE MIDDLE EAST
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Table 2.1. Major tectonic events affecting the Middle East during the Paleozoic Era.
branches of this rift system are the African-Ethiopian riffs and the Gulf of Aqaba-Dead Sea Rift-Transform System. The latter is part of a set of fractures that ends to the north abutting the Taurus Mountains. Although discussion of the African side of the fracture system does not form part of this text, some reference to the area, as well as the region east of the Zagros Crush Zone, is unavoidable in order to better comprehend the geological evolution of the Arabian Plate, the fundament of the Middle East. A minimum twodegree rotation (about a pole near 36 ~ N, 31 o E) is necessary to fit the Arabian Peninsula to the African continent along the 200 m (656 ft) isobath (Delfour, 1976; Fig. 2.2), moving the peninsula 145 km (91 mi) to the southwest along the line of the Gulf of Aqaba shear, although rotation of as much as 6 ~ has been proposed. This returns Arabia to its position at the beginning of the Cenozoic. In a broad sense, the evolution of the Middle East may be considered in terms of two "megacycles," where the consolidation of the northern margin of Gondwana represents the end of the first megacycle (see review in Stern, 1994). The second megacycle covers the events affecting the northern margin of Gondwana and its interrelation with Laurasia, culminating with the collision of the AfroArabian Plate with Laurasia. Beydoun (1991) reviewed the geological history of the Arabian Plate in the context of its hydrocarbon potential.
16
The events of the first megacycle concluded in the early Phanerozoic with the consolidation of the Afro-Arabian Plate, which included Iran. It involved the sweeping together of a system of island arcs and oblique collision during the Late Proterozoic, a three-stage sequence of events according to Behre (1990), with an early phase of rifting at 1200 Ma followed by subduction and island-arc accretion between 975 and 715 Ma to account for the ophiolite belts in the Sudan, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, and a final phase of continent-to-continent oblique collision to account for the nappe folds and thrusts in the Mozambique Belt of Africa. In this view, the Mozambique Belt is continued into that part of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran now largely covered by Phanerozoic sediments (Warden and Horkel 1984). According to Kazmin (1988), this phase did not end until the earliest Paleozoic with the crumpling of the Inda Ad Series of Somalia. It seems reason.able to assume that the shear movements in the Najd Fault Belt, and presumably also along the Zagros line-Arabian Gulf area, mark stress release associated with the final collision phase. During the early stages of the second megacycle, conditions of relative quiescence reigned, for the Paleozoic orogenic episodes, upwarp and erosion in Gondwana represented the Caledonian and Hercynian in particular. This deep erosion stripped off Paleozoic sediments down to the
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
Table 2.2. Major tectonic events affecting the Middle East during the Mesozoic Era. Age
Major Events • In late Cenoman!an/Early Turonian, major changes in tectonic and depositional regions took place due to collision and partial subduction of the margin of the eastern Arabian crustal block, with a spreading ridge whose axis is centered in theGulf of Oman. • In Late Cretaceous, the Neotethys began to close with the initiation of a number of subduction zones on the northern margin ofTethys, which led to the emplacement of ophiolites, melanges and oceanic sediments on the margin of the Arabian Plate. • The RuEbah and Khleissia paleohighs were separated by the Anah Trough,
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• The initial subsidence of the Anah Basin and the early rifting in the Euphrates Graben. • In the northern Middle East, subsidence occurred due to tensional slab-pull forces, as the promontory approached the north-dipping subduction zone beneath the Bitlis-Poturge fragments. • Ophiolite emplacement in Oman was preceded by platform emergence, with the development of a peripheral bulge in response to initial loading of the continental margin. This was followed by rapid drowning of the platform.
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• Major regional unconformities divide the Cretaceous of the Middle East into Early, Middle and Late, controlled by sea level and epeirogenic movements.
o 71
• The Khleissia Paleohigh formed an integral part of the Rutbah Paleohigh. • The Paleotethys finally closed with the collision of the Cimmerian Block and Eurasian Plate resulting in the formation of the Pontides in northern Turkey. • The Isfahan Basin was uplifted and deformed. It recorded the collision of blocks in central and northern Iran. •Blockfaultingandseafloor spreading continued, resulting in further separation of the continental fragments between the margin of Arabia and Eurasia. • Major extensional phase began all over Tethys. .2
• Intracontinental rift developed along the northern margin of Gondwana.
E5
• The Paleotethys closed, and the Neotethys started to open, • Subsidence in Palmyra Zone and in Sinjar-Euphrates-Anah troughs.
Table 2.3. Major tectonic events affecting the Middle East during the Cenozoic Era. Age
Major Events • The Hadhramoui Arch started to develop in the Paleocene and attained its present form, approximately at the end of the Eocene.
u
O
O
ISI
o a u
s 1
• Trap volcanics erupted in Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea during the late Oligocene-early Miocene, • Arabian Plate began to separate from African Plate because of NW progradation of central Indian Ridge spreading center. • Peralkaline granite emplacement in southern Red Sea occurred during the late Oligocene. • The Ha'il-Rutbah-Ga'ara Paleohigh was domed and eroded. • In theearly Eocene, the Proto-Arabian Plate moved northaspart of large African-Arabian Plate. By the late Eocene, the African-Arabian Plate first impinged on Eurasian Plate, resuhing in thrust stacking of stretched northern margin of Arabia.
17
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Petroleum Geology Geology of the Middle Sedimentary Basins Middle East
Major tectonic elements with examples from the Middle East (based on information information Table 2.4. Major Robertson, 1994; 1994; Glennie et al., 1974; 1974; Glennie personal communication, 1995; 1995; and and the authors). authors). from Robertson, Tectonic Setting Rift-related
Divergent margin
18
Tectonic Facts
Characteristics
Examples
"Passive" rifts
Basin showing evidence of rifting, faulting and subsidence, followed by flexurally controlled uplift, then magmatism; typically rotated fault-block geometry
Rifting of Neoiethys in Late Permian-Triassic related to breakup of the northern margin of Gondwana prior to spreading from the mid-Triassic onwards; development of early geanticlines (e.g., Helez, and Hazro, southeastern Turkey, suggest flexural uplift)
"Active" rifts
Basin showing evidence of thermally controlled uplift mantle piume and/or more short-lived (upwelling); typically marked by regional unconformity, volcanism, then rift-related faulting
Red Sea?
Failed rifts (aulacogens)
Rift basins do not proceed to spreading stage, but fail and are infilled with shallowing-up ward sedimentary successions; these zones of crustal weakness are easily deformed during later tectonic instability
Euphrates Rift in the Upper Cretaceous (Lovelock, 1984); Jawf-Marib Graben of Yemen?
Intra-platform basins
Pelagic and redeposiied carbonates, floored by volcanics/sediments of stretched continental basement (where exposed); long-ranging successions normally remain above CCD and show gravity input from bordering carbonate platforms; may include condensed deposits on local volcanic highs
?Palmyra Zone, Syria (Lovelock, 1984)
Carbonate platform
Siliciclasttc, volcanic and/or basement overlain by km-thick, shallow-water carbonates, with periodical flooding, giving rise to pelagic carbonates and emergence, with non-sequences, karst and local bauxites
Taurides, southern Turkey, southeastern Turkey and Arabian Platform
Marginal seamount
Basement highs, including small, off-margin carbonate platforms, capped by condensed pelagics, locally including Mn nodules or Fe/Mn deposits; basement either volcanic and/or older, pre-rift-aged units
Hawasina "Exotics" (e.g., at Jabal Kawr, Oman)
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
Table 2.4 2.4 continued. continued. Tectonic Setting Spreading ridge
Convergent margin
Tectonic Facts
Characteristics
Examples
Spreading ridge
MOR-type ophiolites, basal, metalliferous sediments, lensional faulting exposing plutonics, with ophicalcite in slow-spreading, rifted ridges; overlying pelagic cartKtnates, then siliceous facies below CCD
Red Sea Kahnu and Daragar ophiolite suite of Inner Makran (Glennie etaf, 1990)
Abyssal plain
Laterally continuous blanket of deep-sea, pelagic and hemipelagic sediments, deposited after subsidence below the CCD; siliceous in upwelling areas, may include inactive ridges and/or within-plate-type volcanics
Deep-water facies of Hawasina {Haliw/Halfa formations of Glennie et al., 1994, Umar Group ofBRGS)inOman
Continental fragment
Fragments of continental crust, where preserved, overlain by siUciclastics and carbonate-pi at form units, showing only limited subsidence; bordered by a small, passive margin passing laterally into oceanic crust
?Soco£ra Island (Yemen); SirjanSanandaj Zone, a Pernio-Trias sic microcontinent (Iran)
Oceanic seamount or oceanic plateau
Thick pile of MORBAVPB-type basalts, locally overlain by rapidly subsiding, carbonate-platform units; pelagic, calcareous or non-calcareous sediment capping; marginal talus, partly within flexural moat
Jabal Kawr, Oman
Supra-subdued on zone ophiolite
Complete ophiolite, with harzburgitedepleied mantle, sheeted dykes and lATtype/bonitic extmsives; locally includes acidic, calc-alkaline extmsives and volcaniclastics
Hatay, Baer-Bassit and Guleman ophiolites of southern and southeastern Turkey; Semail Ophiolite of Oman Mountains
Oceanic arc
Thick piles of basalts and basaltic andesites' subordinate, more fractionated extmsives and volcaniclastics; tuffaceous, where shallow-water and/or subaerial
Neotethyan units in central and southeastern Turkey (not welldocumented); possibly Doragar Zone of Inner Makran (Glennie etal,, 1990)
Subduct ion/ accretion complex
Thick units of structurally repeated, deepsea sediments, often with slivers of scraped-off oceanic crast; succession ideally thickens and coarsens upwards in individual thrust slices and shows downward younging in age of accreted units; many structural complications; often melange units
Hawasina sediments of Oman Mountains; colored melange of Crush Zone and other parts of Iran; Makran Wedge (MaastrichtianRecent)
19
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Table Table 2.4 continued. continued.
Tectonic Setting
Collision-related
20
Tectonic Facts
Characteristics
Examples
Fore-arc basin
Structurally overlies subduct ion/ accretion units; comprises thick, variable sequences of moderately deep- to shallow-marine or subaerial deposits, including carbonates, siliciclastics and/or volcaniclastics; often relatively structurally intact, with only low-grade meiamorphism
Kyrenia Range, Cyprus
Back-arc basin (intracontinenial)
MORB- and/or lAT-type ophiolite overlain by terrigenous and/or volcanogenic sediment shed from both active arc and continental basement; locally siliceous and/or organic-rich sediments
Zanjan-Taftan Zone of Cenozoic volcanics overlying Neotethys 2, but probably acquired volcanics because of late (?) subduction of crush zone (Neotethys I) beneath Sitjan-Sanandaj microcontinent, Iran
Back-arc basin (intra-oceanic)
MOR- and/or lAT-type ophiolite, overiain by mainly volcanogenic sediments, including tuffs; little or no coarse, clastic sediment input; volcaniclastic turbidites and debrisflowsin areas proximal to active arcs
Not specifically recognized, but may include some ophioliterelated units in Neotethys of southeastern Turkey; ? Jaz Murian, southern Iran (overlies Daragar Zone basalts)
Intra-oceanic collision
Structurally complex assemblages of several ophiolitic and/or active marginrelated units {including oceanic arcs) often separated by serpentinitic melange; amalgamation by strike-slip and/or thrusting
None specifically recognized, but may be present, particulariy in Neotethys of southeastern Turkey; start of Hawasina subduction beneath Semail oceanic arc; jump to Makran subduction when Arabian Platform could not be consumed down Semail Trench in Oman
Remnant ocean basin
Ophiolite (where preserved) overlain by deep-sea sediments, then much younger, gravity-deposited sediments, commonly with provenance including emplaced ophiolites and collision zones already sutured along strike; little or no associated arc volcanism
Killan units of southeastern Turkey; Dashl-i-Kavir (northern central Iran) Paleogene salt basin Sebzevar ophiolites/radiolarites north of Lut Block represents closure of that part of Tethys (Paleo-Tethys?) in Iran
Pre-coUisional, extensional basin
Extensional, fault-controlled basins developed on active continental margins (locally including ophiolites), above subduction zones, with litde or no active subduction-related volcanism
Lower Tertiary Hazar Basin of southeastern Turkey; Crush Zone of Iran (Neotethys 1)
Fore deep with emplaced oceanic crust
Collapsed passive mai^ins, overlain by deepening-upwards, sedimentary successions, including hemipelagic, pelagic sediments, debris flows; overthrust by accretionary units and/or ophiolites
Collapse of Arabian margin, related to Late Cretaceous ophiolite emplacement in southeastern Turkey
The The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
Table Table 2.4 continued. continued.
Tectonic Setting
Strike-siip
Tectonic Facts
Characteristics
Examples
Foreland basin with emplaced continental crust
Collapsed passive margins, overiain by deepening-upwards sedimentary successions, mainly terrigenous turbidiies and mudstone; debris flows locally at the top; ovenhrust by continental thrust sheets; includes piggy-back basins, other complications
Licey^iingiis Basin in southeastern Turkey
Uplift-related, tectonic setting
Varies from regional to local with unconformiies, structural evidence of upUft and/or diapirism; associated sediments deposited in basins, either locally or far-removed
Regional uplift Anatolian Plateau (Turkey); ?Sirjan-Sanandaj Zone, Iran, central Iran/Lut region; diapiricZagros Mountians-Hormuz Zone Oman Salt Basin/South Arabian Gulf decollement diapirs
Transform rifts and passive margins
Passive margin bordered by subsiding basin, outer ridge composed of sediments and/or continental basement stivers; structural evidence of shear, especially near condnent-ocean boundary; reduced subsidence, volcanism relative to "normal" margins
Late Paleozoic-Eariy Me so zoic (n on-em placed) rifted Levant; ?DibbaZone (U.A.E.); mdange sediments at Batain coast of southeastern Oman
Oceanic transform faults
Ophiolites cut by major fault zones showing pervasive strike-sUp, fragmentation of ophiolitic crust; local rotations; fault-control led, sedimentary basins with extrusives and coarse talus intercalations; ophicalcite where submarine exposure of ultramafics
Cutting (and resealed) Semail Ophiolite of Oman Mountains; east of Jabal Raudha? (Oman); ?offset along Wadi Ham (northwest of Kaiba) in U.A.E.; Gulf ofAqaba in western Arabia
Oceanic crust in pull-apart basins
MORB-type ophiolite overlain by relatively proximal terrigenous sediments; possible evidence of strikeslip within ophiolites; bordering margins may show thermal metamorphism related to intrusion/spreading
Probably Black Sea and South Caspian? (pseudo oceanic crust?)
Convergencerelated (pre-collisional)
Sedimentary basin in forearc/backarc locations influenced by oblique subduction and/or strike-slip; hard to recognize as tectonic facies
Neotcthyan fore arc basin (e.g., Hazar, southeastern Turkey)
Strike-slip and rotation (pre-collisional)
Complex and variable settings marked by compression, strike-slip and/or tectonic rotations (about vertical axes); transtensional, pull-apart basins related to oblique collision
Tertiary Lice, "pull-apart" basin in southeastern Turkey; rotation of Kushmandar Metamorphics of Inner Makran along extension of Naiband Fauh (Glennie et al., 1990) (probably post-collisional)
Strike-slip and rotation (post-collisional)
Regions of pervasive strike-slip and distributed shear, including zones of compression, transtension; localized volcanism and deep-level (granitic) intrusion; block rotations; localized melange genesis; strike-sUp, pull-apart basins
South Iran; Crush Zone of Iran; North Anatolian Fault of Turkey; Batain Melange, southeastern coast of Oman, associated with emplacement of Masirah Ophiolite (side-swipe, not normal obduction) (Glennie, 1995)
21
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East Cambrian over the paleohighs such as the Qatar-South Fars Arch. In contrast, in the northern continents, the Hercynian particularly is important, for it represents the time of the suturing along the north-south line of the Urals of the European Plate with the Siberian. This trend swings eastward through the central Asian Angaran Geosyncline (Nalivkin, 1973). In the Middle East, after these events in the late Paleozoic, a period of tension developed, which culminated in the early Mesozoic with the opening of "Neotethys" and the closing of "Paleotethys" during the Late Triassic. A single plate or several continental fragments of the Iran Sub-plate separated from the northern margin of Gondwana and, as part of the "Cimmeria" of Sengrr (1979, 1987), collided with the Asian Turan Plate along the northern foot of the Alborz Range (Strcklin, 1974; Davoudzadeh et al., 1986). The later closure of Neotethys was marked by the orogenic events during the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic along the line of the Zagros, as the Arabian part of the Afro-Arabian Plate subducted below Eurasia. Attendant tensional effects in the rear of the Arabian Plate then manifested themselves in the Red Sea opening. An excellent review of the entire tectonic history of the Middle East is found in Beydoun (1991), in which he has tried to relate the plate-tectonic history to the hydrocarbon potential of the region. The pre-Hercynian Tethys ocean was characterized by an epicontinental sea, which covered much of Arabia. Water depth gradually increased where this marginal sea or miogeosynclinal zone extended into Iran and Pakistan and became "geosynclinal" in extreme northern Iran, where it approached the former USSR (Fig. 2.3). An early set of Paleozoic-Mesozoic-Cenozoic paleogeographic maps of the region is provided by Wolfart (1981), Murris (1981) and Koop and Stoneley (1982), and the reader can refer to them for more information. G E O L O G I C A L HISTORY Phase 1: The Consolidation of the Arabo-Nubian Massif
The consolidation of the Arabo-Nubian Massif can be regarded as the terminal event of the first megacycle. The second megacycle began early in the Phanerozoic, and its development and history was influenced to some extent by the earlier history; consequently, some attention will be given in this section to the late Proterozoic history. According to Behre (1986), the final consolidation marked the suturing of the Arabian and Iranian extension of the Mozambique Belt with the zone of island arcs of the Sudan and southwestern Arabia. This line, however, is only well- established where Kazmin (1988) indicates its presence in the Horn of Africa (the Inda Ad Zone and its analogues). Over the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula, outcrops of Precambrian are absent. Crystalline basement 22
rocks crop out in the Arabian Shield; the western part of Saudi Arabia; the Republic of Yemen; some of the islands in the southern Arabian Gulf, which lie within the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.); Oman (the Murbat and Kuria Muria Islands); and some parts of the Saih Hatat area of the Oman Mountains. Outcrops also are known in central and northern Iran, Syria and southeastern Turkey. Their distribution is shown in Fig. 2.4 and modifies the comment of Falcon (1967) that no basement outcrops are known between the Zagros Thrust and the main outcrops of the Arabian Shield. The area of greatest outcrop in Saudi Arabia was relatively poorly known until the detailed mapping and geochronological studies of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) (USGS-ARAMCO, 1963; Brown, 1970), followed by Fleck et al. (1980), whose work concentrated on the southern part of the outcrop area, and the work on the central Arabian Shield by Jackson and Ramsay (1980) and Darbyshire et al. (1983) (Fig. 2.5). The rocks typically consist of deformed, stratified and undeformed to partially mobilized plutonic units intruded by batholithic granites and exposed over an area of 610,000 km 2 (381,250 mi2). The geochronological studies reveal that the oldest of the exposed metamorphic rocks are in the ca. 1000 Ma range and, therefore, are coeval with rocks of Kibaran age in Africa (950-1050 Ma). Brown (1970) recorded three principal age g r o u p i n g s - 720-735, 660-670 and 570 Ma m which can be paralleled with events in Africa. The youngest of these reach up into the Phanerozoic. A number of lithostratigraphic units have been defined and are listed in Table 2.5. The younger of these are discussed more fully in the following chapter on the Infracambrian. Ponikarov et al., (1967) reported outcrops of regionally metamorphosed Precambrian quartzite, schists, marl and amphibolites in the Bassit area of Lattakiya in northwestern Syria. Brinkmann (1976) described two metamorphic massifs in southeastern Turkey: the Bitlis Massif of high- grade gneisses and amphibolites of Late Proterozoic age; and the Poturge Massif, where the metamorphic rocks have a possible early Paleozoic age. The Precambrian basement rocks have affected the Phanerozoic sequence because they provided a source of sediment and minor adjustments along basement faults, which resulted in the local thickening of some sequences. In other cases, they have played a role in the development of structural traps for hydrocarbons. The latter is especially the case in the southern Arabian Gulf fields. Jackson (1980) attempted a preliminary correlation of the Late Proterozoic rocks of northeast Africa and Arabia and showed basically two geographic groupings, around the Tanzanian craton and around the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden area. In this latter area, he remarked on the general lithological and gross structural similarities to an older group of metasediments interbedded with geochemically primitive metavolcanics; a younger group of metavolcanics and metasediments that bore a resemblance to modern back-arc basins, destructive margins or modern island
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
GULF
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Fig. 2.3 (right). Extent of Paleotethys (pre-Hercynian Tethys) over the Middle Eastern part of the Gondwana continent (modified from Sonnenfield, 1978).
TURKEY
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."-'''.'''" ''.'.'.
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Fig. 2.2 (top). Translation and rotation necessary to fit the Arabian Peninsula and African continent together along the 200 m bathymetric contour (after Delfour, 1976).
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Fig. 2.4. Simplified distribution map of the Precambrian basement rocks (in black) in the Middle East.
23
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
~.
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LEGEND PREC.4MBI~ANAND ~ N OR TECTONICALLY~
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Fig. 2.5. Generalized geological map of the Arabian Shield, western Saudi Arabia (modified from Brown, 1970).
24
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
Table Table 2.5. 2.5. Lithostratigraphic Lithostratigraphic units of the Arabian Shield. Shield. Unit
Age (Ma)
Lithology
Depositional Environment
Jubaylah Group
530
Terrigenous clastic conglomerates, arkosic sandstone and siJt.stone with minor mudstone, shale, chcrty limestone and dolomite. Carbonates with stromatolitic lamellae
Alluvial fan to lacustrine with intertidal carbonates
Sham mar Group
570
Rhyolitc, trachyte, lithic and arkosic arenite. granite and granodiorite, rhyolittc volcanics and dykes
Subaerial to shallowmarine volcanic arc and molasse origin
Murdam Group
570-550
Polymictic basal conglomerate and thin marble and thick arkosic sandstone, polymictic conglomerate and rhyolite above
Deposition during period of uplift and erosion
Halaban Group
600-500
Rhyolitic and irachytic ash flows and pyroclastic rocks. Andesitic flows, agglomerate, tuffand breccia, subordinate basalt. Conglomerate, fine elastics, basalt, agglomerate and breccia
Partly emergent ridge or island arc
AbJah Group
850-750
Conglomerate and coarse graywacke with volcanic clasts. Andesitic to dacitic volcanics and pyroclastic and volcaniclastic rocks. Conglomerate and coarse graywacke with volcanic clasts
Deltaic to shallowmarine near a volcanic source
Jiddah Group
890
Metamorphosed basaltic, andesitic to dacitic volcanic, pyroclastic and volcaniclastic rocks with conglomeratic sandstone, phyllitc, chert and marble
Island arc
Bahah Group
950
Schist formed from silty to sandy graywacke and silty chert, some marble, conglomeratic arkose, and mafic tuffand meta-andesites
Baish Group
1165
Metamorphosed volcanic breccias and volcaniclastics and tuffaceous rocks
Low-energy environment with intermittent turbidity flow deposits near a volcanic arc, may be on oceanic crust
arcs; and a third group of Infracambrian volcano-sedimentary and sedimentary units that were only weakly metamorphosed. This work refined the earlier work of Brown (1970). Geological and geochronological data were combined to produce time-calibrated, stratigraphic columns for the shield. Jackson and Ramsay (1980) then attempted to correlate these across the shield and define a number of Proterozoic stratigraphic sequences in a manner analogous to that of Sloss (1963); that is, three sequences - - A, B and C - - bounded by unconformities, where these can be identified (Fig. 2.6 and Table 2.6). Where sufficient data are available, the consolidation can be broken into a number of sub-phases, although their number and age limits vary
according to author. Behre (1986) and Brown (1970) recognized three sub-phases, but with different age limitations and different again from those of Jackson and Ramsay (1980), whose divisions are shown in Table 2.6. Bentor (1985) provided a variant with four sub-phases, with the principal difference occurring in the handling of the younger-dated events. Bentor's variant is the one described here. The older events basically lie within the same time limits. In the geochronological report of the USGS, the summary of results of the Rb/Sr studies from all the major units, except for the layered gabbros and serpentinites, shows that the Arabian Shield did not consist of reacti-
25
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Fig. 2.6. Distribution of volcanic and sedimentary deposits, "sequence" A, B and C, in the central Arabian Shield of western Saudi Arabia. The stratigraphic units included in the three sequences are indicated in Table 2.6. Parts of the units in sequence B (except Jiddah) probably belong in sequence A. Sequence B rocks have been reassembled in their relative position prior to Najd strike-slip faulting. Sequence A includes the Fatima, Murdama, Shammar, Jibalah, Afif and Abt formations. Sequence B includes the Jiddah, Halaban, Hulayfah, Samran, Urd and Ablah formations. Sequence C includes the Arafat, Bahah, Baish, Ajal and Hali formations (after Jackson and Ramsay, 1980, reproduced by kind permission of Geological Society, London). NF refers to Najd Fault System.
Table 2.6. Summary of lithological characteristics of "sequences" A, B and C and the stratigraphic units of the Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia (after Jackson and Ramsay, 1980, and reproduced by kind permission of the Geological Society, London ).
Age (Ma) @570
Rock Units
Characteristic Lithofacies
Fatima, Afif, Halaban and Hulayfah
1, Subaerial to shallow-marine volcano-sedimentary (volcanic arc/ moiasse type): polymictic conglomerate, Jithic and arkosic arenite, calcarenite and marble interbedded with thick basalt-andesitedaciie-rhyolite lava and pyroclastic deposits (commonly ignimbritic).
Murdama, Jibalah and Ablah
2. Shallow-martne/fluviatile sedimentary (molasse type): fine- to medium-grained arkosic, micaceous and calcareous clastic sediments interbedded with polymictic conglomerate, lithic arenite and marble (sometimes stromatolitic),
Samran, Jiddah, Halaban, Hulayfah and Ablah
3. Volcano-sedimentary (volcanic-arc type): thick basalt-andesitedacite-rhyelite lava and pyroclastic deposits, interbedded with volcaniclastics and subordinate mudstone, chert, quartzite and marble.
Urd-ophioJite complex and equivalents
4. Mafic-uliramafic/volcano-sedimentary (ophiolite type?): serpentinized mafic-ultramafic complexes, associated with basalt (locally pillowed), keratophyre, marble, chert, graywacke, argillite and tuff.
Baish and Arafat
5. Greenstone-amphibolite-greenschisis: greenstone, amphibolite and greenschists with subordinate quartzo-feldspathic schist (mainly derived from mafic to intermediate lava, pyroclastic and volcaniclastic deposits), interbedded with subordinate finegrained pelitic or calcareous schist (derived from sediments).
Arafat, Bahah and Hali
6. Para-schists: fine-grained micaceous quartzite, mica schists, phyllitc, slate, carbonaceous schists, calc-schist, marble, ferruginous quartzite and chert and para-amphibolite.
Ajal
7. Gneiss-schist-amphibolite: ortho- and para-gneiss, amphibolite, calc-schist, marble, quartzite and leptynite.
< u u a u 3
@650 uo
u
@950 u u
@ 12(X)
26
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East vated Archean crust, and there was no evidence to support the existence of sialic crust much older than 1000 Ma. The oldest plutonics measured were around 900 Ma (Fleck et al., 1979). These trondhjemites, diorites and quartz diorites, young from west to east or southwest to northeast, suggest a general eastward migration of the axis of magmatism and, hence, presumably of the island arc. Jackson and Ramsay (1980) recognized an older andesitic assemblage basically coeval with dioritic plutons and suggested a common genesis at about 900 Ma on the basis of composition and Rb/Sr ratios. The oldest ages recorded were from a basaltic assemblage, which yielded ages of 1165 Ma. Rocks from this assemblage from the southern part of the Precambrian outcrop, they believed, formed in an island-arc environment, remote or isolated from any continental land mass. This island-arc environment persisted from 920-680 Ma and includes numerous tectonic and magmatic phases. Later magmatic rocks, dated in the 610-650 Ma age range, are more evolved petrologically and suggest a source different from the diorites dominated by oceanic lithosphere and perhaps mantle, to one including previously differentiated sialic crust, but juvenile because there is no significant increase in the Rb/Sr ratios. They assign the magmatic activity in the 900-680 Ma age range to the Hijaz Orogenic Cycle and attribute to the Pan-African event the suturing of Arabia to the Gondwana land mass. With the beginning of collision, deformation and metamorphism, granodiorite to granitic magmatism became shield-wide, the result of subduction of an eastdipping plate under the earlier island arc. Bentor (1985) suggested a slightly different variant, a four-phase shield evolution described below: Sub-phase 1: The Oceanic Assemblage, 1100-950 Ma. Represented by oceanic tholeiitic pillow basalts and basaltic andesites that together may total more than 6,500 m (about 21,320 ft), as in the Bidh Volcanics (790 Ma), now found as metavolcanics. The principal intrusives are gabbros with some trondhjemites that cut ultrabasic rocks. They may reach a thickness of up to 7,000 m (in excess of 22,960 ft), as in the Jebel al Wask and Jebel al Ess. The associated volcanogenic sediments, now metasediments, are equally thick and consist of graywackes, breccias and chert, as in the Baish, Bahah and Arafat groups. Sub-phase 2: Island-arc Stage, 950-650 Ma. This phase is represented by a sequence of intermediate extrusives, andesites, dacites and rhyodacites that may total 1,700 m (more than 5,576 ft), as well as volcanogenic clastic sediments, tuffs and agglomerates. The rocks were subsequently metamorphosed to a greenschist facies. Examples of these rocks are Ishmas Volcanics (700 Ma), Halaban/Hulayfah Volcanics (800-670 Ma), Balas and Aqiq Volcanics (750 Ma), Fatimah Volcanics (688 Ma) and Samran and Shayban units (800 Ma). The associated volcanogenic sediments, now metasediments, consist of conglomerate, siltstone, sandstone and graywackes with occasional carbonates, deposited in a shallow-marine envi-
ronment. They may be extremely thick; thicknesses in the order of 13,000 m (more than 42,640 ft) have been reported. Examples are the beds of the Ablah Group (about 760 Ma) and the Abt Formation (850 Ma). The intrusive rocks range from hornblende diorites to quartz diorites, tonalites, trondhjemites, granodiorites and monzo-granites, with ages that range from 900 to 650 Ma for the granodioritic gneiss domes. Sub-phase 3: The Calc-alkaline Batholithic Phase, 650-590 Ma. This phase is dominated by calc-alkaline volcanics, andesites, rhyolites, ignimbrites and basalts. Examples are the Lower Murdama Volcanics (650 Ma), Jahhad Volcanics (615 Ma), Juqjuq Volcanics (612 Ma) and the Arfan Volcanics (608 Ma). The associated shallow-marine to continental sediments consist of continental molasse, arkose, conglomerate and shelf carbonate, as found in the Lower Murdama Group. The intrusives are, in the main part, calc-alkali gabbros to granites, granodiorites and late to post-orogenic granitoids, such as the Wadi Shuwas quartz monzonite or the Taif granite. Sub-phase 4: The Alkaline Batholithic Phase, 590550 Ma. The sedimentary and volcanic rocks of this phase, such as those of the Upper Murdama Group, are separated from the older rocks of the Lower Murdama Group by the Yewfik Unconformity. The 600-4,000 m (1,968-13,120 ft) thick beds of the Jebalah (Jubaylah) Group belong to this phase and are composed essentially of alkali-basalts, andesites, rhyolites, pantellerites, ignimbrites and pyroclastics interbedded in continental alluvial or lacustrine sandstone and conglomerate. The sequence, however, contains some limestone. The Shammar Volcanics, up to 12,000 m (more than 39,360 ft), also belong to this phase of activity. There are some carbonates associated with the volcanics. The intrusive rocks of this phase are mostly alkaline, comenditic and pantelleritic granites, such as the Jebel al Tuwalah riebeckite-aegerine granite and the Hadh Aldyaheen ring complex. Both Beydoun (1988) and Kroner (1985) pointed out in their surveys of the evolution of the Proterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield that, although there was general agreement on the plate-tectonic origin of the shield through island-arc accretion, there are several interpretations of how this came about. Models suggesting growth by arc suturing and ophiolite obduction, the opening and closing of back-arc basins, or by a combination of arc accretion and continental fragments, have all been proposed (Figs. 2.7 and 2.8). There are even differing views on the polarity of subduction. The presence of the basaltic sequence with ages in excess of 1000 Ma has been interpreted as evidence for an island arc as already indicated, but it also has been suggested that this may represent the incorporation of a microcontinental fragment of unknown origin. Kroner (1985) proposed a model (Fig. 2.8) contrasting the evolution of Arabia and Egypt between 700 Ma and 900 Ma and concluded that subduction-related magmatism in the oceanic domain in the east created the first Pan-African arcs in Arabia, and that the westward-directed subduction may 27
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
A .
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Fig. 2.11. Lithostratigraphic units and magmatic arcs of the Arabian Shield terranes. Sedimentary lithologies (S): ST=sub-aqueous (in part turbiditic); SG=sub-aqueous (largely graywacke); SM=shallow marine; SA=sub-aerial to shallow marine (arkosic molasse); CS=continental shelf; EP=epicontinental. Volcanic lithologies (V): LB=low-K basalt; HB=high-K basalt; B=bimodal (basalt/felsic); I=intermediate; R=rhyolitic. Plutonic lithologies (P): GB=gabbro; DI=dioritic; TN=tonalite and trondhjemite; GD=granodiorite; GR=granite; AG=alkali granite and alkali-feldspar granite. Groups are shown in upper case letters and formations in lower case letters. The Farri and Urd groups occur between terranes and represent highly deformed, ophiolite-bearing, accretionary-prism deposits of the Yanbu and A1 Amar sutures, respectively. Oblique lines indicate no stratigraphic record. Units marked with an asterisk in the Midyan Terrane are located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt (after Stoesser and Camp, 1985, and reproduced by kind permission of the Geological Society of America). 30
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East 815+13 Ma, showed a chemistry indicating oceanic affinities. The detailed study of the lead isotopic dating on rocks from the Zalm area by Stacey and Agar (1985) demonstrated not only that the southern Afif Terrane contained older continental crust with a long upper-crustal prehistory extending back into the Archean, but that it was isotopically different from the northern part. Both concluded that the western margin of the terrane developed an Andean character before 720 Ma, and that the Afif Terrane collided with the Asir Terrane during the Nabitah orogeny between 685 and 640 Ma. They also recognize later intrusions into the suture zone. Thus, the Afif Terrane may be regarded as a microplate, partly continental and partly oceanic, which is incorporated into the Arabian Shield. The simplest outline of tectonic activity in this early phase in the history of the Arabian Shield, as summarized by Stoesser and Camp (1985), is one of the ensimatic-arc developments from about 950-715 Ma. The Asir Terrane may represent multiple-island-arc accretion (Fig. 2.10). From 760 to 715 Ma, at least three contemporary arc systems, the Hijaz, Taif and Tarib, may have developed. From 715 to 640 Ma, through collision and accretion, the Arabian neocraton formed with the suturing of the five terranes along the Yanbu, Bir Umq, Nabitah and A1 Amar sutures. Collision-related, intracratonic magmatism and tectonism continued for another 80 Ma following collision-related orogenesis. The northwest-southeast-striking Najd Shear Fault System, which has a lateral displacement of as much as 200-300 km (125-187.5 mi), occurred during this intracratonic phase and is dated as between 630 and 550 Ma by Stoesser and Camp (1985) and 580 and 530 Ma by Moore (1979). Moore indicated that the Najd Transcu~ent Fault System was made up of a complex of parallel, curved and en echelon faults and, as a result, shows a striking similarity to the approximately contemporaneous shear-fault system bounding the western edge of the Touareg Shield of Algeria (Caby, 1968). Stacey and Agar (1985) indicate that the fault system began as a dextral shear at about 640 Ma, changing to show sinistral strike-slip motion at about 620 Ma. Johnson and Vranas (1984) asserted that the metallogenic cycle they identified in central Arabia was similar to that of other arc-accreted domains. They noted two distinct periods of copper-zinc mineralizations occurring 200 Ma apart, at approximately 900 and 700 Ma, and a tungsten association found in the post-tectonic Pan-African phase. Subsequent work has tended to confirm the broad outline as given here, although there are some changes in the timing of events. Jackson and Ramsay (1980) and Roobol et al~ (1983) limit sequence C to ca. 1000-1200 Ma, sequence B to 650-900 Ma, and sequence A to 570-650 Ma. Clark-Lowes (1985) in the Midyan area of Saudi Arabia and Stern and Manton (1987) in the Feiran region of Sinai interpret data in terms of island-arc terranes, but Clark-Lowes (1985) sees the possibility of accretion against 700 Ma crust lying to the north. Stern and Manton
(1987) point to the general northward movement of intrusive events from 650 Ma in the south to about 600 Ma in the north, although Kazmin (1988) would place the final phase of activity as late as about 500 Ma. After this time, the Arabo-Nubian Massif can be treated as a single unit. The extent of the massif in Egypt is uncertain; widespread juvenile tonalites are lacking in Egypt. Older sialic rocks, however, seem to be restricted to west of the Nile, and the area east of the Nile may be the back-arc and passive margin related to the oceanic arcs of Arabia (Kroner, 1985). A somewhat different interpretation has been presented by Kemp et al. (1982), who adopt a chelagonic evolution model for the Arabian Shield. They regard the Precambrian as primarily the active, early, mobile phase of the cycle, while the Phanerozoic represents the stable, middle part of the cycle. The Precambrian, therefore, represents a period of high heat flow, during which they recognize several subcycles of sedimentary and volcanic activity initiated by faulting and accompanied by first silicic and then basaltic volcanic activity followed by compression and ending with epeirogenic uplift and erosion. These subcycles are regarded as typical of intracratonic activity. There is little evidence for either tectonic emplacement of ultramafic rocks or migration of fold belts over a 600 Ma period. In this model, the Phanerozoic represents a period of crustal cooling leading to increasing crustal strength. There has not been much detailed seismic study. However, Mechie et al. (1986) were able to show significant variations in the depth of the Moho and intercrustal discontinuities from the results of a long refraction line extending across the area from the Farasan Islands (Red Sea) in the southwest, to just west of Riyadh in the northeast (Healy et al., 1982; Gettings et al., 1986). The most obvious change, the jump of 20 km (12.5 mi) in the Moho depth, coincides approximately with the location of the Hijaz Escarpment and marks the edge of the Red Sea Depression and the Arabian Shield. It is a relatively young feature, and it is possible to show a division into three regions that correspond to the general pattern established by Stoesser and Camp (1985). The depth to the Mohorovicic discontinuity exceeds 40 km (25 mi) under the HijazAsir and the Shammar provinces northeast of the A1Amar Idsas Fault, but is less than 40 km south of the fault under what they call the Najd Terrane, corresponding to the Afif Terrane of Stoesser and Camp (1985). Stacey and Hedge (1984) provide evidence for basement rocks with ages in excess of 1638 Ma at the eastern margin of the shield, which had been reset to around 650 Ma, suggesting that east of the Afif Terrane (east of the A1 Amar-Idsas suture), there existed another old terrane that can be correlated with the change in crustal thickness seen on the Saudi Arabian seismic refraction line (Mooney et al., 1985). ClarkLowes (1985) in the Midyan region and Stern and Manton (1987) in Sinai also have indicated the presence of older crust to the north. Thus, there are a number of grounds for supposing the existence of older and topographically more
31
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East subdued crust to the east and north of the main Precambrian outcrops of the Arabian Shield. In the entire discussion, concern has been paid only to the shield and its relation to that part of the Arabo-Nubian Shield across the Red Sea in Africa. Yet, the shield continues to the east and northeast, becoming more deeply buried beneath Phanerozoic sediments as the Arabian Gulf is approached. The end of the USGS refraction line shows that horst and graben structures can be traced as far as the line continues. However, over the major part of the Arabian Platform, even in those few locations where there has been some deep drilling, there is very little information concerning the nature or the presence of Precambrian rocks. They have been penetrated in one well drilled on the Burgan High in Kuwait and in well Ghadir Manqil-1 in South Oman and in some recent exploration wells in southwestern Saudi Arabia, although no descriptions are available. They indicate either considerable basement relief, which seems unlikely on stratigraphic grounds, or subsequent, post-Infracambrian movement, which seems probable given the history of the late Paleozoic (see Chapter 5). The only age dates available are a handful given by Perfil'yev et al. (1982) from rocks from central Iran. These dates confirm the conclusion reached by Thiele (1966) on tile existence, in this part of Iran of (at least) two phases of Precambrian metamorphism; for while most age dates fall in the 600-1000 Ma range, there are, in the northwestern part of the region, two Rb/Sr ages that are pre-Assyntian lying in the 1800-2300 Ma range. Samani (1988) reported ages from volcanic fragments caught up in the Hormuz evaporites in the range of 560 to 1040 Ma, but also pointed out that on the basis of composition, sedimentary sequences and degree of metamorphism of the other fragments, it was possible to distinguish three different complexes: an early Precambrian (?) granite-gneiss and migmatite complex (Table 2.7), a late Precambrian metamorphic complex up to amphibolite grade, and a greenschist or slightly higher-grade metamorphic series that passes upward into unmetamorphosed facies. Although it could be argued that this region may not represent a continuation of the Arabian Platform, given the existence of the suture on the northeastern sides of the Zagros Mountains, the identity of the early Paleozoic sequences suggests that such continuity did exist. Samani (1988) argued that the consolidation of central Iran conforms to a consolidation during the Kibaran and Pan-African orogenies (1100-550 Ma) as part of Gondwanaland, leaving unresolved the existence of older, nuclear cratonic areas farther to the north. The other principal area where Precambrian rocks can be found is in exposures along the axis of the Huqf-Haushi Axis of Oman, which extends southwestward from Oman at Qalhat, Jebel Ja'alan and Mirbat, and in the A1 Halaniyat Islands (Fig. 2.4). Although outcrops generally are restricted, and radiometric ages are lacking, field mapping of these Precambrian outcrops shows that they are surrounded by Infracambrian strata that are structured dif-
32
ferently. This implies an important break between the two groups of rocks consistent with field observations in the Tabuk Basin of northwestern Saudi Arabia. Gass et al. (1990) have shown that the Precambrian rocks that crop out in Oman (Fig. 2.4) include metasediments of greenschist or even amphibolite facies that have been intruded by dolerites, granodiorites and granites, all cut by doleritic and felsitic dikes. These rocks are dated radiometrically as Late Proterozoic (600-800 Ma range) (Table 2.8); therefore, they are chronologically as well as compositionally within the Pan-African domain, and are not part of an older Early Proterozoic basement series of the type found in the Afif Terrane of Saudi Arabia. Geochemical analysis identifies most of the granites as volcanic-arc granites similar to those in the Pan-African terranes of western Arabia. Outside the Arabian Shield, the Precambrian rocks generally are described in lithological terms and may be assigned to groups and named. They cannot be correlated, except on the highly subjective basis of lithological similarity. Beydoun (1966) has described four principal types of basement rocks cropping out in South Yemen: 1) a series of volcanic rocks, mainly lava flows but with associated tufts; 2) a series of primarily metasedimentary rocks (also containing meta-igneous rocks); 3) a series of virtually unmetamorphosed sedimentary rocks thought to be the equivalents of the preceding group; 4) and a series of intrusive rocks, large and small, basic and acidic. The few radiometric ages available are consistent with the younger dates found in Saudi Arabia and lie within the Phanerozoic close to the Cambro-Ordovician boundary. Very little has been published on the continuation of the Precambrian sequence in northern Yemen; Geukens (1966), in a short account of the geology of Yemen, does not give a single reference. Outcrops are found in the mountains in northern and eastern Yemen, as well as at the base of horst blocks below the Trap Volcanics. There are, for example, extensive outcrops along both sides of the Sa'dah Graben. Lithologically, mica-schists and pink granites predominate, but amphibolites, marble and quartzite also have been described. At one location, the appearance of a conglomerate seems to indicate the presence of two metamorphic series. In Turkey, crystalline rocks have been found in four main areas (Fig. 2.4). The rocks that crop out in the Bitlis Massif of Southeast Turkey are partly of magmatic origin (amphibolite, hornblende gneiss and leucocratic gneiss), and partly consist of metasediments such as sillimanitebearing, foliated gneiss and muscovite-biotite schist (Brinkmann, 1976). All show amphibolite grade metamorphism and are intruded by granitic and pegmatitic rocks. These basement rocks, unconformably overlain by greenschists, quartzites and marble, were subjected to later, Caledonian recrystallization. Both Archean and Late Proterozoic ages have been recorded in the Menderes-Taurus Massif in two different blocks separated by the Karinti strike-slip fault (Kroner and Seng6r, 1990). Not only do
The Geological History and Structural Elements of the Middle East
Table 2.7. Stratigraphy, structural process, magmatism and ore-forming ore-forming stages during tiie Infracambrian-Early Cambrian in Iran (after Samani, 1988). the Infracambrian-Early
Age
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Fig. 3.3. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic interpretation of late Precambrian-Early Cambrian Huqf Group outcrops correlated with formations in the Oman Mountains (modified from Gorin et al., 1982, Alsharhan and Kendall, 1986). 69
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East (1974), Gorin et al. (1982) and Wright et al. (1990) and summarized below. Abu M a h a r a Formation. The formation (about 565 m, or 1,853 ft) is the oldest sedimentary rock unit found in Oman. It crops out also in the hills of the Dhofar Province (southern Oman), where it overlies a metamorphic, crystalline basement. Basement also is found immediately below Abu Mahara clastics in well Ghadir Manqil-1. The best exposures in the Huqf area are in the anticlinal cores of the Khufai and Mukhaibah structures, which are linked to the north-south-trending Saiwan-Nafun Fault (Gorin et al., 1982) (see Chapter 2, Fig. 2.3). The base of the formation was reached in a well drilled at the Khufai Anticline, which bottomed in trachyte. This volcanic rock was dated at 654+12 Ma, but Gorin et al. (1982) consider this a volcanic episode rather than the age of the crystalline basement, which they equate with the 858+16 Ma age in Jebel Ja'alan in east central Oman. A thin dolomite overlies the volcanic horizon, and the rest of the formation is an alternation of sandstone, partly quartz-cemented, and argillaceous siltstone to silty shale. The sandstone is predominant in the upper part of the formation. At the top, finely laminated and dolomitic siltstone alternating with silty dolomites of tidal-fiat origin are locally cut by channels filled with fluviatile sandstone (Fig. 3.4). The beds of the Abu Mahara Formation are regarded as forming in a braided-stream to tidal-fiat regime, probably located between a low-relief land mass to the north and an offshore trough to the east based on their thicknesses in subsurface (Gorin et al., 1982). The thickness of sediments in the trough is great. Shale and siltstone, the shallowwater sediments, commonly are laminated and glauconitic. There is considerable variation in sandstone grain size, sorting and thickness. The sandstone commonly shows sinuous dessication cracks and alternates with red siltstone interpreted as flood-plain deposits. The finely laminated, silty dolomites with mud cracks probably are tidal-flat deposits. Note that in both southern Oman (well Ghadir Manqil-1) and in the Oman Mountains in the Mistal Formation, a glacial episode is reported near the end of Abu Mahara time, although this is not shown in the Abu Mahara section drawn by Gorin et al. (1982) or Wright et al. (1990) (Fig. 3.4). Khufai Formation. This primarily carbonate unit (about 320 m, or 1,050 ft) shows a rapid transition from the underlying Abu Mahara Formation, as the yellow, silty dolomites and dolomitic siltstone at the top of the Abu Mahara are replaced by dark-gray dolomites in the lower part of the Khufai Formation. At the base, there occur collapse structures associated with solution brecciation, anhydrite and traces of halite. The dolomites become very fetid upward. Small-scale folding and slump structures are found in some layers. Chert and diagenetic, spherical dolomite nodules with concentric structure also occur. Stratiform stromatolites are common (Fig. 3.5). In the upper part of the formation, stratiform and linked stromatolites again are common, along with numer-
70
ous chert lenses. Relicts of oncoidal and pelletoidal wackestone to grainstone structure can be identified. There are horizons where brecciation is found. Coarse- and finegrained dolomite may be interbedded. Occasional, current-bedded, fine- to coarse-grained sandstone is found, and siltstone is interbedded locally with dolomites in the upper part. The uppermost bed, a dolomitized, oncoid-ooid-pelletoidal grainstone, forms a good marker throughout the Huqf region. Because it appears to have been lithified before deposition of overlying Shuram sediments, it is interpreted as a hardground. The depositional environment of the formation is interpreted as fluctuating between supratidal to shallow, intertidal conditions. Where the collapse structures and sedimentary breccias are found, these are thought to represent sabkha conditions, with the collapse due to salt solution. The structures are associated with thin anhydrite and layers of coarsely crystalline calcite, which may be secondary replacement deposits. The change from fetid dolomite to subordinate grainstone suggests short, high-energy intervals (storm) under lagoonal conditions. The disappearance of fetid dolomite in the upper part of the Khufai Formation may indicate a return to a more open, lagoonal character. The boundary between the two commonly shows more massive, grainy carbonates, with cross- and graded-bedding and scour and fill structures, possibly barrier or high-energy shoals and/or an intertidal environment. However, the massive grainstone is overlain by low-energy stratiform and linked stromatolites with subordinate intercalations of high-energy grainstone. The association of solution breccias linked to anhydrite, dessication structures in the stratiform and linked algal mounds, numerous chert laminae and nodules, and coarsely crystalline dolomites regarded as diagenetically replaced anhydrite suggests an intertidal to supratidal environment. The interbedded grainstone is thought to be storm wash-over material, within which flakes of the algal mat material may be incorporated. Terrigenous material, rounded silt to fine sand-sized grains, then represents deflation products blown in from the nearby land mass. In the Buah area, sandstone, invariably cross-bedded, commonly cuts the stromatolites at high angles and is interpreted as tidal channel deposits. Higher in the sequence, the sands become laterally continuous, show fine lamination, low-angle cross-lamination and rippled surfaces and give way upward to more fetid, stratiform stromatolites. By the end of the Khufai, however, a rise in sea level had transformed the tidal fiats into a high-energy environment all over the Huqf area. Shuram Formation. The formation, as described by Gorin et al. (1982) and Wright et al. (1990), consists of 270 m (886 ft) of a lower sequence of fissile and slightly calcareous shale and siltstone which, being relatively soft, weather readily, and an upper sequence of alternating siliciclastics, grainstone and calcareous mudstone (Fig. 3.6). The grainstone is ooidal (with both radial and concentric structures), silty and micaceous. Locally, it may be
Z
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Retispora lepidophyta a key indicator of later Famennian (Strunian) strata. The basal contact with the Tanf Formation is disconformable, but the overlying Amanus Formation seems to rest conformably upon beds of the Markada Formation. The lithological description suggests that the beds were deposited in a fluvio-estuarine environment. Early Carboniferous rocks are relatively widely spread in Syria and reflect a eustatic sea-level rise through the Late Devonian, as shown in Haq et al. (1987). They exceed 600 m (1,968 ft) in thickness in northeastern Syria, thinning to half that total in the southwest. Part of the thinning may be attributed to Hercynian erosion, because an unconformity at the top of the Carboniferous occurs throughout Syria. Facies variations show that the transgression proceeded from northeast to southwest, from black argillites with dolomite intercalations to a section of sandstone and shale with fragments of coal and fossil wood in wells Swab-1 and Tanf-1 (Husri and Austin, 1985). Presumably, the Carboniferous section continues without a break into Jordan, where nearshore sediments have been recorded in wells Suwailah-1 and Safra-1. Conodont studies by Husri and Austin (1985) indicate that much of the Syrian Carboniferous is Toumaisian to late Visean in age; consequently, these can be considered the terminal members of the Kaskaskia sequence. Ala and Moss (1979) use Iraqi equivalents when referring to the Syrian section. Dubertret (1967, cited in Buday, 1980) recognized that higher Carboniferous rocks belong to the early part of the Absaroka sequence. A1 Youssef and Ayed (1992) described the late Paleozoic sequences that deep wells have penetrated (Fig. 5.10). The Carboniferous succession was renamed the Markada Group. The Markada Group consists predominantly of fine-grained sandstone interbedded with gray-black, calcareous shale, within interbeds of limestone and siltstone deposited in shallow-marine to deltaic environment. The group is underlain disconformably by the shale of the Early Silurian Tanf Formation and is overlain disconformably by the Permian Amanus Group. A1Youssef and Ayed (1992) divided the Markada Group into five formations, which are listed below from base to top: a) Sayad Formation, which consists of about 358 m (1,174 ft) of siltstone and silty shale; b) Athar Formation, which is composed of about 230 m (755 ft) of predominantly sandstone and siltstone; c) Halul Formation, which consists of about 125 m (410 ft) of limestone and dolomitic limestone; d) Sawanet Formation, which is composed of about 740 m (2,427 ft) of sandstone, siltstone and shale; and e) Najeeb Formation, which consists of about 412 m (1,352 ft) of interbedded sandstone and sandy shale. P A L E O G E o G R A P H Y AND GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE LATE PALEOZOIC KASKASKIA CYCLE
At the beginning of the Devonian (Gedinnian), the Arabian Shelf was dominated by coarse, clastic sediments
156
deposited in a continental environment, continuing with cyclic deposits in a fluviatile-deltaic to lagoonal environment during the Siegenian. In the Emsian, the deposits were characterized by an alternation of marine siltstonesandstone and fossiliferous carbonates indicative of the continuing transgression. Local unconformities are indicative of the effects of the final Caledonian phase, which has been identified in southern Turkey by Brinkmann (1976). Sedimentation continued in the Anatolia, Taurus and Hazro regions dominated by sandy shale and calcareous quartzite and rare carbonates. In the foothills north of Diyarbakir, the Devonian is represented by shallowmarine shale, dolomites and deltaic, sandy limestone, while in the Hakkari region, it is characterized by intertidal to deltaic dolomites and sandstone (Cater and Tunbridge, 1992). The Devonian in central Iran began with sandy limestone containing conodonts and stromatoporoids of continental origin, followed by a sequence of sandstone, dolomite and gypsum of lagoonal-marine facies with an evaporitic trend. The principal Middle Devonian lithology is dolomitic limestone of a shallow-marine origin (Wolfart, 1981 and Stocklin, 1972). In central Arabia, the Middle and Late Devonian sediments, which consist mainly of clayey, detrital sediments of paralic-continental origin, are reported from the subsurface (Powers et al., 1966; A1 Laboun, 1986). In northwestern Arabia, the Middle-Late Devonian crops out as continental sandstone and shale with plant remains (Sharief and Moshrif, 1989). In Southeast Turkey (Hazro region), the Middle-Late Devonian is dominated by shale, limestone and sandy dolomites and characterized by marine facies with some continental influence. In central Iran, the Middle-Late Devonian is characterized by very fossiliferous carbonates with minor shale of a shallow-marine origin, while in northern Iran (Elburz), the Late Devonian is dominated by a transgressive sequence of sandstone, shale and locally phosphatic, fossiliferous limestone (Stocklin, 1972). In northern Saudi Arabia (Widyan Basin), a thick, clastic sequence of sandstone, siltstone and shale was deposited during the Carboniferous and continued into the early Permian in a continental to tidal-marine environment (A1 Laboun, 1986; Powers, 1968). In southern and southwestern Arabia, the Khusayyayn Formation is the lithological equivalent of the Tawil and Berwath formations of central Arabia. It rests unconformably upon the Qusaiba (Silurian) Member. Sedimentation terminated in the early Namurian, and uplift and erosion ensued. The Khusayyayn is a generally coarsening-upwards, cross-bedded unit. Locally, an unconformity separates a lower early to middle unit from an upper late Devonian-Carboniferous unit. In southeastem Turkey (in the Hakkari area), the dominant Carboniferous lithology is brackish to marine, black shale and shallow-marine limestone. No evidence of these deposits is reported in the Amanus and Diyarbakir regions, where they probably were eroded during tectonic uplift (Cater and Tunbridge, 1992). During the Permian, marine limestone, deltaic clastics and coals were deposited in the
The Early-Late Paleozoic of the Middle East northern part of Diyarbakir, while the Late Permian is dominated by marine facies of sandstone and limestone in the Hakkari area. In northern Iran (Elburz region), the Early Carboniferous is dominated by a marine transgression of fossiliferous limestone. The Late Carboniferous was eroded, and the Early Permian red sandstone, siltstone and shale rest unconformably over the Early Carboniferous, followed by the Late Permian carbonates (dolomite and limestone) (Chateauneuf et al., 1978). In central Iran, sedimentation continued from the Carboniferous to Early Permian, dominated by shale, quartzitic sandstone and fossiliferous limestone (Stocklin, 1972). In southwestern Iran, detrital sandstone and quartzite with plant debris were deposited from the Early Carboniferous to Early Permian. The remains of the Permian-Carboniferous glaciation that affected all of southern Gondwana can be found in the southern and southeastern Arabian Peninsula, characterized by glacial deposits from the Early Carboniferous to Early Permian, as described by McClure (1980), Braakmann (1982), Kruck and Thiele (1983) and Alsharhan et al. (1993). The tillites and periglacial sediments were described both from outcrop and in subsurface in central and southern Oman. Tillite and boulder clay thatrest upon striated floors also are found in northwestern Yemen. In summary, the paleogeographic development of the Middle East from the Silurian to the end of the Kaskaskia sequence is hard to establish because of the lack of information. Essentially, the principal outcrop data are derived from northern Saudi Arabia, with some information from Iraq and Iran, supported by a limited amount of data derived from deep wells. The reasons appear to be: (1) during the Late Devonian, much of the Middle East was emergent; hence, strata of that age were not deposited or represent deposits laid down in fluvial or near shore environments (Fig. 5.11); and (2) extensive erosion took place during the Hercynian upheaval, with the removal over wide areas of Early Carboniferous and Devonian strata. With a rise in sea level, marine conditions became more widespread during the later part of the Early Carboniferous (Fig. 5.12). The distribution of lithologies suggests that the clastic sediments had their origin in the Arabian Shield. Local highs also persisted, because estuarine conditions seem to have continued into southeastern Turkey, and Early Carboniferous strata are missing in northern Syria. Nevertheless, the general pattern of depositional environments seems to have been one in which terrestrial conditions predominated in the south, with paralic-deltaic conditions occurring in southern Syria and passing to shelf and reef conditions in northern Syria and Iraq. In northern Saudi Arabia, which may be taken as the type area, the Kaskaskia sediments assigned to the Jauf Formation span the time range from the Gedinnian to Siegenian, although diagnostic fossils are absent in the Jauf area, and the pre-Unayzah clastics probably represent the Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous. The zero isopach of the Jauf Formation includes only the eastern-
most part of the Tabuk Basin, and by the time of the deposition of the pre-Unayzah clastics, the western limit of the depositional basin coincided with the Ha'il-Rutbah Arch (Fig. 5.5). The depositional environment, which changed from continental to nearshore, is marked by the change from continental/transitional clastics (Tawil Sandstone Member and Shaibah Shale Member) to one dominated by two carbonate members (Qasr and Hammamiyat Limestone members) separated by an interval of continental to lagoonal, red and green shale and red sandstone (Subbat Shale Member). The principal areas of outcrop of the Kaskaskia sequence beds in Iraq lie over the Rutbah Arch and in the thrust area of northern Iraq are found in deep wells between Khleissia and Mosul. There, some distinctive differences are found in the succession when compared to that in Saudi Arabia. The lowest beds are continental redbeds, to which no definite age has been assigned. The beds, however, grade up into a sequence that passes from continental to shallow-marine, as indicated by the appearance in the upper part of the succession of argillaceous limestone that can be dated as Famennian. Marine conditions also continue to a higher horizon, for the topmost formation, a biodetrital limestone deposited in a neriticreef to fore-reef environment, is dated as Tournaisian. Above the beds of the Jauf Formation in Saudi Arabia lie the pre-Unayzah clastics of the Sakaka and Berwath formations, which are a northward-thickening, continental sandstone and shale. They show a transition down into the beds of the Jauf Formation. While they are not dated with any degree of confidence, they are usually considered ?Middle to Late Devonian non-marine clastics and, therefore, coeval with the marine horizons found in northern Iraq. There is a distinct break between the pre-Unayzah clastics and the overlying Unayzah beds, which contain palynomorphs said to be as old as late Carboniferous in age, although the formation is now regarded as early late Permian in age. Not surprisingly, the Devonian-Early Carboniferous succession recorded in southeastern Turkey shows a strong resemblance to that found in northern Iraq, with an initial sequence of clastics and carbonates of Early to Middle Devonian age, followed by Middle and Late Devonian clastic sequence, giving way to marine carbonate conditions that persist into the Early Carboniferous. In Syria, only "probable" Early Devonian shale with sourcerock potential was encountered in well Meskene-1, where it appears to rest conformably upon the Silurian Tanf Black Shale sequence. Unconformable Early Carboniferous rocks have been found fairly widely in the subsurface, and a NE-SW transgression is inferred as the black argillites and dolomites in the northeast pass to sandstone and shale with coal fragments in the southwest. The thinning found in the sequence, however, is attributed to erosion preceding the Hercynian Unconformity. In eastern Arabia, surface information is restricted to some allochthonous blocks found in the sedimentary m61ange found in the Dibba Zone of the Oman Mountains. 157
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East ._,
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Fig. 6.19 Lithofacies interpretation and depositional model of the Um Ima Formation in Jordan (after Makhlouf et al., 1991). The formation Consists of both thin- and thickly bedded siltstone and silty shale, together with thick-bedded sandstone, siltstone and silty shale, and can be divided into six units. The sediments in each cycle represent terrestrial deposits eroded from the nearby Precambrian basement. A detailed study carried out by Makhlouf et al. (1991) reported that the Umm Irna is well-exposed along the Dead Sea between Wadi Mukheiris and Wadi Atun and reaches a maximum of 60 m (197 ft). The formation unconformably overlies upper Middle Cambrian sandstone of the Umm Ishrin Formation and is conformably overlain by the Triassic Ma'in Formation. Makhlouf et al. (1991) divided the formation into two sedimentary facies that correspond to the informally designated lower and upper members (Fig. 6.19); these are summarized below. The lower member (Facies 1) consists of about 10 m (33 ft) of interbedded sandstone and siltstone and silty shale arranged in up to five fining-upward sequences. Each sequence comprises a lower erosion surface overlain by tabular to lenticular sandstone units (moderately wellsorted quartz arenites), passing vertically and laterally into siltstone and silty shale with subordinate mudstone containing small, carbonaceous plant fragments. This facies is laid down in shallow, low-sinuosity, sand-bed--dominated channels draining the distal reaches of a low-gradient alluvial plain, which probably extended northwards into a shallow, marginal-marine environment (Bandel and Khoury, 1981; Makhlouf et al., 1991). The upper member (Facies 2) consists of 50 m (164 ft) of sandstone, siltstone and silty shale. The succession is composed of five well-defined, fining-upward sequences ranging from 4 to 14.5 m (13-476 ft) in thickness. Individual sequences comprise an erosionally based, coarsegrained, pebbly sandstone grading up through mediumand fine-grained sandstone into siltstone and silty shale. The sandstone is tabular and laterally persistent, internally complex units structured by erosively bounded trough
cosets. The siltstone, silty shale and silty mudstone are lacking sedimentary structures, except for a few ripples. These sediments show characteristics of both meandering and braided-stream deposits.
Subsurface Formations
Hudayb Group (Permian). The distribution of the Permian rocks in Jordan is restricted to the northern part of the country, where they range from 200 to 226 m (656-741 ft) in thickness in wells Ajlun-1 and Northern Highlands-2, to about 3 m (10 ft) in well Risha-1. Sunna et al. (1988) used the term "Hudeib Sandstone Shale Formation" for the Permian sediments in outcrop and subsurface; subsequently, Andrews (1992) introduced the term "Hudayb Group" to cover all the Permian rocks of Jordan. Andrews (1992) divided the group into three formations - - the lower: Anjara Formation, the middle: Huwayra Formation and the upper: Buwayda Formation with ages ranging from late Early to early Late Permian. There is little published information on these formations, and the following summary and Fig. 6.20 are based on Andrews (1992). Anjara Formation (Early Permian). This formation represents the initial deposits of the post-Hercynian sequence that rests unconformably on earlier Paleozoic strata. The name was taken from the town of Anjara. The type section is in well Ajlun-1, where the formation has been fully penetrated, and about 74 m (243 ft) of sediment were recorded. In well Northern Highlands-2, the thickness of Permian sediments is only about 45 m (148 ft), separated by 97 m (243 ft) of dolerite. The formation consists of two units: a lower unit of about 18 m (59 ft) of micro-conglomerate, with subangular to sub-rounded, clay-cemented, quartz grains; and an upper unit of about 27 m (89 ft) of fine- to medium-grained sandstone. The sandstone is glauconitic and locally pyritic and kaolinitic and is interbedded with dark-grey and black, and occa187
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Fig. 7.1. Isopach map of Jurassic sedimentary rocks in the Middle East (modified from Peterson and Wilson, 1986). The contour interval is in thousands of feet. 235
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East in northeastern Syria (Ala and Moss, 1979). A progressive, worldwide, eustatic rise in sea-level began during the Sinemurian, the middle part of the Early Jurassic, as shallow seas spread over the eastern and northeastern parts of the craton, ending a period of regression and emergence that had characterized the latest Triassic and earliest Jurassic. The Mardin Paleohigh in southeastern Turkey remained a positive feature and constituted a barrier separating the shallow open seas of the northern margin of Arabia from the regiori to the east, resulting in the formation of clastics and evaporites in parts of the northern and eastern margins of the Arabian Platform. In northeastern Iraq and western Iran, deep-water sediments accumulated in an intrashelf basin. Later, in the Jurassic, movements led to differential vertical uplift over southeast Turkey, western Jordan and southern Arabia, accompanied by the erosion of the older part of the section from many of the paleohighs. With this uplift and erosion, Late Jurassic sediments were removed from much of central Syria and, to a lesser extent, from the Syrian coastal region and parts of Lebanon. Further to the southeast, Sinemurian transgressive seas (forming the beginning of the Zuni Cycle of Sloss, 1963) advanced from the northeast toward the southwest to lap against the positive areas forming the southeastern, southern and southwestern margins of the Rub al Khali Sub-basin of the Arabian Basin. This transgression coincided with crustal thinning and transgression over other parts of the Afro-Arabian Craton, and in the development of the thick Early Jurassic sequence in the coastal regions of the Somali Embayment, which marks the inception of the breakup of Gondwana in that region. Over the northern Arabian Plate in Jordan, Iraq, Syria and southeastern Turkey, conditions were much the same as further south. By the end of the Early Jurassic, a shallow-marine platform formed, upon which carbonate and evaporitic facies were deposited according to sea-level conditions. This Early Jurassic transgression continued into the Middle Jurassic, again marked by short-lived still stands and/or minor transgressions and regressions. Over the vast carbonate platform covering most of eastern Arabia, these minor events were recorded by Murris (1980) as the alternation of shallow carbonate platform and open-marine (slightly deeper-water) limestone and minor clastics. The sea-level fluctuations marked by relatively small but distinctive facies changes can be traced for large distances across Saudi Arabia and correlated with similar events in Iran. Westward, the carbonate platform or shelf graded into a mixed carbonate-clastic facies that recorded passage to nearer-shore, shallower-water environments in which evaporites periodically formed. By the Bathonian, a major intrashelf basin, the Lurestan Basin, which had begun to form as early as the late Liassic, developed in Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Iran in the northern Arabian Gulf. A major transgressive pulse occurred during the Callovian, the early Late Jurassic, coinciding in timing with the onset of
236
the southerly drift of Madagascar, as part of eastern Gondwana broke away from Africa and the rest of western Gondwana. By late Oxfordian to early Kimmeridgian time, a second intracratonic basin in which euxinic sediments accumulated had formed over the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), partly onshore and partly offshore, and extending into Qatar. At this time, southern Iran, including part of the Arabian Gulf, was a positive area. The features were comparatively short-lived, for the basin had disappeared, and the positive area was reduced to less than a quarter of its size by the Tithonian. This was part of a general shallowing process in the Lurestan Basin, which thenbecame an area of evaporite deposition in common with the greater part of the Arabian Platform. Although the sea level generally continued to rise during the Late Jurassic, sedimentation rates appear to have more than kept pace with, and finally exceeded, the rate of flooding, with the consequent development of extensive shoal and sabkha environments where extensive evaporites accumulated. Because of the extraordinarily great economic importance of these rocks in the Arabian Gulf region, their subsurface distribution, thickness and lithofacies changes are well-known, and relatively minor sealevel changes can be documented and traced great distances. Under these conditions and given the greater paleontological control, it is more convenient to follow the numerous and varied changes that occur within the Zuni Cycle, a cycle that did not end until the middle Paleocene, through an appreciation of the second-order cycles of sealevel change than in terms of the primary cycle. This applies equally to the Jurassic and the Cretaceous. As typically is the case in stratigraphy, initially type sections were established in the areas of outcrop, and as these in general lie close to the former basin margins, the sediments described are far from typical. Subsurface information shows that in proceeding further from the margin toward the open sea, the clastic component diminishes in thickness and commonly is replaced by finer-grained clastics, from sand to silt or mud, and these in turn disappear to be replaced by carbonate sediments. As the clastic sediments commonly are unfossiliferous or contain non-diagnostic fossils without an abundance of wells, correlation of the so-called type sections with the subsurface becomes difficult or impossible. To this must be added the difficulty in correlation imposed by the recognition of the numerous small lithofacies changes across the Middle East (Figs. 7.2 and 7.3 and Table 7.1), which is a function of the greater abundance of data. In order to present a coherent account, an initial description will be given of the original type sections in central Arabia; subsequently, lithofacies changes will be traced basinward, and new subsurface type sections will be established.
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Fig. 7.17. Lithological interpretation and log characteristics of the Late Jurassic (Diyab Formation) in the U.A.E. the same trend with dense, argillaceous lime mudstone, but bioclastic-intraclastic packstone and oolitic grainstone return in the upper part. The conditions of deposition retain the general quiet-water character of a marine shelf, but with indications of both somewhat higher-energy conditions as well as the deeper-water, lower-energy environments suggested by the muddy sediments. The occurrence of Trocholina conica, T. palastiniensis, Lenticula sp., Nau-
tiloculina oolithica, Pfenderina trochoides, Pseudocyclammina maynci and Iranica slingeri suggests an age range from Bathonian to early Oxfordian. The lower contact of the Araej is believed to be conformable. The upper contact is seen on a regional scale to be unconformable with the overlying Diyab Formation. Diyab
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Kimmeridgian). Cycles in the Diyab Formation are not recognized in Abu Dhabi, although three members can be distinguished (Fig. 7.17). The formation is equivalent to the Hanifa Formation and part of the Jubailah Formation of Saudi Arabia. The thickness ranges from 260 to 313 m (853-1,027 ft), but thins to less than 16 m (50 ft) near the basin margin in offshore Abu Dhabi in the Tini Field (de Matos and Hulstrand, 1995). The lower member consists of two highly radioactive/clean lime mudstone separated
262
by a thin band of chicken-wire anhydrites (de Matos and Hulstrand, 1995) interbedded in massive and fissile lime mudstone containing abundant organic matter that gives off a sulfurous odor. The middle member is made of tight, dense lime mudstone with minor grainstone, packstone and brown, sucrosic dolomites. The upper member comprises organically rich limestone with rare interbeds of peloidal, pyritic grainstone (Alsharhan, 1989). The Diyab Formation was deposited in an anoxic, intrashelf basin whose eastern edge is located in the central offshore Abu Dhabi and passes westward into offshore and onshore Qatar. The age assigned to the Diyab Formation in Abu Dhabi is Oxfordian based upon stratigraphic position as it is followed by the conformably overlying Arab Formation. As the Fahahil Formation of Qatar also is regarded as early Kimmeridgian and equivalent to the Arab D, it is clear that the top of the Diyab Formation in the U.A.E. is not the same as, but higher than, the top of the Diyab of Qatar and must include the Darb Formation. In Abu Dhabi, the lower contact with the Araej Formation, while conformable in the east, is unconformable in the west.
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic
Arab Formation and Its Equivalents (OxfordianTithonian) Arab Formation (Oxfordian-early Tithonian). As indicated in the discussion of the section in Saudi Arabia, the division of the Arab Formation in the Arabian Gulf into four members by Powers (1962) was based upon the sequence of alternating cycles of carbonates and evaporites. Minor disconformities are common throughout the Arab Formation, separating major cycles and sub-cycles within individual cycles. They represent breaks in sedimentation due to local shallowing, and some may be erosional surfaces. Short-duration immersion and increased current activity also are potential causes. Within each cycle, environmental conditions show a progressive upward restriction with an increase in anhydrite and dolomite toward the top (de Matos, 1994). This formation is well-developed in offshore Abu Dhabi, where it is equivalent to the Fahahil (Arab D) and Qatar (Arab C, B and A) formations in the onshore, and there appear to be only small differences in the lithological composition of the individual members when compared with that section in Saudi Arabia. The intervening dense intervals, Lower Anhydrite and Dense Limestone (between Arab D and C), the Middle Anhydrite (separating Arab C and B) and the Upper Anhydrite (below Arab A), are composite units in which the proportion of anhydrite to carbonate increases from east to west (Fig. 7.18). In offshore Abu Dhabi, the formation has a thickness ranging from 180 to 285 m (590-935 ft). The Arab D Member is the main reservoir of the western Abu Dhabi offshore fields. It consists of brown to darkbrown, well-sorted, oolitic, peloidal packstone and grainstone passing up to dolomite and dolomitic limestone, whereas in Saudi Arabia, the limestone tends to be wackestone and passes up into massive anhydrite. In the latter region, the C Member again shows a greater development of anhydrite toward the top, whereas only in the Arab B and A members is anhydrite common in Abu Dhabi. In the carbonates, oolitic packstone and grainstone replace the lime mudstone, wackestone and packstone as the common carbonate facies. The sequence of lithologies in the Arab A-D members in the western U.A.E. comprise a shelf-lagoon-tidal-flatsabkha sequence similar to the depositional model proposed by Alsharhan and Whittle (1995) and A1 Silwadi et al., (1995) for the Qatar Arab Formation (Fig. 7.19). The Arab D Member represents a regressive sequence from shelf through offshore bars to lagoon with tidal fiats as the final phase. The Arab C Member represents a continuum of the net regressive sequence with dominant intertidal/ shallow-lagoon environments and numerous periods of subaerial exposure within a sabkha environment. The Arab B Member is dominated by sabkha environments with a minor transgression giving rise to a suite of intertidal sediments, whereas the Arab A Member represents the culmination of a net regression with dominant supratidal
environments. The deposits of the Arab Formation indicate a gradual shallowing of the depositional basin, for lagoonal lime mudstone predominates in the west and is replaced laterally by packstone and grainstone formed under shoal conditions. In the central part of Abu Dhabi, the interfingering of shoal, lagoonal and supratidal sediments is indicative of a regressive cycle. However, further to the east, openmarine shelf sedimentation persisted (Fig. 7.19). The sedimentary cycles of the Arab Formation in offshore Abu Dhabi represent a series of regressive intervals, as each begins with shoal lime-sand (grainstone) and passes upward into lagoonal dolomites followed by intertidal, stromatolitic dolomite to terminate in supratidal anhydrites and dolomites (Fig. 7.19). The lower and upper contacts of the Arab Formation in offshore Abu Dhabi are conformable with the Diyab, which here must include equivalents of the Fahahil and Qatar formations; the presence of Trocholina cf. alpina, Kurnubia palastiniensis and Nautiloculina oolithica suggests an Early Kimmeridgian-Early Tithonian age range.
Fahahil Formation (Arab D Member) (early Kimmeridgian). This formation is well-developed in western onshore Abu Dhabi, but it cannot be recognized in wells drilled in eastern and southeastern Abu Dhabi, due either to non-deposition or to a slight erosional unconformity. Its thickness ranges from 137 to 147 m (450-482 ft), and it consists in the lower part of lime mudstone that grades up into wackestone and packstone containing dolomite. However, anhydrite appears to be present only as nodules and not as discrete beds, and the basic environment remained shallow-marine, subtidal to supratidal. The formation is in conformable contact with the overlying and underlying formations. Qatar Formation (Arab A, B and C members) (late Kimmeridgian). In onshore Abu Dhabi, it is composed of 90-125 m (300-400 ft) of mainly dense, dolomitic lime mudstone and fossiliferous wackestone interbedded with anhydrite and dolomite. The common dolostone is interpreted as deposits formed in an extremely shallow to intertidal environment. The contacts are conformable with the Hith and Fahahil formations.
Hith Formation and Its Equivalents (Asab, Mender and Fateh Members) Hith Formation (Tithonian). This formation forms the terminal member of the Jurassic sequence, extending from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain-Qatar and the western part of the U.A.E. In western Abu Dhabi, the formation consists of 72-148 m (236-485 ft) of massive beds of anhydrite showing chicken-wire texture. Interbedded with the anhydrite and light- to dark-colored, sucrosic dolomites are brown to dark-brown, pellety wackestone and packstone that occasionally replace the dolomites (Alsharhan and Kendall, 1994).
263
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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stone. The middle part is dominated by mudstone and bioclastic wackestone alternating with thicker-bedded, peloidal-bioclastic packstone and grainstone. The upper part consists predominantly of mudstone grading to grainstone at the top. The group disconformably overlies the Mahil Formation (Triassic) and is conformably overlain by the Kahmah Group (Early Cretaceous). Saih Hatat Formation (Middle Jurassic). Pratt and Smewing (1990) show that the Middle and Late Jurassic
sections on Saih Hatat are relatively deep-water deposits overlying shallow-water, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposits of the Lower Jurassic. They termed the deepwater unit the Saih Hatat Formation and designated the type section in Wadi Qurr off Wadi Tayin on the southern side of Saih Hatat, where about 207 m (679 ft) crop out. They divided it into 10 units, from top to bottom: 9 argillaceous lime mudstone and peloidal-bioclastic packstone: 35 m, or 115 ft; 9 calcareous shale: 5 m, or 16 ft;
275
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum G e o l o g y o f the M i d d l e East
9 9
9 9 9 9 9
and argillaceous lime mudstone and thin-bedded, peloidal packstone: 11 m, or 36 ft. The lower and upper contacts of the Saih Hatat are conformable. The lower part rests on thick-bedded, oolitic and intraclastic grainstone, and the upper part is in contact with dark-colored, thin- to medium-bedded, argillaceous lime mudstone, shale and fine-grained, peloidal-bioclastic grainstone. Both the lower and upper sediments belong to the undivided Sahtan Group (Pratt and Smewing, 1990). The Saih Hatat Formation is equivalent in subsurface to the Dhruma, Tuwaiq Mountain and Hanifa formations.
peloidal grainstone: 6 m, or 20 ft; calcareous shale, argillaceous lime mudstone and thin-bedded (locally bioturbated), peloidal-bioclastic grainstone: 50 m, or 164 ft; lime mudstone and peloidal-intraclastic-bioclastic grainstone: 30 m, or 98 ft; argillaceous lime mudstone and thin, lenticular-bedded, locally bioturbated grainstone: 40 m, or 131 ft; peloidal, partly silicified grainstone: 3 m, or 10 ft; thin-bedded, argillaceous, locally bioturbated lime mudstone: 24 m, or 79 ft; medium-bedded, peloidal grainstone: 3 m, or 10 ft;
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The Jurassic of South Oman Kohlan Formation (Early-Middle Jurassic). This contains the only Jurassic sediments recorded from South Oman (Dhofar). They crop out near Ras Sajar, where they again consist of coarse- to medium-grained, multi-colored, arkosic sandstone with intervals of green and purple siltstone and shale, and conglomerate bands of quartz pebbles that may pass into sandy marl and calcareous or partly dolomitized, ferruginous, indurated, lagoonal sandstone. According to Hawkins et al. (1981), a local high may have sourced these sediments. The variations in thickness from 17 to 81 m (56-266 ft) reflect topographic irregularities of the basement on which the sediments rest and are consistent with a restricted origin.
THE JURASSIC SECTION ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ARABIAN GULF: SOUTHWESTERN IRAN The Jurassic sediments on the eastern side of the Arabian Gulf are represented by two different facies, one in Lurestan Province and the adjacent part of Khuzestan Province (SW Iran) and the other in the coastal and interior of Fars Province (Figs. 7.30). They have been described in detail by James and Wynd (1965) and Setudehnia (1972) and summarized below. This brief overview of the eastern side of the Arabian Gulf clearly shows a continuity with the sequences seen to the west. Facies changes are small and mostly indicate an increase in carbonate content with a corresponding decrease in clastic content. There does not appear to be much of an increase in water depth, as indicated by the high proportion of dolomites, even after excluding secondary dolomitization. Neyriz Formation (Liassic).A Liassic formation was named by James and Wynd (1965) after the town of Neyriz in Fars Province, Iran,. It has a thickness of about 350 m (about 1,148 ft) and consists in the lower part of thinly bedded rubbly dolomites, followed by shale, dolomites and medium to thick, locally brecciated dolomite. The upper part of the section begins with dolomite and dolo-
mitic limestone, siltstone, silty shale and sandstone that are capped, in turn, by thinly bedded to finely laminated, argillaceous dolomites (Fig. 7.30). The sediments are characteristic of shallow water marine conditions. Both contacts are conformable, but whereas the lower is a sharp lithological break, the upper is gradational to the Adaiyah Formation. An early Liassic age usually is assigned to the formation, and it is correlated with the Marrat of Saudi Arabia and the Baluti Shale of Iraq. Adaiyah Formation (Early Jurassic). According to Setudehnia (1972), the formation consists of about 63 m (206 ft) of shallow marine, subtidal to supratidal environments where anhydrite is interbedded with dolomite and dark shale (Fig. 7.25). It is conformably overlain by the limestone of the Mus Formation and rests conformably upon dark-gray shale and limestone. Mus Formation (Early Jurassic). The Mus Formation comprises about 56 m (184 ft) of shallow marine limestone (Fig. 7.25), in part correlated with the Mus Formation of Iraq (Setudehnia, 1972). It is underlain by the anhydrites and dolomites of the Adaiyah Formation and overlain by the anhydrites of the Alan Formation. Both contacts apparently are conformable. Alan Formation (Middle Jurassic). This formation consists of about 90 m (295 ft) of bedded anhydrite with subordinate limestone deposited in a restricted supratidal to intertidal setting (Fig. 7.30). Sargelu Formation (Bajocian). The thickness of the formation ranges from 160 to 220 m (525-722 ft) of deeper water marine shale and argillaceous limestone. It is disconformably overlain by the Najmah Formation (Fig. 7.30). It occurs in subsurface and in outcrop in northern Lurestan Basin. The age is given as Bajocian, which, if correct, means that only part of the formation is present compared with areas on the other side of the Arabian Gulf. Najmah Formation (?Middle-Late Jurassic). This formation has been found only in wells that also penetrate the Sargelu Formation. It is made up of about 19 m (62 ft) of shallow marine, pellety, algal limestone (Fig. 7.30). It is underlain disconformably by the Sargelu Formation and overlain by the anhydrite of the Gotnia Formation. Gotnia Formation (Late Jurassic). The Gotnia Formation, which crops out in northern Lurestan at Tang-e
279
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East Haft, has also been found in wells in the Emam Hasan and Masjid-e-Suleiman Fields. It has a subsurface thickness of about 141 m (462 ft) of anhydrite with subordinate dolomite and dark-gray shale (Fig. 7.30). It is considered primarily a relatively deep-water anhydrite. Dolomite solution breccias occur in outcrop. A disconformity may be found at outcrop at the top of the Gotnia, where it lies under the Garau Formation. l-lith Formation (Late Jurassic). It consists of evaporites, (anhydrite and gypsum, with interbedded dolomite totalling 75-94 m (246-308 ft) in subsurface areas of coastal Fars near the Arabian Gulf. It was deposited mainly upon intertidal fiats or in supratidal conditions with penecontemporaneous replacement phenomenon. In the Kuh-e Sunneh, the formation is made up of 24 m (79 ft) of brecciated dolomite, with the evaporites having been removed in solution. In the interior Fars Province, the evaporites give way to a dolomitic facies, and the formation pinches out toward Bandar Abbas (southeastern Iran). The precise age determination of these anhydrites is not possible due to the lack of fossils. A Late Jurassic age, however, has been assumed for this formation. The Hith Anhydrite overlies the limestone and dolomites of the Surmah Formation and underlies the limestone of the Fahliyan Formation. Both the upper and lower contacts seem to be conformable. Surmah Formation (Early to Late Jurassic). The formation name is taken from Kuh-e Surmah in the Fars Province, where it is best developed. It also is found in the northeast Khuzestan and northeast Lurestan provinces. As described by James and Wynd (1965) and Setudehnia (1972), it consists of about 689 m (2,260 ft) of shallow water carbonates, dominantly thick-bedded to massive, fine-grained dolomites succeeded by thin- to massive-bedded, fine to coarsely crystalline dolomite and limestone that is partly cherty (Fig. 7.30). Both the upper and lower contacts are conformable and transitional. Toward Iraq, the beds of the formation become better differentiated and are replaced gradually by shale, limestone and anhydrite assigned to the Adaiyah, Mus, Alan, Sargelu, Najmah and Gotnia formations (Setudehnia, 1972). This is consistent with the fauna retrieved from the formation, which indicates that its age spans from the Early to Late Jurassic.
T H E JURASSIC SECTION IN NORTHEASTERN
ARABIA Northeast from the Saudi Arabia type area, the principal source of information on the Jurassic succession is from Iraq (Fig. 7.3); the data from Kuwait, mainly from Owen and Nasr (1958), Bou Rabee (1986, 1996) and Yousif and Nouman (1995), are more-or-less complete and substantially modify the basic pattern of facies distribution (Fig. 7.31). In Iraq, where the basic information is taken from Bellen et al., (1959) and Buday (1980), there is a thick Lower Jurassic section, which generally indicates a
280
lower Liassic transition toward to northeast from a shallow, littoral environment into a shallow, lagoonal setting. In the upper Liassic in the northern Foothills Zone of Iraq, there is evidence of the existence of a normal, marine environment. Over much of this northern area during the Dogger and into the Maim, an intrashelf basin that had begun to develop as early as the late Liassic is distinguishable. Although it is not possible to specify the depth of the basin, it was sufficient for euxinic conditions to develop. It persisted until the Tithonian, when shallow-water, evaporitic conditions (Gotnia Formation) developed over the entire area (7.32).
The Jurassic of Kuwait In Kuwait, all the oil discoveries relate to Cretaceous and Tertiary reservoirs, and only a few wells have been drilled to test for oil potentially trapped in Jurassic formations in the Minagish, Sabriyah, Burgan, Magwa, Ahmadi, Umm Gudair, Abduliyah and Dharif fields. The total thickness of Jurassic sediments ranges from 550 to 6,616 m (1,800-21,700 ft). An ideal section of the Jurassic sediments in Kuwait is chosen in the Minagish Field (Fig. 7.31), where the stratigraphic sequence is composed of six formations, as described by Alsharhan and Kendall (1986), Bou Rabee (1986), Yousif and Nouman (1995,1996) and Ali (1995) and summarized below. Marrat Formation (l-lettangian-Toarcian?). The name "Marrat Formation" has been retained for an early Liassic sequence, which has a maximum thickness of 550700 m (1,800-2,300 ft) in the Burgan Field. The formation is thinnest (as far as is known) in the Sabriyah Field. The succession consists of a lower alternation of argillaceous limestone and soft, microporous anhydrite with dolomite, followed by an upper section of partly dolomitized limestone and microcrystalline dolomite. The Marrat Formation was subdivided into five units (from top to bottom): A, B, C, D and E. Unit C is considered the most important and is the deepest oil trap known so far in Kuwait. The formation was deposited under restricted, supratidal to intertidal-subtidal conditions. The overlying conformable beds are assigned to the Aalenian (Dhruma Formation). Marrat is the age equivalent of the Butmah (limestone), Alan (anhydrite), Mus (limestone) and Adaiyah (dolomite) formations of southern Iraq.
Dhruma Formation (Aalenian-early Bajocian). The formation varies in thickness from 30.5 to 61 m (100200 ft), consists of calcareous shale with occasional limestone interbeds and is considered an excellent cap rock over the Marrat reservoir. It shows a thinning section occurring at the central portion of Kuwait and trending north-south from the Magwa to Sabriyah fields, abrupt thickening at Ahmadi and gradual thickening toward western Kuwait from Abduliyah to Rugei. Here, the limestone tends to be lime mudstone and contains a few bioclastic wackestone and packstone intercalations with radiolaria.
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Anhydrite interbedded and intermixed with limestone and minor shale
Salt and anhydrite interbeds with occasional limestone and shale streaks
Interbedded packstone, argillaceous limestone and bitumen Interbedded wackestones, muds tones,grainstones and bitumen Shale with limestone lamination Interbedded limestones, wackestones and calcareous
Limestone with occasional shale interbeds and occasional dolomite and anhydrite streaks
Limestone with occasional packstones and grainstones and minor shale, dolomite and anhvd~
Interbedded lime mudstone, dolomite, anhydrite and shale
Interbedded limestone, dolomite and anhydrite
Limestone
Fig. 7.31 Lithostratigraphic units of the Jurassic section of Kuwait (modified from Yousif and Nouman, 1995, 1996 and reproduced by kind permission of Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain). AN anhydrite units 1-4, ST salt units 1-4 281
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Fig 7. 32 Jurassic - Cretaceous lithostratigraphic correlation in Iraq. Formations and ages based on Bellen et al., 1959, Owen and Nasr, 1958 and Buday, 1980 Locally, some of the limestone is impregnated with a kerogen-like material. These sediments were deposited in an outer-neritic environment (Marrat and Sargelu formations, respectively). Sargelu Formation (Bajocian-Bathonian?). The thickness of the formation varies from 76.22 m (250 ft) in the Burgan Field to about 33.54 m (110 ft) in the Sabriyah Field. Lithologically, the Sargelu beds show an increased proportion of argillaceous limestone. The calcareous and carbonaceous shale may contain occasional plant remains. Intercalations of oolitic limestone are found in the lower and upper parts of the formation, indicating deposition in a marginal-marine environment. The entire Sargelu Formation represents a stage in the evolution of a new regressive cycle, where intertidal, peloidal packstone overlies subtidal, argillaceous lime mudstone. The formation possesses oil potential in some areas. The formation is conformably overlain by and conformably underlies the Dhruma and Najmah formations, respectively.
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Najmah Formation (Callovian-Oxfordian). The formation consists of argillaceous limestone and locally contains from 24 to 104 m (80-340 ft) of interbedded, bituminous and calcareous black shale. The formation thins in central Kuwait and trends north-south from the Magwa to Sabriyah fields. There is an abrupt thickening at Ahmadi and a more gradual thickening towards western Kuwait (from Abduliyah to Rugei), where the limestone tends more towards lime mudstone with a few bioclastic (radiolarian) wackestone and packstone intercalations. Locally, some of the limestone is impregnated with a kerogen-like material. These sediments represent deposition in an outerneritic environment. Deep-water, euxinic conditions are inferred from the presence of black, ammonitic, radiolarian limestone. As reducing conditions are favorable for the accumulation of the organic materials, the formation currently is considered the best source rock for oil generation in the entire Jurassic section, and there is some oil production from the fractured limestone of the Najmah Formation
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic in some areas within Kuwait. The top of the Najmah Formation has been considered an unconformity, and the top is identified easily below the Gotnia evaporites. Gotnia Formation (Kimmeridgian). The formation has a thickness ranging from 229 m (750 ft) in eastern Kuwait close to the axis of the Kuwait Arch to more than 457 m (1,500 ft) on the western side of the arch in the Minagish Structure. The Gotnia Sequence is complete in the southern and western areas of Kuwait, but shows a remarkable thinning towards northeastern Kuwait across the crest of structures such as the Raudhatain, Sabriyah and Dhabi arches. The Gotnia Formation consists of the cyclic alternation of four salt and four anhydrite-limestone units. The salt is white to clear and crystalline, whereas the anhydrite is light- to dark-grey or white, earthy or argillaceous. The anhydrite interbeds are mostly interbedded with fossiliferous, argillaceous limestone, shale and some bitumen. Deposition occurred in a supersaline lagoon, so fossils are rare and consist of some ostracods and small gastropods of little stratigraphic value. The Jubailah, Hanifa and Arab formations of Saudi Arabia are the equivalents of the Gotnia Formation of Kuwait; however, the Gotnia Formation in South Iraq is equivalent to both the Gotnia and Hith formations of Kuwait. Ali (1995) demonstrated that the variations in thickness of salts across the Kuwait arch, the absence of the first unit in the north and the disappearance of three units in the south between Umm Gudair and Wafra was consistent with penecontemporaneous growth of the arch and a northward tilt. The more uniform thickness of the upper units implies growth of the Kuwait Arch ended in the upper Gotnia. The Gotnia Formation formed in an evaporitic basin in the northern Arabian Gulf, which extended from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the onshore northern Wafra Field and also includes the offshore Lulu Field in the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Divided Zone. Hith Formation (Tithonian). The formation varies in thickness from 61 m (200 ft) at Dhabi to 335 m (1,100 ft) in the Rugei fields. Southwestern Kuwait was a very mobile zone at the end of the Jurassic, and during the deposition of the Hith, it received a much thicker sequence of sediments than the rest of Kuwait. The Hith consists of a sequence of massive anhydrites interbedded and intermixed with argillaceous limestone and minor shale. In southwest Kuwait, the Hith consists of a thick sequence of interbedded lime mudstone, anhydrite and shale deposited in a sabkha-lagoonal setting. The Hith conformably overlies and underlies the Gotnia and Sulaiy formations, respectively. It act as an effective and excellent cap rock for the pre-Gotnia reservoirs.
The Jurassic of Iraq 1. Liassic Section of Iraq Ubaid Formation ("Liassic"). This formation, first described by Dunnington (1940, cited in Bellen et al., 1959), crops out in the western desert of Iraq in an area of outcrop restricted to the Rutbah uplift. The formation is not known elsewhere. Two members are recognized: the lower 25-30 m (82-98.5 ft) consist of coarse-grained and argillaceous sandstone with interbedded, variegated marl. The upper 40-50 m (131-164 fi) consist of recrystallized, oolitic-peloidal, sandy limestone with abundant chert and some minor beds of shale. The fauna, identified by Bellen et al. (1959), gives a Liassic (unspecified) age and indicates a shallow littoral to lagoonal environment. The lower contact of the formation proves to be disconforrnable. The formation rests on the eroded surface of the Zor Hauran Formation and is clearly of transgressive character. The upper boundary is unconformable and marked by beds of the Middle Cretaceous Rutbah Sandstone Formation. Butmah Formation (early Liassic). The Butmah Formation does not crop out, although it is found in nearly all subsurface sections from the Foothills Zone to the Mesopotamian Zone. As described by Bellen et al. (1959) and Buday (1980), it consists of three units: a lower 120 m (or about 394 ft) succession of limestone with some interbedded anhydrite, followed by a middle unit of about 180 m (590 ft) of oolitic and peloidal limestone, argillaceous and detrital limestone, which include some sands, shale, dolomitic limestone and glauconite. The upper unit, 200 m (656 ft) thick, consists of oolitic-peloidal limestone, some detrital limestone with shaly interbeds, and some anhydrite. The Butmah Formation was laid down in a lagoonal environment with some clastic input, substantially less, however, than that found in the beds of the Ubaid Formation. The macrofaunal debris, ostracods and forminifera indicate a Liassic age. The basal contact is conformable with, and grades down into, the underlying Baluti Shale. The top contact is abrupt, marked by the thick-bedded anhydrites of the Adaiyah Formation. Baluti Formation (Rhaetic). The formation is made up of 35-80 m (115-262 ft) of gray-green and gray shale with thin, intercalated, dolomitic, silicified, oolitic limestone and recrystallized breccias formed in a lagoonal to estuarine environment (Buday, 1980). The lower and upper contacts of the formation are conformable and gradational. The formation is confined to the outcrops on the High Folded, Imbricated and Northern Thrust zones. Adaiyah Formation (late Liassic). The Adaiyah Formation, found in the Mesopotamian and Foothills zones of Iraq, was named by Dunnington from well Adaiyah-1 (Dunnington, 1953, cited in Bellen et al., 1959) for a sequence of 30-100 m (98-328 ft) of bedded anhydrites with subordinate inclusions of brownish limestone; black,
283
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East calcareous shale; greenish marl; and an occasional salt bed, an almost pure, evaporitic, lagoonal facies. Fossils are rare, mainly gastropod, echinoid debris and small ostracods. The age, therefore, is based on regional stratigraphic considerations. It shows a gradational passage up into the carbonates of the Mus Formation.The formation is distributed throughout the Foothill and Mesopotamian zones of the mobile shelf and along the edge of the stable shelf in Iraq and Syria to the north of, and around, the Euphrates River. Mus Formation (early Toarcian). The formation was first defined in well Butmah-2 in Iraq, which lies in the Foothills Zone, by Dunnington (1953, cited in Bellen et al., 1959). In the wells that penetrate the formation, it has a thickness in the 30-40 m (98-131 fi) range, made up of recrystallized and dolomitized limestone interbedded with marly limestone and subordinate, calcareous shale in the lower part, passing into the upper section of peloidal, slightly dolomitic limestone with intercalations of marly limestone (Bellen et al., 1959). According to the relatively abundant fauna, the age of the formation is late Liassic, although the fauna does not suffice for precise age identification, and the probable early Toarcian age assigned (Bellen et al., 1959; Buday, 1980) was based on faunal and facies comparison with the Sekhanian Formation in the thrust area of Northeast Iraq and Southeast Turkey. The formation has roughly the same distribution as the underlying Adaiyah (anhydrite) Formation in the Foothills and Mesopotamian areas of the unstable shelf and may occur on the stable shelf north of the Euphrates River. It also has been recognized in the adjacent areas of northeastern Syria, and it is represented to the north by the middle "Lithiotis Limestone" Member of the Sekhanian Formation. The Mus Formation was deposited in a normal marine environment and, thus, represents an interval of more normal salinity between two intervals marked by the development of evaporitic lagoons. The upper and lower limits of the formation usually are conformable and gradational; however, in well Mileh Tharthar-1, the overlying Alan has a basal, sandy conglomerate over an erosional unconformity (recognized by Bellen et al., 1959; but not by Dittmar et al., 1971, in Buday, 1980). Tentatively recognizing this break, it has been correlated with an "intra-Liassic break" indicated in the Butmah Formation by a clastic incursion, and with the break between the Ubaid and Muhaiwir formations in the Rutbah-Ga'ara area of western Iraq. Alan Formation (latest Liassic). The formation is found on the western parts of the unstable shelf and stable shelf area and has the same areal distribution as the underlying Mus Formation. It is composed of bedded anhydrites with thin, pseudo-oolitic limestone, and halite also may occur in some areas. In thickness, the formation ranges from 0 to 60 m (0-197 ft), with the anhydrites frequently wedging out. The formation is unfossiliferous; hence, its assigned age, latest Liassic, depends upon its stratigraphic position. The formation is a typical product of an evapor-
284
itic stage of sedimentation at the end of the Liassic cycle. The evaporitic lagoons were not present throughout the entire basin, and in some areas such as Ain Zalah, they were replaced by calcareous, lagoonal or neritic sediments (Buday, 1980; Bellen et al., 1959). The formation has conformable and gradational contact with both the underlying and overlying formations. Sarki Formation (early Liassic). In the High Folded, Imbricated and Thrust zones of northern Iraq, the Liassic sequences have different formational names. The Sarki Formation was first named and described by Dunnington (1952, in Bellen et al., 1959). It is widely distributed and has two divisions. The lower 120 m (about 394 ft) consists of thinly bedded, cherty and dolomitic limestone, alternating with shale, saccharoidal dolomite, shell breccias, microconglomerates and oolitic limestone. The thicker upper unit (180 m, or about 590 ft) is made up of soft, cavernous dolomite and cherty dolomite, alternating with thin shale and marl. The fauna it contains suggests an early Liassic age. The formation maintains a generally dolomitic character throughout, although there is considerable thickness and lithological variation, and the two-fold division described can be maintained only in the type area of northern Iraq. The formation can reach a thickness of the order of 500 m (1,640 ft) in the northern ranges. The generally accepted interpretation of the depositional environment is of a lagoonal evaporitic setting, but as evaporites are few, and recrystallization breccias do not form an appreciable thickness, more accent may be placed on shallow, neritic conditions with frequent lagoonal intervals (Buday, 1980). The fauna, which contains small gastropods and non-diagnostic foraminifera in addition to fish and algal debris, establishes a Liassic age, while the early Liassic age depends upon stratigraphic position between the well-dated Late Triassic (Kurra Chine Formation) and the topmost Liassic and Bajocian Sargelu Formation. It probably is closely correlative with the Butmah Formation and with the upper part of the Dolaa Formation of Syria. Sekhanian Formation (late Liassic). The Sekhanian Formation has a distribution similar to that of the Sarki Formation in the High Folded and Thrust zones of northeastern Iraq. First named and described by Wetzel and Morton (1950, cited by Bellen et al., 1959), the formation has been divided into three members discernible only in the type area; elsewhere, the potential divisions are obscured by intensive dolomitization. The lower member consists of 85 m (279 ft) of dark, sucrosic dolomite and dolomitized limestone with some solution breccias. The middle member of about 44 m (144 ft) is made up of fossiliferous and peloidal limestone; the so-called Lithiotis Limestone Member often is dolomitized and contains chert. The upper member has about 51 m (167 ft) of dark, fetid, saccharoidal dolomite and dolomitic limestone again containing some chert. The upper and lower boundaries of the formation are clear and conformable; however, the upper boundary with the Sargelu Formation is obscured by dolomitization in some places.
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic In the Northern Thrust Zone, although a three-fold division can be recognized, there are some facies differences, and dark, fetid dolomites and dolomitic limestone predominate. However, the fauna recovered shows close resemblances to the Lithiotic limestone fauna, and a local formational name, Zulam Formation, has been applied to these Sekhanian equivalents (Buday, 1980). The formation may equate to the Mus-Alan-Adaiyah formations of the Mesopotamian and Foothills zones and to the middle and upper parts of the Marrat Formation of Saudi Arabia (Buday, 1980). The formation was deposited under neritic conditions, but occasionally shows lagoonal-evaporitic influences in the lower part, with the incoming of more euxinic conditions in the middle and upper parts.
2. The Dogger Section of Iraq The Dogger in this section north from Saudi Arabia is represented by only two formations: the Muhaiwir, which occurs over that part of the stable platform lying south of the Euphrates River; and the Sargelu Formation, which replaces it north of the river. Muhaiwir Formation (Bathonian). The Muhaiwir Formation was first described by Wetzel (1951, in Bellen et al., 1959). It is distributed in outcrop and subsurface sections over the stable shelf of Iraq south of the Euphrates River only. Surface sections are of the order of 50 m (about 164 ft) in thickness. It is a persistent of relatively heterogeneous assemblage with the dominant lithology being marly, oolitic and sometimes sandy limestone. Interbedded with the carbonates are alternating sandstone and soft, marly and fine-grained limestone. The uppermost part is a purely carbonate section of limestone and marly limestone. The formation was deposited under neritic conditions in a sea of normal salinity. It contains an abundant fauna that clearly indicates a Bathonian age, but no evidence has been found to indicate the presence of Bajocian either in the type area or in wells. At the top of the formation, there is a clear unconformity with the overlying Cretaceous Rutbah Sandstone. Because of poor outcrop, the lower boundary cannot be clearly defined. Sargelu Formation (Liassic-Bathonian). The formation, which crops out in the High Folded and Imbricated and Northern Thrust zones, is widely distributed in subsurface south as far as the Euphrates River. It was first recognized and described by Wetzel (1948, in Bellen et al., 1959) in the High Folded Zone, where it ranges in thickness from 20 to 125 m (66-410 ft). However, over the Foothills Zone and in the unstable shelf part of the Mesopotamian Basin, the thickness increases to 250-500 m (820-1,640 ft). Lithologically, it is a fairly uniform formation consisting of thinly bedded, black, bituminous limestone, dolomitic limestone and thin, papery shale. Streaks or lenses of black chert are found in the succession's upper part (Bellen et al., 1959). Although the depositional environment was generally euxinic, the degree of aeration var-
ied, and some layers show a higher degree of oxygenation. The relatively abundant fauna in the Sargelu beds indicates an age ranging from the latest Liassic to Bathonian. However, as a possible Middle Jurassic age has been assigned to Posidonia faunas found in the underlying Sekhanian Formation, there must either be an error in the age assignment, or the boundaries between the two formations may be diachronous or simply facies-controlled. The depositional environment provides evidence of the development of an intracratonic, euxinic basin, so the appearance of aerated conditions and the similarities of the fauna would suggest that the basin never reached any great depths, although the thickness changes show that the total subsidence reached several hundred feet. The base of the formation is not well-defined and appears to be both conformable and gradational, but it is obscured by dolomitization, as remarked earlier. The top of the formation is an erosional unconformity, and much of the Callovian may be absent (Bellen et al., 1959).
3. The Maim Section of lraq (Early Cycle, Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian) As Buday (1980) pointed out, the break that can be recognized in Iraq at the beginning of the Dogger is related to the proximity of parts of the region to the continental margin where Kimmerian tectonic activity was occurring in the internal part of the Alpine Geosyncline. The very existence of the intrashelf basin, which developed during the Dogger, is related to these events. The effects of the tectonic movements are felt very little in the stable shelf area. Within the Maim, there are two sub-cycles separated by a minor sea-level fall at the end of the Kimmeridgian (Haq et al., 1988). The upper sub-cycle continues into the Berriasian (Early Cretaceous). Both formations of the lower sub-cycle, the Najmeh and Gotnia, are assigned the same age limits, as it appears clear that the Gotnia anhydrites may be both underlain and overlain by Najmeh carbonates. Thus, the "Gotnia Formation" merely represents an evaporitic lithofacies, and the two facies appear to interfinger in the Kirkuk section. In the High Folded and Northern Thrust zones, the time-correlative beds are the Barsarin and Naokelekan formations. Both formations are condensed and may have numerous breaks in sedimentation, but despite this, the depositional environments indicated do not differ significantly from those found in the Lurestan Basin.
Najmah Formation (Callovian-early Kimmeridgian). The early Late Jurassic sub-cycle includes the Najmah and Gotnia formations, which extend from the stable shelf over the southern part of the unstable shelf. The Najmah Formation consists of the shallow-water, calcareous, neritic and lagoonal lithofacies that developed over the stable shelf and the southern part of the unstable shelf during the early part of the Late Jurassic and is equivalent to the Tuwaiq Mountain, Hanifa and Jubailah formations and the
285
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East lower part of the Arab Formation in Saudi Arabia. The type section was established in the Foothills Zone (well Najmah-29) by Bellen et al. (1959), and the description was completed by Kadhim and Nasr (1971 in Buday, 1980). In the type area, the succession consists of alternating fine-grained, recrystallized limestone and oolitic and peloidal limestone (Bellen et al., 1959). The maximum thickness of the formation reaches 330 m (about 1,082 ft). The formation has yielded abundant foraminifera and is assigned a Callovian-early Kimmeridgian age (Fig. 7.3). The lower contact is unconformable with the Dogger, but the upper contact is conformable. To the north, the formation is replaced by the condensed and carbonaceous Naokeleken and Barsarin formations.
Gotnia (Anhydrite) Formation (Callovian-early Kimmeridgian). The Gotnia Formation in the Mesopotamian Basin is made up of bedded anhydrites with subordinate intercalations of brown, calcareous shale; thin, black, bituminous shale; and recrystallized and oolitic limestone. In extreme southeastern Iraq, rock salt is found (Bellen et al., 1959). The thickness of the formation is about 200 m (656 ft) in the type area. The formation was deposited in a supersaline lagoon and has very rare fossils with some ostracods and foraminifera such as Helisaccus dunningtoni and Glomospira sp. The contacts of the formation at its type locality with the underlying Najmah and the overlying Makhul formations and in other subsurface sections are usually conformable.
Naokelekan Formation (late Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian). The lower of the two condensed formations found in the High Folded, Imbricate and Northern Thrust zones of Iraq, the Naokelekan Formation was first described by Wetzel and Morton (1950, in Bellen et al., 1959). It ranges in thickness from 10 to 30 m (33-98 ft) of thinly bedded, highly bituminous dolomites and limestone interbedded with black, bituminous shale in the lower part passing upward into fine-grained, thinly bedded, fossiliferous, dolomitic limestone; shaly, bituminous shale; and fine-grained limestone (Buday, 1980). The fauna found particularly in the fossiliferous, dolomitic limestone ("Mottled Bed" and "Coal Bed") provide a late Oxfordian age; there is no indication of the existence of the Callovian or early Oxfordian or the presence of the middle-late Kimmeridgian, yet both contacts of the formation are said to be conformable. The beds were deposited in a euxinic environment in a slowly subsiding basin. Barsarin Formation ("Late Jurassic"). The Barsarin Formation, the second condensed formation, occurs in the High Folded Zone of northeastern Iraq. It has a thickness ranging from 20 to 60 m (66-197 ft). It was described by Wetzel (1950, in Bellen et al., 1959) as a sequence of limestone, dolomitic limestone and cherty, contorted and brecciated carbonates where brecciation is attributed to the solution of a former evaporite content. In the absence of fossils, the age cannot be precisely determined, except by stratigraphic position. It is distributed over the same area as the underlying Naokelekan Forma286
tion. The Barsarin Formation is believed to have been deposited, at least in part, in a lagoonal-evaporitic environment, partially indicated by the presence of anhydrite and oolitic limestone interbeds in some sections, and partly by the presence of brecciated and crumpled beds (Buday, 1980). The contacts of the formation are conformable above and below.
4. The Maim Section of lraq (Late Sub-cycle, Tithonian-Berriasian) Widely distributed over the more northerly part of the unstable shelf is the Chia Gara Formation, which interfingers with the Makhul Formation and the Karima Mudstone Formation in the Foothills Zone of Iraq. Over the stable shelf and the southwestern part of the unstable shelf in Iraq, the upper sub-cycle is represented by the Sulaiy Formation. The formation as used in this sense includes both the Tithonian and Berriasian, unlike Saudi Arabia, where it is restricted to the Early Cretaceous (Buday, 1980). Makhul Formation (Tithonian). This formation was first established by Dunnington (1935, in Bellen et al., 1959). In the type section, in well Mukhul-1, it consists of 300 m (more than 984 ft) of argillaceous limestone and calcareous mudstone, sometimes dolomitized or recrystallized. Near the base of the formation, peloidal limestone and nodules of anhydrite are found, and peloidal limestone reappears near the top. In general terms, the formation is relatively heterogeneous, but essentially neritic and calcareous in character, with clear signs of a pellet and silty sandstone supply. The existence of periodic lagoonal intervals is shown by the occurrence of oolite and anhydrite as well as infrequent pelagic incursions. The formation has a local character and developed at the margin of the stable shelf in central Iraq. It is considered a somewhat more shallow-water, nearshore facies. It grades laterally into the pelagic Chia Gara Formation. The lower boundary of the Makhul Formation with the Gotnia anhydrites usually is sharp but conformable; the top contact apparently also is conformable, but involves a break that can be erosional in some places.
Chia Gara Formation (middle Tithonian-Berriasian). The formation is widely distributed throughout the mobile shelf and the Mesopotamian Zone, where it intertongues with the Mukhul Formation of the High Folded Zone. The type locality lies in the High Folded Zone, where it was first described by Wetzel (1950, in Bellen et al., 1959) from a location in the Chia Gara Anticline. Lithologically, the formation is uniform throughout Iraq, consisting of two basic lithofacies types" thinly bedded limestone and calcareous shale in the lower part of the section, followed by an upper part in which marly limestone and marl predominate. In the type section, a thickness of 230 m (754 ft) was recorded, but the thickness may range from 30 to 300 m (98-984 ft). Based on ammonites, common in a formation depos-
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic ited in an open sea, the age ranges from the middle Tithonian to Berriasian. There remains, however, some doubt concerning the relation of the formation to the underlying and overlying beds. The interfingering with the Makhul Formation in the area of the Foothills Zone and the presence of occasional silty layers are an indication both of the shallowness of the sea and of uplift in the adjoining continental area, extending roughly from west of the Tigris and linked to the Mardin Uplift in southem Turkey. The basal contact of the formation in the type section with the underlying Barsarin Formation is said to be conformable, although a break in sedimentation is suspected. The upper contact is much less certain, but in the type area in the southeastern part of the High Folded Zone and in the Imbricated Zone, a gradational, conformable transition to the lagoonal, oolitic limestone beds of the Valanginian Garagu Formation generally is accepted. However, in areas north of the type area, in the Northern Thrust Zone, an erosional contact exists, and a conglomerate may form at the base of the Valanginian Garagu beds.
Karima Mudstone Formation (Tithonian-Berriasian). This formation is a sequence of monotonous, darkcolored, calcareous mudstone that, according to Bellen et al. (1959), was first described by McGinty (1953, cited in Bellen et al, 1959) in well Kirkuk-109 in the Foothills Zone. It has a relatively restricted extent (until about 1980, it was only recorded in one well), but reaches a considerable thickness (610 m, or about 2,001 ft). It is presumed to have been deposited in a narrow, rapidly sinking local basin in which, on occasion, euxinic conditions developed. It contains a fauna of ostracods, some radiolaria, small gastropods and rare, small, pyritized ammonites (Deptoceras sp.). The relation of the formation to the more widely distributed Makhul and Chia Gara formations is not clear, but the basin is presumed to be the result of local movements that began during the deposition of the upper part of the Chia Gara Formation; hence, the upper part of the Karimia Formation is younger than both of the latter formations. The movements are regarded by Buday (1980) as the first indications of an intra-Berriasian break. Sulaiy Formation (Tithonian-middle Berriasian?). According to Powers (1968), the formation was first defined on the stable shelf in Saudi Arabia. In southern Iraq, it has a thickness ranging from 100 to 400 m (3281,312 ft) of neritic, detrital limestone, some oolites and hard, recrystallized limestone, and rare interbeds of sandy shale (Bellen et al., 1959). The age is based upon its microfaunal content, but evidence is insufficient at this point to determine whether the formation extends only through the middle, or whether the entire Berriasian may be present. The formation is in apparent conformable contact with the overlying Ratawi Formation. In places where it is followed by the Zubair Formation, the boundary may be slightly unconformable or disconformable. At the lower boundary, some arenaceous layers indicate a possible short uplift or time break. Passing to the northeast through the Mesopotamian
Basin and the Foothills Zone to the High Folded and Northern Thrust zones, the equivalent formations are the combination of the Makhul and Chia Gara formations with some or all of the Karima Formation.
THE JURASSIC SECTION IN N O R T H W E S T E R N
AND NORTHERN ARABIAN PLATFORM The information available from Syria and southeastern Turkey, as in Jordan, is not very detailed, both from the lack of outcrop, the small amount of accessible subsurface data lacking in good micropaleontological control, in addition to losses through post-Jurassic erosion.
The Jurassic of Jordan Surface Formations Wetzel and Morton (1959) and Bender (1963, cited in Bender, 1974) provide an early record of Jurassic outcrops in Jordan in their description of a section in Wadi Huni on the northern side of the Zerga River. Subsequently, a more detailed account was provided by Bandel (1981), who recognized six Jurassic formations (Fig. 7.33). The following brief descriptions are based upon his account. Deir Alia Formation (early Liassic). The formation consists of a lower Huni Member and an upper Nimr Member, with a total thickness of 30-35 m (98-115 It). The Huni Member, about 15 m (49 ft) thick, is composed of purple clay, with abundant hematitic pisolites, followed upward by thinly bedded, fossiliferous limestone of marine origin and bioturbated sandstone and claystone containing fossil plant roots. In subsurface, sandy intercalations are lacking, and pisolitic clays are overlain by ferruginous oolite and limestone. The Nimr Member, 17-18 m (56-59 fi) thick, includes sandy limestone intercalations, layers of quartz gravel and some conglomeratic bands. The sand and gravel are indications of the proximity of shoreline and fluvial influences. Commonly, the sands and gravel have become intermixed with the marl and limestone as a result of bioturbation. The limestone may be oncolitic and contains a rich marine fauna. Zarga Formation (late Liassic). The formation, which ranges in thickness from 35 to 70 m (115-230 ft), consists of three members (in ascending order): the Humra, Um Butma and Farush members. The lowest, Humra Member, measures some 25 m (82 ft)in thickness and consists of three massive, cross-bedded sandstone units separated from one another by channel and flaser sands and capped by a bioturbated sandstone which is overlain by a dolomite unit. The sediments show the characteristics of shallow-marine deposits on intertidal fiats. The Um Butma Member is 25 m (82 ft) thick and composed principally of an 11 m (36 ft) sandstone with a conglomeratic base that overlies 12 m (39 ft) of bioturbated and flaser-bedded sandstone grading upward to parallel-
287
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288
arenaceous unit, showing both cross-bedding and gradedbedding, with only a limited number of flaser-bedded units showing traces of bioturbation. However, ferruginou~ hard grounds, dolomitic cement and some dolomite beds are present. The depositional environment indicates a shallowmarine environment with tidal fiats and channels now filled with sand. Dhahab Formation (early Middle Jurassic). This principally limestone unit (Fig. 7.33) ranges from 43 m (141 ft) in thickness in Wadi Um Butma to 54 m (177 ft) in
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic Wadi Zarqa. The limestone usually is fine-grained and totally bioturbated, with a pattern characteristic of a noncompacted, crab tunnel system. The limestone contains a rich fauna of bivalves, echinoids, crinoids, brachiopods, corals and calcareous algae. The formation is divided into four units (in ascending order): a first unit of 6-7 m (20-23 ft) of interbedded marl and limestone, a second unit of 1011 m (33-36 ft) of marl and clay, a third unit of dolomitized limestone 29 m (95 ft) thick, and a fourth unit of 7 m (23 ft) of interbedded marl and limestone. The sediments are laid down in a well-illuminated, shallow-shelf sea with abundant organic activity. Umm Maghara Formation (middle Dogger). The Umm Maghara Formation has three members - - Dafali, Mintar and Ramad - - which together total about 85-125 m (279-410 ft). The Dafali Member, the lowest member, consists of 35 m (115 ft) of cross-bedded sandstone with about half showing large-scale cross-beds, conglomerate horizons and trunks of driftwood, and the remainder has flaser bedding and is weakly to strongly bioturbated. It is somewhat thicker than in well Ramtha-1. Some of the arenaceous beds have a dolomitic matrix and may be completely churned up by bioturbation, and such beds may be capped by ferruginous oolites. The lower two thirds of the Mintar Member, which is 41-44 m (134-144 ft) thick, consist mainly of sandstone, with the upper third consisting of limestone and marl. As in the underlying Dafali Member, the basal, flaser sands contain driftwood trunks and some quartz conglomerates overlain by bioturbated, argillaceous, flaser-bedded sands associated with ferruginous oolites. There is a fauna of brachiopods, gastropods, crinoids and bivalves in the upper part of the member. The Ramad Member is 45 m (148 ft) thick and is composed totally of sandstone with some silty partings. Where the sands have been channelled, the channels are filled with cross-bedded sand. Signs of bioturbation are lacking. Conglomeratic horizons with quartz pebbles up to 1 cm occur in the channels. The general depositional environment of the formation is shallow-marine and tidal-fiat with fluviatile influences and overbank, silty and clay-rich deposits becoming more important upward. Breaks in sedimentation are suggested by the occurrence of ferruginous crusts and oolites found in the middle member, the Mintar Member. Arda Formation (late Dogger). The 55-70 m (180230 ft) Arda Formation consists of a lower Bin Fa'as Member and an upper Ain Khuneizir Member. The base of the Bin Fa'as Member is marked by the appearance of crossbedded sands that contain abundant driftwood. Large, lenticular sand bodies fill channels cut into the silty intercalations within the sand sequence, and these are overlain by flaser sands. The latter pass up into dolomitic sands overlain in turn by ferruginous oolites. The top of the member is primarily a sandy dolomite to dolomitic sandstone. This member was deposited as fluviatile sands. The Ain Khuneizir Member consists in the basal part of silty shale with thin, sideritic intercalations. Plant remains and amber are
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Fig. 7.34. Stratigraphic chart of the Jurassic formations compiled for Jordan, Syria and western Iraq. present throughout. Above the silty shale and cutting into them are cross-bedded sands. Dolomite and ferruginous oolite followed by claystone overlie the shale. In the Arda area, the lower terrestrial facies have been replaced by marly and sandy beds with a rich marine fauna, whereas the middle sandstone and upper limestone are in much the same lithofacies. Muaddi Formation (Maim). The formation is terminated by the conspicuous Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous unconformity, and only 55-80 m (180-262 ft) are exposed. Two members, the Shaban and Tahuna members, are recognized. The lower, the Shaban Member, is about 40 m (131 It) thick and consists of finely laminated shale overlain by dolomite and dolomitic sandstone deposited in a transitional zone between non-marine and marine environments. The Tahuna Member is about 35 m (115 ft) thick. The lower 15 m (49 ft) consists of non-bioturbated claystone with intercalated, sideritic bands and passes upward into marl and shale with some intercalated limestone. The limestone is partly oncolitic, partly fine-grained and always fossiliferous. The top of the member is formed by a 20 m (66 ft) of fossiliferous, fine-grained limestone, which commonly is dolomitized for a few meters below the unconformity. The sediments were deposited in terrestrial to shallow-marine environments. Subsurface Formations The Jurassic is found in subsurface in northwesternmost Jordan (north of Amman) and in the north and northeast in the A1-Harrat and western Risha areas. The term "Azab Group" was introduced for the Jurassic strata in northern Jordan by Khalil and Muneizel (1992, in Andrews, 1992). The group is dominated by limestone, dolomite, dolomitic limestone, sandstone, clayey siltstone and marl and ranges in thickness from 28 m (92 ft) in well 289
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East Risha-12 to 598 m (1961 ft) in Ajlun-1. The basal rocks of the Azab Group unconformably overlie the Triassic Ramtha Group, and the upper boundary is a prominent unconformity surface overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Kumub Sandstone. Andrews (1992), based on available outcrop and borehole data, subdivided the Azab Group in northwest Jordan into six formations (Fig. 7.34), which are summarized below. In the Risha and A1-Harra areas, where the Jurassic is thin and lacks the characteristic subdivisions, beds dated as Jurassic are assigned to the Azab Group, with an age ranging from the Bathonian to mid-Callovian, and are bounded by unconformities above and below (Andrews, 1992). The thickness ranges from 28 m (92 ft) in well Risha-12 to 144 m (472 ft) in Qitar el Abd-1. The group is composed of finely crystalline limestone, partly argillaceous, vuggy, oolitic, pyritic, bituminous and glauconitic, with some thin, pyritic shale. In some wells, the basal Jurassic is composed of claystone overlain by medium- to coarse-grained sandstone.
Azab Group (Hettangian-Oxfordian) Hihi Formation (late Hettangian-Sinemurian). The formation originally was assigned as the Huni Member of the Deir Alla Formation (Bandel, 1981), but was raised to formation status by Khalil and Muneizel (1992) based on lithology. The formation is found in only four wells (Ajlun-1, Er Ramtha-lA, Northern Highlands-2 and S-90). The thickness ranges from 51 m (167 ft) at Ajlun-1 to 6 m (20 ft) in Er Ramtha-lA. The formation is composed of silty claystone (silty to sandy, calcareous and limonitic) interbedded with thin beds of oolitic, peloidal, slightly argillaceous limestone and fine- to medium-grained sandstone. The base of the Hihi Formation rests unconformably on the underlying anhydrite, claystone and limestone of the Abu Ruweis Formation. The top is gradational and marked the change from shale to the thick limestone of the Nimr Formation. The formation was deposited in a shallow-marine environment with strong continental influence and a nearshore lagoon. Nimr Formation (Pliensbachian-mid-Toarcian). The formation is the upper member of the Deir Alla Formation of Bandel (1981) and was raised to formation status by Khalil and Muneizel (1992). Found in the same four wells that penetrate the Hihi Formation, it ranges from 14 m (46 ft) in Er Ramtha-lA to a thickness of 35 m (115 ft) in Northern Highlands-2. The formation is composed of shale and is overlain and underlain by thick beds of oolitic, dolomitic limestone. In Er Ramtha-lA, no shale has been reported, and the Nimr Formation here is composed of microcrystalline, slightly dolomitic limestone with intercalations of oolitic, sandy and limonitic limestone at the top. The Nimr Formation rests conformably on the underlying Hihi Formation. The top is gradational and placed where the limestone of the Nimr passes into the interbedded sandstone, limestone and shale of the Silal Formation.
290
The Nimr Formation was deposited on a shallow, warmwater, carbonate shelf into which there was a low influx of clastics probably derived from rivers. Silal Formation (mid-late Toarcian-Aalenian). The formation was known previously as the Zarqa Formation (Bandel, 1981) and renamed the Silal Formation by Khalil and Muneizel (1992) to avoid confusion with the originally defined Zarqa Group. It also is found in the same four wells that penetrate the Hihi and Nimr formations and ranges in thickness from 57 m (187 ft) in well Ajlun-1 to 25 m (82 ft) in Northern Highlands-2. The Silal Formation consists of interbedded, medium- to coarse-grained sandstone; coarse-grained, silica-cemented sandstone; and silty to sandy, slightly calcareous shale interbedded with black, oolitic, argillaceous limestone. No sandstone was reported in well Northern Highlands-2, where the formation is dominated by the interbedded, oolitic limestone and shale. The lower contact is picked where the thick-bedded limestone of the Nimr is overlain by the interbedded sandstone, limestone and shale of the Salil Formation. The top is where the clastic Silal Formation is overlain by the more massive Dhahab carbonates. The formation was deposited in northwestern Jordan in a shallow-marine environment with an influx of clastic material indicated by the minor transgressions and regressions that affected this area. Dhahab Formation (Bajocian). The formation is found in the same wells as the other Jurassic formations of northwest Jordan. It ranges in thickness from 101 m (331 ft) in well Northern Highlands-2 to 77 m (253 ft) in Er Ramtha-lA. Lithologically, the formation consists of microcrystalline to macrocrystalline, slightly argillaceous dolomite with thin streaks of limestone. The dolomites are fractured, but cemented by slightly anhydritic and locally argillaceous dolomite. The lower contact is taken where the interbedded, mixed limestone/clastics of the Silal Formation are overlain by the thick limestone of the Dhahab Formation. The upper contact is placed between carbonates of the Dhahab and an interbedded shale/limestone sequence of the Ramla Formation. The Dhahab Formation was laid down on a shallow-marine shelf.
Ramla and l-lamam formations and equivalents (Bathonian). These mainly carbonate beds with only a minor clastic component were assigned to the Ramla and Hamam formations by Khalil and Muneizel (1992). In subsurface, the two formations are indistinguishable. They are equivalent to Um Maghara and Arda formations of Bandel (1981). They occur only in the same four wells in northwestern Jordan, with a thickness ranging from 71 m (233 ft) in well Northern Highlands-2 to 57 m (187 ft) in Er Ramtha-1A. The Ramla and Hamam formations consist of a basal shale followed by interbedded, macro-crystalline dolomite and dolomitic limestone with fine- to medium-grained sandstone and shale. The lower contact is gradational and conformable, marking the lithological change from the limestone of the Dhahab Formation to the thick shale of the basal Ramla and Hamam formations. The upper contact again marks a lithological change from
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic the mixed lithologies of the Ramla/Hamam formations to the uniform limestone of the Mughanniya Formation. The sediments were deposited in shallow-water (inter- to subtidal) and fluvial or tidal channels.
Mughanniya Formation (CaUovian-Oxfordian). The formation, the youngest Jurassic formation in Jordan, is partly equivalent to the Muaddi Formation of Bandel (1981). It is found in northwest Jordan, ranging in thickness from 83 m (272 ft) in well S-90 to 304 m (997 ft) in Ajlun-1. The formation consists of finely to coarsely crystalline dolomite (carbonaceous or highly bituminous in places) and patches of massive anhydrite, followed upward by argillaceous, glauconitic limestone with thin beds of claystone. The lower contact is placed where the Ramla/Hamam limestone is succeeded by the dolomite of the Mughanniya Formation. The upper contact of the formation is marked by an unconformity over which rests the sandstone of the Lower Cretaceous Kurnub Sandstone. The Mughanniya indicates a marginal-marine to sabkha environment of deposition. The Jurassic of Syria
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Fig. 7.38 Paleogeographic map of the Middle East during the late Oxfordian-eady Kimmeridgian (modified from Murris, 1980 and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG).
Tithonlan Fig. 7.39Paleogeographic map of the Middle East during the Tithonian (modified from Murris, 1980, and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG).
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Jurassic few hundred meters, the depth of the southern Arabian Gulf Basin never exceeded a few tens of meters. These intrashelf basins are extraordinarily important economically, as they were areas in which euxinic conditions developed leading to the preservation of kerogen-rich, bituminous lime muds and marl, which later became the source for the hydrocarbons trapped in the Late Jurassic Arab reservoirs (Murris, 1980; Alsharhan and Kendall, 1986). In the eastern part of the Arabian Gulf, the continental margin that separated the carbonate-evaporite platform from the open ocean was exposed during the OxfordianKimmeridgian, and little or no sedimentation occurred east of this margin, and only the rising sea levels of the Late Jurassic restored pelagic sedimentation. To the west over the main lagoonal-evaporitic basins, more openmarine conditions developed, with the consequent absence of clastics and the deposition of carbonate sediments under euxinic conditions in the intrashelf basins. During the Tithonian (Fig. 7.39), the climate became more arid, thus aiding the development of the extensive evaporites deposited on the very shallow platform that existed over much of the Arabian Gulf and in the Lurestan Basin in the northern Arabian Gulf, where basinal salt and laminated anhydrite interbedded with shale were formed.
In the northern part of the Arabian Plate, late Dogger tectonic movements continued to be felt in eastern Iraq, Kuwait and eastern Saudi Arabia generally, as uplift affected the divides between basins. This is reflected in the differences in lithofacies and the consequent lithological variety found in the Late Jurassic, particularly during the Kimmeridgian, effects not apparent in the southern part of the Arabian Plate where neritic conditions reigned. In the High Folded and Thrust zones of northeastern Iraq, the effects are shown by the occurrence of sections of reduced thickness, sequence breaks and sediments that show some euxinic influences in the lower units and lagoonal-evaporitic influences in the upper units. In the opinion of Buday (1980), the northern promontory of the Arabian Platform acted as a shallow marginal ridge whose northem margin is still unknown. North and northeast of that ridge in southeastern Turkey (Altinli, 1966; Strcklin, 1968), there is a relatively thick, clastic, lagoonal section, and a partly lagoonal, partly molasse sequence in northwestern Iran, indicating the presence of a more northerly, rapidly subsiding Maim Trough (Ftirst, 1970). The southwestern boundary of that ridge coincides with the edge of the Rutbah-Khleissia High, which now extends into the Foothills Zone west of Mosul in Iraq.
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Chapter 8 THE LATE M E S O Z O I C PART OF THE ZUNI CYCLE IN THE M I D D L E EAST : THE C R E T A C E O U S
INTRODUCTION
change in sea level also is the explanation of the ramp and platform stages of carbonate deposition described by Murris (1980). During low sea-level stands, clastic sediments from the Arabian Shield to the west pushed eastward, restricting carbonate development to the region closer to the present Arabian Gulf. It is of interest that during this time period, it is hard to see any systematic, easterly shift in the shoreline position. Consequently, it must be assumed that the western part of the Afro-Arabian Plate must have been undergoing concomitant uplift, both preserving the location of the shoreline and maintaining the grain size of the clastic sediments prograding eastward. The southern and northern parts of the Arabian Platform are better treated as discrete units or areas, because their histories are somewhat different. The tectonically active "geosynclinal" area (northern Iraq and northwestern Iran) also requires separate treatment. During the Cretaceous, in the northern part of the Arabian Plate, the Lurestan Basin maintained its integrity; while in the southern Arabian Gulf, additional, smaller, intracratonic basins developed [the Abu Dhabi and Shilaif/Khatiyah intrashelf basins of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and western Oman. The principal effect on the sedimentary regime of the Late Cretaceous tectonic movements, which closed the Neotethys, was the restriction of the basins in which the Cenozoic sediments were subsequently deposited. The final phase in the history of the area is dominated by the Neogene phase of tectonism and the filling of the Mesopotamian Trough of Iraq along its axis, a process still in progress. The chapter will begin by providing some general introductory information concerning the development of terminology, followed by type-section descriptions for each of the three divisions. Subsequently, sections from other parts of the Arabian Platform will be compared against the type sections, balancing the utility of first establishing a type section, regardless of area, against the repetition of describing the section country by country. In this manner, the lithofacies changes can be related to the changing tectono-stratigraphic environments. The lithostratigraphic correlation of the southern and northern parts of the Middle East is shown in Figs. 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5. All the Cretaceous formations mentioned in the text are listed in Table 8.1.
There are two distinct phases in the geological evolution of the Cretaceous of the Middle East that reflect its tectonic history. For the greater part of the Cretaceous, the depositional environment conditions of a shallow carbonate shelf persisted over the region, continuing the pattern established during the Jurassic. During this time, the subduction that was occurring under the zone of the present Zagros had very little effect on the Arabian Platform. However, by Campanian time sediments were being deposited into a developing foredeep, which marked the closing of the Neotethys and the emplacement of nappes and ophiolites in Oman and Iran. The ophiolites are dated at about 90 Ma and extend from Iran (Kermanshah region) to Oman. From this time onward, the latest Cretaceous and the following Cenozoic are characterized by the gradual exhumation of the Arabian Platform and the progressive restriction of the marine area leading to the form of the present Arabian Gulf. The imposition of the foredeep over the eastern part of the Arabian Platform is apparent in the thickness of the Cretaceous sediments. Peterson and Wilson (1986) reported that over the Arabian Platform, parts of central Saudi Arabia, western Iraq, Oman and Yemen, the Cretaceous thickness generally is less than 900 m (2,950 ft); whereas in Iran, northeastern and southeastern Iraq, Kuwait and southeastern Saudi Arabia, the southern Arabian Gulf region and eastern Oman, thicknesses may exceed 2,450 m (8,036 ft) (Fig. 8.1). Over the Arabian Platform, three regional unconformities can be recognized below the Albian, Coniacian and Paleocene. These unconformities divide the Cretaceous into lower, middle and upper divisions, rather than the internationally recognized two-fold division. The sediments of the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian to Aptian) Cycle are referred to the Thamama Group; the mid-Cretaceous (Albian to Turonian) Cycle belongs to the Wasia Group; and the Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian to Maastrichtian) Cycle is referred to the Aruma Group (Harris et al., 1984; Alsharhan and Nairn, 1986) (Fig. 8.2). Each division can be subdivided further into two subcycles, although the subdivisions are not clearly recognizable everywhere. This subdivision seemingly can be attributed to sea-level change and minor epeirogenic movements (Alsharhan and Nairn, 1986; Scott, 1988)o The
297
Sedimentary Petroleum Geology Geology the Middle Middle East Sedimentary Basins Basins and and Petroleum of the M Middle Table 8.1. Cretaceous rock units of i d d l e East. Asterisks indicate outcrop, aand n d bullets indicate subsurface. subsurface. Area Saudi Arabia
298
Unit
Age
Lithology
Environment
Thamama Group
E. Cretaceous
Limestone, dolomite, sandstone and shale
Shallow marine to continental
a. SuJaiy Formation
BerriasianValanginian
Inlerbedded lime mudstone, peloidal and detrital packstone/wackeslone and oolitic grainstone
Subtidal to intcrtidal
b. Yamama Formation
Valanginian
Peloidal, bioclastic packstone with thin interbeds of lime mudstone and wacke stone
Open platform shelf lagoon
c. Buwaib Formation
Hauierivian
Complex of interbcdded shale, dolomite, packstone and lime mudstone
Shallow marine lagoon
d. Biyadh Formation
Hauierivian
Cross-bedded, quartzose sandstone with some variegated shale
Continental to shallow marine
e. Sbuaiba Formation
BarremianAptian
Massive, often porous and vuggy dolomite with occasional limestone
Shallow marine
Wasia Formation
M. Cretaceous
Quartzose sandstone, sandy shale and some siltstone and limestone
Fluvial to shallow marine
a. KhaQi Member
E. Albian
Interbcdded sandstone, siltstone and shale
Fluvial and flood plain
b, Safaniya Member
M. Albian
Sandstone and shale with some interbcdded, sandy marl limestone
Fluvial and flood plain
c. Mauddud Member
L. Albian
Laminated, crystalline limestone
Shallow marine
d. Wara Member
Cenomanian
Shale interbcdded with sandstone and some limestone
Shallow marine lagoon
e. Ahmadi Member
E.-M. Cenomanian
Shale, sandstone and argillaceous limestone
Lagoon
i". Rumaila Member
M. Cenomanian
Limestone interbcdded with marly and sandy limestone complex
Restricted shelf, lagoon and tidal Hat
s2, Mishrif Member
L. CenomanianE. Turonian
Limestone interbcdded with shale
Very shallow to shallow, open marine
Arum a Formation
L. Cretaceous
Limestone (nodular, dolomitic and argillaceous), subordinate sandstone and shale
Shallow marine
a. Lina Member
L, CretaceousMaastriebtian
Dolomite, calcareous shale with interbcdded limestone
Shallow marine
b. Upper Atj Member
Dolomite with some limestone
Shallow marine
Maastrichtian
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous
8.1 continued. continued. Table 8.1 Area
Unit c. Middle Atj Member
Age *
Environment
Campanian
Calcareous shale and microporous limestone
Shallow marine
TuronianE. Campanian
Wackestone with impure and sandy dolomite
Shallow marine
E. Cretaceous
Porous and dense limestone, dolomite and shaie
Shallow to deep open marine
a. Rayda Formation
L. Tithonian?E. Berriasian
Silica-rich, radiolarian calpioneJIid lime mudstone
Oxygen poor deeper oceanic water
b. Salil Formation
M. BerriasianHauterivian
Argillaceous lime mudstone
Density current deposits
d. Lower A [j Member United Arab Emirates
Lithology
Thamama Group
*
c. Habshan Formation
'
BerriasianValanginian
Peloidal, bioclasiic, intraclastic, dolomiiic and anhydritic limestone
Bank marginal shoal lagoon
d. Lekhwair Formation
*
HauterivianE. Barrcmian
Peloidal, bioclastic, oolitic packstone and argillaceous lime mudstone/wackestone
Subtidalintertidal
e. Kharaib Formation
Barremian
Microporous, dense lime mudstone/ wackestone to peloidal, imraclastic packstone
Shallow, epeiric shelf
f. Shuaiba Formation
Aptian
Algal-rudisttd limestone, argillaceous and shaly limestone
Shallow marine, subtidal to intertidal
Musandam Group Unit 4
BerriasianAptian
Radiolarian lime mudstone, siliciclasticcarbonatc turbiditcs, grainsione and packstone
Deep water turbiditcs to shallow water
M. Cretaceous
Argillaceous and bioclasiic limestone and shale
Shallow deep open marine
L. Aptian to E,-M. AJbian
Variegated shale, occasional thin beds of marl and sandstone
Shallow, subtidal shelf
L. Albian
Skeletal, peloidal packstone and wackestone
Shallow shelf
L. Albian-E. Cenomanian
Argillaceous, bituminous, lime mudstone/ wackestone and minor packstone
Open marine deep basin
M. to L, Cenomanian
Bioturbated, bioclastic packstone/ wackestone and rudistid packstone/ grainstone
Shallow marine
L. Cretaceous
Calcareous shale, marly limestone, sandstone and bioclastic limestone
Shallow deep open marine
Coniacian
Laminated, flaky and sometimes calcareous shale with occasional intercalated marl
Open marine
Wasia Group a. Nahr Umr Formation b. Mauddud Formation
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East absence of slumps indicates a low-gradient slope. Shoal: poorly sorted, bioclastic packstone, grainstone and rudstone, abundant small, rolled rudists. Bedding poorly defined, although locally cross-stratified. Reflects deposition under conditions of low-energy shoals and banks. Pervasive bioturbation has destroyed most sedimentary structures. 4) Rudist Biostrome and Patch Reef: coarse, shelly, bioclastic rudstone and floatstone. A diverse and intact fauna like the shoal fauna, but more diverse, dominated by rudists. Found in scattered patches up to 15 m thick, it consists of biostromes and small bioherms within a prograding margin sequence. 5) Back Shoal: thin-bedded, fine to very coarse, bioclastic packstone, wackestone and grainstone. Extensive bioturbation, Callianassa-type burrows and small rudist clusters. It is a zone of mixing between shoal and interior lagoon. 6) Lagoon: indistinctly bedded, benthonic, foraminiferal and peloidal lime mudstone and wackestone, with a characteristic nodular character in places. Molluscan debris, echinoderm and ostracods locally important. Usually, the uppermost unit of the Mishrif succession formed on broad, shallow, sheltered platform interiors. The coarser intercalation probably is back-shoal sand fiats. Tuwayil Member The sedimentation of the Mishrif Formation was initiated over a broad carbonate shelf bordering a linear foreland basin (Burchette, 1993). Within that shelf, an intraplatform basin developed in which first the Shilaif facies limestone and then, during the latest Cenomanian, the more varied facies of the Tuwayil were deposited. As sea level fell, the lower Tuwayil foraminiferal and bioclastic unit gave way to an upper clastic unit, with the cyclic development of siltstone and fine sandstone corresponding to the 94 Ma Lowstand Systems Tract. The Tuwayil is a uniquely basinal unit, 106 m (350 ft) thick, overlying the Shilaif basinal limestone, but less than 3 m (10 ft) over the marginal Mishrif (Fig. 8.27b). The Tuwayil, about 125 m (410 ft) thick, consists mainly of clastic, dark-gray shale and siltstone followed by fine- to medium-grained and moderately well-sorted, quartzitic sandstone, with glauconite grains common and some layers rich in plant remains. Very fine-grained, subangular to sub-rounded, moderately well-sorted, quartzitic, glauconitic and calcareous sandstone also is found. The sands are believed to be from an exposed platform to the south and transported by north-flowing streams, despite the lack of transport directions, and distributed by wave and current action indicated by abundant sedimentary structures seen in core samples (Azzam, 1995). Ruwaydah Member As sea level recovered in the early Turonian, the Lowstand Systems Tract gave way to a Highstand Systems Tract at 90 Ma. In this more openshelf, sedimentary regime, the limestone of the Ruwayda was deposited. It is about 119 m (390 ft) thick and consists of deeper-water, argillaceous lime mudstone and wacke3)
344
stone, slightly silty marl and pyritic dolomite, with rare phosphate and glauconite grains and irregularly distributed grainstone that may contain very fine quartz particles in a shaly matrix. They contain burrows and small, planktonic forms such as Heterohelix spp. and a relatively poor fauna of miliolids. Outcrop Formations The mid-Cretaceous Wasia Group in the northern U.A.E. represents the youngest carbonate-shelf sequence resting disconformably upon the upper Musandam Group (Unit 4). It is, in turn, disconformably overlain by either the Aruma Group sediments or by yellow or red marl tentatively assigned to the Cenozoic Pabdeh Formation. Two formations were identified: the Nahr Umr and Mauddud (Alsharhan, 1989). The Nahr Umr Formation is only 40 m (131 ft) thick and consists of three units. The lower is a dark-gray grainstone; the middle is an argillaceous, orbitolinid packstone showing karstic, emergent features; the upper unit, the thinnest, is composed of red marl. The Nahr Umr is in conformable contact with the Mauddud limestone. The Mauddud Formation is about 60 m (197 ft) thick and consists of orbitolinid, gray packstone with less argillaceous material than the Nahr Umr Formation. Both formations are regarded as shallow-water deposits. Mid-Cretaceous in Eastern Arabia: Oman Western Oman Mountains Nahr Umr Formation (Albian). This formation in the western Oman Mountains is about 158 m (518 ft) thick and consists of calcareous shale and marl and some argillaceous limestone and micritized, orbitolinid wackestone and packstone (Fig. 8.29). The sediments reflect shallow-marine conditions with a high clay influx (Hughes-Clarke, 1988). The formation lies unconformably upon the Aptian Shuaiba Limestone in western Oman, but in the oil fields of South Oman, it may rest upon various older units down to the early Paleozoic Haima Group. The beds form an excellent seal (de la Grandville, 1982). The upper boundary is conformable and transitional up into the lower carbonates of the Natih Formation (Hughes-Clarke, 1988). Natih Formation (late Albian-late Cenomanian). The Natih Formation, sometimes called the Wasia Limestone, ranges from 344 to 450 m (1,128-1,312 ft) of dominantly open-marine carbonates deposited near wave base. The beds include basal, nearshore, terrigenous clastics. The principal lithologies are peloidal, intraclastic packstone; rudist packstone; and foraminiferal, algal wackestone/packstone formed under high-energy conditions near the platform margin or under shallow, quiet-water, shelf conditions. The formation is truncated by the Coniacian regional unconformity (Alsharhan and Nairn, 1988; Glennie et al., 1974; Scott, 1990). In the vicinity of the oil fields in the western Oman Mountains, seven lithological
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Fig. 8.29. Lithostratigraphy and log characteristics of the Middle Cretaceous Wasia Group in Oman (compiled and modified from Harris and Frost, 1984; Hughes-Clarke, 1988).Subdivision of th Natih Formation based on Tschopp (1967a) and Alsharhan and Nairn (1988) members of the Natih Formation have been differentiated based on log and lithological considerations (Tschopp, 1967a). They are (from younger to older): MemberA: 61 m (200 ft) of microporous wackestone/ packstone and peloidal packstone with skeletal fragments and benthonic foraminifera Member B: 85 m (280 ft) of bituminous, argillaceous packstone and wackestone with pelagic foraminifera and lamellibranchs Member C: 49 m (160 ft) of slightly bituminous, microporous, argillaceous wackestone with abundant pelagic foraminifers; thin, shaly intercalations; and tight, partly dolomitized limestone in the lower part Member D: 43 m (140 ft) total, consisting of bioclastic, pelletoidal, microporous packstone (38.5 m, or 126 ft) grading up into 4.5 m (15 ft) of bioclastic wackestone with rudist debris Member E: 165 m (540 ft) of pelletoidal lime mudstone with some chert grading upward to uniform, pelletoidal wackestone Member F: 30.5 m (100 ft) of microporous and dolomitic wackestone, with some argillaceous intervals Member G: 17 m (55 ft) of slightly dolomitized, microporous lime mudstone increasing in
bioclastic and pelletoidal content up-section to wackestone and packstone at the top The lower boundary is conformable and transitional. The upper boundary represents a regional hiatus, with generally shaly units of the Aruma Group lying disconformably upon Natih carbonates (Hughes-Clarke, 1988). Harris and Frost (1984) recognized three carbonate units in the Natih Formation: shallow-shelf limestone equivalent to the Mauddud and Mishrif formations and intrashelf, basinal facies equivalent to the Khatiyah. Based on biostratigraphic control, they show that the Mauddud is equivalent to Natih members E-G of Tschopp (1967a) and was deposited from the latest Albian through middle Cenomanian. The Mishrif is equivalent to Natih members A-D of Tschopp (1967a) and was deposited during the later Cenomanian and early Turonian (Scott, 1990). Mauddud Formation. It consists of about 212.5 m (697 ft) of microporous, dolomitized, bioclastic and peloidal wackestone/packstone deposited on a protected carbonate shelf without major wave or current agitation. The beds are associated with the local development of radiolitid, rudist bioherms or packstone of rudist rubble (Fig. 8.30). Because of subaerial leaching, porosity has been enhanced through the preferential solution of the rudistids. Mishrif Formation. It consists of 238 m (781 ft) formed in a depositional setting controlled by the extensional block faulting related to the formation of the Oman 345
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East hiE CARBONATE SHOAL SKELETAL SANDS
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Fig. 8.30 Depositional model of the Middle Cretaceous Mishrif Formation (Natih Members AD) in Oman. The lower figure is an enlargement of the area nearshore carbonate shoal environments (modified after Harris and Frost, 1984 and reproduced by kind permission from AAPG). foredeep. Tilted, closely spaced, fault blocks resulted in a series of elongate islands or shoals on the upthrown blocks where grainstone and peloidal packstone were formed (Fig. 8.30 a & b). These beach and nearshore deposits graded seaward into mud-rich carbonates with lithoclasts of broken, radiolitid rudists, which apparently resulted from the destruction of rudists patches growing in slightly deeper waters offshore. Carbonate mudstone and wackestone were deposited in the deeper parts of the depressions formed on the downthrown side of the fault blocks (Harris and Frost, 1984; Alsharhan and Nairn, 1993). Thus, the mid-Cretaceous sediments in the western Oman Mountain oil fields are considerably thicker than in the southwestern part of the country or on the Musandam Peninsula to the north. The intrashelf basin that began to form in the late Albian in the southern part of the Arabian
346
Gulf filled with sediments that have proven to have a good source-rock potential (within the Shilaif/Khatiyah Formation; Murris, 1980). In Oman, local depressions within the shallow, carbonate shelf were common during deposition of the Mauddud and Mishrif formations. Water depths in these depressions may have been only a few tens of meters deeper than on the adjacent shelf (Harris and Frost, 1984). The intrashelf, basinal, limestone sediments known here as the Khatiyah Formation are typical microporous, pelagic lime mudstone with Pithonella and rare globose, planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton.
Central Oman Mountains (Allochthonous Units) Qumayrah Formation (Cenomanian to Coniacian). The formation was previously described by Glennie et al. (1974) as a facies of the Muti Formation, but detailed
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous field mapping and the interpretation of Watts and Blome (1990) raised it to formation status. The Qumayrah Formation ranges in thickness from less than 10 m (33 ft) to more than 125 m (410 ft) of chert, siliceous mudstone and redeposited, conglomeratic limestone and wackestone conformably overlying the Mayhah Formation (D Member) (Figs. 7.26 and 8.4). The Cenomanian section contains purple, siliceous mudstone and radiolarian chert with thin beds of wackestone that contain a variety of platformderived material including Orbitolina and bioclastic, rudist and bivalve fragments and slope-derived intraclasts of radiolarian lime mudstone. The Coniacian part of the section is composed of chert containing radiolarians, and conglomeratic limestone containing clasts of slope-derived lime mudstone, bioclastic wackestone and fossil fragments (Watts and Blome, 1990). As described by Robertson (1987) and Watts and Blome (1990), the Qumayrah Formation represents synorogenic deposits that formed in response to the closing of the Hawasina Basin. These sediments accumulated immediately prior to the emplacement of the Semail Ophiolite over the Oman continental margin. The abrupt transition from the limestone of the Mayhah Formation into the siliceous sediments of the Qumayrah Formation may be due to the rapid rise of the CCD and/or
tectonic subsidence of the continental margin slope below the CCD. The well-rounded, skeletal fragments probably were abraded in high-energy, wave-agitated environments. Abundant Orbitolina with encrusting, calcareous algae and fragments of rudist apparently were derived from coeval or older rudist banks at the platform margin-peripheral bulge (Watts and Blome, 1990) (Fig. 8.31).
Northern Oman Mountains (Musandam Peninsula) Outcrop Formations (Fig. 8.4)
Wasia Group (Albian-Lower Cenomanian). The group consists of marl with orbitolinids (Orbitolina cf. concava and Orbitolina sp.) and yellow, stained, shell limestone with echinoid and rare algae (Lithcodium aggregatum) resting above the bored, erosion surface of Aptianage sediments. Ricateau and Riche (1980) believe that the thickness of the Wasia is much greater, and only the lower part of this unit, about 130 m (4,227 ft), has been recognized on the Musandam Peninsula, with erosion having removed the younger horizons.
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347
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East
Subsurface Formations (Fig. 8.4) In subsurface in offshore Musandam (wells Khassab1 and Bukha-1), Ricateau and Riche (1980) describe the sequence as follows: Kazhdumi Formation (Albian). The formation attains a thickness of about 130 rn (427 ft) of shale with orbitolinids and Hemicyclammina sigali deposited in a neritic environment. Mauddud Formation (Upper Albian). The formation is a transgressive sequence about 40-50 m? (130-164 ft?) thick of lime mudstone/wackestone with green algae, gastropods, ostracods and orbitolinids deposited in an intertidal to open-marine environment.
Khatiyah/Mishrif formations (upper Albian-Cenomanian). These sediments attain a thickness of 200 rn (656 It). It is a regressive sequence beginning with wackestone/packstone containing pelagic foraminifera, followed by grainstone with rudist, alveolinids and much organic debris, and ending with limestone containing green algae, ostracods and gastropods.
Southern Oman (Dhofar Region) Qamar Formation (Albian-Cenomanian). The formation ranges in thickness from 235 to 600 m (771-1,968 ft) of interbedded, gray, bioclastic lime mudstone/wackei
. l-r-
\9 O')
"~.i7
(
"9
E
~ o
361
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East Member 4 is composed of about 30 m (98 ft) of limestone with abundant solution vugs. The basal 12 m (39 ft) of this sequence coarsens upwards initially from marly limestone to vuggy, intraclastic and bioclastic wackestone followed above by 18 m (59 ft) of marl to heavily karstifled, dolomitic, bioclastic wackestone and packstone, which display large-scale collapse fills, red, sandy crackfills between meter-scale blocks and abundant, block calcite-filled veins. This member records two phases of progradation of bioclastic sands, either driven by shoaling after initial transgressions or by autocyclic means. Member 5 is 20 m (55 ft) thick of vuggy, stylolitic dolostone with bivalve and foraminiferal bioclasts. Dedolomitization is common close to joints and fissures. These features are all cut by later stylolites. It records another marine transgression in the formation.
Mid-Cretaceous in Southern and Southwestern Arabia: The Republic of Yemen In the former North Yemen, as will be argued in the succeeding section, the Cretaceous Ghiras Sandstone Formation should be treated as Upper Cretaceous because of its transition into beds dated as Paleocene, so that only in the former South Yemen is there any representation of the mid-Cretaceous. There, two formations are dated as Albian to Cenomanian: the Harshiyat Formation, which conformably follows upon the Qishn Formation (and which itself may extend into the lowermost Aptian), and the Fartaq Formation further to the west, which succeeds the lower part of Harshiyat found to the east (Fig. 8.4). Harshiyat Formation (Albian-Cenomanian). The formation has a thickness of 200-300 m (656-984 ft). The lithofacies changes from predominantly arenaceous in the western part of the former South Yemen, where it consists mainly of sandstone and conglomerates with some interbedded shale, marl and siltstone, to about 100 m (328 ft) of interbedded shale and marl, with some current-bedded sandstone, marl and shale in the eastern part of the former South Yemen and toward South Oman. The arenaceous component increases toward the top of the formation. The formation contains two well-defined limestone members (Beydoun, 1964, 1966; Beydoun and Greenwood, 1968; Mateer et al., 1992). The lower, the Rays Member, about 95 m (312 ft) of clastic beds which comprise about 9 m (30 ft) of thick-bedded, coarsely recrystallized, ferruginous, dolomitic limestone that is sandy in places. The upper, the Sufla Member, is a 188 m (617 ft) thick sandstone sequence capped by about 6 m (20 ft) of massive, fossiliferous, dolomitic limestone (Greenwood and Bleakley, 1967). The formation is conformably underlain by the Qishn Formation, and apparently conformably overlain by the Mukalla Formation. Fartaq Formation (Albian-Turonian). This formation passes laterally into the lower clastic part of the Harshiyat Formation in the eastern part of the former
362
South Yemen, but it is absent in the west. It represents a marine-facies equivalent of the upper part of the Harshiyat Formation. It reaches a thickness of 510 m (1,672 ft) and is composed of shale and limestone, followed by fossiliferous, marly, crystalline limestone that sometimes is oolitic. Interbedded marl, silt and shale appear near the top of the succession (Beydoun, 1964, 1966; Beydoun and Greenwood, 1968). The formation rests conformably on the Qishn Formation and is overlain, apparently conformably, by the Mukalla Formation.
THE THIRD CYCLE: T H E LATE C R E T A C E O U S In Arabia, deposition of the Late Cretaceous Aruma Group, which occupied a period of 15-20 Ma (Scott, 1990), followed the end of a period of major emergence and erosion during the Turonian. In the U.A.E., Oman and Iran, the sediments of the Late Cretaceous vary in thickness and lithology, because they include the sedimentary response not only to events affecting the platform, as during the earlier parts of the Mesozoic, but also the response reflecting the tectonic developments associated with plate collision and subduction, the nappe emplacement in Oman and the development of the foredeep. Therefore, the description of the successions in areas such as the U.A.E. provides an excellent starting point for the examination of the Late Cretaceous sequence in the Middle East. To the west, there is a gradual transition across the shelf to the continental deposits that bordered the shelf sea; and in the opposite direction toward Iran, the facies, where preserved, mark deeper-water conditions and the effects of collision/subduction. This complex interaction of plate-tectonic activity, collision and partial subduction, regional subsidence and eustatic sea-level change is reflected in the variety of sediments laid down. Upper Cretaceous sediments are widely distributed in the Oman Mountains (Glennie et al., 1974), where beds of the group disconformably overlie the midCretaceous sediments or still older units. They are, in turn, unconformably overlain by formations of early Tertiary age. Therefore, the Late Cretaceous was the time when thrust sheets were emplaced over the Arabian continental margin, and when some of the more distal equivalents of the Aruma Group were, in fact, caught up in the allochthon and emplaced along with the thrust sheet (Searle 1980; Graham, 1980). Thus, in the more south-southwestern parts of the U.A.E., in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi region, four principal formations have been recognized: the Laffan, Ilam (or Halul), Fiqa and Simsima. In the northern U.A.E., five have been identified (Glennie et al., 1974; Alsharhan, 1989). Three of them m the Muff, Fiqa and Juweiza formed in a foredeep on the continental margin immediately before and during the emplacement of the thrust sheets. The remaining two - - the Simsima and Qahlah
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous formed along the flanks. The Muff represents the products of erosion of the shelf carbonates on the oceanward flank of the foredeep prior to the arrival of the thrust sheets on the continental margin during the Coniacian to Campanian. It is a lateral lithofacies equivalent of the shale and marl of the Fiqa Formation during the Santonian, although the Muti Formation in Oman (Scott, 1990) is assigned a longer duration (Coniacian to Campanian). The Juweiza Formation is composed of flysch sediments derived from the erosion of the Hawasina sediments and Semail Ophiolite Thrust sheets. It is equivalent to the Qahlah Formation, which occurs on the eastern side of the allochthon and is characterized by a similar lithofacies. Again, however, the time ranges are not exactly the same. The Juweiza is assigned a time range of upper Campanian to Maastrichtian, whereas the Qahlah appears to be restricted to the lower Maastrichtian. Both formations grade westward into the shale of the Fiqa Formation, which occupied the central and continental marginal part of the foredeep. There are exposures of the Juweiza Formation of the Aruma Group along the western Oman Mountain Front in the Musandam Peninsula; in the Dibba Zone, three facies crop out that are particularly interesting to hydrocarbon exploration, for they have source-rock and seal capabilities. For the northern part of the Middle East region, it is convenient to use the succession in southern Iraq as a starting point, because it is similar in many ways to that of southern Arabian Gulf. One would then radiate from there in a broad sweep from the northeast, which includes the Foothills and Folded Zone of northeastern Iraq and Iran, through northeastern Syria and Turkey to the northwestern to western sections of Syria and Jordan, where the influences of relatively simple uplift have had important sedimentological effects.
Late Cretaceous in theSouthern Arabian Gulf :United Arab Emirates Aruma Group. The Aruma Group in subsurface in the Abu Dhabi/ Dubai region consists of transgressive and regressive cycles recorded by beds assigned to four formations. In ascending order: these are the Laffan, Halul (Ilam), Fiqa (Aruma Shale) and Simsima (Fig. 8.39). In outcrop in the western Oman Mountains and northern U.A.E., where the Oman Foredeep (Aruma Basin) developed during the Late Cretaceous, the facies pattern is more complex and the formations recognized are the Fiqa, Muti, Juweiza, Qahlah and Simsima (Fig. 8.40). Laffan Formation (Coniacian). This formation is about 27 m (90 ft) thick and consists of three units. The basal unit forms a sequence of light, olive-brown or greenish to gray shale, which may be finely laminated, papery or flaky shale. The middle unit consists of off-white or yellowish-gray lime mudstone, which sometimes is marly and contains scattered pyrite. The upper unit of the succession comprises finely laminated, olive-gray or dark-yel-
low-brown shale, sometimes calcareous or very calcareous, with traces of pyrite and occasional intercalated marl. Although the basal Laffan deposits are of deltaic origin, sourced from the west, the major part of the formation was laid down in an open-marine setting (Alsharhan, 1989). The Laffan Formation can be shown to rest unconformably upon mid-Cretaceous carbonates where they form the basal deposits of the advancing Late Cretaceous Sea (Alsharhan and Nairn, 1990; Harris et al., 1984). Halul Formation (Coniacian-Santonian.9). In Abu Dhabi the formation consists of a 400-500 m (1,311-1,640 ft) thick sequence beginning with light, olive-gray to yellowish-gray, marly limestone and marl speckled with fine, calcite grains. These are followed by lime mudstone, wackestone in part, with colors ranging from yellowishbrown to olive-gray near the top. They contain slightly argillaceous, bituminous seams with scattered, silt-sized, pyrite crystals. The formation ends with pale-orange to yellowish-orange beds of coarse-grained, bioclastic carbonates (wackestone, packstone or grainstone). The overlying contact with the Fiqa Formation is apparently conformable, but there is some evidence that suggests that there probably is a widespread unconformity of short duration. The underlying contact with the Laffan Shale is conformable. The greater part of the Halul is the product of shallow-water deposition under low- to moderateenergy conditions (Alsharhan, 1989). There was little influx of clastic material into the depositional basin, and the conspicuous increase in fine-grained clastics is, in eastern Abu Dhabi, indicative of relatively greater water depths. Ilam Formation (late Coniacian-early Santonian). The Ilam Formation, introduced by the Dubai Petroleum Co. in the Dubai region (Schlumberger, 1981), is equivalent to the Halul Formation, and consists of 7 m of lime mudstone to wackestone, shaley and argillaceous beds and deep-water, hemipelagic, terrigenous rocks with abundant Pithonella calcispheres. These grade upward into mediumgrained marl with abundant calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera, and end with skeletal and peloidal packstone containing abundant small, miliolid foraminifera (Alsharhan, 1989). The beds of the Ilam Formation represent sediments deposited on a shallowshelf updip from a clastic-carbonate ramp configuration and platform slope representing deep-water, hemipelagic conditions (Alsharhan and Kendall, 1995). Fiqa Formation (Coniacian-mid-Maastrichtian). The formation ranges in thickness from 61 to 1,220 m (200-4,000 ft) and is divided into two members: the lower Shargi Member and the upper Arada Member (Alsharhan, 1995). The Shargi Member consists of dark-gray, fissile, platy and slightly calcareous shale with abundant pyrite filling the tests of foraminifera, and some phosphatic and glauconitic grains. These grade up into dark-gray, argillaceous lime mudstone with rare pyrite. There are abundant Heterohelix sp. and common Globotruncana sp. The 363
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East
t~ ~.
ti.I
~ m (.9
'
~0 O~
~~
GAMMARAY (API UNITS) Q
,
_
10~
(MlcrosecJft)
,
~, "7. ~: ',
~, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,.~_-'.-. -.~,,";;:,: ,.:, ~ l,l,1 ,,,,,,',~=.====;_#~ ~mll
s~ Fig. 8.52. Paleogeography during the Early to Middle Valanginian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980 and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG).
Riyadh
SO%rly to Middle Valanginlan
~
SHAI.LCXUMIXEDSIEI.F
, ~ H SH/dJ.OW ~ I " E ~
9.
~T1EI~,~I)IATE1"ODEEP CARBONATESHELF~ Ir ~
... ...
"..:..... 9 i : ,..
. ~
. ':'
SI'ELF
~EROSK)N/r
... ......
[Z3t~o6mo.~ t~r
,
i......i
Fig. 8.53. Paleogeography during the Late Valanginian to Early Barremian in the Middle East.
RIYADH
.s.
o
386
25OKra
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous
Fig. 8.54. Paleogeography during the Middle to Late Barremian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980 and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG.
SHALLOW SHELF
Mixed Carbonate Carbonate/Evap( -~ Basin Margin - - -Carbonates I~ Basinal Carbonates Erosional Limit Buildups (Rudists and/or Coral/Algae)
0
Riyadh
250km
Fig. 8.55. Paleogeography during the Middle Aptian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980 and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG).
9
.se ~
Middle Aptlan
387
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East High acted as a separation between the Syrian Sinjar and Palmyra troughs to the south from the deeper-water, pelagic sediments to the north. In east-central Syria, Early Cretaceous sediments are confined largely to the Palmyra and Sinjar troughs, which lie between the Mardin High and the Rutbah-Khleissia High. From as early as the Early Jurassic, sedimentation was restricted to the eastern end of the Palmyra Trough; here, Early Cretaceous beds are unconformably overlain by mid-Cretaceous sediments. Deltaic sands and shale poured into the trough from the exposed flanks of the high. Shale that accumulated in the axial part of the trough is a potential source rock for the flanking deltaic sands. The Euphrates-Anah Trough only received deltaic, clastic sediment during the Early Cretaceous in the region of their confluence with the Palmyra Trough, sedimentation that extended southeast of the Syria-Iraq border; but, by the end of the Early Cretaceous, in the Aptian-Albian, carbonate-evaporite conditions were established in the troughs. In southeastern Turkey, northeastern Iraq and northwestern Iran, the Early Cretaceous lithofacies consist of radiolarian marl and very fine-grained, clastic sediments (Buday, 1980) that suggest deep-water, bottom-of-theslope deposits (the eugeosynclinal deposits of some authors) separated from the shallow-water sediments by a mid-basinal, ophiolite zone, subsequently replaced by a volcano-sedimentary sequence of rocks known as the Gimo Suite of Buday (1980). As Tertiary overthrust sheets cover the zone, the location of the boundary is uncertain. The trough was filled mostly with deep-water, pelagic sediments to the northwest and shallow-water sediments to the southeast. The continuation of the Mardin High separates these neritic sediments to the northwest from the shallow-platform carbonates to the southeast (Buday, 1980). In western Syria, Early Cretaceous sedimentation was more extensive, spreading beyond the immediate surrounds of the Palmyra Trough, with deltaic clastics lapping up against the flanks of the Rutbah-Khleissia High and neritic carbonates and carbonate-evaporites occurring further from the uplifts. In central and western Syria, volcanogenic conglomerates and basalts are interbedded in the clastic succession. Lateral and vertical facies changes are apparent in this sequence, and near the Lebanese coast, the neritic carbonates grade into deep-water, radiolarian marl and argillaceous limestone. During the Late Jurassic, there was widespread epeirogenic uplift, but no igneous activity is known in Jordan. The persistent, slow, tectonic tilt, which elevated areas in South and East Jordan and depressed those in the north and west, was still active. The fluviatile, sandy sediments interdigitate with marine, sandy marl and limestone roughly along the site of the old Jurassic shoreline (Daniel, 1963, Bender, 1975).
388
Mid-Cretaceous Cycle In Arabia, the mid-Cretaceous began with widespread sheets of clastic sediments that resulted from the erosion of the Arabian Shield following the late Aptian uplift. Northwest of the Arabian Gulf, a deltaic system developed, covering southern Iraq and spreading into Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain with the presumed delta front in Iran (Fig. 8.56). In the southern part of the region, a wide area of alluvial and lower-coastal-plain sediments give way eastward to littoral sands and a vast, shallow, shalecovered platform (Alsharhan and Nairn, 1988; Alsharhan, 1994). The sediments thin southeastward due to progressive onlap. Transgression in the late Albian rapidly ended the clastic depositional phase, and carbonate platform conditions were reestablished and persisted until the latest Cenomanian and early Turonian. Evidence of differentiation within the region is marked by the occurrence of a minor unconformity, a brief pulse of clastic sedimentation and the development of a large, intracratonic basin (Fig. 8.57). During the Cenomanian, the ramp model of carbonate sedimentation proposed for the Early Cretaceous remained valid. The depth of water had a profound effect, controlling the location and development of rudist assemblages on the platform (Fig. 8.58). The sedimentary phase lasted until the Turonian, as the carbonate and clastic realms waxed and waned across the area. Post-Turonian erosion removed part of the section not only over the regional paleohighs, but also along the Zagros Crush Zone (Murris, 1980). In Oman, shallow, open-marine, carbonate sedimentation, often within the wave base, continued through the Albian-Cenomanian. A basal, terrigenous, nearshore interval in central and northern Oman gave way up section to a series of shoaling-up, carbonate cycles but in southern Oman, (Dhofar) these sequences are interrupted by clastic influxes. The late Aptian rise in sea level, with the concomitant expansion of the carbonate platform in the northern part of the Middle East, was brought to an abrupt halt by the most pronounced regression since the Late Triassic. By the midAlbian, a clastic regime had spread over the Mesopotamian Basin, except for a small region in the northeast (Murris, 1980). However, to the northeast in Iraq and in southeastern Turkey, at the platform margin and in the deep-water basin, sedimentation was continuous with uninterrupted, pelagic sediments, without significant facies change, through the Albian. The neritic belt was slightly broader, compared to its Valanginian-Aptian predecessor, but still appears as the southeastern extension of the Mardin High (Buday, 1980). In southern Iraq during the Albian, clastic, deltaic sediments were deposited, and carbonate-shelf facies and a euxinic basin persisted in the north and northeast. In northern central Iraq, evaporite facies were deposited during the Cenomanian, with shelf carbonates deposited to the north and east. There was a further regression after Cenomanian
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous
of man
Fig. 8.56. Paleogeography during the Early to Middle Albian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980; Alsharhan and Nairn, 1988). Arabian Sea
;.---Thinning Duo "---" 8outheestward Onla
"1 I !
250
0 !
km
Shelf Environments
Erosional
Alluvial Plains
N
Shallow Clastic
Lower Coastal Plain
R
Deeper Clastic
~
Limit
Thrust Fault
~
~'~ Mixed N
Carbonate
=
Riyadh
of Oman
Fig. 8.57. Paleogeography during the Late Albian-Early Cenomanian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980; Alsharhan and Naim, 1988).
Arabian Sea I
I
I i
250
km
Shallow Mixed Shelf Basin Margin Carbonates
Big Basinal Carbonates ~ , E r o s i o n a l Limit
Shallow Shelf Carbonates ,,
389
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology the Middle East
Oman
Arabian Sea 0 |
i
200 !
km
Shallow Shelf Mixed Clastic '~ AlluvialPlain ~1 and Carbonates ~ Lower,Coastal Plain ~ Shelf Margin Buildup Shallow Shelf Clastic I~ Intrashelf Basin Fig. 8.58. Paleogeography during the Cenomanian in the Middle East (modified from Murris, 1980; Alsharhan and Naim, 1988). deposition, when the Zagros Basin entered the collision phase of its development. Structural units of large dimensions were uplifted, and erosion accompanied regression. The regression left the Rutbah-Khleissia High completely emergent during the mid-Albian. Coastal and alluvial sands and interbedded shale deposited on the flanks of the high and were charged from the Early Cretaceous euxinic shale in the northern basin or laterally from southwestern Iran. These are very important reservoirs in the northern Arabian Gulf. Following the mid-Albian regression, advancing seas submerged most of the Rutbah-Khleissia High (Wolfart, 1967). The Mardin High was completely submerged, and neritic and reefal carbonates occupied that entire region of Turkey (the Mardin Group). The late Aptian-early Cenomanian, dominated by dolomite with evaporite lenses, fossiliferous biosparite and biomicrite, was deposited in a tidal-fiat setting including supratidal and intertidal environments. The middle-late Cenomanian is characterized by relatively deeper-marine conditions and pelagic, foraminiferal-bearing biomicrite indicating slow sedimentation under anaerobic conditions. The Turonian is dominated by peloidal and fossiliferous packstone and grainstone of a shallow-shelf edge and lagoonal environment (Celikdemir et al., 1991). Over the entire area, which includes western Syria to Jordan, the fluvial sands and shale gave way to neritic chalks and carbonates, as a primarily carbonate regime became established. The carbon-
390
ates surrounded a reduced, and now isolated, Khleissia High and advanced up the flanks of the Rutbah High. The waxing and waning of this sea led to the alternation of carbonates and elastics in the Mesopotamian Basin. The intrashelf basins typically were filled with calcispherid marl and radiolarian lime mudstone, which form excellent source-rock beds in the deeper parts of the basin. Over the shallower-shelf areas, the foraminiferal-algal, wackestone and packstone, rudist packstone and grainstone were formed and now are reservoir horizons. The cause of these changes is considered to be the initiation of subduction in the Taurus-Zagros region of Turkey and Iran. Folding began during the late Albian and continued with increasing intensity during the Cenomanian and Early Turonian, gradually encroaching on the shelf margin and causing it to subside. Consequently, the sedimentation on the unstable shelf margin of eastern Iraq became more diversified with the rapid alternations of elastic and carbonate sediments. South from Turkey to Syria in the Sinjar-Palmyra and Euphrates-Anah troughs, thick, carbonate-marl sequences accumulated. Open-marine marl, intercalated with finegrained, organic carbonates m potential source rocks for the flanking, shelf-carbonate reservoirs - - formed in the troughs, while high-energy carbonates characterized the flanks. Trough subsidence was rapid and fault-controlled. The sediments subsequently were covered by the deposits of the transgressing Late Cretaceous sea. In Jordan, marine transgression came from the west and northwest during the Albian-Turonian with the deposition of limestone alternating with thinner beds of marl, beginning in western Jordan. In eastern Jordan, small tongues of fossiliferous, sandy limestone were laid down. Marine transgression gained slowly upon the land, finally reaching almost to the southern and eastern parts of the country in the Late Cenomanian (Daniel, 1963). Neritic limestone and marl were dominant in eastern Jordan. Toward the end of the Cenomanian, the sea shallowed, and some swells developed in eastern Jordan. Contemporaneously, submarine volcanicity in western Jordan occurred. The Turonian strata are of shallow-water facies dominated by lagoonal limestone with occasional gypsum, but sand and sandy marl increase toward the south and east of Jordan (Daniel, 1963).
Late Cretaceous Cycle Over the Arabian Platform, the Wasia-Aruma break was followed by a Coniacian transgression, which continued into the Early Campanian (Alsharhan and Nairn, 1990). In eastern Arabia, the Coniacian was characterized by a shallow, open-marine-shelf environment, in which the predominantly argillaceous sediments were deposited. The process continued during the Santonian, with the clastic contribution progressively diminishing as a bioclastic carbonate of shallow-marine environment became established. Within this area, local highs remained emergent,
The Late Mesozoic Part of the Zuni Cycle in the Middle East: The Cretaceous
-rZIS
9
r
i
I
R
-r212 "l"r-
Riyadh B
'
/-//--%~~-~/_.~--.~.~o
IRADU
!
MUKALL/
,
I E)MMA
L
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/,
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//
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JSTAI-iIL
t
I
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.... :
./i..
a-. 4-.
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'"-.
I STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS
[_
L o c a t i o n of
STEATIGRAFTiiCSE.CT1ONS
A-
D TRANSFORMFAULTS
OCEANIC
1- 5
_500m ISOBATH SOMALIA
~
INDIAN OCEAN
IB
',
YEMEN
-~~,:
B- SAYUT - B(XZ)SA/~O
,.---" %--
,.-z.~~%~r~C~,--E~.--"L'L~"-~ ,
~-120
20
Par-e Siah
Asmari
Miocene
7,500
200
99
20
Haft Kc!
Asmari
Miocene
2,900
125
101
20
Marun
Asmari
Miocene
10,700
265
106
20
Agha Jari
Asmari
Miocene
8,700
280
102
20
Ramshir
Asmari
Miocene
9,100
250
109
20
Rag-e-Safid
Asmari
Miocene
8,350
285
106
20
Kharg
Asmari
Miocene
6,350
195
>136
20
Ab Teytnur
Bangestan
M. Cretaceous
11,200
260
>120
100
Ahwa?,
Bangestan
M. Cretaceous
11,100
260
109
100
Marun
Bangestan
M. Cretaceous
11,600
275
107
100
Bibi Hakimeh
Bangestan
M. Cretaceous
6,500
190
107
100
Kilur Karim
Bangestan
M. Cretaceous
10,700
270
>65 (90?)
100
Binak
Bangestan
M, Cretaceous
10,600
270
21
100
Ruwais
Shuaiba
E, Cretaceous
S,(KX)
225
97
120
Bu Hasa
Shuaiba
E. Cretaceous
7,800
280
146
120
Bab
Kharaib
E. Cretaceous
8,400
252
147
120
Sahil
Kharaib
E. Cretaceous
8,930
250
131
130
Asab
Kharaib
E. Cretaceous
9,300
266
132
130
Dukhan
Arab-C
L, Jurassic
5,700
193
211
155
Dukhan
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
6,350
205
211
160
Dukhan
Uwainat
M. Jurassic
7,200
219
174
174
Marjan
Khafji
M. Cretaceous
6,930
180
211
100
Ghawar-Ain Dar
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
7,300
215
167
145
GhawarHaradh
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
7,400
215
166
155
GhawarUthmaniyah
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
7,400
215
165
155
509
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Table 10.16 continued.
Country
Field
Reservoir
Reservoir Age
Estimated Temp. (°F)
Calculated Age
Assigned Reservoir Age
Dammam
Arab-B
L. Jurassic
4,650
206
164
145
Qatif
Arab-C
L. Jurassic
7,240
220
173
145
Qatif
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
7,375
226
170
145
Abu Safah
Arab
L. Jurassic
6,700
189
181
145
Berri
Arab-A
L. Jurassic
7,400
218
175
145
Berri
Arab-C
L, Jurassic
7,430
220
173
145
Khursaniyah
Arab-A
L. Jurassic
7,110
183
209
157
Khursaniyah
Arab-B
L. Jurassic
10,140
240
148
145
Abu Hadriya
Arab-A
L. Jurassic
8,260
250
162
150
Abu Hadriya
Arab-B
L. Jurassic
8,370
250
150
155
Abu Hadriya
Arab-C
L. Jurassic
8,550
250
161
158
Abu Hadriya
Arab-D
L. Jurassic
8,710
250
166
160
ronments for the source rocks. Thus, within a carbonate sequence, oxygenated, shallow-water facies and subaerially exposed, sabkha facies are unlikely candidates for source-rock formation. The most likely depositional environment to contain organic matter capable of producing the Middle East oils is in a starved intrashelf basin with an oxygen minimum zone above the sediment-water interface. The late Oxfordian to early Kimmeridgian provides one such example (Fig. 10.18); the sediments were then covered by a Tithonian evaporitic facies. East of the Qatar Arch, Cretaceous deep-water, intraplatform basins developed, giving rise to the Apfian basinal facies (the Bab Member) of the Shuaiba Formation, and the Cenomanian Khatiyah/Shilaif pelagic facies, each of which has been invoked as a source rock (Fig. 10.19). Pym et al. (1975) identified seven individual sterane/ triterpanes in Middle East oils and were able to demonstrate that the southern Arabian Gulf oils had different relative abundances than those of oils from the northern Arabian Gulf (Fig. 10.20). The most probable cause of this difference is a small difference in depositional environment of the source beds (isolated sub-basins?) in the different parts of the Arabian Gulf.
Reservoir Rocks The most important oil-reservoir rocks are presented in Table 10.17; at least 80% are carbonate, and the remainder are sandstone. Reservoirs in which gas is trapped are at
510
Depth (ft)
least 95% carbonate, and the remainder are sandstone. The estimates are based on the ultimately recoverable oil and do not include undrilled potential. The age range of the reservoirs with regard to the ultimately recoverable oil and gas in the main producing countries shows that Cretaceous rocks host 51% of the recoverable oil, and Paleozoic rocks 50% of the gas. Distribution of hydrocarbons within any multiple reservoir in the stratigraphic column is controlled by a variety of reservoir parameters. The Arabian Platform and the Zagros Fold Belt together constitute a basin downwarping into a small oceanic basin in the Klemme (1980) basin classification. From the Late Carboniferous until the late Miocene, sedimentation was dominated by carbonate formed on a stable platform that passed eastward into the Tethys Ocean. To the west, the carbonates are replaced, as a rule, by marginal, arenaceous clastics derived from the continental Arabian-Nubian Shield. Murris (1980) recognized two basic states of this broad carbonate platform, which he described as a carbonate ramp and differentiated carbonate shelf. The carbonate ramp is characterized by a cyclical alternation of more or less argillaceous units, coinciding with periods of increased clastic influx from the highlands of the Arabian Shield to the west onto the Arabian shelf. The differentiated shelf conforms to the more standard carbonate platform of Wilson (1975) when, during periods of high sea-level stand, the source of clastics was displaced far to the west. The best carbonate reservoirs occur within the high-energy, ooidal grainstone terminating the carbonate cycles (e.g., the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Middle East
49"
53"
51"
0 l
I
|
OIL AND GAS FIELDS -.~... TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IN "F/lOOft 111 112
% 114
!18 I
"31"
" 121
i
~98 i..\
/ / /
KUWAIT g
\
Z~ \
IRAN 149
BAHRAIN 0162
i,,.U'IqrT'ED ARAB ,~. ~ l s
i.9! j
-N~!o
9
OMAN
'
,
N 9
,,"~. . . . . . . . . .
i I .sO ~ _ _ / ~ . . ._. . . . . . . 70),~
SAUD! ARABIA
47" |
|
49" |
!
,
D~
\ 51" |
,
53" t
i
515"
,,.P / as / I
Fig. 10.17. Lateral thermal gradient variations in the Arabian Gulf region (based on Clarke,1975, Klemme, 1984,) and other sources). Numbers refer to fields and are listed in Table 10.7 of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and offshore Abu Dhabi). Porosity of the limestone may be enhanced by leaching or diminished by cementation and even subaerial exposure during the sea-level fall during the carbonate-ramp phase (Alsharhan, 1987). Purser (1978) has suggested that early lithification plays an important role in the preservation of porosity, by reducing compaction and consequently reducing the pressure solution that provides the sparite cement filling pore spaces. Early dolomitization similarly is useful, as it is more resistent to lithostatic and tectonic pressure and, with less stylolitization, has less carbonate solution available for pore infilling. The regressive clastics
formed at the same time also provide good reservoirs (e.g., Cretaceous Zubair and Nahr Umr/Burgan formations in Kuwait and southern Iraq). Other good carbonate reservoir types are the biohermal buildups such as the rudists and algal boundstone along the shelf margins (e.g., Cretaceous Shuaiba and Mishrif formations in the U.A.E. and Oman). In the following paragraphs, the principal reservoirs are reviewed briefly in stratigraphic order. lnfraearnbrian to Paleozoic. The oldest producing horizons in the Middle East are the carbonate (mainly dolomite) and sandstone horizons of the Infracambrian to Early-Middle Cambrian Huqf Group in Oman, though oil,
511
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of tthe Middle East
1 ~ BJXliXlC h~'I'RABI'Fe2~ BASIN
~ O W
"~" ~
CARBONATE SHELF
LIMITS
Q ~e~sa~ ,'O. SO[2[HWEST ARABIAN CRJI.FBA
O~
,~OiRm
Fig. 10.18. The principal Jurassic intrashelf basins of the Arabian Gulf which sourced the Jurassic-Cretaceous reservoirs of the area (modified after Murris, 1980, Alsharhan and Kendall, 1986)
[ .?_-~ LOWER COASTAL PLAIN
~
~.SI-~.~.OW SHELF
tzt..t~t~;,~
Iz'/77~MIXED SHALLOW
IT-"IISHALLOWSHELF
F 9JCARBONATES
~ B A S I N MARGIN
CARBONATES
-
BASINAL CARBONATES (~
I
l|
EROSIONAL LIMIT
Fig. 10.19. The principal Cretaceous intrashelf basins, A) during Aptian, B) during Crenomanian. Illustration of the rudist build ups around the basin margins which form the prolific reservoirs of the Arabian Gulf (modified after Murris, 1980, Alsharhan and Nairn, 1993, Alsharhan, 1995)
512
I
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Middle East
AHWAZ FIELD-IRAN D BANGESTAN GROUP MIDDLE CRETACEOUS)
~SMAR! FORMATION TERTIARY)
30%
.30%
20%
.20%
N
N B
B
.10%
"10%
H
U V
I
MURAN FIELD-IRAN ASMAR! FORMTION [TERTIARY)
30%
BIB-~-ffA-~MAHFIELD-IRAN ASMAR! FORMATION TERTIARY)
D
! 30%
D
N
N
,20%
B
10%
G
20%
C
U
'10%
V " - - "
BURGAN FORMATION
I :(MIDDLECRETACEOUS) I
I !
KHARAIB FORMATION | LOWER CRETACEOUS) ~
| /
N
......
B
.
,
80
. 20
MINUTE
,,
.
~
lO%
.
BH
.
"
_
~
~-'
'"
~
~V
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,
6-0
~
7-8
~9
~ 2-7
1
~
!~
ENT ~
PEAK
,
'
~
10 S
I
~'
~
~ 4
-
9
Fig, 10.20 Average relative proportion of triterpane in some Middle East oils (after Pym et al., 1975, reproduced with kind permission of Analytical Chemistry) 513
514 Farit^ Jeribe, Dhibann Chilou, Jaddala
Main Limestone^ Jaddala/Avanab, Aaliji, Jenbe, Euphrates
Gcrniav, Garian, Beloka, Raman^ Kambogaz, Sayiixlerc, Karabaha, Dcrikre
Shiranish, Massive Limextones Qamchuqn, Rulbah
Shi rani :(h/Pikner Komeian/Dokan, QaiTtt htiqa, Sarmord, Garagu
lluimah
Sar^lu
Aril
Kuira Chine, Ooba (Mulussa)
Kurra Chine Baluti
T^cfmian
Hazro
Amanus Sand
Cart>oiiiferou!t
Koproulu
Najeeb.SawancL HalDul
De^'onian
Hajidof
Silurian
Dadas
Triasjtic
Main
Or
'~
:
~ 9
.
,
Fig. 11.9. Jurassic regional isopach maps of the source rocks (A, C, E) and regional contour maps of the percentage of organic matter (B, D, F) in Kuwait. (after Hussain, 1987, and reproduced by kind permission of the Society of Petroleum Engineers) The following summary of the major oil and gas fields the relevent hydrocarbon and field parameters presented in the Appendix.
Greater Burgan Field The field consists of three giant fields (Burgan, Magwa, Ahmedi) located near the crest of the Kuwait arch. The discovery well of the Burgan Field, the second exploration well in Kuwait, was drilled in 1938 and flowed at rates of up to 4,343 bbl/d of 32.5 ~ API oil. By 1942, when further exploration was suspended, another eight wells had confirmed the magnitude of the discovery. Work was resumed in 1945 and the field went on stream in 1946. Magwa was discovered in 1951 by a well drilled near a 538
known gas seep and the field went on stream in 1953. In 1952 the Ahmadi discovery well was drilled and it too went on stream in 1953. The Greater Burgan dome is over 750 km 2 in area with an aspect ratio/ellipticity of 0.5 with minor tensional faulting cutting the crestal zone. Development drilling has established that the Burgan, Magwa and Ahmadi fields form a single major accumulation, with the latter two forming a subsidiary domes separated from the main Burgan structure by small grabens. The graben is 11.5 km wide and has two pronounced NW-SE-trending bounding faults with throws of 30-150 m (98-492 ft) and approximately 22 km in length. The three fields - - Burgan, Magwa and Ahmadi - - can be regarded as a single complex, although each may have experienced individual short periods of movement spread collectively over a long
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins time and superposed over a general subsidence from the end of the Jurassic to the Albian and from the end of the Cretaceous until the end of Middle Miocene. The period from Albian to the end of the Cretaceous and from Middle Eocene up to the end of the Middle Miocene was a period of structural growth, marked by local stratigraphic thinning and even washouts and erosion of the structurally highest parts. The Greater Burgan Field is an ovate dome of some 500 km 2 with a high ellipticity of 0.7 and a slight elongation striking north (Fig. 11.10). The structural depth of the dome are uniformly about 1~ The Burgan structure is cut by nearly 30 faults mapped as straight, in part radial and commonly 3-4 km in length with throws generally less than 15 m (49 ft) with the largest fault having a 73 m (239 ft) throw (Carman, 1996). The Magwa Field has an area of186 km 2 and an ellipticity of 0.75. The structure is cut by over 20 faults 3-6 km in length and trending NW-SE.
MAG~ SECTOR
'\
AHMADIt SECTOR l
Carman (1996) reported that the northern flank of the Magwa dome is cut by a pair of NW-trending faults, which define a small graben about 10 km in length, causing a net 15 m (49 ft) upthrow to the north with axial offset. The Ahmadi Field has an area of 144 km 2 containing four major en echelon which trend N-NW with lengths of 2025 km and a spacing of 500 m (1640 ft). The fault throws are of the order of 15 m (49 ft) with the largest throw recorded of 106 m (348ft) on the northern plunge of the structure (Carman, 1996). The west flank dips of the Greater Burgan Field are seldom more than 2.5 ~ and the east flank dips are locally as high as 10 ~ The reservoirs are the Wara and Burgan Sandstone formations of the Middle Cretaceous Wasia Group separated by the limestone of the Mauddud Formation, which seldom is more than 11 m (35 ft) thick. The Burgan Sandstone grades upwards from a near perfect reservoir sand through the incoming of shale into the competent caprock shales of the Ahmadi Formation. The sandstone reservoir is fine to coarse-grained and porous (22%) with low interstitial water and oil saturated. The permeability ranges from less than 1 md to as much as 30 darcies, averaging some 380 md. The vertical closure on the reservoir may exceed 305 m (1,000 ft). The Burgan sand in the Kuwait area is divided into the Third and Fourth Sands based upon the recognition of regional marine flooding events, the tops defined by limestone or equivalent beds. Each sand unit is composed of a number O ~
2kin
N I
/ BH-L 0/
29"
e WELL FAULT ---- c%LNTAcWAT~ R
O
5kin
ONTOURINTERVAL FT
Fig. 11.10. Structure contour map of the top of the Burgan Formation (Albian), the main producing horizon in the Greater Burgan Field of Kuwait. The structure contains three fields Burgan, Magwa and Ahmadi. The approximate locations of the discovery wells are points 1-3, which were drilled between 1938 and 1952 (after Brennan, 1991, and reproduced by kind permission of AAPG).
Fig. 11.11. Depth structure map of the Bahrah Field derived from multi-fold 2D seismic data and well data. Closed circles are oil wells, and open circles are dry wells (after A1-Anzi, 1995, by permission, Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain). 539
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East of parasequences whose bounding surfaces with their higher shale and mudstone tends to restrict vertical reservoir communication. Attempts are being made to model sub-parasequence scale flow units (Kirby and A1 Hamoud, 1996). The presence of lignite, amber and glauconite in the Third and Fourth Sands suggests deposition in lagoonal to littoral conditions. The Wara and Burgan formations share a common oil-water contact, with an areal extent of nearly 300 sq mi. An oil-saturated section of 372 m (1,221 ft) of Jurassic horizons penetrated in deep test wells has proven non-productive, flowing salt water and some gas (Adasani, 1965), but there may be another 3050 m (10,000 ft) of Paleozoic that have not been fully penetrated. Deeperdrilling at Greater Burgan was successful in proving additional reserves of light oil (31-38 ~ API) in Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) Minagish Formation and the late Early Jurassic (? Toarcian Marrat Formation). The recoverable oil in the Greater Burgan Field appears to be at least 75 B.bbl, perhaps half of what was originally in place.
Bahrah Field This field has an area of about 160 sq km. It lies on
the northern side of Kuwait Bay along the Burgan-Sabriya Axis. Topographically, it is cut by the southeast-facing Jal az Zor Escarpment, which has an elevation of up to 80 m (262 ft) and is cut by many steep-sided wadis. The surface geology defines a north-plunging anticline exposing sands and gravels of Oligocene to Holocene age (A1-Anzi, 1995), subsequently confirmed seismically. The area first attracted attention in 1914, as a result of surface oil and gas seeps on the Bahrah alluvial flats and on areas of gas seeps about 2 km apart.The field was discovered in 1956 and went on line in 1960. Nine wells drilled into the Cretaceous between 1937 and 1983 and the further nine wells after 1983. These well data, together with approximately 500 km of multifold seismic (shot in 1979, 1982 and 1987), cuttings, cores and electric logs, provide a basis for details of stratigraphy and reservoir characteristics. Oil shows were found in the Lower Fars, Mauddud, Burgan, Zubair, Ratawi and Minagish formations, but no economic production was found in the Zubair and deeper formations. The structure of the Bahrah Field is that of a lowangle, plunging anticline (A1 Shammari, 1983) with a
Table 11.3. Summary of reservoir fluid characteristics in the Cretaceous formations of the Raudhatain Field (after Adasani, 1967).
540
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins ssI
~
BIt tl
BI't B
BII I
Btl F
Btl O
BI! E
t=.
ttl
_
, . - - : - _ :----'. - - ; / ~ -" i"
Fig. 11.12. NNW-SSE structural cross-section of the Cretaceous formations in the Bahrah Field, Kuwait. Note the multi-level oil occurrences in the Burgan and Mauddud formations. Faulting influences the distribution of oil accumulations (modified from A1Anzi, 1995).
--
.
#:..
.
.
. 9
.
. .
number of faulted culminations (Fig. 11.11). At the level of the top of the Mauddud, the width of the structure is about 10 km, with individual pools of the order of 5 sq km. The structure has grown steadily since the Cretaceous and, possibly, since the late Jurassic. Oil is produced from the Miocene Lower Fars Limestone, the Middle Cretaceous Mauddud Formation and the Burgan Formation. Most wells drain a single formation, but some tap two reservoirs. The occurrence of multi-level oil-water contacts in the Burgan Formation (Fig. 11.12) and sporadic production from the Lower Fars and Mauddud Formations suggests that the oil distribution may be controlled by a combination of faulting and stratigraphic features (A1 Anzi,1995). The Burgan sands may yield up to 3,000 bbl/d immediately below the porous Mauddud Limestone which has a yield of 500-1000 bbl/d. The Lower Fars which is a highly porous and permeable unconsolidated sand reservoir yields u p to 300 bbl/d of undersaturated, 8-14 ~ API oil. The Ahmadi Shale, which usually acts as a cap rock, has been found to have a porosity of 15-18% may yield 27-29 ~ API oil. Ultimately, recoverable oil reserves are estimated at about 930 MM.bbl. Raudhatain
"i" , 8 5 0 0
.
Field
Raudhatain and the adjacent Sabriya fields lie in northern Kuwait north of the Bahrah Field. A gravity and magnetic survey in 1936-37 gave no indication of structure either on the Bouguer, second derivative or magnetic maps; however, seismic surveys carried out in 1949 in an attempt to trace the northward continuation of the Burgan uplift outlined a smaller but good NW-SE-trending structure by following a reflecting horizon close to the top of the Mauddud formation, although no velocity data from closer than Southeast Kuwait were available (Milton and Davies, 1965). By early 1955, the Mauddud, Burgan and Zubair formations were all producing, and the field went on stream in 1960.
The Raudhatain Field has a slightly elongated faulted, domal structure, with flank dips seldom greater than 3 ~ and covers an area of 17,800 sq km (6,953 sq mi). Steep near-vertical faults have been identified in several wells. Eleven faults were mapped by Carman (1966) with a quasi-radial fault pattern. The average throw is 15 m (49 ft) with the largest fault which has a throw of 45 m (148 ft) intersected in a well in the Mutriba Formation above the Mishrif. The structural closure is a minimum of 152 m (500 ft) at the level of the Mauddud Limestone. To the north, closure in not defined, but there is no evidence of dip reversal. The structure is faulted, with faults that have throws of 9-12 m. (30-40 ft) and exhibit a quasi-radial pattern suggestive of a primary uplift origin due to Precambrian-Cambrian salt movement in depth. Structural growth began during the Cenomanian, and all subsequent formations show a crest-to-flank thickening, with the greatest during Rumaila and Mishrif times. The trap formation probably was complete by the mid-Late Cretaceous. The pre-Tertiary isopachs show the NE-SW-trending crest axis; the swing to the north in post-Eocene time coincides with Zagros folding. Stratigraphic information from the Raudhatain Field, which lies in a position intermediate between Basra and southeastern Kuwait, suggests that the correlations of Owen and Nasr (1958) seem possible, because the section generally is similar to that of the Rumaila Field in southeastern Iraq. The entire interval from the base of the Zubair to the top of the Mauddud averages 880 m (2,900 ft) in thickness and contains nine separate oil reservoirs (Table 11.3 and Fig. 11.13), four within the Zubair Formation, two within the Ratawi Formation and two within the Burgan Formation all separated from one another by shale interbeds. The remaining reservoir within the Mauddud Formation is capped by marine shales of the Ahmadi Formation (Brennan, 1990). The Zubair reservoir averages 420 m (1,380 ft) in thickness and contains three potentially productive zones
541
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
19 37 33
1
36
27 35 2
.
13
3
8
5
i
A D ~ U ID D U [ .
29
~
~"~ i '
6
14
2
y ~..~~e~"
i
! "
5 iiiiimli;
.i
Fig. 11.13. Generalized cross-section showing the main oil accumulations (in black) in the Raudhatain-SabriyaBahrah oil fields in Kuwait (modified from Adasani, 1967). with many sand pools separated by shale. The reservoir sands are a clean orthoquartzite with an average 20% porosity and a variable but high permeability, whereas the aquifer rocks below the oil-water contact are diagenetically altered with silica, carbonate and secondary pyrite, reducing the porosity to less than half. The Mauddud reservoir is approximately 55 m (180 ft) thick with porosities in the range 16-22% and permeabilities averaging 22 md. The Burgan reservoir is about 207 m (680 ft) thick with an average porosity of 24% and average permeability of 1035 md. The original recoverable reserve of the Raudhatain Field has been estimated at 8.8 B.bbl of crude oil plus 13.19 TCF of natural gas. With a recovery factor of 39%, this translates into an oil-in-place reserve of 11 B.bbl plus 33.8 TCF of gas (Brennan, 1990).
Sabriya Field The Sabriya Field is an elongate, faulted anticlinal structure with flank dips ranging from 8~ to the east to approximately 4 ~ to the west. The structural plunge is about 2-3.5 ~ to the north and south. Eleven faults were mapped by Carman (1996) one with an approximate 38 m (125 ft) throw, three faults have throws exceeding 20 m (66 ft). The majority trend MW-SE while the others trend NE-SW or NNE-SSW. The field was discovered in 1956 and went on stream in 1967. Production is from the Burgan Sandstone and Ratawi Limestone, which yield a 2832 ~ API oil with a 2.5-3.4% sulfur content. The Mauddud Limestone in the Sabriya Field is essentially dry (A1-Rawi, 1981). This is interpreted as due to the reservoir being higher than in the Raudhatain Field at the time of oil migration, presumably during the Early Cretaceous prior to diagenesis (A1-Rawi, 1981; Ibrahim, 1983). Diagenetic
542
sealing of the pore spaces in the aqueous zone occurred prior to the structural growth in the Sabriya Field. Subsequent structural growth in Raudhatain permitted vertical migration into the Burgan and Mauddud reservoirs, but inhibited lateral migration into the Sabriya Field (A1Rawi, 1981). The field produces mainly from the Middle Cretaceous Mauddud and Burgan formations (Fig. 11.13). The Mauddud Formation contains hydrocarbons in the middle section with a 28.5 ~ API gravity. The porosity ranges from 10-22%, but at the southern end of the field deterioration of porosity may be sufficient to prevent the mass escape of the hydrocarbon over the structural spill point of the Mauddud. Logs and pressure data indicate that the oilwater content of the Mauddud may be tilted to a greater degree than that in the Burgan sandstone and that oil escape through the structural saddle at the south end of the field (Adasani, 1967). Oil accumulation in the thin sand stringers of the Upper Zubair shales is somewhat of a paradox in the scheme of oil migration. This oil could be primary, but the similarity in gravity and sulfur content to that of the Zubair at Raudhatain make this premise unlikely (Adasani, 1967). The oil in the Ratawi Formation occurs in the uppermost shale-sand stringer and in the porous thin limestone. The Upper Burgan sand reservoir averages nearly 37 m (120 ft) in thickness with average porosity varying from 27-20% from crest to flank as a result of vertical changes in the section. The elevation of the oil-water contact is controlled by the structural elevation of the spill point or the saddle of the fold.
Minagish Field The Minagish Field in southwestern Kuwait, about 40
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
0 0
Fig. 11.14. Structural contour map of the top of the Lower Cretaceous Minagish Formation in the Minagish oil field (after Adasani, 1985).
I ! ! I
u-i
IN io,
,6t O O O O
\
.....
Oil/Tar
---
Tar/Water
.....
Base Lower T a r m a t
.......... Top Lower Tarmat
0 I
t__
AGE
=O u.i i.u
2Km I
MINAGISH FIELD
DEPTH
UMM GUDAIR FIELD
'
~-4OOO
HARTHA
M-O-r~A MUTRIBA
(FEE:TI
-
-
--
--
"-
~
~:ii'..':'''':
.
.
:
.
:
~
:
": : .
. .' ". "
.
'
~
"
:"
i!iiii!iiiii:iii i iiiii!iiiiiiii!!!iiii!iiii! 9
9
. /
'1
.
. t
-5OOO
"6OOO
70OO
.
:
,.
9
"
'
,,.
_
~
,,'~-,t--
SHUAIBA I
80OO
90O0
u
J Fig. 11.15. Lithostratigraphic-structural cross-section showing the oil reservoirs in the Minagish and Umm Gudair oil fields in Kuwait (modified from Adasani, 1985).
543
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East km west of the Burgan Field, was discovered in 1959. Minagish-I flowed at 10,000 bbl/d of 34 ~ API crude with 2.1% sulfur from the Minagish Formation and went on stream in 1961. The field is an elongated anticline trending almost due north-south with a maximum length of 13.5 x 6.7 km (8.5 x 4 mi) (Fig. 11.14), the flanks dip 5-7 ~ and there are about 10 faults radiating from the crestal area which have steep hades and normal displacements generally less than 20 m (66 ft). The east and west flanks dip 3 ~ while the north and south flanks dip 2 ~. Although there are radiating faults present in the crestal area, they have little influence as controls on the hydrocarbon accumulation. Oil (20 ~ API) was found in the Mishrif Limestone, the Wara Sandstone and the Burgan Sandstone, all belonging to the Wasia Group (Fig. 11.15). Cun'ently, the Minagish Limestone is the main producing formation. The limestone is a massive, porous, detrital, oolitic and fossiliferous limestone averaging 92 m (300 ft) in gross thickness with a porosity between 15 and 21% and a permeability of 40 md. The presence of a tar mat near the original oil/water contact (El Aouar and Rasool, 1970) has reduced its reservoir properties. The principal production is from the middle part of the section where the Wara sand with a porosity of 22% contains an oil accumulation producing 85-360 BOPD. The Burgan sandstone has a gross thickness of 40 m (132 ft) with an average porosity varying between 1624%. It produces oil at a rate of 1117 BOPD from Minagish- 10 (Adasani, 1985). By 1970, 23 wells had been drilled, of which eight were producing from the Minagish oolite (Thamama Group) and four were being used for gas injection, a process begun in 1967 to counter the rapid decline in reservoir pressure of 400 psi (an average production drop from 50,000 bbl per psi drop), which had resulted in the field being shut-in between 1963 and 1966 because of poor reservoir performance and by 1980 it had produced 255 MM.bbl. The Minagish oolite is the largest and most productive of the reservoirs in the field, and is the producing horizon in the Umm Gudair Field. It is the lowest economic oil-producing horizon in Kuwait. The other reservoirs of the Middle Cretaceous Wasia Group, in order of importance, are the Burgan, Wara and Mishrif. The ultimate recoverable oil reserves are estimated at 2.1 B.bbl (Beydoun, 1988).
Umm Gudair Field The first well drilled in 1954 was to test the potentialities of the Wara, Burgan and Zubair formations was dry. In 1962 well-2 was drilled and oil was discovered in the Minagish Formation leading to discovery of the Umm Gudair Field. The Umm Gudair structural is composed of two elongated domes separated by saddle (Umm Gudair West and Umm Gudair East). West Gudair is on the smaller structural closure trending almost north-south. It had commenced structural growth during the Late Jurassic. The
544
East Umm Gudair structure extend southwards as a broad structural high. The structural development postdates the Jurassic (Adasani, 1985). The field went on production in 1962 from the main Minagish reservoir (Fig. 11.15) which consists of about 91 m (300 ft) of massive peloidal-oolitic limestone (average porosity 21%, permeability from 41500 md). The oil has 25 ~ API gravity with sulfur content of 3.8%. There is also minor production from the Tayarat Formation (Maastrichtian) which consists of limestone with a net pay thickness of 37-49 m (120-160 ft) and a porosity varying between 15-35%. By 1980, the field had produced 172 MM.bbl of oil and had initial recoverable reserves estimated at 4 B.bbl (Beydoun, 1988).
Khafji Field The Khafji Field was discovered in 1959 and went on stream in 1961. The structure is a broad, elongated nose (Fig. 11.16), which is a northward extension of the huge Safaniya structure in offshore Saudi Arabia. This structural trend is regionally located on a northeast-trending arch and is more than 250 km long from Safaniya at the southwest to Hendijan at the northeast in Iran. The crest of the structure appears to be broad and relatively undeformed with some high closures. A few small, normal faults were detected in some sections near the crest (Behbehani, 1980). The Khafji Field is structurally higher than the Hout Field and was subjected to considerably more erosion. The Rumaila and Mishrif formations do not exist over the crest of the field and on the northwestern flank only a limited section of the Mishrif Formation is found (Behbehani, 1983). The oil occurs in multiple reservoirs of Middle and Lower Cretaceous age (Fig. 11.17). The Rumaila Limestone has 27-28 ~ API oil and 2.8% sulfur. The Wara Sandstone, Mauddud Limestone and Burgan Sandstone have 26-28.5 ~ API oil and 2.8% sulfur, while the Ratawi Limestone has 33-35 ~ API oil and 1.7% sulfur. The average field production in 1979 was 405,000 bbl/d which dropped to 243,000 bbl/d in 1985, by which time the field had produced 2.17 B.bbl. Initial recoverable reserves were estimated at 6.43 B.bbl (Beydoun, 1988).
Wafra Field In the Wafra Field, the first well was drilled into the Wara Formation in 1949 on the basis of this a gravity survey. Two later wells proved dry, but the fourth well found oil in the Wara and Radhuma formations. This well was discovered in 1953 and went on stream in 1954. The Wafra structure is a gentle, elongated, anticlinal fold about 10 x 4 mi, with a closure of about 23 m (75 ft). A smaller fold, about 3 x 1.5 mi, lies to the southwest and is separated from the main structure by a shallow saddle about 23 m (75 ft) deep. This western area is associated with the strong, linear Fuwaris Fold, which trends northwest-southeast just west of the Wafra Field (Nelson,1968).
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
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Fig. 11.17. Structural cross-section and oil entrapment across the Khafji, Hout and Dorra Fields in the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Neutral zone (modified from Loutfi and Jaber, 1970).
545
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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A Fig. 11.19. A) Structural contour map (depth in feet ) on top of micritic limestone zone 3 of the Ratawi Formation in the Umm Gudair South Field. B) cross -section correlation using porosity-resistivity logs showing the three micritic limestones zones (1-3) in the Umm Gudair South Field (compiled from Johnson et al., 1996). Note that the average depth of the producing horizon is 8200 feet subsea and the average oil-water contact is 8400 ft. subsea.
546
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins Four of the reservoirs are responsible for most of the production from the field (Fig. 11.18)" the Radhuma formation (First and Second Eocene "Limestone" with 19-20 ~ API oil and 4.4% sulfur), the Wara Formation (Middle Cretaceous) with 24 ~ API oil and 3.4% sulfur and the Ratawi Formation (Lower Cretaceous) with 24.5 ~ API oil and 3.6% sulfur and the Tayarat Formation (Maastrichtian) with 18~ API oil (Danielli, 1988). The Eocene reservoirs of the Wafra Field produce from dolostone with porosities reaching 45% and permeabilities exceeding 1000 md in places. The original sediments were deposited in coastal environments ranging from shallow subtidal to supratidal sabkhas with mainly high-water salinities. On the history of production Beydoun (1988) concluded that in 1979 the field produced 114000 b/d oil which dropped to 85000 b/d in 1985. By mid 1985 the field had produced a total of 1.25 B.bbl of oil despite a lengthy shutdown while desulfurization facilities were built in 1960's. The original recoverable oil reserve was estimated to be 1.7 B.bbl. Dorra Field The field was discovered in 1967 largely on the basis of seismic evidence and then conformed by well data. The Dorra is an oval-shaped domal structure northeast of the Hout Field lying on the Hout anticlinal axis. It measured 10 x 7 km in size. A synclinal saddle, determine mainly from seismic data, lies between the Hout and Dorra fields (Behbehani, 1980). Well Dorra-1 found sour oil, Dorra-2 encountered oil and gas and Dorra-3 is a commercial well with proven gas reserve. The reservoir is the Albian Mauddud limestone with 27-28 ~ API oil and 2.9% sulfur. There is minor production from the Lower Cretaceous Ratawi limestone. Ultimate recoverable oil reserves are estimated to be 163 MM.bbl while recoverable gas reserves are 35 TSF (Beydoun, 1988). Hout Field This field was discovered in 1963 and went on stream in 1969. The structure, about 10 x 5 km, is a narrow, tightly elongated, symmetrical anticline, with a hinge running almost north-south. The presence of many faults affects the Mishrif and Rumaila producing zones. The seismic study clearly indicated a graben below the crest of the Hout structure. The apparent syncline on the crest of the structure results from this deeper-seated graben (Fig. 11.17). Almost all of the faults encountered are normal faults, with steep dips and variable throws; however, some encountered on the western flank have low dips. Most of the faults occur along the structural axis and on the western flank of the structure. The faults are more common in the Lower and Middle Cretaceous sections than in the deeper formations (Behbehani, 1980). The Hout area was
stable until the Cenomanian with a thick accumulation of sediment. During Turonian time an intense tectonic event in the form of rapid local uplift, particularly in the northeastern part of the field, occurred. Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary sedimentary deposits in the Hout area plunge toward the north-northeast (Behbehani, 1980). There are two producing carbonate reservoirs in the Middle Cretaceous (Mishrif and Rumaila formations) and one in the Lower Cretaceous (Ratawi Formation). Oil gravity is 35.5 ~ API with 1.4% sulfur. The field averaged 8000 bbl/d in 1979, rising to 2300 bbl/d in 1985, by which time the field had produced a total of 248 MM.bbl. Initial recoverable reserves were estimated at 197 MM.bbl (Beydoun, 1988). Lulu Field The field was discovered in 1967 as a small extension of the Iranian Esfandiar Field with the main reservoir in the Lower Cretaceous Ratawi Formation. It yields 34 ~ API oil with 1.7% sulfur. Beydoun (1988) reported that the field has as little as 1 MM.bbl of recoverable oil reserves. Umm Gudair South Field The field is a large anticlinal structure (Fig. 11.19a) an extension of the Umm Gudair Field discovered in 1966 and went online in 1968. Production is from the Lower Cretaceous Ratawi Formation with 24.5 ~ API oil and 3.5 sulfur. The reservoir lies in about61-91 m ( 200-300 ft) of wackestones and packstones with a porosity range of 21% and a 245 md permeability. Three micritic zones inhibit vertical flow and can be correlated across the field (Fig. 11.19b). The vertical permeability is one to three orders of magnitude less thanthat of the oolitic limestone reservoir. Primary recovery has declined from an initial value of 41000 bsi to the current value of 3300 bsi. Field observations and simulation studies have determine that edge water is more important than bottom water (Johnson et al., 1996). The initial recoverable oil reserves were estimated at between 420-500 MM.bbl. After the second Gulf war the drilling of twelve wells and workover of existing wells in the field drove daily production from 3200 bbls in1994 to 115,000 bbls by the end of 1995. New drilling and advanced field management techniques have increased ultimate recovery from 29% to about 41% of the field's estimated 1.8 B.bbl of oil in place. South Fuwaris Field The field was discovered in 1961 and went on stream in 1964. It produced from the Lower Cretaceous Ratawi Formation with 23-26 ~ API oil containing 3.5% sulfur. Initial recoverable reserves were estimated at 35 MM.bbl with accumulative production by 1985 of 21 MM.bbl but no more recent figure is available.
547
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East June 1, 1932, oil was discovered on this structure, which became the Awali Field (renamed later to Bahrain Field). Oil flow was tested from the Wasia Group (Middle Cretaceous) at 6,120 m (2,008 ft) at a 9,600 bbl/d rate of 38~ crude oil. The first geophysical survey in the Bahrain area, an offshore reconnaissance reflection survey, was carried out by Geophysical Services Incorporated from September 1939 to June 1940 between Manama and Fasht Jarim Island to the north. The only structural information obtained was the suggestion of a high to the south of Fasht Jarim. Later, a marine survey was begun in November 1948 and completed in March 1950, revealing a paleohigh at Fasht Abu Saafa, north of Fasht Jarim. Subsequently, a refraction survey was carded out in 1961. The Bahrain government signed a participation agreement with BAPCO in 1952. Then, in 1974, the government established the Bahrain National Oil Company (BANOCO), a state company that acquired a 60 share in BAPCO. The complete takeover of petroleum operations was completed in 1974. Since then, no other new fields or discoveries have been made in Bahrain, despite extensive exploration efforts by national and international companies. Fig. 11.20 locates the Bahrain Field and some of the exploration wells that have been drilled in Bahrain on sev-
BAHRAIN
The State of Bahrain has an area of 678 sq km and consists of a group of islands located on the northeastern edge of the stable Arabian Platform between Qatar and the east coast of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf. The first concession granted for petroleum exploration in the Arabian Gulf was in Bahrain in 1925. There were three main reasons behind the choice of Bahrain for oil exploration; the pattern of surface outcrop on the main island, which indicated the presence of an anticlinal feature, the known presence of oil seeps in the Jebel Dukhan area, and the political stability of the country all served to reduce the financial risks inherent in oil exploration (A1Rawi, 1983). Although Gulf Oil Company was the first to show interest in Bahrain, its operations were barred by the terms of the Red Line Agreement. Therefore, it sold its rights to Standard Oil of California (SOCAL, and now Chevron). They successfully negotiated an exploration agreement with the Bahrain government and established the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) in 1929. The first exploratory well was spudded in 1931 on the crest of a dominant surface anticlinal feature, near an old seepage, and was given the name of Jabal Dukhan (mountain of smoke). On I
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Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins eral delineated structures. Field descriptions and hydrocarbon parameters are summarized in Appendix Table. Structure
The Bahrain Field is fairly large and elongate, north-south anticline some 30 miles long and 11 miles wide. It is slightly asymmetrical, with dips on the western flank of 4" and 2 ~ on the eastern flank. Its structural closure increases from 4,877 m (1,600 ft), 7,315 m (2,400 ft) and 10,973 m (3,600 ft) at the level of the Mauddud, Arab to Khuff formations, respectively. Based on the Bouguer and residual gravity maps, the field is inferred to be a saltinduced feature with a salt swell underlying the structure at a depth of the order of 5,905 m (18,000 ft). Pressure instability in salt in subsequent periods caused accelerated growth interrupted by periods of relative quiescence (Samahiji and Chaube, 1987). Samahiji and Chaube (1987) and Chaube and Sama-
hiji (1995) show that the, simplified, structural-contour maps (Fig. 11.21) present, step by step, the development and growth of the structural closure from the time of deposition to the present day. Growth of the Bahrain structure can be seen as early as the Ordovician, although as a result of uplift and erosion, several hundred feet of sediment was stripped from the crest of the structure at the end of the Silurian. A gradual onlap of sediments onto the slowly subsiding high occurred during the Devonian. There are signs of post-Hercynian stripping from the crest of the arch. The growth of the field has been traced through a series of paleo-structural maps (Figs. 11.22-11.24), with the aim of dating the earliest time of hydrocarbon emplacement, assuming the emplacement could not have occurred until the Paleoclosure on the pay zone at least equal to the present hydrocarbon column (Samahiji and Chaube, 1987; Chaube and Samahiji, 1995). The three key horizons mapped, top Ahmad, top Hith and top Khuff closely track the structural history of the Cretaceous Jurassic and Permian pay zones respectively. Since post Her-
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Fig. 11.21. Structural contour map of the Bahrain Field: a=top of the Khuff Formation; b=top of the Arab Formation; c=top of the Mauddud Formation (from Chaube and Samahiji, 1995, reproduced with permission from Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain). 549
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
PRESENT KHUFF STRUCTURE
MAASTRICHTIAN
KIMMERIDGIAN
TITttONIAN
TURONIAN
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Fig. 11.22. Paleostructural maps of the Permian (Khuff Formation) showing closure development in the Bahrain Field. Note that the top Khuff structural surface at present has a closure over 1,098 m (3,600 ft) (after Samahiji and Chaube, 1987; reproduced with kind permission from Society of Petroleum Engineers).
0
10 km
10kin
lOkm
Fig. 11.23. Paleostructural maps of the Tithonian (Hith Formation) showing the development of paleoclosure at important geologic times in the Bahrain Field. The Hith forms the seal over the Arab reservoirs and tracks the Arab structural development. Note that the closure at each geologic time is shown in meters and feet (after Chaube and A1 Samahiji, 1995, reproduced with permission from Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain).
Fig. 11.24. Paleostructural maps of the Cenomanian (Ahmadi Formation), showing closure development in the Bahrain Field at important geologic times. The pattern is considered typical of the multiple Cretaceous reservoirs. Note that the closure at each geologic time is shown in meters and feet (after Chaube and A1 Samahiji, 1995, reproduced with permission from Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain).
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
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FORMATION TOP KHUFF
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ALL NUMBERS REPRESENT % OF PRESENT CLOSURE
Fig. 11.25. Growth history of the Bahrain Field during specific periods and cumulative growth factors at specific instants of time (after Samahiji and Chaube, 1987, reproduced with permission from the Society of Petroleum Engineers). cynian time, the structure has continued to grow from the Permian-Recent as shown in Fig. 11.25. The principal growth pulses occurred during the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic, Turonian, Maastrichtian and Eocene-Miocene, as reflected in major erosional unconformities caused by the flow of salt into the present crestal areas and withdrawal from the surrounding areas (Samahiji and Chaube, 1987). Stratigraphy
During the geologic history of the Arabian Basin, thick sequences of sedimentary rocks were deposited. Subsequently, folds of different types and sizes resulting from epeirogenic movements caused large oil traps (reservoirs) to form. The known stratigraphic section totals more than 6,000 m (19,680 ft), with rocks ranging from Paleozoic to Recent (Fig. 11.26). General descriptions are found in Chaube and Samahiji (1995), Samahiji and Chaube (1995) and Mendeck and A1 Madani (1995). In summary, the Lower Paleozoic sequence is made up largely of continental clastics (sandstone, siltstone and shale), subordinate shallow-marine or lacustrine carbonates, and marine, darkgrey to black shale. A number of unconformities testify to long periods of emergence and erosion. Following the Hercynian unconformity, Permian sedimentation was dominated by minor clastics and widespread shallow-marine and lagoonal carbonates and evaporites and the Lower-Middle Triassic by beds that include continental clastics and carbonates capped by an unconformity from the Carnian to Pliensbachian. During the Lower and Middle Jurassic, the cyclic sequence of alternating shallow-marine carbonates and clastics (mainly shale) includes some deeper, subtidal, basin facies. The Upper Jurassic consists of an upwardshallowing, regressive facies in which each cycle of car-
bonates is capped by anhydrite. The Berriasian-Valanginian dark mudstone facies formed in an intrashelf, basinal setting along with shallow-shelf limestone. Cyclic sedimentation, with shallow-shelf carbonates alternating with shallow-marine to non-marine, regressive clastics, occurred during Hauterivian to Turonian time. Shallowwater carbonates with a few clastic beds dominated the Coniacian through Maastrichtian interval. During the Tertiary, shallow-marine carbonates and clastics were widespread across the country. Reservoirs
The Bahrain Field has been producing continuously for 60 years, with production coming mainly from the Middle Cretaceous (Wasia Group) beds primarily from the Ahmadi, Wara, Mauddud and Nahr Umr formations, which contain 87% of the field accumulation. The rest of the oil production comes from the Lower Cretaceous Kharaib Formation and the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation. Additionally, there is minor production from the Cretaceous Aruma, Mishrif and Rumaila formations and Middle Jurassic Dhruma Formation. Significant gas reserves have been discovered in the Arab and Khuff formations, with gas that has been injected directly into the Mauddud reservoir to maintain reservoir pressure since as early as 1938. Reservoir rocks are found in 12 formations (24 reservoirs in all; Fig. 11.27, with the major production from the Upper Permian Khuff carbonates, Upper Jurassic Arab limestone (Arab B and D zones have oil and gas caps, while the C and A zones have free gas) and the Middle Cretaceous Wasia Group clastics and carbonate (Nahr Umr, Mauddud, Wara and Ahmadi). The Wasia Group, also known as the Bahrain Zone, is divided into the First Pay (three zones) and the Second Pay (five zones). The
551
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins sibly a minor aquifer influx. The Arab-IV (D Member) lime mudstone and packstone reservoir lies at an average depth of 2104 m (6900 ft). The reservoir is about 102 m (335 ft) thick, porosity varying between 10-38% and permeability between 1-300 md. Oil with 32 ~ API gravity containing 100-200 ppm H2S and 1.8% sulfur. The reservoir driving mechanism is gas cap drive. The Upper Araej peloidal packstone/wackestone reservoir lies at an average depth of 2378 m (7800 ft). The reservoir is about 46 m (150 ft) thick with porosity varying between 5-20% and permeability between 0.1-20 md. The oil contains 100-200 ppm H2S and 1.2% sulfur. The Uwainat wackestone/packstone and grainstone reservoir lies at an average depth of 2424 m (7950 ft). The reservoir is about 55 m (180 ft) thick with porosity varying between 5-20% and permeability between 1-1600 md with oil of 36 ~ API gravity containing 100-200 ppm H2S and 1.2% sulfur. The Jurassic-Cretaceous geological sequence in the South Dome with the relative position of the reservoirs is shown in Fig. (11.46). The Shuaiba and Kharaib reservoirs lie at an average depth of about 1524 m (5000 ft), and are very similar lithologically to those in North Dome, although much higher. Both reservoirs are known to contain oil with 29 ~ API gravity, 200 ppm H2S and 2% sulfur. The Arab reservoir in the South Dome have been subjected to considerable tectonic disturbance which has led to collapse of the crest of the structure, and a number of distinct fault blocks have been resulted. The Arab reservoir is similar to the Arab reservoir in the North Dome but is generally higher. It produced oil of 25 ~ API gravity, somewhat similar in properties to the Arab crude of the North Dome. Production from the Shuaiba reservoir in the North Dome is characteristically low, usually around 300 bbl/d; this has been increased using horizontal drilling normal to the open NE-SW fractures. The enhanced permeability has increased production to around 4,000 bbl/d. The NW-SEtrending fractures are closed (Cosgrove and Jubralla, 1995). Production uses a gas cap drive. The field has regional oil in place of about 4.4 D/bbl. Maydan Mahzam Field. The field is a flat, domal structure about 8 x 5 km in size, with a maximum dip of about 8 ~ on the flanks. It was discovered by Shell-Qatar in 1963. The crest and the northern flank of the reservoir appear to be faulted, but the faults have minor throws (up to 15 m or (50 ft) and do not act as barriers to flow. The main reservoir is in Arab D carbonates with porosity and permeability values of 12-13% and 5-4000 md, from which production began in 1965. The Arab C reservoir, which began producing in 1966, exhibits good reservoir qualities and low water saturation. The best reservoir development is found at the crest of the structure, which has 20-30% porosity and 100-1000 md permeability. The energy for these two reservoirs is provided mainly by dump flooding assisted by natural aquifer influx. The Uwainat reservoir has a porosity ranging from 10 and 23%
and a permeability from 2 to 300 md. Reservoir energy is supplied by gas cap drive.The field is produced from the Jurassic formations with 84% of the oil in the Arab C and D, with oil in place recoverable of 44% and ultimate recovery placed at 55% beyond which an additional 5% is targeted for enhanced oil recovery. The Jurassic-Cretaceous geological sequence with the relative position of the reservoirs is shown in Fig. 11.47. The Arab-III (C Member) dolomitic limestone reservoir lies at an average depth of 2195 m (7200 ft). The reservoir is about 26 m (85 ft) thick with porosity varying between 10-30% and with permeabilities up to500 md. The oil has 39 ~ API gravity containing about 100-200 ppm H2S and 1.3% sulfur. The driving mechanism of this reservoir is water dumpflood assisted by natural aquifer influx. The Arab-IV (D Member), sucrosic dolomite and limestone reservoir, lies at an average depth of 2226 m (7300 ft). The reservoir is about 99 m (325 ft) thick with porosity varying between 10-30% and permeability varying between 5-100 md. The oil has 39 ~ API gravity containing 100-200 ppm H2S and 1.3% sulfur. The driving mechanism of this reservoir is water dumpflood assisted by natural aquifer influx. The Uwainat wackestone/packstone reservoir lies at an average depth of 2669 m (8750 ft). The reservoir is about 58 m (190 ft) thick with porosity varying between 10-23% and permeability between 2-300 md. The oil has 38 ~ API gravity. Reservoir energy is supplied by gas cap drive. Original recoverable oil reserves were estimated at 1.1 B.bbl. Bul l-lanine Field. The field is an elliptical dome elongated north-south with dimensions of 8 x 16 km. The field was discovered in 1965 by well BH-1 drilled in the northwest part of the field by Abu Dhabi Marine Area (ADMA); however, the first development well was not drilled until 1971 after the demarcation of the marine boundary with Abu Dhabi in 1969. The first production came in June 1972 as the last, and most prolific, of the three Shell-Qatar offshore fields. The original recoverable oil reserves were estimated at 680 MM.bbl. The Arab D is the most prolific reservoir and contains a STOIIP of 2.4 B.bbl. The reservoir was developed by crestal production, with pressure support provided by peripheral dump flooding. The porosity and permeability vary from 5 to 32% and 1 to 6000 md, respectively. Production from the Arab C reservoir, where the porosity and permeability vary from 5 to 20% and 50 to 500 md, respectively, is by gas cap drive, possibly aided by aquifer influx. The Jurassic-Cretaceous geological sequence with the relative position of the reservoirs is shown in Fig. 11.48. The Arab-IV (D Member) reservoir lies at an average depth 2332 m (7650 ft) and is about 91 m (300 ft) thick. The porosity and the permeability vary between 5-32% and 1-600 md respectively. The oil has 36 ~ API gravity. The driving mechanism in this reservoir is water dumpflood supplementing the aquifer influx. The Uwainat reservoir lies at an average depth of 571
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins NWD-2
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Fig. 11.51. Hydrocarbon and tilling history of the North Field (Qatar) showing the timing of trap elements, source rock, reservoir, seal ,trap growth and maturation of the Lower Silurian (Qusaiba Formation potential sources sources (Bishop 1995) reproduced by permission of Gulf Petrolink Bahrain.) trap growth and maturation of the Lower Silurian (Qusaiba) potential sources (Bishop, 1995, reproduced by permission of Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain) 573
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East 2706 m (8875 ft). The reservoir is about 53 m (175 ft) thick with porosity and permeability varying between 521% and 50-500 md respectively. The oil has 37 ~ API gravity. The driving mechanism in this reservoir is gas cap drive, possibly assisted by aquifer influx. North Field. The field was discovered in 1971 by Shell Qatar when discovery well NWD-1 was drilled. It is considered to be the largest, single, non-associated gas reservoir in the world, with proven reserves of more than 300 TCF and estimated total reserves of 500 TCF. The field is an enormous, gentle, dome-shaped anticline trending north-south, at least 130 km, with a width of 75 km and an area of more than 6,000 sq km, nearly half the area of Qatar. The main reservoir lies in the carbonates of the Permian Khuff Formation, from which gas and condensate are produced. The Khuff Formation has a thickness of about 854 m(2,800 ft), in which five reservoir units, K1-K5, separated by layers of anhydrite, are recognized. It comprises a rapidly alternating sequence of carbonate rock types with reservoir seals consisting of either bedded anhydrite or replacement anhydrite and tightly cemented dolomites and limestones. Two conspicuous markers are provided by beds of massive anhydrite designated as the Upper and
574
Median Anhydrites (Fig. 11.49). The formation has been divided into four major reservoir groupings and numerous subgroups based on gamma ray markers. Facies changes occur between the wells, and marked differences can be seen in porosity development in gamma ray correlatable units.The best reservoirs are found in grainstone with a high moldic and interparticle porosity. Intercrystalline porosity in the dolomite and dolomitic grainstone reservoirs may exceed 30%, with permeabilities around 300 md. Oil has been discovered in some of the Cretaceous reservoirs (Mishrif and Khatiyah carbonates, Nahr Umr sandstone, Shuaiba, Kharaib and Lekhwair carbonates) (Fig. 11.50) in the North area. In an attempt to explain why the North Field contains gas not oil in the Khuff, Bishop (1995) developed a diagram (Fig. 11.51) to illustrate the timing of trap growth and hydrocarbon expulsion for the Silurian and Carboniferous source rocks. The major point seems to be that the source rocks could yield only gas during the latest Miocene period of trap growth. This later gas has presumably displaced earlier reservoired oils.
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The U.A.E. is situated in the southeastern part of the Arabian Basin between latitudes 22040 ' and 26000 ' and longitudes 51 ~ and 56000'. The seven E m i r a t e s - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qawain, Ras A1 Khaimah and F u j a i r a h - vary considerably in size, from Abu Dhabi, the largest (area 66,000 sq km), to Ajman (260 sq km), the smallest. With the sole exception of Fujairah, all are oil-producing, giving the U.A.E. a production rate of 2.2 MM.bbl/d. In tectonic terms, the U.A.E. lies within the interior platform of the Arabian Shield (Fig. 11.52), bounded on the northwest by the Qatar-South Fars Arch, and on the east and northeast by the foreland basin and adjacent foreland fold and thrust belt of Oman. The sedimentary section reaches a thickness of about 6,500 m (21,320 ft) in the southwest and thickens toward the basin depocenter in the north. It is subdivided into a number of major cycles, each characterized by a predominant lithology, and is bounded by major unconformities. Exploration activities for hydrocarbons in the U.A.E. began in 1936 with surface geologic reconnaissance, grav-
ity, magnetic and seismic surveys. The first test drilling began in 1950 (Ras Sadr RS-1), but without discovery oil, the commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in 1959 were in the Abu Dhabi Umm Shaif Field in the offshore and the Murban Field, now "Bab" Field, in 1960 in the onshore. A series of discoveries followed, so the U.A.E is now one of the richer oil-producing areas in the world (Fig. 11.52). Economic hydrocarbon deposits are found in two types of traps of regional importance: structural (anticlinal) and combined structural/stratigraphic (usually carbonate platform and unconformity). They are related to structural growth of the basement during and after sedimentation or related to structural growth of the Infracambrian salt.
Regional Stratigraphy
The Late Paleozoic to Recent section encountered in the deepest wells of United Arab Emirates has a maximum thickness of about 6506 m (21,000 ft) (Fig. 11.53). A feature of sedimentation since the beginning of the Late Permian has been the dominance of shelf carbonates, with
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Fig. 11.54. Oil-source rock correlations in the UAE oi field a)Porphyrin vs. stable carbon isotopes. Note that most of onshore Abu Dhabi oils correlate vert well with theUpper Jurassic Dukhan (Diyab)source rock. b) Pristane/Phytane ratio vs.Stable carbon isotope ratio. Note that the oils of onshore Abu Dhadi cluster around the Dukhan (Diyab) source rock. c) Sulfur content vs. stable carbon isotope ratio. Note that the close correlation between the oils and the Dukhan (Diyab) source rock. (after Mohamed and Ayoub, 1992). I000OIL-PRONE
Shuaiba 9Formation (Bab Member) AShilaif Formation Simsima, Fiqa, rl Tuwayii Formations O Dukhan, Minjur, Khuff Formations
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Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins etrated in four wells. The total organic carbon (TOC) of the Sudair Formation is about 1% by weight. The Gulailah (Jilh) Formation contains a TOC ranging from less than 0.5 to about 2 wt%, and the organic content ranges from less than 1 to 3 wt% in the Minjur Formation. The TOC of the Triassic section gradually increases towards the central part of the U.A.E. The main organic types of sapropelic kerogen are amorphous organic matter and algal remains; humic matter has been recorded, but is a minor component. Palynomorphs studied indicate that the thermal alteration index (TAI) varies across the oil fields. At Mender and Umm Shaif (down to a depth of 4,000 m), thermal indices range from 2.75 to 3; and in the Hail, Hair Dalma, Bab and Mender fields (down to a depth of 5,000 m), thermal indices are 3 to 3.5. The hydrocarbon generation potential of the Minjur Formation is about 1.15 kg/ton and of Sudair Formation about 2.41 kg/ton (Loutfi and Sattar, 1987; Alsharhan, 1993 a & b; Whittle and Alsharhan, 1995). The Diyab in offshore is the equivalent to the onshore Dukhan Formation. The Diyab in western offshore Abu Dhabi was deposited in an intrashelf basin setting. There is a facies change in the source beds that thin to the eastern offshore Abu Dhabi toward Dubai and where dark-gray, finely laminated, argillaceous lime mudstone and wackestone with calcareous shale give way to dolomite and dolomitic limestone with some peloidal packstone and grainstone. This marks the change from a euxinic intrashelf basin to a shallow-water, subtidal lagoon to the east and a change from source-rock to non-source-rock facies. Geochemical typing, gas chromatography and sterane-phytane fingerprinting identified the Diyab Formation as the source of the hydrocarbons found in the Arab and Thamama reservoirs. The formation lies mostly below the oil window, so the main phase of oil generation was during the early Miocene. TOC of the Diyab Formation ranges from 0.72 to 1.8 wt%, with sapropelic, oil-prone kerogen sometimes mixed with sapropelic-humic, and pyrolysis gives a yield of 0.55.0 kg/ton. TOC values range from 0.5 to 0.82 wt% in the onshore, but are higher in western offshore Abu Dhabi (0.3-5.5) and generally less than 2%, with the highest TOC values in the basal organic layer. The highest pyrolysis values (90.5-5.0 kg/ton)occur in the northwestern offshore. The onshore areas generally are characterized by low TOC values (
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Fig. 11.68 Fateh Field, Dubai (A Stratigraphic cross-section of the Middle Cretaceous Mishrif and Khatiyah formations showing reef development (B) Structural contour map on top of the Middle Cretaceous Mishrif Formation in Fateh oil field, Dubai, UAE. (C) Schematic structural cross section (D) Regional development and depositional facies setting of the Middle Cretaceous Khatiyah and Mishrif Formations in UAE (compiled from Jordan et al., 1985 reproduced by kind permission of Springer-Verlag). 1975 from the Arab-D reservoir with approximately 30,000 bbl/d of 39 ~ API gravity oil and 1% sulphur and continued until July of 1979 when the field was temporarily shut-in between 1979 and 1984 due to excessive gas production. A water injection scheme was developed in 1984 aimed at improving recoverable oil reserves to 125 MM.bbl (Beydoun, 1988). 3D seismic data has provided a more detailed and accurate horizon and fault interpretation. A greatly increased number of faults were identified on both of new 3D seismic sections and time slices at the Thamama to the Uwainat horizons. The graben fault system at the crestal area was clearly recognized, comprising 3-4 steps faults. The maximum fault throw is about 100 ft. Several faults running NW-SE direction with throws a few tens of feet were newly encountered on the NW and SE flank areas of the field (Honda et al., 1996). The fault patterns at the Thamama, Hith, Arab, Diyab and Araej Formations are similar, since the same faults are interpreted as cutting each event (top of Thamama V, top of Arab D, top of Uwainat), terminating beneath the top Uwainat but not penetrating the Triassic section. Oil and gas accumulations were found in the Arab and Araej formations. The Arab Formation contains the most important hydrocarbon reservoirs. It is divided into four members, the lowest being the primary oil reservoir. The three upper members contain gas. The A, B and C mem596
bers are relatively thin intervals of dolomite and dolomitic limestone separated by beds of anhydrite. The D member is mainly dolomitic limestones, grading upward, from the shelf limestone of the basal Arab through lagoonal and intertidal sediments. The thickness of the Arab D reservoirs are 104 m (340 ft) and 85 m (280 ft), respectively. Sajaa
Gas-
Condensate
Field
The field was discovered in 1980 by AMOCO Sharjah when the well Sajaa-1 was tested and proved to be capable of producing 50 million cubic ft (1.4 million cubic meters) of gas and 5,000 bbl (800 cubic meters) of condensate liquids per day from Lower Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic carbonates, which form a single reservoir, sealed by the Middle Cretaceous Nahr Umr Shale. The field went on stream in 1982. The field is a retrograde gas condensate reservoir with an average porosity of 10% and permeability of 1 millidarcy. The net pay within the field ranges from 80-925 ft (24-282 m). The Sajaa structure, which is about 10 by 8 km in size, is a large north-south oriented anticline bounded on west and southwest by a major thrust faults which seal the reservoir against the Upper Cretaceous Aruma shale. The Sajaa field is not a salt induced structure but is part of the buried frontal thrust of the Oman overthrust belt (Fig. 11.70). Two major periods of thrusting were responsible
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
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Fig. 11.69 E1 Bunduq Field of Qatar and U.A.E. (A) Structural contour map on top of Upper Jurassic Arab D reservoir (B) Major fault trends at the field (after Honda et al. 1996).
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for the evolution of the Sajaa structure. During the first episode in the Upper Cretaceous some 80 million years ago, compressional forces from the east led to the thrusting of Semail, Hawasina, Sumeini nappes and the shelf carbonates. The normal stacking order in this thrusting from bottom to top is shelf carbonate, Sumeini, Hawasina and Semail napps. The of Semail, Hawasina and Sumeini thrust sheets which involved several hundred kilometers of movement, never reached the Sajaa structure. As a result of this thrusting episode, a wedge of Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary sediments were deposited in front of the thrust sheets. The second and final episode of thrusting took place during Miocene, some 35 million years ago, causing the uplift of the present day Oman mountains reactivating some of the pre-existing faults. It was during this time that Sajaa attained its present day elevation. In 1983 output increased to 52,000 bcpd and 500 million cfgpd reaching 60,200 bcpd in 1985. Production started to decline in 1986 and by 1989 it was reduced to 27,900 bcpd, 7,750 bpd LPG and 260 million cfgd (Beydoun 1988; Arab Oil and Gas Directory, 1996). In 1989, 15 wells were producing at Sajaa and in 1992, 3 more wells were completed. These encountered productive intervals of 215 and 890 ft at depths below 10,000 ft. In 1992, these intervals were brought into production yielding 15,000 bcpd and 100 million cfgpd boosting total production to 38,000 bcpd and 580 million cfgpd at which level it is currently maintained (GeoArabia, 1996). Original recoverable reserves are estimated to be as low as 109 MM.bbl condensate and 1.56 TCF gas, or as high as 400 MM.bbl condensate and 6 TCF gas.
Fig. 11.70 Sajaa gas-condensate Field, Sharjah. (A) East-west structural cross section showing gas-condensate accumulated in the Lower Cretaceous carbonate reservoir; (B) Structural contour map on top of the Lower Cretaceous Thamama Group (after Blinton and Wahid, 1983). 597
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East JORDAN
edge of the Arabia Sub-plate, the edge defined by the Dead Sea Rift and Shear Fault System. Despite the progress of the last few decades, the geology of the country still is relatively poorly known. Essentially, it may be divided into three broad zones: the A1 Jafr, Wadi Sirhan and Azraq
Jordan has an area of 90,650 sq km, of which sedimentary areas cover 86,000 sq km. It lies at the western
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Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins Table 11.5. Exploration wells drilled in Jordan until 1990. Compiled from OAPEC, 1985; NRA Jordan, 1989; Andrews, 1991 (see Fig. 11.73 for well locations).
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
Table 11.7. Source-rock potential in different sedimentary basins in Jordan (compiled and modified from Abu Ajamieh et al., 1988; NRA, Jordan, 1989; Beydoun et al., 1994).
basin areas, characterized by east-west striking shear faults. These are truncated to the west by the Cenozoic Dead Sea Shear Zone and cut obliquely by a sequence of northwest-southeast-striking faults (Fig.11.71), of which the most clearly defined are those of the Azraq-Sirhan Basin trend and the A1 Karak-Wadi Fiha Fault Zone, leading one to suspect that the fault bounding the Risha Basin also may be complex and that all may have an original late Proterozoic-early Phanerozoic origin from their parallelism with the Najd Fault System, and have been subsequently reactivated. Precambrian crystalline rocks crop out in the southwest, but most of Jordan is covered by a Phanerozoic mantle of sediment; an appreciable area is covered by relatively young lava flows. It is only as a result of extensive geological and geophysical mapping and the drilling of numerous exploration wells that subsurface data has helped clarify the structural and stratigraphic problems. The stimulus for the exploration was the search for both water and hydrocarbons, which led to the drilling by Pauley and Phillips of Safra- 1 in 1957. In the absence of the numerous established fields and
the more abundant data accumulated since their discovery in adjoining countries, the treatment of the hydrocarbon habitat in Jordan has had to take a different format, with the brief examination of the defined sedimentary basins, and not an examination of hydrocarbon parameters. However, this procedure does permit the identification of potential areas of interest. The generalized lithostratigraphic sequence of the Phanerozoic sediments in various parts of Jordan, shown in Fig. 11.72 reflects the sediment deposited and preserved, the dominant sedimentary facies, and the major unconformities recorded. (For more detail, see Bender, 1974; and Beydoun et al., 1994.) The Infracambrian-lowest Cambrian is dominated by volcano-sedimentary coarse clastics, over which Cambrian continental clastics lie unconformably. They consist of alternating red-brown sandstone, micaceous sandy siltstone, micaceous sandy shale, and local carbonates. During the Ordovician-Silurian, a sequence of marginal marine, fine-grained clastics, and argillaceous sediments was deposited. Major unconformity terminated Silurian deposition, but Devonian rocks are not known either in exposure or in subsur-
601
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Table 11.8 Source rock summary data of the Silurian Qusaiba Member in northern Saudi Arabia (after Cole et al., 1994b). Immature Qusaiba Member Shales: Cool Gamma-Ray Response Zone %TOC $2 Yield average: maximum" minimum" number of samples:
0.72 2.85 0.25 240
Warm+HotGamma-Ray Response Zones %TOC 4.17 20.17 0.42 206
1.22 11.60 0.01 240
$2 Yield 19.93 86.78 1.00 206
Mature Qusaiba Member Shales: Cool Gamma-Ray Response Zone average: maximum: minimum: number of samples:
%TOC 0.70 3.33 0.22 149
Warm+Hot Gamma-Ray Response Zones %TOC $2 Yield
$2 Yield 0.58 5.93 0.00 149
5.25 11.91 0.50 24
6.78 17.62 0.15 24
% T O e = total organic carbon (wt.%) $2 yield = $2 yield (mg HC/g rock) from Rock-Eval pyrolysis Total Organic Carbon (%) >5%
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Fig. 11.9% Burial history diagram illustrating influence of source rock maturation in Uddayan-A on digenetic evolution of Unayzah and basal Khuff sandstones in A1 Hawtah Field. Clay transformtion in Uddayan Field shales started around 240 Ma resulting liberation of Si, Ca, K, Fe, Mg and interlayer H20 for silica and carbonate cementation in A1 Hawtah reservoir rocks. Qusaiba shales in Uddayan Field entered oil window around 160 Ma (see Abu-Ali 1991 ). Gradual organic matter maturation caused generation of organic acid and C02 which migrated into Hawtah reservoir rocks generating substantial secondary porosity prior to main phase of oil emplacement (after Aktas and Cocker,1995,and reproduced with permission from Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain).
.
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Ferguson and Chambers (1991), McGillivray and Husseini (1992) and Alsharhan (1995) reported that oil and condensate were produced from some new discoveries in central Saudi Arabia, such as Nuayyim, Hazmiyah, Hawtah, stratigraphic well-39, Talhah, Dilam, Hilwah, Raghib, Hamzah, Udaynan and Tinat. Hydrocarbons were encountered in six reservoir facies, viz. braided-river, shorefaceforeshore, delta-channel, coastal-plain channel, valley-fill channel and transgressive lag (Ferguson and Chambers, 1991). Khuff F o r m a t i o n (Permian). The Khuff Formation contains the earliest major transgressive carbonates deposited over the shallow continental shelf of eastern Saudi Arabia. The formation, about 510 m (1,670 r ) thick, has been divided into four carbonate reservoir units, Khuff A to D, and a fifth and lowest clastic unit, Khuff E, in an upward sequence (A1 Jallal, 1995), each formed during a
different depositional cycle. The cycle commences with mainly subtidal carbonates and shallows upward into a regressive phase of mainly intertidal and sabkha sediments deposited on a carbonate-evaporite shelf (see Chapter 5). Reservoir quality is controlled by lateral continuity or discontinuity of the facies and also by diagenesis. High porosity and permeability is usually associated with primary interparticle pore spaces (A1 Jallal, 1987, 1995; Alsharhan and Nairn, 1994). Khuff gas from the Saudi fields is sour, containing hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. Production is accompanied by water (1.5-2 bbl per million standard cu ft of gas) and moderate amounts of heavy condensate (API gravity 47.5 ~ 30-50 barrels per million standard cu ft of gas) (Kasnick and Engen, 1989). Analysis of the gas shows that it contains approximately 20% non-hydrocarbons, of which H2S forms about 4.1 mole%, CO 2 3.7
627
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
[.,i..N , . . . . . .
.....
Anhydrlte Ranges (in feet) g~L'q < 0
.~
Dhruma Formation), and the lower part of the Upper Fadhili Zone (the upper part is included in the Tuwaiq Mountains Formation). Oil is produced in Fadhili, Faridah, Khurais, Mazalij, Samin and Sharar fields.
O-5O
200-250 >250
-
.
Tuwaiq Mountain Formation (Callovian-Oxfordian). It consists of calcarenite and limestone deposited in a
.
. 9
9
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Fig. 11.98,Anhydrite total footage ranges in feets in the Permian carbonates of the Middle East (after A1 Jallal, 1995, reproduced with permission from Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain). mole% and N 2 12.3 mole% (Kasnick and Engen, 1989). The condensate has 0.81% sulfur and significant quantities of heptanes and heavier components. In a regional sense, A1 Jallal (1995) demonstrated a relationship between a low anhydrite content and a high porosity. The higher porosity in the grainstone facies coincides with a high-energy shelf break marking the opening to open-marine conditions in Oman and Iran. The SaudiKuwait area, however, belongs to the zone of the restricted carbonate-evaporite shelf (Fig. 11.98). Significant gas production was reported from the Khuff Formation in the Dammam Field in 1957, and gas reserves of great significance have been discovered since then in other major fields such as Ghawar, Abu Safah, Berri, Harmaliya, Khurais and Qatif. In the Abu Jifan and Farhah oil fields, King (1995) showed that the lower part of the Khuff (Unit E clastics) had excellent reservoir characteristics, with permeabilities of more than 3 darcies, and where the initial discovery well Abu Jifan-23 flowed 8,200 bbl/d of 42 ~ API oil with 4 million cu ft of gas from Permian, Siluro-Ordovician and Ordovician sections. Marrat Formation (Toarcian-Lower Jurassic). It consists of argillaceous limestone, shale and sandstone deposited in a shallow marine shelf setting. The formation is locally a minor oil reservoir in the Maharah Field. Dhruma Formation (Bajocian-Callovian). It consists of limestone and shale deposited in a shallow-marine shelf. The Dhruma Formation is divided into three units: Lower, Middle and Upper Dhruma Formation. It consists of four reservoir units" Faridah Zone and Sharar Zone (Middle Dhruma Formation), Lower Fadhili Zone (Upper 628
shallow-marine shelf setting. The formation includes two reservoir units, the Upper Fadhili Zone (the lower part is with Dhruma Formation) and the Hadriyah Zone. Oil and gas is produced in Abu Hadriyah, Berri and Qatif fields.
Formation
(Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian).
The formation consists of shallow-marine shelf carbonates and argillaceous bituminous mudstone and shale and is an excellent reservoir-source rock facies unit. The Hanifa reservoir occasionally shows exceptionally high permeability caused by high-angle fractures, which are less than 1 mm in width, containing calcite cement and hydrocarbon residue. These fracture occurrences are closely associated with high-amplitude stylolites, but seem to be related to stratigraphic positions. Figure 4 compares the porosity-permeability plot for Hanira with that of Arab D in the same field. While the porosity ranges of these two reservoirs do not differ greatly, the permeability range of Hanifa (less than 10 md) is much less than that of Arab D (up to 8,000 md). The reservoir in the Abqaiq Field was described by Grover (1993) as mud-supported limestone, having micropores of 2-5 micron size with relatively high porosity (5-32%) and low permeability (about 10 md) (see Fig. 99). The microporosity is considered to reflect retention of primary intercrystalline spaces within the original lime mud sediments. The Hanifa is separated from the overlying Arab D reservoir by more than 137 m (449 fi) of fine-grained carbonates of the Jubailah Formation, which seems to have acted as a seal for hydrocarbons. However, this seal is a leaky one, probably because of the presence of microfractures. Further to the north in the Berri Field of Saudi Arabia, the Hanifa changes its facies to skeletal grainstone and stromatoporoid boundstone complexes (Kompanik et al., 1993). In the vertical direction, the Hanifa is a large-scale, coarsening/shallowing-upward, carbonate platform sequence (about 150 m, or 490 ft, thick), consisting of a lower non- reservoir unit of organic-rich, laminated lime mudstone and low-porosity skeletal wackestone, and an upper reservoir unit of grain-rich carbonates that include skeletal packstone, grainstone and coral/stromatoporoid boundstone. The skeletal sands and stromatoporoid/coral bioherm complexes dominate the outer ramp and ramp margin environment. They grade southward of the field into skeletal packstone and wackestone along a ramp margin slope, and finally into tight lime mudstone in the basin (Kompanik et al., 1993; Fig. 11.100). The best reservoir facies lie in the conglomerate and grainstone, with a permeability reaching as high as 10,000 md and a porosity greater than 30%.
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Greater Arabian Basins
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POROSITY (%)
A
Fig. 11.99 Porosity-Permeability cross plot data A) Comparison of porosity and permeability cross plot data from Arab D and Hanifa reservoirs of Abqaiq Field, Saudi Arabia. The two reservoirs have a similar porosity range, but Arab-D permeabilities range from 0.1 to 8,000 md while Hanifa permeabilities are less than 10 md, a difference of three orders of magnitude between these two reservoirs. B) Cross-plot of core-plug porosity and permeability data from the Hanifa reservoir in Abqaiq Field, Saudi Arabia (after Grover, 1993, reproduced with permission from Society of Petroleum Engineers).
J
Skeletal conglomeritic 1 gratnstones Grainstones
Skeletal packstone
Bioherm Complex
and wackestones
... _
_~-__ _
...
----
---___
--~
-
Fig. 11.100 Depositional environments and facies distribution of the Jurassic Hanifa reservoirs in Berri Field, Saudi Arabia (after Kompanik et al. 1993, reproduced with permission from Society of Petroleum Engineers).
~_-
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RAMP M~BGt I~ Tight Mudstones ~ 0 5 Km
The formation is a major oil and gas reservoir. Oil is produced in Khurais Field and oil and gas is produced in Abqaiq, Abu Hadriyah, Berri, Ghawar (Ain Dar Area), Harmaliyah, Khursaniyah and Mazalij fields. Jubailah Formation (Kimmeridgian). It consists of calcarenite and bituminous limestone deposited in a shallow-marine shelf setting. The formation consists of two pay zones, Lower Jubailah and Upper Jubailah Members. Oil is produced in Khurais and oil and gas is produced in Abqaiq, Ghawar fields.
Arab
Formation
(Kirnmeridgian-Portlandian).
This formation consists of calcarenite, dolomite, bituminous limestone and anhydrite deposited in a shallow-
marine shelf setting (lagoonal deposits and supratidal). It is a major oil and gas reservoir in the Interior Platform and Northern Gulf Sub-basin. Oil is produced in the Khurais, Manifa and Marjan fields, and oil and gas are produced in the Abqaiq, Abu Hadriyah, Abu Safah, Berri, Dammam, Fadhili, the supergiant Ghawar), Harmaliyan, Khursaniyah and Qatif fields. This reservoir includes the Arab A, B, C and D zones. The reserves include all of the Arab A, B, C and D, Arab D/Jubailah reservoirs and the Jubailah and Hith formations. The reservoir has oil and gas accumulations in the Mazalij Field and oil accumulations in the following non-producing fields and discoveries: Abu Jifan, Dhib, Dibdibba, Duhaynah, E1 Haba, Faridah, Habari,
629
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East Hamd, Harqus, Jaham, Jaladi, Jana, Jawb, Juraybiat, Jurayd, Karan, Kurayn, Lugfahim Qirdi, Ribayan, Sadawi, Salsal, Samin, Sharar, Suban, Tinat, Wariyah and Watban. Petrographic and petrophysical properties of the Arab D reservoir, which is the most prolific in Saudi Arabia, -I -.
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
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Fig. 12.19. Major structural elements and oil field trends in Syria (modified from Lovelock, 1984).
672
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Zagros Basin bah sands. Subsequently, exploration expanded eastwards into the Ash Sham contract area, where 26 of the 28 commercial pools are located. The Euphrates Graben generally is about 50 km wide, but is a complex of many smaller grabens (Fig. 12.19). Rifting began early, with the syndepositional Derro sandstone, and had largely ended by the deposition of the Upper Shiranish limestone in Campanian-Maastrichtian time. Sabkha and proximal marine carbonates dominated the sequence until the late Miocene-Pliocene collision with the Eurasian Plate, after which time the deposits were entirely continental. Presently, there are a number of producing fields (Fig. 12.16 and Table 12.3), although many of the newly discovered fields are small, and production data are not available for all fields. The principal reservoirs are in rocks Carboniferous to Tertiary in age, with most production from Cretaceous carbonates and minor production from sandstone (Table 12.3). Most fields have multiple producing reservoirs and more than one type of hydrocarbon (medium and heavy gravity oil, condensate and gas). The Paleozoic sequence, while it holds some potential with some minor oil-prone source rocks, currently is not a potential future target. The major traps occur in elongated, asymmetrical anticlines that continue into Turkey (Fig. 12.19). They often are controlled by pre-Miocene basement block-faulting and may be involved in two phases of folding. The seals tend to be either shale or evaporites. The evaporites are common in the shallow-marine or transitional Triassic, Jurassic and Neogene, whereas shale tends to form the cap rocks in Permian, Cretaceous and Paleogene marine sequences. Estimated producing wells in Syria total 106. The proven recoverable oil reserves of Syria are estimated at about 3 B.bbl, and about 8 TCF of gas (World Oil, 1993). In the following sections, an attempt will be made to characterize the nature of the variety of the most important traps, reservoirs, source rocks and seals in Syria and to summarize the available geochemical characteristics of the known crude oils. To illustrate the principal features, accounts of, or references to, typical fields will be included. Thus, attention will be concentrated on the characteristics important from the petroleum standpoint rather than on the lithological or environmental aspects presented in earlier chapters. They are based upon data presented by Weber (1963, 1964), Metwalli et al. (1972, 1974), Wetzel (1974), Ala and Moss (1979), Syrian Petroleum Company (1981), Beydoun (1988) and OAPEC (1989).
Structure and Traps The comparison between the location of the major fields in Syria (Fig. 12.16) with the map showing the principal tectonic units shows the clear relationship between the hydrocarbon traps and the structural elements. In fact, the commercial hydrocarbon deposits occur in anticlinal
traps particularly in the northeastern part of the country (Fig. 12.19). A distinction can be made between this anticlinal zone and the more stable shelf and basin elements such as the Sirhan Basin (Jordan) and the Rutbah Uplift (Iraq). The two are separated by the Palmyra Mountain Fold Belt, which is characterized by closely spaced folds and steep, tilted blocks. To the southwest, the folds converge and merge into the north-south--oriented Anti-Lebanon Range, which extends southwards into the Judean Mountains. To the northeast, the fold axes diverge and form a system of en echelon structures in which important discoveries have been made. The folds were formed during the Cretaceous to Pliocene Alpine Taurus-Zagros Orogeny (Weber, 1963, 1964; Wolfart, 1967 a & b; Metwalli et al., 1974; Ala and Moss, 1979; Lovelock, 1984; Beydoun, 1988; and Best et al., 1993). Halokinetic movements of Infracambrian salt, if present, are not significant. Syndepositional movements were active through the Oligocene, with the main uplift in the Mio-Pliocene, at which time many of the high-relief, closed anticlines were formed. The folds extend northeastward into the Mesopotamian Foredeep as broad, open folds that became steeper towards the northeast. This area includes the Tuwal AbbaSinjar Swell (Fig. 12.20) with the Karatchok, Rumailan and Souedie fields, and the smaller Ulayyan and Hamzah fields in a narrow trend near the Turkish border. Major updip oil migration from Permo-Triassic source rocks probably occurred during the Eocene, charging the Jurassic reservoirs in the Ramadan and Souedie fields. Thus, the downdip Karatchok Field was bypassed. Later migration into Cretaceous reservoirs probably occurred during the Pliocene, accompanying the intense folding and fracturing of the broader structures in Syria.
Reservoir Characteristics Although Paleozoic rocks may yet be found to provide potential source rocks and reservoirs, the majority of commercial reservoirs are in fractured carbonates and sandstone of Mesozoic and Tertiary age (Fig. 12.17). Table 12.4 provides a list of the principal reservoir horizons and Table 12.5 reservoir characteristics of fields with the reservoir information available. In a general sense, the fractured carbonates of the Triassic Kurra Chine Formation are important gas and heavyoil reservoirs in eastern and northeastern Syria, and the Triassic Mulussa limestone produces in the Aleppo area. The rocks of the Lower Jurassic Butmah Formation are oil- and gas-producing in eastern and northeastern Syria, along with minor production from the Cretaceous Qamchuqa, Shiranish and Soukhne carbonates. The most important sandstone reservoir is the Lower Cretaceous (Cherrife Formation) of the Thayyem Field in southeastern Syria. In central Syria, the Triassic and Jurassic Dolaa (Mulussa) Group, equivalent to the Kurra Chine Forma-
673
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686
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Zagros Basin Table 12.7. A geochemical comparison between Miocene and Cretaceous Syrian crude oils (after Metwalli et al., 1972).
P=paraffinic, I=intermediate, N=naphthinic, Ni=nickel, V=vanadium, Fe=iron.
Table 12.8. Chemical analysis of two Syrian crude oils of the same reservoir age (Shiranish Formation, Maastrichtian) (after Metwalli et al., 1972). Note that the two crudes are different in their geochemical characteristics as a result of migration maturation in a proposed NE-SW direction.
687
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Table 12.9. Geochemical characteristics of crude oils from the Jebissa Oil Field, Syria (after Metwalli et al., 1972).
Formation (uppermost Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) form seals for gas accumulations in the carbonate reservoirs of the Dolaa Group. Marl of the Shiranish Formation (uppermost Cretaceous) unconformably overlies the Upper Cretaceous reservoirs. Paleocene and Eocene shale and marl are widely distributed and also may seal the Upper Cretaceous Massive Limestone reservoir. Both Neogene anhydrite and rock salt seal major reservoirs in the Tertiary carbonate series. The major sealing zones of Syria are listed in Table 12.10 and Fig. 12.17. In eastern Syria, a suitable reservoir/source/seal combination within the Triassic-Jurassic sequence is a prime consideration for future oil exploration. The Mulussa Formation, for example, may become very attractive if its reservoir facies either unconformably overlie the OrdovicianSilurian shale or if it has been thrust over the Cretaceous shale, and if the entire sequence is covered by an effective seal such as the evaporites within the Triassic-Jurassic sequence (Kurra Chine, Adaiyah and Alan formations). In the Palmyra-Sinjar and Euphrates-Anah troughs (Fig. 12.19), most source rocks have reached a sufficient depth of burial to generate oil, which then could have migrated along the southern flanks of the trough. The Jurassic dolomite reservoirs are sealed by the
688
Alan anhydrite and the Sargelu anhydritic shale. The Lower and Middle Cretaceous limestone and dolomites are covered by the Shiranish marl. Oil, which had migrated primarily into the Qamchuqa (Lower Cretaceous) or related formations, probably moved further upwards into the Senonian reefs of the Massive Limestone Formation. In the Souedie and Qamishliyeh fields, the Chilou and Jeribe reefal limestone (Oligo-Miocene) generally is capped by anhydrite. The lack of oil or gas in these reservoirs probably means that the seals on the older reservoirs have been more effective and have not let oil leak upward to the Oligocene and Miocene limestone. The Lower Fars evaporite of Miocene age is salt in the central part of the Euphrates Basin, but it is anhydrite around the edges. A short account of the principal cap rocks follows. Mulussa Formation (Upper Triassic). The formation consists of 500 m (1,640 ft) of evaporite, mainly gypsum, carbonate and sandstone deposited in a transitional lagoonal environment. It is the lateral equivalent of the Kurra Chine Formation. Kurra Chine Formation (Upper Triassic). A thickness of 500 m (1,640 ft) of evaporite, shale, dolomite, limestone and sandstone deposited in a transitional
Hydrocarbon Habitat of the Zagros Basin
Table 12.10. Major seal formations in Syria.
evaporitic, lagoonal environment. Adaiyah Formation (Lower Jurassic). A sequence of 175 m (574 ft) of anhydrite deposited in an evaporitic lagoonal environment. Alan Formation (lower Jurassic). A further 50 m (165 ft) of shallow marine evaporitic anhydrite. Sargelu Formation (Middle Jurassic). A formation of 300 m (984 ft) of anhydrite, shale and carbonate deposited in a shallow marine and evaporitic setting. It is the lateral equivalent of the Dolaa Group carbonate. Cherrife Formation (Lower Cretaceous). The formation, 80-120 m (262-406 ft) thick, consists of shale, sandstone and carbonate deposited in a shallow marine
setting.
Shirhanish Formation (Maastrichtian). This 200 m (565 ft) of marl and argillaceous limestone was deposited in a marine environment. Aaliji Formation (Paleoeene-Lower Eocene). The formation is made up of 300 m (984 ft) of marine shale. Jaddala Formation (Middle-Upper Eocene). A thick (600 m, or 1,968 ft) marine marl and limestone. Dhiban Formation (Lower Mioeene-Burdigalian). A formation of 260 m (853 ft) of anhydrite, halite and marly limestone deposited in transitional lagoonal and supratidal environments. Lower Fars Formation (Tortonian). Shallow marine
689
Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East evaporitic gypsum, anhydrite, clayey marl, clay and siltstone deposited in a shallow marine environment.
et al., 1974). The eastern part of the field is a doubly plunging anticline with dips of 1-3~ on the west, the dip increases to about 10~ Shallow faults are recognized seismically on top of horizon B (Fig. 12.26); some of these faults were transversed in deep drill holes. The evaporites overlying the Jeribe Formation act as a plastic cover and prevent many of the deep faults from reaching the surface. The major uplift of the Cretaceous-Jurassic-Triassic reservoir section in the Jebissa Field occurred during Neogene-Recent times, which helped entrapment of oil generated from the Carboniferous or older source rocks. Oil probably migrated into broad/regional uplifts first, and later to anticlinal structures and fault blocks genetically unrelated to the late folding and thrust structures. Heavy oil staining has been found in the Soukhne and Ghouna formations (Upper Cretaceous) and in the Oligocene Chilou Limestone. Metwalli et al. (1972) have stated on the basis of petroleum geochemistry that the oil in the Miocene Jeribe Limestone is derived from a Miocene source rock.
Oil Field Examples
Most of the oil and gas fields found today occur in anticlines, typical examples are given below and are summarized in Appendix E. The Karatchok Field, the first field discovered in Syria in 1956, went on stream in 1969. It produced oil from the Massive Limestone Formation (Coniacian-Santonian), with oil gravity of 19-21 o API oil with a sulfur content of about 4.2%. Dry gas has been discovered in the Late Cretaceous Shirhanish Formation and 28 ~ API oil in the Triassic Butmah Formation. Recoverable oil reserves are estimated at 800 MM.bbl and 150 BCF gas (Beydoun, 1988). The Jebissa Field is in a simple anticlinal structure cut by a few faults (Fig. 12.26) trending east-west and NESW. The structure is 13 km long and 5 km wide (Metwalli
Fig. 12.26. The Jebissa Oil Field: A=structural map of the dome; B=cross-section based on seismic data (after Metwalli et al., 1972, reproduced with permission from AAPG).
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former presence of gas escapes may be marked by the partial or wholesale replacement of gypsum or anhydrite by porous crystalline aragonite or "secondary limestone," a process believed to have gone on in subsurface under reducing conditions, or the replacement of limestone or marl by a mixture of earthy matter including gypsum crystals and associated with sulfur, free sulfuric acid and occasionally jarosite and chalcedony (Gach-i-turush, sour gypsum). In places, the escaping oil and gas have ignited, leaving behind burned rock with marl baked red to a hard, tile-like or even glassy consistency (Lees and Richardson, 1940). Where overthrusting occurs, escaping fluids have migrated some miles along the thrust planes to emerge at points distant from their fold source. However, locating the source is complicated by the incompetent folding that has occurred in the Lower Fars rocks. The two principal reviews of the hydrocarbon potential of Iraq are both fairly old, that of Dunnington (1958) concerning northern Iraq
Introduction
Iraq, with an area of 438,317 sq. km comprises part of the Arabian Basin west of the As Fold Belt to the western desert near the border of Syria and Jordan, including the Mesopotamian Plain and part of the Zagros Basin in the northwest, northeast and southeast near the borders of Syria, Turkey and Iran. The principal oil fields lie within the Zagros Basin, although there are important fields in the Arabian platform area. Geologically Iran can be divided structurally into the Mesopotamian zone which is part of the Arabian Platform, the Foothill Folded zone passing to the highly folded and overthrust zone (Fig. 12.27). In many parts of Iraq, active seepages of liquid oil and gas escapes occur, as well as bitumen deposits, veins and impregnations of porous or shattered rock. The presence or
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East Upper Jurassic Diyab Oil Geochemistry
In northwestern Oman, in the Upper Jurassic Lekhwair and Dhulaima fields, oil is produced from BarremianAptian (Shuaiba-Kharaib) and Tuwaiq Mountain reservoirs (Table 13.3). Geochemically, the oil is identical to oil found in the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation and Lower Cretaceous Thamama Group reservoirs of the U.A.E. and Qatar. No good source rock has been identified in Oman, but by analogy with the U.A.E. and Qatar, the source is considered to lie within the Hanifa/ Diyab formations, with the oil migrating from sources outside Oman.
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The Natih Formation hosts oil in many of the northern oil fields and also contains two organic-rich intervals that are potential source rocks. The sterane distribution is similar to a worldwide range of steranes derived from Cretaceous carbonates (see tables 13.4 and 13.5)
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Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East deposits. The overlying Mahwis Formation contains shaly, sheetflood sands as part of an alluvial apron probably sourced from the southeast.
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TUckH<m
LJEC 6cTniiti>n-H«mcnvitit
AKt -
.
- •
• • . ; •
• - '
•
:
•
-
FomtlDD
RMiwi
Litbokicr
Shile, undsione tnd |jmcvt[?nc LtfC BfmuLui'Hiutcn^ k«ji
Ad SOURCE
CMfOURatlafoct^STB) Sultur CaatcDl (%) VtocoBty (CP)
•.f:.'-
RUlwi
FonualkHt
•
RltlW! Ai:
pUKcAtt w d bitumimiu limsuone 600 LUC Beniniin-HhiienviAn Structunl vvicliw
>
^
nxmucnoN PARAMETERS R«omry Factdrt*) DiHrt McchanitiB
7
t
7
Doll; Production (dau)
llMliMAJall
21.222 bbVd ( I M ) )
9MMci/d(ain«^) >43M.bbVili>il(l98)1
TvUI PnHluclioa ldatc>
16MM.Wilal t7.J8.cf»M(l976)
iMMMb)>l(l9M)
3 ; M M bbl
7
JOO MM.Mil
7
7
7
KKvrtnbitOU
7
MOOMM.bM
42Q-M0 M M b M
Ricavtrablc G u
1
'
7
Iqjcctkpa StatiH
Eftimalcd RcaerYtx RKOvrrablt Rfocrrcj —
Formitlin
•
1
« .
PROOUCINC. H O U Z O N
•
CHL P A R A M E T E R S OH U r t T l l j CAP!)
Av
300 ] 7 M l K n
B v h M i Point P n a n n
Produccr
TnplVlH
-
7
FIckt S t a t u
TMckmtini
•
8,778
Seiimic xumy
T o M WtUa D r i l k d ( d m )
Ulboloo'
•
1
DaliorPnidvctlaa
•
••
Seismic sufwy
EBemioBift)
SBAL
-
a.i>a
Seismic survey iini
I M i d Dtpdi (ft) P b o t t t r r Mctbod
200
U M M GUDAIR SOUTH
Anbiin nacfmn
Petrnicuv PrfivlDn
UHE^nTT' "CU
a.403
T
A n a vf PrvdiKtiafi
U M M GUDAIR
^
OTBOt FUUMETEKS
i '
Dkt* of [ N K V T « 7
FUWARIS S O U T H
33.6BJ:IIII(197S)
t287MMMilDil(l«SS)
E
A. continued
> 4i-
AHMADI
FIELD NAME GENERAL DESOUPnON FVW S i n I k m ' l
Laoikn
FIELDNAME
• •
'
"
,
•
13.7 I 10 km
CUHfAciiktn
Billy :21 KIcmiTK^Ci
» ^ N . 4 r r E
Arahjan Platlomi
Atmwt)
1H2
kESEkVOlB MRAMETERS
1
r
3
4
RcHTVoJr pDrHi[j
Pttrokum
lAitl*) P r w u r r Total Drpch i n i
Sinictunldnlling
T
EkntiMttt)
U4
JUIMADI
-
•
00
([»iKI
Q.
MMbod Bubble PDIHI FrodbCS
IM)
PtwtuRT WfOi
79 1483
ObKmrWdk
2
ItdteUoB WtUi
1
2
3
4
raODtJCING HOBIZONS
neUSIHIM
TbulHub DiUkd(dilt)
DWiof Production
FDrnuUoii
Wan
MAuddud
Buixui
Burgan
LMbatotf
SinddDnc
LiRVHW
3nl5aaltione
4 t h SHnd^CE^fV
IBO
25
*73
«75
TMckmitcn)
SEAL FnrmBCiDn LUbntoiy
1
2
3
4
AhmnJi
MAuddud
Burfin
Bui^n
Sluk
1
2
3
4
Simcuiml teilied mticline. Thit field 13 a K-S^rencbng culmiutiDnonthc rrujor Burjan •LinKLiuc.
1
2
3
4
Deptli (oTo|i oip>r(tt)
3.670
3,SHI
l.SSI
4J60
TUckBtuof PigrZoHin)
155
15
3»
32S
3S,7^iCfe»
7
A n a of PmducticHi
OB, MRAMEmtS
1
OU ( ; n > l t y r A F I ) G u f O i l Ralio IHl/STBI Sulfur CcHtlf ul
7
3
^
7
dd
2
3
4
3
316
7
ii.&
^
tl6
^
528
T
1.4S
1
2-5
T
1
T
7
s 3 O
ft
T
Oq 7
(»)
Dal)]' PrDduclkn Idatil
MecfainiHti
11S J80 bbUd (19S3J
TbUl ProdkifUoB ((tatcl
7
RtcoTcrvbk Oil
W o k wMcr dnvT + B>3CAp
7 Sbtu
7
37
Rmff u
AlbiAn
An
OTHER rAKAMETERS
•J
Recovrrr Factor
1
700
TbkkwKn)
7
137
PRODUCTION PARAMETERS
ArgilUccoui limmonr And bitumiTHui t l u k
UUmtiio
Fivrnatlcia VoJUIH FKtDT IRB«TB)
V i M B i l ) ICP)
Stiik
KuLfidumi
FonutllDii
TnyTtft
Shilc
7
(»>
Albi>n-CcAam»niH
Av SOURCE
D m u JtfDRHHie
n
^
Ba(1ainHo4* TcmiHratuj*
7
Attttir -CcDom v u i n
An
3
P m a u r t IpsiKl (ISM)
•7
7
Rti:itTFrablt Rctcrvn — Eqiitvaltitl OU
7 G H
w
A. continued
BAHKAH
HELD NAME
-
GENERAL DBSCWFTIOW FkUSInlkA)
LocaHoa
I b t e l Depth iin
Early Albim
Barreniian' «*f1y Albtifi
late Bemaiian^ HalLcnviwt
1
Z
3
4
5
Formllon
Lower Fv3
Wua
Bw^an
ZutHir
Ratawi
UtbDlof;
SwbtHK
SandsConc and
SluV
Shale
SEAL
•^
(pilU
DHUedliUUI
?
4
^ *t
PRODUCTION PARAMETERS Rccorery Factor
FomttDii
TtalckACHiri)
>
Earl> ALtntri
Day; Pmducttaa I
fill
•
. • *
"
•..^•-s
.
Miiugiih
5lule
limHtDne
E
1
2
>
. 3
"
r
c
„.
Burean
4
3
7TO Lowtr CrrucMiuJ .
3 Q ft
o, o"
Vklkitginiui
• "i--
•s . "
'•:«
Formation
KuMumj
RjLl^l
[Jtbolocr
fiitumiiBux ihale ind vp^lacout linerion
Argillxxoui
a.
TOO
tiOO
W
Albiin
LB
31.J
Bur^m
Konnation
PAKAMEIERS
E q u i n k D t CM
PnnrlDcc
M'Jl'N,
}K4
C B / C M I Radii (icOSTBJ
• ^
Dace of
(HO
OU G n r t t ; (*APII
1
CEKEKAL DESCBIFTION
7
:4
h n n o M U t j (nKl)
BUilG\N
FIELDNAME
BUBCAN
H/iME
iVipTypf
Gently N'Scllipiical dome *ithiTurwfawsE-W. Dipt rtrely exceed jr^. Mauddud, Burgan knl MirdgjthrcKrv«niefMntedt>raNNWfiuhrmrnM«g^kaand AhiTudi.TNc Winittff>«pir itironunuDiu. 4
5
3>5l
).»26
6J00
»J
UO
4sa
1
2
3
Diptli Id Top
J.M5
),42S
TycklHaiaf PkT Z o a t i n i
IM
20
OTHER MRAMETERS
•
A. continued
FIELDNAME
MAGWA
HELDNiiME
"3~F—T-n—"^—
GINOAL : DeWTTION
RESGRVont PAKAMriEKS
^
F k U S i n (km)
^
Clurillcilkiii
Btlly m Klcmmc 2Ci
T
Dttt
/ .
Fmadon
A *
«>«™CE FonbatlDit LltbollIC
TUckDCH (ft) Atl
^
• • ; ' ; i 3 . ; -
BurgJIfi
Bufsan
ShAle
Shalv landslcmc
Shale
CdKHTuniin
AJ^inn
AJbim
3 .^r
2
r%'
Kuhdumi
BiEiiimruui iluie, Umestoftc
•
K^LLfHluiri
kA^^tlumi
BituininoLih
Biiuminouj
700
700
Albian
AltHin
1
- 2
-1
11
479
125
SalAir CvotcDt
1.3
13
24
1
1
1
3
(») ViKHlly(CP)
ntoDucnoN PARAMETERS Recovery Ffedor
T
Drivi
(1981)
lilUI PniducdoB llUtil
111
Daily P r n l u c l k n Idalil
RHfrttrabIc
T OW
3
3,58J
).7BH
4.L^N
ThdckuHof h j Zincing
l«
3J0
MO
7
t
7
Pniductiofl I k n ' )
.VI :
S87
Efiuiralcnl Oil
IVpUl UN Top
Anaof
]J)
TOO Aibiin
SuuCTUflJ riUllHl UlllCl nf
Tnplypt OTBEK MXAMETERS
AJbtin
2
Ahmidi
LHb«)i>ty
>
Al^i^n
Cemrwufrn
A f
Oil ( i r i T i t r I ' A F l ) UH^OUKltl* licVSTB)
Water invc + gis cipwiucHi v*i (BCip
laj«ti«i SbtiB
^
.»
EiUnalid
7
r
RKD^raMf
T
a. >
A. continued
> oo
FIELDNAME
MINACISH
GENEKAL DESCRIrriON
.-
F M d Slic (lim)
Locfitiofl
?
29'5" N, ATiY
E
ClBKflcStlDII
Bally : : i Klcmme 2Ct
lytnilriim
Arahikn PljEfomn
DUcif M«c«vtrT
1>»
Dteflwry
Miiufjib'l
Sdtinic Hirvcy
Eknu« (ft)
iTT
IS(1978)
Mtthod 1961
FMdSUItu
Producer
ToUIWdli Drilkd ((••It)
14 1I97e)
Ottrrtr WcUi
(1978)
Wtib
1
1
3
4
PradocbiM nvdimr WUb • HORIZONS Foniudon
Miilinf
Win
BuFj>n
Minjp^
UUuloiy
LimHtone
SindslonCK stulc
Sindnonc. vhik
OaliLic limtiHKM
450
ISO
I.ISO
450
L I U CcwKluniui
Esly Ccmnunivi
Alhiin
Eviy VilAnfinian
1
2
3
4
'nkknostn)
Av SSAl. Fomutfan
Tvtuma
AhmiLli
Burgan
KMtwj
Ulbolac
Shale, iiurl
Sbik
Shalf
Shale
Aft
SinloruHl
Mid'Cenomuuvi
Alhiwi
Haulcnvitj^
1.
z
3
4
SOURCE FonuUiHi Ulbaioc
AiKilLiDooui ituty liiiic$(Dnc
LMe
fiemuiU'
2
3
4
D*ptll ki Top
4.641
J.MO
J.64S
9,4»
TfatdUKBOf
IW
7
l»
KW
IT,M4(cta
•?
7
T
Anaf PiudiRtlon
14
16-14
25-40
h r a a M U t r (nd)
7
300
lOOO-ITDD
W300
M t U I PI mure
T
7
1
4764
BubMc Point P n a v n (p>t(t)
T
^
T
7
BotlnnUD)! IbiDfHnlHR r F )
T
T
7
7
^
7
7
1.1-1.3
OIL FAKAMKTERS
1
2
3
4
OUGraTlir
147616
StUAir C o U t M
•?
T
4J
2JH40
Vhcoailp (CP)
-
t
1
0.54-1 86
,3
4
00 ft Cu
(P^t)
4 (i9T»)
FamUoB Vdluini F K I D T (RB/STBI
B
13 01
I c
3
(»)
O CD
PRODUCTION FARAMErCRS DtHn MtClUBiSBI
Rewvrry Fictvr
Rccovrrvtik RCHfVH E q i U n l t n l Oil
WitCT(irvc+8 U CKpiruion
IiVKcUaD StabB
G u tnjccbon 1 too MM.cf in MtniKiih
6J3tptpl/d(IOT3>
Tout pFOdUCtlOB Matil
U 8 M M Mil (1984)
Eidnalcd
7
1
RrAttcnMc Oil
2.1 Bbbl
RccwfnUc
T
Hiutenviui
StnKtunU vi[i< lir# ifTected by bolt) piC' and pCKt-Enccrx rnkJingcvcnls
1
orrOEft PARAMETERS
\i-ia
Rucrrnr P m s i t r (%)
Daily PraductloA (dAKI
6O0
Alt lyipiypr
2
m
MCOHHI
^'
AjibiAn PIBISKTII
Wen I k u l Dfpth (ft)
MKAMEISaS
ALHOUT
> 3
FonHdan
Taniiiiu
Rumvia
EUiiwT
UdHtocr
MirLuid x h i ^
ArpUaceous liimcflEnc
Stele and unddone
SuLaruan
(Jawmuum
LBemuianHiutenviAii
GaiNMRaHa (KCSTB)
1000
yH<j
990
^^SHR''^'-'
SstftirCoatia
1.3
1.3
a4
-
T
7
Af
scxmcE YJ.
1
SK
^ ^ • 2
Fomuliiin
k«u^t
RALJ^I
Ulbaltcr
ArpLlaceout
ArpLlionu
on. ,-,, '• MKAMKTEXS OUCnrltrrAPI)
600
35,3
ji
AjplUcoom
600
6Q0
BcrriuivV HjuLcnviin
l^Bemtiiu-
FKODUCnON MKAMETEKS R K O t t r 7 factor
A«t
TnpTrf
Bcmuisn^ HwlcnvLMi
SinictunI wiuclirte wii^t npnni 1 faut[]n^
;%-.3
(») Vbnji(tT(CP)
TUdcBHiCri)
"-;
Dnilr PnditcUoa Idatt)
KHv^Fnnc EquhnicBt OH
T
VAMcdrivi
MOMM.bblal + 3ST.cfEU
fT
tn 3ST.cf
S3
A. continued
FIELDNAME GvsatAi. .' DescRiFTiar
F R L D
KHAFJI
* - •
( U i
FVUSlBlW
-
"
•
"
•
•
. .
OTHER
AjafaiAa P l u l o r m
L o a l k n
M*23'N, 48'M'E ?
Total D n x k (A)
1961
Date or
IVpdiioTbf^
Khagi-I
IMmcmtry
19J9
Xlftitof
n e U
Ana
7
E l m t t H
Seiinucturvey
"55:3
li](l9M)
FrcHkKa
Statu
of
4,900
T
7
330
470
1
7
1
1
3
4
5
26-28
26-2t
10^30
0
20O
130,000 K I H
HESERVOIK
(19M)
"
Pamdly
(19M)
> 17-JO
RcKrv(4r
t
OtatrvH
(19M}
•
•:' •
'
l»-33
(%1 300<WOOO
^rM
f
^
7
3606
7
7
7
7
7
7
lU
1 ID
7
i.i;
IJ5I
2S0
PemknbMil^f I m d ) PROOUCINC r
4.700
4,100
•:••;:•
ProdufliDa
fAKAMETIXRS
147
4030
4.01(1
^ 3
h l Z o o i t n )
Pradncttoa
Wrlli
. 'fft
3
o(PiJ(ft)
K 1 « I I K 2 C I
am, toot)
4
1
FAKAMETERS
Prln4euin
BalllUI
11
KHAFJI
N A M E
•
HOBIZONSJ
^ ^
1 i r i ' i V Tta^Fi
Inittd
'.
FortiudOD
I t M l I t
«ta
MaddHl
Bunjin
Ktfnri
Utbubcr
Umnione
SAnditafK-H i h i J e
LJiKton
SvidiuiK
CikfRnitic
Pravun
B u b U t PnliM Pnfnm
Hjij:c-ivian
F n a U o B
"a ft 3
V d K H F K U r S E U .
' . ^-1,
'
Ruiiiiuk
Fornwttcui
ArxillKtcHU
UtbuloD
. -r-i Ahir.j.i,
Wija
.4 burx^n
K(ttJ*«
Stutk
Sink
s^ui.^LiiiK. s h i l e
Sink
. 5
• * ' "
limstone
An souxcE
Mid-CencHniniin
Hmtenvisn
.^ r^^ -
FinBttsD
uuuiotr T U d u i ^ ( n )
Ate iVi^Typc
UEknuiiin-
EirtyAJbisn
Mid-Cawmaiuin
2 • ^
,. 3 . JtMirwi AifilUceoiH btnimilMou LmHUHK
too
..4
.
tp4ii uiTbii of P>r ifl)
WAFKA
t. . .-.
FKOIHlCnON MKAMETXKS
•
,
'
•
\d'
' -• DHn
• ^
{») EMIT PndiKttoa « l * t t )
ttaevnrmbit RocrvH — E4u*nl»tOU
M M cerd g u (1978) * 8 i M.bbVdoil (198!)
a. a.
ToUl Fnddctt«n Z « K (fl)
)3
4 (1911])
1973
TkMStatai
Producer
TbulWtllj Drilkd IfUlcl
11 (IM])
OtHrrtrHUk
1 (l«i>
IttftctlaB WtUi
of h r im m-ina
ITJ
16.640 a c m
1
C/3
A m of PniduclioD
RISKRVODI nUtAMETERS
1
Ruuiuir PRODUCING HOMZONS
-
3 B
2
J.30
i-ii
2-1000
SO-SOO
JK5
4373
:062
7
111
227
LSI
7
CO
2
•
1
&3 ?RiiKibtUlr (mdl
Formation Anfa- D MemtKr Utbotui;
Dolominic. pctoidii
Initial P i w n Pelciin
Balhoniui
2
1 Arab< Anb-C nwmber)
Aratj | U Araej Mbr>
LHhttoc
Anh)nlhlf i l haul Anblll
LimcmubuoM
Kiirmendgiin' ETitlKHiiArt
BMhoniin
1
2
Hanifa
Horufa
SOURCE FoniuliDA Ulbokcr
TMckawItt) Afl
Laminitsl. bituminout bmmonc onJ »h*le
PRMUIT
•
Limiiuied, bitU' miiHui limcitone w J (tdlt
90-300
90-300
Oxtordim
Oxf[ifdian
3
Ip^)
ft
BAttoBiHal* TcDipcntuR
FormaUiHi
Aft
I^D
B u b U i Point
FvnnatloB Voluii>iFicti>rectioii W t i k
Initial P r a n t r t II9H4)
ntODUCINO
Bubble FWal PnauR(priK) Anfa Anb-CMbr
Anej (Uwainu Mbr)
Anb-DMbr
Dolonute ind l i i w w n e wilh thin liyer of Anhydrite
UtlHlnt;
([••ill
Oolilic m l peloid dill
Doloniivud limHtone with thin layer of jah)rdhle
Kirnmcod^wi-TiiSDruui
Ap
•^r^
(K*STRI
Anil Ar^BMbr
Anh AfitvCMbr
Ant) (U- AjKj Mbr)
ti AM.!
Anhyikict between eitxh mcniber
Denie limestone
DokKiule inif;
bnUed wirh u n d y shiJr Aft
"a ft
1^00
T U c k K M (ft)
B- TnAilit:
KinunentlBiiri - -TLthAniui
T't^^
SOURCE
SulAarConliu(«)
IJ
1.1
O.B
0-2
Vtocoaily I C P l
03
04
03
t
FRODUCnON PARAMETERS RecoveTy Factor
K..
••
•'
t
:
^
^
;
_
•
-
_
(*)
^maax^Bi^m
E
«
_
>
(1M3)
ToCal PrsdilctillB Idatel
IStNMM.bbloil
RKD>*raUe Ol
32(lDMM.litil
(I9S4)
a.
•
I d j t f tion StatUA
Wa[cr ]n>ctt]0n in Afril ttt. [V
EiUmtcd Rtttrrt*
2400 MMbbloil and 1.1 T C F
wauf tlfive. jaiiap
"SE Daily Pmductlfla (dale)
_
Dllve Mrchmnljnn
£3
LvninMed, bitununout Limeslone, mArl li¥l i h ^ 90-3CO An TVipType
oniFJi PARAMKItHS • v p l h to Top of P I T (ft)
> -J
SymniHriMl, l o o j . ( n m w M S uDcline (urallel to iht C related to decp-xCMOl u l l nioveinenl
Rcconrabte ReeervH — EquinltntUU
37i3 M M bM
330 TCF Gm
C continued
> 00
FIELDNAME
n w EL SHASCI
CSffiftAL ' DISCKIFTtOM
m o EL SHARCI
riEUlNAME Aiva «f P m l i K t k n
,
— —^ . ' ^
'kESEXvon PASAMETERS
Fldd Sin ikm')
Rocmlr PDniitrt^)
7
-
4
5
13-24
3)1
ISl
W-HO
I-500
1-16(»
1-20
00
MKI
3«W
4010
4010
a.
3000
»ao
J»0
)5M
JOS
112
230
130
T
1
-)
1
1
z
3
4
5
16
17
32
36
36
1330
1
27.300 » c m
T
1
1
t
3
13-30
1IV20
40-100 23«0
2000
'.
LacBtkn
521*'are
P n K a b m i y
IRB/STB)
oa
'
3
MRAMETERS
CluUi m l bioclu-
F^Lotdil dDjonutic Upieiionc and minor ubydritf
OU U n v J I f SEAL Anb (Anb-BMbr)
Anti (Afit>-C Mbt)
Adhrdiie ba««ai och fwnbcr
Uttttotr
AlKj (U AlK) Mbt.) Denu limntone
KjmiTtcndjlian • "n LhKsni iji
Ate
J^'^^'.
Utboloo
SvlfiirCaatnt l « )
it
re
l»
12
11
viHoiur (Cp)
2.i
1.0
0!
02
02
Scivciw*). Fkmfited ind bitobitc uBcline: l«o dofw (Ttlacnl to HII movCfKflO Hptnted by I uddlf f-Aicnsi^ ndiAl fiulitjnf ii presfln m the norrheni dorrtr :
Dkpth ID T o p of Par
(ft)
u
1
DfffTC M u . n l u u i u
(»»
RfCarrrmble RrtMT« — FjgulnlcDt (HI
Apdm
TnpTVpc
ft«(«wf>FK(or
O ft
.
PKOODcnON rARAMETEKS
Ljnuiuled, bHumuxHU UmoUKK md thak
im Aft
TWckuMof Pk; Z a « (ft)
750
(ihu)
Df^HK nch inicf-
MBAHETEBS
1130 (KffSTB)
^ dfite H f i j i ^
Pekndil "Otitic iim^ ixant
13D
360
IS5
Kimmehil^inE. Tlthoiuan
KJmmcndparR T"i 1N iniiin
BaUlDniir
TUckKB h n MKiuruMn
..VLi[( 11 n}CL'Lj.in
1lO«ti(M Statu*
Mtly tbon tip nxkof Anit una IMtr PndKUoa hutcj
Si.OOOMiloil (IMJ)
T«UI PnducllDO Mtt)
1100 MM.bbI
90-300 Onfordiui
3
W ^ uOectiDn
wufce i n u n ^ -
ElhptitlAl dome wiih ifvcTil ^nulJ, unfCFrnefli fiutti L^iticJ by a dcep-scilcd u l l
TVipTVpt
1
wich w n e r
1
An
140
(Jump noodiji^
Hinifi
90-300
1
FBODUCntW nUAMETEKS
ForaaUiiii
9O-3O0
IM
lO-VI
Gii^OUKitki
SOUKCE
TUckDcsini
1
1
'•'^
UAtlotr
t.^x
3
Anb Anb-BMbr
Anhydriic bdween each Tncmbw
1
PwTMicy
OUGnvin'rAPIi SKAL
T-'
1 .
(10
'•
Rcatrvci ^ E ^ i l n l n t Oy
170 M M M l oil
1 I W MM.bbI (M
Eitlmirtnl
ll(WMMt>t>l
RKDmblc
7
(19S31
GH
C. continued
> o
MUBARKAZ
HELD ^AME
FkldSlic
ClHikllllKl
•>
ntFDimin Prvrlm
: 2 I B>tly/ 1 C t Klcmmc
1
^3
4
5
«
Alibitn
EUnsct tmm 12 u> 25
ROFfYatr PHiidri'(%)
Mub«rru-I
R m j e i rrom 1 to 30
PcrmeiibUllj (ind)
on a.
Wdt
DbCOtMTT
MMUSO}
«03-«5M
4Ml-i646
4883-4980
MCU-JIU
S26«-3361
Bubble Polat
i7J7
18S0
1830
1424
1330
tVM
Etotlom Hole TtmptratuiT
T
?
7
T
1
7
IJI3
I.30S
1.305
I.Ul
i.m
1.432
t
2
3
5
6
Initial Prt^urE l(U3«
DteMwiy
Seumk nirver
WiltrDcptli
1973
rMilSiitiii
Piwlucer
TvUl WfQl DrlUtd (dlttr
P m d u n r WcUf
U
QtiHrvtr
1
bvlcctlon Wtlb
PRODUCING BORIZONS
1
2
3
4
-fbUlDtplkdl)
2
PHRAMmRS
IW»
Loardan (Ittt h«c^
MUBARRAZ
FIELD NAMF
BEsutvont
-
GENERAL DBSCRimON
100
(R)
Productkn
3)(I«S4)
t
5
upper
Fonutloa Volume Feetor (RB/ST6)
'
Hituhin
Khusb
F^madgn
• - • . , - "
kHHT
14VCT
kwer
upper
OIL MRAMETERS
kiwcr
Uimtone
Ulkilaof TUckncsfll)
MO
3M
1
SEAL
Z
4
3 LeLhwair
Khinib
FvnuOoo
5
'
*
t
Hkqhwi
Dense lin^fniithtHK^uchfoncKtlAlfrwn top indbotlom by denx LimesiQMJ
uthoiofr An
1
SOURCE
B e r n u i i n to Vikinginiui
Hwicnviui
BuTemiin
2
4
3
Focniitlcin
Oyab^Dukrun)
Ulbii4iici>
AjiilLHHUi. ihlly. bitutniiKHU licnalone
s
6
OaCmttrCAPI)
37
35
)i
37
39
43
GuKMRuio
4tl
Me
400
217
315
119
StOTur C a m t n l
I
1.1
1.1]
1.1
1.3
1.2
ViKdelty (t:P>
0.}4«
05M
osw
njso
0 432
0.320
O^rofdiin
Ajt
I c
O ct
•
PKODVCnON FARAMZTERS
•
'
o,
•
:i
Drive HeckHiDiBii
WiUT and iDluuon f u
Iq^edlDB SlalBi
Daily PnductlDfi {date)
22X100 bbUd (1484)
TuUI Prttduetion Idatcl
74 MM.bM (19841
EidiBated Rcavma
162 M M M l
Recpvmble IteHTHe — EquiTakDt OH
lOOMHbbl
Rce«*rmbk
7
Retonrehie
1
RccDttry Fkclor
1$00
ThiduKasfft)
3
(•ecnvi
Hi-fri—iM m ^hli mijMM
H«u(enviui
Btrrenun
Aft
lOOD
• 4
13CO
& cT W
oa
TVo m i ^ oricicliul tnntU icvintud by u^Nlc M d d i s
TnpTypc OTHER MBAMEmS Depth la Top
1
2
3
4
s
6
iJOO
9/100
9,i}a
),M0
lOJOO
ia«oo
?
7
irfPiJim Raifet fRiin «a ID 1 SO
tUcimot Fir
Z M *
in)
Areisf
1
t
1
f
PniAiclliii I k a * )
1
D. Data from some oil and gasfieldsof the United Arab Emirates
BUTIBI
FIELDNAME
DESCRIFTKMf
:,;,";!
FVWSlitlkm') CUniAaitliiii
PctrolciiiB P i w i i i c e
Locmtian
Zamn
Arxuub
• . - • • j / A ^ - - :i^-- '••• ^ ^ . ' • . i : : ^ - - ^ : r - ^
mgm
UmnAlDulkb
••••-
• .^••••••':
FiUah
FIELONAME
UmmAlDalkh
FUtota
Dnkhan (DiytA)
SUIiif (Khatiyat))
KlmUyah (Sbilaif)
»isly, arenaceous limestone
Shaly, arenaceous limestone
Shaly. aT{;illaceOLi& limestone
Shaly, aisillaceous Lmestonc
1,450
1,500
Arranab
Diyab
Diyab
1
. . ' : f . - r '
FormalloD
1
15»5
7
IS I 7
7 I 10
22^ Bally/ ^CatCleiniDC
221 Bally/ 2CaKleratfc
22i Bally/ 2 C t Kleimne
221 Billy/ 2CaKlcninK:
T i l BiOly/ 2CaKlemnie
Anbian PUifDfin
ArsWan Platfotni
Arabian FlBtfomi
Aiabiiul PUtfonn
Arabian Platfonn
?
24'4n7'N 52*34'04'E
7
7
2S*JgWN 34'1 I ' l l ' E
Shaly. ar^liaceois limcstEHic
UttKliiKr
nudum (ft)
1,500
Age
Qxfordian
IVvpT^
1979
1*73
1970
I96S
l»76
DbcnvcryWeU
BuTJni-l
ATEBIUII-I
Zsm»^L
UimnAlDalkh-l
Pdlifa-1
TMalDtpthfrt)
12,150
12J92
SJCO
7
»,«5
Seumic survey
Seismic: sufvey
Seismic aurvey
Sdaniic survey
Seisnuc survey
DfllcDfiyiscvnry
Zamrm
BvUni
300
300
AlbianCenonunJan
AlbianCenonurutn
Dcmal stfuctura
DomnI slrucniR
Structursl anticline
Structural anticline
DomaU gentle sttucnire
lo.sno
10.750-10,550
3,700
SO0(W30O
9,000
HO
95-153
130
150
4O0
7
75
7
7
• OTHER M J u i r f E T F R S ' DipUi to I b p or Pay (HI D b c o v c r y MclbDd
T h k k i K s i of Pay Zone (ft) W i t e r Depth (ft)
77
50
2M
7
7
A n a of PnidiHtioii (liiil^ DiteofFtodiictkiD ncUS^atm TtiulWtUillTiycd (dill) Piwtucer W i l b
T
ISM
1978
Producer
?
Producer
PlDdtKCl
32
?
7
11
?
1979
7 3(1^^5)
?
7
20
Wdli
1
7
7
7
7
Iiyectton Well9
?
3
7
7
7
tibscntr
^
•
-
^
-
^
•
.
.
^
.
Anb
Arvib
ShLuiba
Mishrif
MiEbrif
Liine stone/ dokunitic litne&tone
!ludist/al^ liiiKstofie
Rudiat/al^ limeslone
Rudist/ilgal UnKslOfte
KiiruneridgianE.TlihOfvifln
Age
SEAL
•
220-250 KimnKTidgtan' ETlthonian
Aptlan
•-
.•^-••••^•:
.•••
mo Cenomantui
500 ncifTianiBn
• : ^ ^ , • • ^ • • ^ . * • >
Nahr Umi
Laifan
Laffan
F«rni4tiun
Hiih
Hicli
LiUiDtoEr
Anhydhie
Anhydrite
Slule
Shik
Shale
Tithonian
Albiui
Coniictui
Coniacian
Agt
Tlthaniw
19
18
10-12
18
20-25
20-130
6-lK
SO
1530
16
[nltiat Pressure (psig)
4490
53B3-5423
24«0
1
3980
Bublilt PoUM p R u i m
1721
1936-3659
2244
7
1321
2S0
7
110
7
210
1.3i-1.41
7
144
7
1.14
i%)
(psIO
Limestone/ dcJofnitJc limestDne 450
f^^;
F»riiKiiliaity(iiHl)
LIlliiiliiu
-IM)
.
tUstnoivFonelly
FaraudDfl
TUckiKHdl)
>
^ PARAMETERS
«
7
70 E.;i,;.-.:.vj;'.i^^mm»
.
•
ButbiDl HAlt IbmperahiTe Fornwlkin Volume F^Lor (Rfi/STB)
.•'^^;?vlr • 39
41.6-»5.3
43.7
30
n^^H
1EE-36S
554-3729
374
)
323
SulDur CAtitent (%)
0.79
O.OS
OJK
1.6
1,1
Viscosity (CP)
0.33
7
0.35
7
1.12
OtLPARAMEIERS
'"•'••'•
Oil Gravity (°API) Gas/CHI R a t k ( H t « T B )
25-47
a a
>
D. continued
>
to to
BuTini
FIELDNAME PROTWCnOff PAKAMKTERS
•
Arzanah
ZarrflTA
UmmAJDalkh
Fftilah
1
0
^
•'•_
•
-
20
34
7
Waicr injectinn
A^iler drive
?
?
7
Ii^cctiDD Staliu
7
37.000 bhl/d
?
T
7
Daily Prvductivn
f
lOnOOObbl/d (1984)
7
MIObbl/d (1979)
1
2.372 MM.Iltll (19TO)
R«i:vc^ Fat^bir(%) Drive Mechjinisiu
T d t ^ Producdon (date)
•-'
•-'
23 MM.bbL
7
Estlnutcd Reserves
•1
87 M M bbl
7
7
524MM.Ilbl
Recwcrahte Reserves — Equivalent Oil
7
7
•>
1
7
Recoverable OJI
T
•>
7
l6SMM,bbt
7
RecQVf rftble Uas
7
7
•?
^
.
^
^
in
?
ft
o OQ
CD
a. a. cT W
D. continued
FIELD NAME
Sdiil
^^
tKSCKlPnON FttMSbtdiB')
Cl.^k.d^ M m ^ B B n vf IDCC
160
Sbih • T
5li7
FJ Buoduq
Runuitha
lluwaila
FTFXD NAME
^
SOURCE }ftl 7
lOll
i
211 Baity/ ICiKlcmmc
111 Bally/ 2 Ca Kknune
211 Bally/ 2CaKlcinnic
221 Bally/ 2CaKleiiiiiK
Anbim PUtform
Anbian PlMform
AntiiiD
Anbian PtaifOftn
Anbian PlitfanB
'.-. Shilaif
"""*"
Arpllaceoua liiiKSIQiK/ihale
Ar^llaccoui limcsigA^hale
ThlckKaaini
2(ia«M
1,300
IJOO
IJOD
" iflllllM
Oxfofdian
Oxfofdian
Sinictunl faulted antKlinc
Ekangalcd umcTure
Dvmal
StriKtuimJ intklinc
Suuctural
e.soo
4.070
I96T
19U
1963
1!I6»
1%]
MwmrWiU
Sul-I
Sliih-1
El Bimduq' 1
Rumailfia^l
Hi»aitM4
' OtBER PAKAMEIEBS
iMidDip
110
lOTi
\9n
1915
T
7
7
T
RESEKVOtR ^^ FAKAMETEBS - -^ '\
5(1»M1
T
TkipTyri
Dkir af PradHctioB ncMSunii
Pmlucc/
Pmkicer
Pn^HH
Ikxal WcUi DriUid
»{W4)
19roui Umcslvnc
DotOftalic linwslonF
TlkkDHsOt) Ap
.-
--•,
7
Initial P i m u R (paii)
Uli
1»70
4420
4690
4M2
2
T
7
tw
417)
2I1M
1344
1
7
Bubble Po44t r i i a a i i i i <patD
1323
1!
BouoaiHok T^Diftfralurr
223
170
ZM
110
IN
FomatkHi V'oliuQc F M I D T I RR/STB>
12(7
101
l.»
1.4«
1.36-1.41
Oil Grarlly I'API)
40
30
39
4:1
3S.3
Gaa/OU RaUo (acVSTB)
3*3
33
ISHI
433
370
Snk^irCant»ai{%l
Ml
2.7-1.4J
2.6
D.U
077
13S-2.74
7
0.27-0 33
OJJ
Ajih
dokinulic limaunc
Klu/Aib
Shu^td
Pwou* lijimmx
Rudiit/ilgxt
1}(M00
)40
150
420
BtfTcmtin
Muitnchtim
KimmendgianTllhofuan
Barmiuan
Aftian
.••
OILPAKAMEIEHS
Vbc«Myiyab>
warE
Zl-WN
Biinnilha
F i BundtH)
?
U l Btlly/
I3*4
SahU
NahrUirv
,i ^
y
3
9>
D. continued
nnjuum
Sahll
Shah
ntoiKJCTior* PARAMETERS
Rl BuDduq
Rumaitha
HnwaiU
' U
30
))
20
1
^A^tcr i d j K w n
Wucr injection
GtsuucitKd
Water injcclwn
?
T
1
Daily Prwluctioa
T
RKonrmMcOU
SOOMMMil
WOMMbbl
7
T
7
7
t
^
7
EMtinalid R o n r a
RccflrvtraMc (^ja
00
^
T
P5
&3
3 CI.
IS*
o ft
a! a.
D. continued
5»kfa
H E L D NAME GENERAL i DESODTION
i '
M.nk«
S^|u
-;, V'
FMdSlH|itli u IV); Hi Fur (ft)
FonnaliH
ThlltlUMlftl Act
X.
RESERVOIR FARAMinXKS
An
Bubblt M i l P m u R
7
.J
>
T
(P4)
1,«»
Qsununiiin
Beniuim
-
•••
CtjntMC\ aI^
If)
7
2.7W
Sh*ie
^
i m t i i l P r t i m (pir(RB«TB) OtL PARAMETER
-r^.^.
NdirUDir
\.L.-,; 1 :'•.;
cKbomitec
.UK]
f
"
:-
AlbiuCemmantui
I*,I75
T U d u t e H oTPiT Z « (ft)
^^^>^> .
PRODUCING- V/^'?-' HORIZON
siutr. vpllftceoui
7 r"
7
OTHEH PAKAMETERS
S*Mmir?tinMtj[%\ T
Shdy, u^llKAKd linKitonc
Ap
1
LNiunci J Vffu
FMdSUIui
Maifhun
Uirib
Ulbdloc;
1482
Date i f Prsducttm
fon^mtitm
ICiJUemiDC
•no
Eiemtiixi ini
S«tH
(Shiliin
IW3
D l K c m r ^ MeUMd
SuMi
T
1
PaleirDtKcvcrT
FIELDNAME •BdOlCE
j^^^H
^^^H
^Ei
7
1
10
0I» 7W» 7
^Biw
;1
90-980
r
1,900 7
(3ulky
1 J
i
T 711J 7
173
IM
7
7
OH Grerlty CAPI)
4).)
51.J
V)
Gi^OUKalladdrSTB)
4T01
II!
7
SaUiu'Ci>MtM(«)
7
0.1 1
7
VtocHitT (CP)
7
7
7
"a ft s
D. continued
>
FIELDNAME
am^
S^tdi
'
Marf^kv
^^^^^^^^^^H
•
t
RccovHT Ftclor {% > DrinMccba^n
1
1
O i l mjecfion
iDJecttOB *JUtltl
t
y
1
DkUy Produdiaa
?
4a000bblld
U/XMbbVd (1M4)
(IM3) 7
tl,9njb33
bbl
00 CD
3'
ft 3
T
ca
ASOMMbM
05
ISATCFp. I09MM.UI
4300 M M cC
^;9 Rccmtnble W m r w i — Equlvsfenl Oil
0
IMOMMbbI
7
RMFwrahli on
7
300MM.Mil
T
ft«cnt*rkMc Gam
T
tTCF
1
ft ly •
'T^^^
Q fS
a. fT
tn &5
D. continued
FIELDNAME
H E L D NAME
"iffleNERAL. • i "
RESKltVUItt MRAMETUtS
DescanawM 221 BiII^/ 2CtKlemiw
FMilSiK'l
ASAB
1
RcHrro^r
:_
lO-M
12-30
•*r*i
h m n U H t r ^B^l
n^io^
• *
1
WIJ'E
0.J-TO0
1
ima
1
rai
ItiuIDttMbdl)
IS6.7a
Vtamtllf (CF)
o.:a
T
^—^
MIOHII
196!
fMdSUIw
PraiucCT
-nMalWeb
M4(I9M)
Ill
ObKmrWtOt
12
Iqiccttoo WtUi
94
pTDducttofl PnduccrWdb
PRODUCING HOKUONS Fonnatkn
1
z
Shuatt*
Khimb
iRB/SrBj OIL MRAMETKRS
L.iirttuDfv
LMulDtr Limestone T b k k n im Ap
4«Q
170
AplUD
Binrmian
SEAL
-^
UtlulOflf
> •
Ap
sotntcE
ALhi^
BidTcimin
r
2
FnHltDP
Dukhin IDiyib)
Ulkolacr
A r f i l l m o u i , ihilf, khUimiiuui limHiDM 1,M0
TUcklHMlft)
Oifofdiin
Ai>
SttuctunL^tinti^fAphic uticlinF
T*»pTrpt
I
2
Dcptta to Toil ofPMj<m
7.500
8.100
TkiduBoT Far Z o H (tl)
yo-.i:«
Idll
Amot
I O l «
19 I « . }
OTHER PARAMOatS
Pndianlaa (kH*)
> to
a a. >a<m
1
ai-i3a
1
3160
H2
Mtlbdd 1971
FWU S t a t u
PrDducif
T
O h H r m Willi
•J
TbUIWtlk
BubtJc Point Pr^Burr (pslg)
WW
DdlMllltttI
PmliKtlsii r r o d u a r WtUi
»(l»«8)
U)Kltaa
1 7
2
FwTHtlofi
^huQiba
KhmibZofKlB)
UlkatDcr
ftiHkit/alga^ limcfiooe
Uritcilont
240
lU
Apfian
Butfcni^n
1-
3
Nihrt'rni
K^ur^ih
Liltmloif;^
Shilr
iViue LiiTKStDnc
An
Albim
Birremiin
1
1
TUckncBini An SEAL Pocmttoa
SOUKCE
pykluniyab)
Ulboloir
ATftUKCouiH ihiJy, bituimnoia iineitDne
TUckmin)
'>
Fwhcd (lAicnml Aiuitliv
TVipTViK
1
2
Depth to Top ofPlTini
10.050
10.360
lUckHof T*1 Z s a i ( d )
MO
t«0
A m of
90
T
OTHEK M R A M E m U
Pndiicttin<Wl
3
3
a.
PAKAMrrEits ]v
CWMKM RlUll {•cf/STB>
lew
Sulfur Cwil4nt
(WJ
fT c
O o*
Vlicarit} (CP)
aio
ai3 O
PRornjcrroN PARAMFiyjlS G u m|«UDn
Rcewtry factor
IqjKtiaB
ft
1*1
Rn Rnrrn — frj|iiiTilent Oil
Oiro<xb*n
Ate
§•
2.01
•jL z
on,
[MiT Pn4i (dattl
1J0O
ft
03
Voigm* pBCItir (RB/STBf
(MKinrll.i rAPIl
PomHtiaa
oo
170
1 1
1
rKOMJCINC H0UZ(»4S
1
a. CL
Mm)
trl P5
D. continued
CENEKAL " DESCRIPTION ntUStitlka')
LHsttao
;
••^...;-..i,..-
] i 10
LluHAcacioa
U l Billy/ 2 C i KlcmrTK
T
DllKll
1974
Pttniieuitt
USEKVOIR. nUAMETERS
7.137
Etcnbuacni
»7
Mcltiad Dot I '
T
FMdSUUaa
Producer
IWalWcOi I>rUkd
OilCnrltyrAPFl
M.i
I M
< ra^Oil Riiig Isd/STB)
»L
)»
OL7
Olt
0.M
a«i
Sulftir Cofllml
a.
ig
L^kJlwair Vbmitr (CP) Dccuf iimcilitnc FRODIJCTLON'
Alwi
An ' '"^ SOURCE
0.1-*
2t70
LaidvlPiHHn
Fomtotiao Vohimc F i d o r (RB/STRI
H
"-. 1
Fwntk*
I-IJ
P c n H M U l T (mil)
QuuhwuV'L
Soinuc *urvty
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 4 '.r
,
Rmnwrir
Anbun PlMTonB
wui
TM^Dipttdl)
guuinmtA
FIELDMAME
QtJSAHWIRA
riELDNAME
'iUL ^
HnJtcnviJJi
PARAMfrruis
2
RccvTtrf F k c t v
1
Fonnatloo
DuUiin h)
utboiotr
AitiLlKtouL %ii^y. htumiiKiullimcsuMV
Oxfor^tn
Alt
StnictunI inbchnc
Tnpiypt
R-;-"- 1
2
DnXkuTop tdfmyM
3JS)
(..(*iK)
llfiO
36004X0
4S20
J
ButtomKolt TtB|Hraturt
IS«
in
330
320
Fomatliiii Vohune F K I O T (RH/STB)
I.2B
I.6T
I.U
7
1
2
3
4
Wtl
IJSS
T b u l Dcplk (ft)
• ' .
DlKdrvtry
J3'(3'E
nEI.BNAMK
MMkad 1961
neMStarui
P r a l m r WHb
77
ObHmrWtUi
nUMWCING HOKIZONS
1
2
PrHtiKdon
^ 3
4
Fonnackn
Shiuibi
Alob
Aracj
Khufl
UtbDloET
LifKlVW
Limeuone/doto nblic limestone
Limeslone
OCpkHnitic liinolone
IM
TtO
770
2,800
TMckiM-dtl
SBAL FurmaUiH
•
1 NitrUmr
CtUovitn
LAIC Peniuvi
3
4
Hilh
AJKJ
SiMlair
Kimmendgiin' E.TllwitUn
Aptim
Air
^
;.?.'• J '
•.•
Anhydntc
Dense bmntoiK
5hxk
Athim
Tithonjui
Callovivi
EirJjrTriusk'
SOUBCE
1
2'
3
4
FflmulloD
Shu^bi
Di>ab
Quuihi
Ulbalatgr
ArvllacAut UmeuHie
AffilLKxau, ihily UmsioM
Sttile
TMtkum (ft)
1JO-2I0
1.300
100
An
Aptian
Oifonbin
Silunin
Utbuloir Ad
OwJ. [tenul tmxturc
TnfTtvc CITHER nUtAMETERS Depth tt> Top of F i j t n i
1
2
3
4
J.SOO
a.sQO
f.ICO
12.*Q0
IBD
J73.|J)«)
*x
MO
1
HO
7
T
l>ijZai>t j L i T S
25
i3
T
15-100
?
7
?
?
T
7
T
7
))
41
ItESERVODI PARAMEHXS
^haytnh'l
Hmtttmrnr
Mcdwd
A m
19(ift
1
T b u l Dcplh in)
T h k t w
22*35' N, M-Or E
E
HAnruliyih-1
WcU
I>ejitb to T o p of P i y
Ar^iiu PlKform (Rub iJ Kbib)
l»T3
[Mtc d( DIXQVIT7
Dtacwtry
4H ( ^ ^
lij
Z 2 I B ^ y / 2 C t K l c i m n c type
Fro*lfKt
DtKsnrr
^
1 I
dinl')
H A R M A 1.1 Y A H
CTKBft nUUMETERS ^^
B a U 4 c Pdtiil I V « R B o w
(fiii)
Hole I k n f w r o t w T
Pormorioii
Vohuw
00
a. 3
6d
FocurlRB^TB) R e l d ^tiul d o w n in ewiiy
FMdSlilBi
ReJd ™ t y a i ^
L9B0
down
OIL R U t A M E J E K S ' ^ ^ H 'nxd Wtib D T U M
(date)
JT(I«80)
40(1981)
14
7
Oil GnrriH' CAP!) Pnidmr
WtUi
O t u r i r Ii0«tkia
WtOt WtUi
7
T
|1
7
G u f O D Rolio ( K l f S T K )
740
7
SulfbrCoiUcttt^it)
IM
0.7
RORtZON
•
: , - /
• • -
-
•
•
r
^ •%*•-. .' .
. , . ; „ . ; . . 1::
FomiaUan
Aiik> AnbDMbr
ShuAib*
uibobKr
Caicirtnite mt otommc limenDW
O u l i y u i d Tudistic L m e i t o n e
7
440
K i n u n e n d ^ m - £.T1thoiuv>
Aptiui
Tldrtnnfttl Ate SEAL
A rah
Sink
KfJ)
^
^
—
-
^
^
^
—
tf^liAccDui,
bituiuimui
Lime-
JOO
TWckBHsdt)
1k«I^
4 ^ .
Huufi
Hani rJ LinunKeiL
L i i r u F u l e d , i r r i l l x c O i u . h i m m i D o u i liniedone
Av
Water d n ^
7
1
7
U 2 I
T b u l Praluctlofl (dale)
IMMM.ttiH197l)
RcocrvH —
bbVd ( t ! r 7 i )
QkfOfdiwE
KJnuiKftdgiHi
A t^nunetnc N N E - S S W - m i k i n g u u c L n e w i U l i t ! steeper f l w k d i p p i n g t t 1 . ^ - 2 . $ ^ La the H H i i h e * ^ - T V
n « i c l i n e i i b r o k e r by M
k u t rive t n n i v e n c f i u h i .
»0 QifordLin-E. KJirnnendsiiA SlTuCtufkl u i t i c U a e
Recoverable Goo
3 O ft
Oq
•>
7
iXIMMM.Mii
],7IOMMbbloil
1
U B M I
a. & m 05
EqulTikfil Oil R e w r m h k O t l
o, fT c o^
7
•
rornKtiDn
Ulbeko
'
Doll; PnxliKtloD <dou)
R M f t r m b l r Rc9crvrt .•
SOURCE .
MccboBlmi
CcttHutHl
AEbiin
KirnrTifri;1eian
A p
T T T > = K ^ ^ B r
^
•
NihrUmr
Eviponte (iirinfonnibaMl
Uikokifr
''^'
:
Rcorvcfy Fortor 1 % )
•
l-'DmiitlDn
iigwi
IqJtCtkia 54Atl4 • • • • * . • :
-
1.
PAKAMETEBS
DHvc
'
7
Viicoiity (CP) ntODVCING
a.
l.a B.bbi
2JB.btil
7
7
E. continued ABU SAFAH
HEI.D NAME
n i U SlK I k m ' )
201 la
2J1 Billy/ 2ci KlemnKiyrv
f^trokum Pnpvlaca
Arttiin Ptatfonrd
Depth La T«i» •(Paj(ri)
Dwtcof
1963
Dbcwvr7 WcU
AtiuSarth-l
IlikkBaaiatf FarZ«iifr
L^ininviHl. bit^iminoui Limestone
Lamiiutnl bitufninoui linwslDiK
MO
500
LClUiniinE- Kimmeridgian
LCdVivilDI: KifirijTifndpan
Av
TWrnx
i 1
KcKTmr p
t , .
• • ^.
woo
t
T
11,100 K m
T
1
1
Slrvccurml ui[it:]irK
?
i
•
P i n n o M U t r (md)
7
Initial P n a n n
7
BubMi Paint PrisiirT
Sulhir Cvfltent
Daily PtDdiKtion Idartil
>
'
Gai/OURatIa (•eOSTB)
PRODUCTION PAftAMETEKS
7
.(?
J
Formatkn VflJume Factor (RB/STB)
OIL
^
Ta
VbndtrCCn
1
Hj:l>t.t-lii*.iki Miiunljin
TUckMsini
ME^RVOnt PAKAMETEBS
uoo
O i l C n . i l j f ("APli
AnhytlnLc (intnfDrmilJocuJ j
-
Artaof ProducdaA
MKAMETEia
AjihydhLe (liUnforniA' thHttI)
SOUKCE
4^
2 iSI
Anb An CMhi
Att
>
.-^.-rn/Vi-
:
E^>
Utbolacf
'•.
U(I»T!)
t
Anb Ant^DMti.
TWckmrn) An
TeUIWdlt [MUcd (dau)
Anb Artb^Mbf
UOHlaci
ABU SAFAH
1
OTHEft PAKAMFTEXS
Qudflaaaa
Lacsttaa
Ttiul Dtpth (ft)
FIELDNAME
-
GENEKAL DESCRIPTKW
140.000 MUd (1980)
4B.U>I
Drive MRJuniim TMai ftvdiictkn (date) RecomraM* OH
t
Iq^ectioa Staliu
T
450MMbtlt
EfUmabd Reaem
4^39 M M bbl oil
ftacweralilc Gm
7
(imo) 4Bbbl
E. continued
>
HELD NAME GENHUI. J^(^ DESdUPTHXt ^ F k M S4H (km^l
14 I 6
LluuflciikHi
-Vr.L:v..Lf r.113
Dhlttf
[.ccitloa
huihUl^l IMI
10/41}
Seiunk and
ElrmfcuOt)
100
TblalWcUi
l(l»73)
MeUMl 1«U
FMdStftbH
PrttduccT
ProducHon
DrilMdItIO
PradiHCT WcOi
«(IWS)
2fl971>
OtjMnrrW*!!*
OtpUi ID Top
t.2M
9.6M
ofr«rin>
Provion
1949
W I I W E
T D U I Depth
GHAWAR
OTHER PARAMETERS
-
OM,II>^ I t e a l DilHli (11)
FIELDNAME
GHAWAR
Prtpductiod RESERVOIR RiRAMETERS
;«
Rntrvolr lN>r«it¥ 1 % 1
^
P e n a n billty ^n^l
1
2
FvuAlioa
Arab Arab C Mhi
ArabAnib D Mhr
UUukitr
CalcKEiutcs
nODUCING BORIZONS
IDIUAI P r a u r c
Bubble Potoi
bmcslonc T b l d u i i i i in) Ap
SEAL
lOO KJmnKndsiviE. Tutwrnan
1
K1 m mend p 1 an E Ti(h^»niin
2 Anb AnbDMbr
[^UkDlDcy
Anh^rdnie (LnmrarmiiJDnii)
Anhydrte {mlrafoniufionaO
E, Tithoniin
Aft
1
4^
^
1
• ^
f
Fwmalion VoluDtf Fkftar
^RB/STB) OtL FARAMEnnS
3 7
^1
KimmendgMJ^ E,Tnhw»in
SulTkir Coolf nt
7
1.9
z
v)icfKii> (c:n
"
Huii\i/ Ijimculed. bilu-
Umiiuifd biiumincui limuuHK
500
500
C>llowi«n-EKimmendgiui
C A I I D V I U I - E.
Rccovtrr Factor
Daily PndiKtion
-v
RrcovfTiiblt
7
DiiH ^CipSIUKHI
Statu
i.09 MM.MilId (1979)
Tbul PrwIucliDB (ditel
18,980 M M MM (19T9)
ElttluKd ttaatwyta
«0.}WMMM>l
7
RccoTcnUc OR
•I
RKtmraMf Gu
7
Kimmcnid^ui
Sinifiiml. Fton Bitcd N/S uticline c ipsoflhe flinks niife front 3* lo 5*
>
z
i
3iO
PRODUCTION RARAMETZX5
en
7
7
EqulnkfllOfI
>
7
a
LUbotoiT
Ttviyf
y
GH/OURatta ixC'STB)
For^lioa
Ap
1500-^900
Oil G n r i t j ( * A n i
Huiifi
TUckiicB(n>
Bollon Hole TrmpcrmlurF
270
Farmadon
SOURCE
paTTKib*lili^> 4
E. continued
>
GEh4EIUL IKSCKn^ION F U d s i n Ikm')
CUHifkalioa
LncadiHi W4I I k U l Dc|Hll (II)
D o t or Praduclion PrndiKiT Weill
PROPUriNR HORIZONS Fonbalion UtiKtaa
nikkmim) At.
amEK PARAMETEKS
SJi6-»
I'E
Aritnin Plolfonn
221 BaHy/X:Kltnunrtype
Prvvincc
1941
DtacAvtry
Ibpo^gnphic relief, core bolei i i K v L Eocene
1941
Field SiBlH
Pfod«tr
M(1978)
04wrvn-WfUi
7
Drilkd <de(c> *t
Idjcvrtioo
3
3
ArtbCMV
Arah D .Mhr
Dhmnu
Limnumc, dokhmiEic limatonc and vihydritc
E.irTkc^tQDC. H>ol£i-
tirncHDne
»'IM
70-190
225
KimmcrKlfiBn
Kimin«idf[t>n
BtthoniinBijocivi
ind uitiydnlc
2 A.nt
Dtifumi
Ulhohic
Anhydrite (imnTDnTutionil)
Anhydrite
Umcuooe
Kimmeridpui
KiiTiTTtcndpui
$(XJBCE
1
z
Fomllon
Hinifi
Hanifi
[JUHIOH'
•
• : ^
TrapTypt
lU
3i
w.(no
1
7
1
2
3
RcacrYDlr Poroaily Tf*bk Rncrm — EqBtnWat (Ml
Drin Mcciujilnd
67W)W>l/il Pnducbon (ditt) •!
ReconnUt
W n a dnve
IIOKUO
7
Sunn IMMM.btil (1980)
EiUnalnl
6TJ M M b b l
7
RiUHCi aMc
1
Co
CD B
>
E. continued
^
GDffiKAL DBSCMPnON
•.
488
Ftold S I K ikmr^I
'
221 Bally':u:a Klcmnvm type
PttmtruiKI
Anbian PlatTorm
Dklrof
I9S7
MtnwT
Khunu-I
iiKmi
Saimic Hirvc^r
tMvmUmattH
l>10-MT6
T«tBlWclb
«(197J)
MHbDd [ M I
J*-"-
10(1975)
P n d m r Wells
I-
PBODUCINC HOUZONS
ftoduor
FMdStetB
19«
of
,
•
- • -
••'-—-
" ••-: ^
.
V.
2(WTO
3F\
1nJ4¥tkHi Welb
4.760
5J95
6,490
12.280
J
-J
'
^
fl
7
t
1
3
4
18
T
H i ^ (fdution penmbilitv)
y
1
T7
7
7
Bubble PDldl
^
7
1
BtAiomHoit Tempera rure
1
7
1
7
7
DrpUi ID Top
16119751
AiuoT ^ndvrliDD BESKRVOIK FAKAMKIERS ReacrviWr
Hniufa
Dhmnu
Khuir
Cafbocvic
Cikuenibc iinv-
CtkvcnitF-
in
150
Ap
yx>
IS5 L-
Kimavvlpan
^rmiiJi
Otfocdiin
4
. . : j -• •
\X,XOKm
1 22
18
00
a-
I' E3 «—^
Cd Finiv>blll(]r(iad)
AntiDMbr
nitctUKStft)
, 3
Id)
IDIIUI Prnturt IJtlulacf
^.
4
CilcireniLe ind cilcimutk IjmoiocM
FormacfDn
z
Par Z «
4«TH'E Totd DttMh ((11
1
OIHER RARAMETKSS
CUHifialiaD
LiK*ttai< 111. tool)
KHURAIS
FIELD ^AME
KHURAIS
FIELDNAME
65
13 G.
IpxiKJ
C
3 O
Cilkmui SKAL Foraatfwi
1
2
3^
4
Anil
Hiiufi
Dtinima
Sudflir
uikoUfr
Anhydrile (intnTormMioniU)
[jmHtcne
Ai^lliceous UmnlDfic
Shile
Ate
L. Kimmcnd^m
Oxfofditn
CalloviAn
E.TIiuik
SOURCE
1
1
3
4
FormadDii
Hinifi
Dhrumi
Quuibi
[Jthalati
Luninna), u f i l l K C O u . pckiidil linwsione
Cilcirmttic UmcxuHv
Skuk
5«a
150
400
L. ClllovruE, Kimmcndfiui
Bi>ociaiCtllovixi
Sihirun
TUckHHtrt) Ad
Th^T^ft
Stiuctuni Jtmicbne
FomrutJoA Volume Fador (BIUSTH) OIL rAItAMETER$
7
ft
o, 1
z
-
3
4
Oil C r a ' i t ] ' I ' A F I )
JI
33
36
42
Ga«OaKalla (BC0STB)
280
JTO
MO
T
Sulfur Cofitciil
1.8
19
7
7
7
7
7
•>
7
Drin MechaBln
7
macttas Sttta*
7
3].oaotitii/ij (1979)
TMal PraluctlDii (datal
H I MMbM 119791
Eadnaud
4.400 M M .Mri oil
7.65 B.bbI
RteAHfAbIc
7
a.
(«l Vbcoaity DiUr ProducUoa (dale) RecoT*r8b4t RcatrvH — E^Bivalcnl Oil
7
KttfttnMt Oil
G H
E. continued
GENERAL ' DBSCUFTION f M d S l u ikno'l
FIFXDNAME
KHURSANIYAH
FIELD NAME
OTHER nutAMEitxs
r I3i:
UusiAcalian
I\|IUHIIID
221 bti\yr2CA
Anbiin Plulofm
DtpthuiTDfi
KHURSAMVAH
4
5-
6.035
6.220
6,1140
3»
lU
7i
24
17.000 K m
-v
7
7
*t
1
2
i.WO
5.9JO
}7
_ 3
r
Dale of
I9M
DtKVTfrr
KJiunuiiyah-1
S d i m k survey •nd gnvimctnc
B c n t i i n (ft)
0-50
Mrikod 1960
FWldStuia
Pnhkicer
TMdUUb I>rtlM
2rM'N. 4dp»rt- E-Tiirwoiin
An
Atvant PrDdiKtion
Bijod4n-
Kiirmendgian-E. Tlthonian
[JtbolOfty
SOURCE
IW
31
2S
Ap
SEAL
30
8,360
SdiniK. snrfKC imlogy
TWcksBXri)
6.!(()6
7,(775
Df ptb to Tbp
, 3
i>(P»rtft>
Macovcry Mclbod
Formtiaii
6.736
6.930
Anbiin Platform
7J2i
Produnr W t l b
2
5
T o u l Dcfilh ( d )
PRODUCING HORIZONS
1
4
QIHEK MRAMETXRS
1 * -
ClunAcxttiMi
QATIF
FIELD NAME
QATIF
HELDNAME
-CMbi)
^
4 Anb (Anb-DMbi)
U
lot
OxfDT^UI
1
2
3
4
s
Fornulkpa
HiUl
Anb
Anb
Arab
Dhfumi
UlbotocT
Anhydriie
A«t
TlthDnim
soimcE
1
Anhj^te
Anttydriie
Z
1
3
Utbolotr
LAminiuid. u^llaccDiu lifnatonc
Tv^iyp*
Anhydrite
Kinunend^iiE TiUtonim
H v u f A ^ w i i q MountAin
An
•'
•
«.490
J3
25,000
taa
4
5
6
8^70
U50
9J83
7
U
W
44
)(10
7
?
1
7
T
7
3
4
5
6
1
1
00
RESERVOIR PARAMETEXS
I
2
Rc^TMrir
'!
?
?
P m n u b i l i t T (md)
7
1
7
7
7
7
^
7
T
7
8iiMtiPi4iU t * » « i n (pidc>
7
7
7
7
7
Botloai HaU Ttdifwrttturt
7
7
7
7
7
Fonutiiio VvliuK Factor (RBKTBl
7
1
7
7
7
OIL PARAMETERS
•
OUGnrltT
MounUin
FonHtlsa
TTilrlmiM I W
400
150
HI
O M
_
LifnestoiM
Limeilone •ndnunor
KimmcndgitfE- Tiihoniui
Ate
SEAL
Tuviiq MouAtfin
(
46
2
1
&3
6
Dhmmj
-
3
V n ^
5
Cak:ircniie. dDkunile ind inhytbiic
Ulboktr
TUckm(n)
"^
ABtl H A O R I V A
FIELDNAME
ABU HADRIYA
FIELD NAME
60
60
T
100
?
Limestone
Co'CHI Ratio (KtlSTB)
tc
LimaUme Bijoctir-
OiFordiui
SMlAu-Conmu
1.:
t.l
2.4
1.7
1.7
T
«
VUcoBtjfCP)
1
'
1
7
1
1
I^Jrctloa Statu!
•)
i.O]BMM bbi oil
fT 4
'
5 Dhninu
tun Umoionc
130
Calloviin GJoopud ttructuraJ aiuiclme
400 OKfofdim
. CUlDvun-E KitmcridfilA
FAKAMETERS Recovtfy Factor
?
DaUr Prodvciliio (data) Rcumci abfC RHtrwa — E q u l n l m t Oy
EMTC
•)
MrcfauUaa
(*1
limcflone WO
ntoDucnoN
M.OaOt>bl/d (1979)
TUal ProductiDO (datil
U « M M Mil (i9M)
ErtiBOtd
1
R««THabk OU
7
RuuiuaDH Cm
Rarrvfl
7
E. continued F I E L D MA M E GENERAL DESCRVnON
DAMMAM
A n a of ^
•
•
Dalf of
U n r U o B (Ixt, k n f )
Afibiafi PUtfonn
14M
Durunun-7
Otmarrwy
RESERVOIR PARAMBTERS
JOWE TM>I OepMl (K)
Mcdmil I9J«
moDuciNG HORIZONS
FfaMSUlH
U
;; '
FomialMKi
''^
1
2
Anb (Afib-AMbrI
Saitniyi
Suffice inlOfif
340
Eknti«i(n)
b^KdoB WiUi
3
'5
1
1
2
3
4
s
6
20-25
:o
30
23
21
7
*
fiO-2QO
MO
190
230
eo
7
T
t
7
T
1
T
BubMEPoliil
1
7
7
7
7
?
s '"-'
4
Battom Hole
7
1
7
7
7
7
tmb ( A n b - BMbc)
Anb (Anb- C Mbrj
Anb (Anb-DMbr>
FuriDiitiaii VoJmtH F K I A T (RB/STB)
7
7
7
T
7
7
•
I
3
4
5
6
PARAMETEttS Oil C;r«*il^ (-API)
)S
51
?"i
34
]!
'
7
7
7
U
M
7
7
7
Prcivirc (ptic)
'-6 Kliuff
^tolDinicic mhydrile
340
TlilituMmi Aft
W
,'.:^ '
2
.".• 1
Kilh
Win
FonuUm
LltbolocT Ap
SOl/RCE
^
100
3)
Anb (Anb-AMbi)
(Anb-BK(ti()
Shile ETnuuc
•
S
.' ' ^ 6
Htnjl'ik/TLiw^Lj Monjit^n
-teited lah intTUiion.
OTHER £ MRAMETEIU^ Drplii l a Tofi
I l.lit]
2
3
4
4.280
4J40
4JI0
4,340
iW7
40
}l
93
Iff)
7
'^J^^^^^^H
(ft) 1
(ft)
1
T
1
Drin MKkuiaa
Gucx[>uisk£]n
23.«Mbtil/d (1579)
IMil
$73MM.bM (1979)
Eitinntcd RtHTm
IXISOMMbU oil
1
RccoTtraM*
647MM bbl
XKOvmbK
7
RKonry pKtor (»l
^
-^
7 Statu
'
Sulit>
Alt
I.J
PROoucnoN PARAMETERS
lotnfonnitioiul Hhyrhle
TtipTypi
1 J
VlHtMJLy ICP)
L. Ktinirttritl^ati-Tiihoruan
SOO
1.4
Sudur
FwiMtton
T h l d u H M (ni
Sulfur C o q t c n l
Anb < A n b ^ Mbc)
Ti[hofl]ut
•r-4
3»
(*)
Anhydritf
'3
390
6
5Kilc
2
GWOaRiUa (KfSTB)
7
s
Alb] anIVmni&n
"' 1
on,
Lite Pwmi«n
. 4
3 .
3»
237
Kimrwrripan-R TnjKiflUTi
Alhisn ':,'
FIT Z O H
7
47(I97B)
PnducH
UDddone
PIT
7
[nidAlPntfvn
PcmmbiUtr |B^I
C i l c m n i l e , doloinite, dolomitic limciiHic pAd tnhydriie
UUnlocr
of
t
DrHlnKdau)
FndwxrWilu
SEAL
7
Ponidll(%>
4^11
Dmtiif fnAucHtm
7
PnidiKUiiii (liiii')
^
KlemoK type
ClB^ficaHwt
7»*
7
•
•
FMd StK dun')
DtAMMAM
FIELDNAME
i
D«UT Productloa
(Mt)
(4ite) RccDTcnblc RntTTH E a g n l n l n l Oil
G H
^
a
>
E. continued
HELD NAME
MANIFA
OTHER FAKAMETERS
GENERAL DGSCRimON 4011;
niMSEslkill')
CllHl«»ti«
2:1 RaJly/2Ci KkTTUiK l y ^
l^trDltuni FniTliict
AntMU PlAEform
f
MUDf Dbcovcrr
1M7
DbcvTVTT
Mwfl-t
9^10
DtomvtTT MHlMd
Scuink RifTCy
WiitrDepUi
IJ-50
196*
FMdStiDii
Pmtuttf
IMalWen*
l)(ira)
rradawWtUt
7
ObfHTrr WcUi
7
FKODUCING BOMZONS
I
2
3
Loculsa < k l , liiBt)
TDIHI I V I H I I
Ifl)
Outal
Suliij^i
Vunum
CaldfcniR Hid calcvtnitic linestone
Lilhslacy
TUduHKtrt) Alt
SEAL Fomttea
limnlone
240
MO
to
BcmtiLUiValuipiniui
E>emuiHi
TillKini«n
1
I
3
Buwub
Yinwmt
HiUi
Arab (MbflAnb- B
&
Lllkatao
UmCHHH
Shike
An ;
Anhydrite
H4ui£nvi«n
Wtingiruon
'nthonim
1
2
3
'.4
100
rP
Hilh
Anhydrlie
•?
60
lU
Tl
10
X
m.oootciet
7
7
1
RESERVOIR FAKAMETERS
1
2
3
Refcrvoir PonBilj(*)
23
2J
T
>
T
00
4
5
6
a. B
22
16
[9
21
1
^
1
^
•J
7
tsilUI PTHHFt
7
*t
7
7
7
1
Bubblt pDliu Prttxtirr ( p d ^
7
T
1
1
t
1
Botlon Ffol* TrmpHstun
7
•J
7
t
7
1
T
t
1
'I
1
7
FtrnmUIIlT pe
6
Vohinc Factor (RH/STB)
Fonuftlae
Aft
5 8.962
KimmeridEiin'Tthaiun
HwiifftTuwait^ Mmntun
TUcklHKtrt)
4 S.749
Arab (Anb- C Mbcl
to
40
,
8.222
A m of Pndurtkifl
CfelctftniEC. {Jdlomiic. dolcmitk limatDiK md dDlonutic Anhydrite
(Anb-A Mbr)
-80URCX
I
5
A^J^ ( A n b - A Mbf>
3
7.«I
TWckHoT Pay Zoat i m
WcUi
Hilh
2.
7J81
[>tpliiU)Ttop
T
4
1
iifP.j(fl)
r
ForimltiHi
MANIFA
FIELDNAME
7
FRODUCTION FARAMTTBRS Ktcmtrf
Factor
C5 t
7
DriTc Mcduaiiai
23,000 bWd (I9rr9)
TaUl PnHhKtIOB Maul
147 M M bbl (1979)
Etflioaud RmnfM
7
Rccorrrvblc OU
7
RccovcraMc
T
Slalaa
Scnictunl Wliclific [>a% Pradactiaa
HfCQvtn He RcBenm — E^uJVBlaat Oil
8M0MMbbl oil
E. continued
SAFANIYAfi
FIELD NAME CENERAL DESOUFTION
'
:
-
•
•
14
M I
F k l d S l u tkm^l
25
25
7
570
fi2I
MO
7
2400
2430
7
1
7
7
T
7
7
7
T
7
T
?
7
1
0
7
t
7
2
3
4
5
6
1
a
?
PtnwuMlltr (ail)
7
lit)
InItU P n s u n
7
1
Bubblt Pojnt P n s n i n {pslc)
T
2
Ek>»oaH^*"
'
27
=7
]i
240
110
190
u
SuiAir C « i t « (
7
l.J
7
7
t
u
Vtocmlt!'(CP)
7
T
7
itt
].l
T .i
1.4MM.bbl/d (UTO)
T
Drtn MHfaulsiD
Wiierdnve
TotiJ Pndnctldo
).061 M M bbl (1»7111
Eidmalid Rtntf
34.100 MM.bbI
G«
Stitui 30300 M M bbl oil
«ali) RKO>trtMt Rncrvca —
OTHES MRAMETERS
1
2
3
4
5
Dtpdi(aTb|i
1
4JC0
7
4,700
i,2t»
i.100
ThickDaKir
100
40
•J
1»
440
60
lAJnOOOKm
7
1
T
7
7
AnaT Pniacttaa
27
TO
Daily PtwtlKtiOB
Stfuciunl iniicliAc
TYipTXn
27 f.
T
BflTTuitn 10 E- V i l m f i n i u i
An
27 HO
Gu/Oil Riba
;6
500
TkldiaH((n)
-•; .': I
PRODLTL-nON PARAMETERS
AfMian
Albiin
CenomuiiAn
OIL >*^ PARAMETERS CHI G n r t c y ('AP[)
Fimttin
* P
>
.^iife
Albiin
Ccnodtuniui
Ac .SEAl.
. • ; r
•
Rccdvmbli MM.bbI
1I.79TCF
> T)
CD B
Q. >
•I
1 :
11
3
>
43i
110-140
140-110
II0-1M
10
7
7
IBO
1IB7
IN
7
7
91
49
»
BMtoatHok l^iaptntun
7
7
T
7
7
Fvmtdort
7
7
7
7
7
VWuwFWUr (RB'STB)
' V^i^^^l
:
OUGnittrrAPI)
Id.)
Id.)
«-i4
24-J)
l«-11
G«IOaf>
UTmpmfrmj
T U c k i H i or h y Z i m (A)
^ l Billy/ 2Ci Klmunc type
CI^Molt..
MAFTKHANEH
OTBER MKAMETEKS
4018
rWdStxIka')
raUiiliiiM ti
v.- i * : t -
GO
ft
& 3 fO i3
P5
jHDduccr
FMdSunn
OIL PAHAHEIKHS
, .
•
-
.-
?
Tottl Wtlfa DrlUcd UMU)
41 j
o i l r ^ m l l y CAPI) 0
PrwIanrWilla
Gi>miltitli> Factor
?
JMYt MKluabm
(1975)
Pnducdsa '.:(.'j (type
naUSiiillur'l
BLTTMAH
USEXVOW MRAMETERS
I
2
10
''
Pnnwnf (%>
DMtd
L o i lAvi 2
^ r a H M I i t y Indt
1
(IM.lMt)
• mi
TMalDrpthirt)
lalUolPmnin
\.A&
t
IJM 1
I4(l«7])
ObHrm W
PRODUCTION PARAMETERS R«trttrJ F K I O T
r%i
MrrfaMoAdU
tnpvmon + f u injection
1Md
35MM.U>I
?
Atr
1
VahinwFKbH(RB/STBI
(»)
SOURCE
T - • ' -
n i i H i ipflio
Dd^ PiWiKtfa«
StAttU
ffmrm
T
7
«ili) Ttt^Trt* Rtfo^rratitc PARAMFTERS I V p t k ID Top ofPrnrlfti
Pift Zoat ifl)
TfuukKtwn
>
OS
1 KquJnlnitOII
Oi
?
?
H. continued
>
FIELDNAME CIHKKAL DBSaUFTION f k U S i a Ikm'l
FIELDNAME
BUZURGAN
•
'
-
/
•
,
•
' " —» Clmx^BcstkiD
soii:
....
41 B«l])f/2Ci KlenuiK type
•
-
-
•
• - • • • •
.
Z i g r a Pdlil Bell Pnivlou
1 ' B-l!
RtHnvtr
Diattirtfy 7
UIMpTHBin Scismk wrrt]r
Ekntkncm
7
produccf
T«UI W d b DiiltHKdui)
11 ( i M n
PrvlKbm P r w l u n r WeBi
7
O l w m r WiUi
t
PSomiciNa HORIZONS
T
1
3
FoniHIkn
Ainlkn
Mi^hnr
Ulbolofy
LimolcvK
Ucnalone
400
4«a
T h l c k i H s < ri)
(.>tigi>MkJccnc
Alt
"njTwiiir
1
1
Kirfcuk
Khuib
SAMUcne, ih«k
(tialkv hmnlflix
Aquitiriui
TuMvniJfi
SOUBCE
1
2
FomalliHi
Kiriiuli
RumniU
Ulboloci
Mirl
CTialky, mirly limtsicnc
SEAL Fomllon
Babble Point P r e t M R Ipi^B]
1
BoaoD Hole l^wpenthirr
t
FAmation Vuliime Factor IRB/?iTH}
1
OIL MKAMETERS O i l ( ; r a T l t ) rAPEI
Aff
• '
4
'JEii
C:aiN)ll Ralki lactlSTB)
CO CD
' ^
a. ft
''
1
2
IS-20
2»
65 3
a. fD
^
7
n
4
-)
VhcoiltTlCP) Utboloci
'
(P^LI
MHbod fWidMittH
197«
7
0 1 -1:4D
h m u M U l T (mdl •,
I M a l D t f U i (01
2
•^^
ftiintltr(%) Bkuuifin^l
1969 (UUItac)
• V" - -i-'
BUZURGAN
RaSEKVODC-' MKAMETERS
O m
1
PRODUCTION MRAMETUtS R f c m t f T Factor
OQ
^
Drift Mecfaaaiim
^
Injcclkm
7
EvttmalHl
1.H0 MM.bU
ft
ThkliKsiini
•
500
IM
Cenonunian
Av
Arplb ta Top
9.120
12/«K)
TUckimtDr
1
y
OTHER MKAMETEItS
A n a of Ptaducilan (liHi't
M
7
Dall; Pniducdoa (dalt) Rm^fnble RcxFrvn —, f^ulvaltnt O d
lO.OJO UsI/d
Talal rMdKHoa (dali)
'J
7
RKonrablc Oil
7
a. 7
& fT
H. continued
N O R T H RLrMAILjt
FIELDNAME CEr(ERAL DKSCBIPTION F M d Slit Ikm^t
VaaUaa (lu.)i«) T o u l D t p * i i IflJ
NORTH RUMAILA
FIELD > A M E
I
RESERVOIR FARAMRTERS
•>
CUnHallon
221 Billy^^Ca
JOrMCN. ^T-IS'E
Dutof
1970
D4w.wmj
Artbiwi Plitfonn
Itt*tT*olr
^
^
North ftuimtiltl
fkratsbUI; (ad)
1
7
lAilUJ I N v H u r r
t
f
f
7
BMt«H«lt Tkapcnur*
1
T
FsniiiltiiD
1
T
1
2
WiL
T
Difcffwrrj
Saimic lurvey
EVnttaa
7
197?
nddsiMtiH
fioduccf
IbUlWdk DrUM(dui)
W(I1"5)
(pXll B«bMtPi4lll
DMCof
PrDdanr WcUi
7
T
ObwrrerWeili
2
ir
7
•
P n a K ( p ^
Wrlis
PIHMXKTNG HORizons
1
2
Fataattoti
MilJint
Zubur
LHMfr
Umeslone
Suid
VoluHV Factor
on, MRAMETESS
160
TUduHBirtl
:;,
(NI t ; n r l l y I'API)
4oa
G W O I l Rutfo Si a r m n t a rt • H au •
T^inniMi
Aft
37
3i
MO
700
1.9
L9
>
(KCSTB)
s
LciTni.m
Sulfur CAnkol SEAL ForiHlliHi
UtiHiotr
1
I
TanujTLa
Zubair
Mul> timutone
Shik
(%l S ^ ^ ^ ^ H f •
VIK«ICJ (CPI
t
••
pRom'cnoN RARAMETEKS
ConjKian
Aft
lerivitn
SOUKCE
'
1
•> J
Ffmudtioit
ZAi^kr
Zuhur
Ulhalscy
Sandy i h i i e
Sandy Umk
TMckHH^rt)
400
400
toiviin S l r ^ K l u r q t £ji Lie Line
TrapTni. OTHER PARAMETERS Dvpth Lo Tof)
lO.iKXi
7.WXJ
irffijm) TUckfUHof
2
1
-
•
1
7
T
1
r i T Z o o r irt)
AnsT Praluction llun^i
ON
7
(*)
Drin
ISOXXXIbtiUll
TMil
Productkn
(191 J)
Pradactliio
Rttottrftblt
1
•AcwcnHc
t
7 Suiiu
MeriuniiBi
laO M M b M (IW)
Eftinuttd
$.000 M M bbl
( M t )
R H t r m
—
EiilUn)™) Oil
Act
>
Rccovtry FkctDT •
ou
7
T
>
H. continued
00
BAl HASSAN
FIELD NAME
FIELDNAME
OIHER
DESCIUFTION
PAftAMETEKS I S l l
ncMsiK(kB')
Quiiaatiot!
Loothn t i l l , k n i )
41 B ^ ] > / X : «
ZAgxoi
m e m m e type
PnnitK*
1^51
tMicatcry
PMC or
Fold B e l l
BAI HASSAN
1
GENERAL ""f; " '
^ . 2
3
•
. '<J'
DtpthtoTtop
HittBn-3
1.750
1
1
?
»
7
7
7
Far Zwi in) Tkul DtfMh (lt>
I
ElrrntkiD^n) MtcbDd
md
7
npkmtion
M
Am
aw
hranbiUtTlmd^ laltUI
7
' Bsbblt
Ftdu
7
UracHane
TkMUHBdl) An
*75
4O0
550
Olijocmc
ramp«nLvi
AltiSh
1
BolLDmHolf Trmpcnhin FonnBtioa
SEAL
^
--
Foniubon
(RR«TBt (^JUKKIU^J
Dhituji
UllK4«f]r
limc$uHK>niJ
EvtpcntH
dolonule Lower M i o c m e
Aft SOURCE
"
•
'•'.-ii
••'•'
F'jkiXL-iK
on.
T"*
.S h 1 n n i i h
UhokfT
M s r i y kimestHK
Mtrly limolonc
4O0
400
Cunpuiui
Cunptiuin
1
PARAMETERS OH C n r l l f
rAFI)
GH^OIIRada
ShJnniiJi
1
11
•
^
7
7
: 1 • •
7
.Tf^, NaL^LrLri:tn
-A :
o_ fT c
3 O n> Oq
Jia
Ib.H
T
600
7
1
M
1
•
7
1
(icC'STB) SulAir CoiMfPt
(»)
n
Q.
*
Muiuidilolomiu
Vltnulty (CFI
7
-
20
PRODUCTION
OifordiinKinuncndjiui
R c c w r r j F(Ki*r
:*
Drivt
Iqfedla
T
EMbatted
OaOMM.bbl
McchiiuHn TkxpTypi
cr
o_ o"
2
PARAMETERS At
. a«!i j^UUKVtf
pf»:, Arthitn Platform
RunuilA-1 Wdl
T b U I Dt|ith (rt)
lOJOO
Sdirnknwqr
E]m«»m)
1
19M
FkMStibii
pTO^kW
TDUlWclb D r i l M (4(lt)
9(1»7«>
Prwluctlon ProdmrWiUi
•'
1 HORIZONS
Olwrrcr
Wdk
•>
IqtKttoa W d b
^
^
1
7.600
10.000
lOJOO
T h k J U H f «f Fky Z o H (ft)
•J
K»
630
l73«WiCTB
•t
-J
B£SEKV(HR FARAMETEKS Rcscr>oJr h > r « i t r (%>
' 1
1 IM«
25
PtrmnliMItT (md)
1000
1000
loillAl P n o w t
noo
T
1
1
Miihnf
Zuhur
/ u h Jt r
Ulbaitcr
Ltnrvitone
Intcrbecklal
SAIKUtODC
Babbfe Pnhil
SEAL Formadoa UthotDtl'
400
4W
"nwoniw
Hjuirnvun
Hautcriviffk£. Aptiin
Khuib OuUty lilDSiDIK
Bottom Hi4c
FnrDialioB
Zuhur
Zuhmr
[nierbhlikij
SwdsiofU
OIL rARAMETERS OU C n i l t y ( ' A m G u / O i l Ratio cC(STB)
E. Ap4iut
KHitenviAn^ E- Apiinn
1
3
;3
Rumiila
Zubur
RMAWi
ChiUty. iMTly
Shik
state
KtODUCnON FARAMETYRS RKDVtn' Factor
Coni>fi>n
HBUtEnvun-
'i nihil T i i l i i M
SOURCE FqrtttAtiHl
Udutocr
..
liRHtDIK
TUck»(n> Att
TnpTypt
140
400
WO
CenDnuiiiAii
Hiutcnvian-
VAJvifiiuan-
C e n U d i r ucmnl Anticline mUi IwodQfTVi
i
7
7
1
7
T
^
7
t
1
1
269
}2 2
^ '^
R i n ^ from TOO 10 800
?
7
].M
:.7?
2.1
3
Thupcrmtim
VdJumr F i c t w IRR/STB)
• 2
SUHJSUKtC
Al>
lOOD-MOO
•
4M
1-
3 »-M
( P «
and (^^tc
An
'
.. . 3
FdnnAtkHi
TMckBMm)
3'
(ft)
A r t * of Pnductloa
Milbiid
^
MKAMETERS
rfPlJ
IM3
RITMAILA
t-
(*)
Vlinidn'(CP)
3
-> 7
(%) PnHUCtHlB.
>
SOOjnobbird
Drtit Mtrtlllii™
lj(jK(lon
1
driven wluuon
StillB
1M^ MM.bhl
EtUmmUi Rmrwi
11.800 M M bM
*t
RKonraMc Gu
T
PndKtloa
(duo) Rfcovcnblo EqdnfealOU
>
7
Roconrobk (Ml
H. continued
> to
ZUBAIR
FIELDNAME
cratERAL ' DESCBIPTION FMdStielbill')
Ldcadoa 4UU loot)
CluNftcalioa
MiB
221 B>ll>'^Ci Klenuneiype
fto*Ujc(
Oulf B u i n Zutwi-I
1948
7
7
producer
Eknltaidl)
1
2
^ 3
Rflscmir P«naitrl%>
?
?
1>
10.20
P t m n M U t r (ml)
7
T
I »
KMOO
loJlUI P m n i R
^ '
7
7
7
BaUkPilal F r t f H i n (pf4|)
J
7
7
7
BouowHiile
T
7
7
7
FomwUoa VUuBK F>f tor lRfiA~rBI
1
1
•!
7
OIL PARAMETERS
1
2
3
4
Oil c . n t i t i ' T A P I )
10
28 1
( i u / O i l RiOo (•cBSTBI
MO
Sulfur Content
a
T
FkUStatH
IMl
E>nilll>«r VVdll
3J
ntoDuciNG HOIUZONS
1
*^*
-
Ur_M_
•
^2.
=••••
?
ToUlWiUi DriDnl Idatcl
4
b O H t k n Wctli
3
4
FoniBtkHi
Lower Fjtfi
MithHf
Ziitwr
Ziibur
UthotsD
LimotonCv undsunt
Limoiou
SitndtUHie
Stult
710
160
400
4ff>
TMrtiiinlfri Af
SEAL
1
^HHlcnviiuiE. Aptiir
CeiHiiuniin
Mioocnc
-.2
.
E-AptlATL
4
.
F«niBlivn
Lower Fir^
Khukh
Zutvir
Zubair
LMulDcr
Anhydnte
a u U i > limaKrtK
Intertjoldcd undHQiv uid ihile
SmdiUine
Hiuunviaii' E, Apliin
•HwlcnviviE. Apuan
Av
MMXAK
ConiacivT
1
FomulMi
Kirku^ Group
Rumiiii
Zubwrwid RjiLiwi
Uiholscr
LimnlDnC; unduone
Chilky, mirly Umolonc
Stute
5O0
240
TCO
OUfDccne
Ttironiin
^^laifimui-E, Apiiin
iWckiHin) Aft
iHrTypt
cnsnt niRAMrrexs DvpLli ID Tofi i t P I T (fi) TVAmtmut PtiZ*iKldBcli (KhuzcHU
AnfaiiaGuir BuiD
DbcnvrWid
j r w i ' N. *rii'E 1774
ll*«rN. 45^2'E IMT
IW}
7 •»9121
AijmiBKtnc upucluic
dome, widi ft«pdip4D«i dKSwniiit lod f H l k r CHS CM die NE.Pi(diuiD ibeSE
HticluK ia Annan (lUlhir) bOKtlDIM Vrtlh Lowcf F u l (L.Mnaoe> cvifnrilE cifi nek
.Cl^."^-'• • ll.WO
»D0
4M0
230
6.713
IJ3I
463
675
304
300
••
11]
• '
RESUVOIR nUUHETIBS
Onuii
Aft
TWckMa of
HOROO^^^I
TM^Hm)
' * •
Gachutrtn
Mid LUC C n ueccut
^Odiicff
(dull
Lmiim
"^••nr
Ttif Tn» 7
Dtow*Cf7 Mrthwl
^ '
Kuhduini
^aoORCX Forma U«a
DMa rf D k c n R T
Githufin
1
•
ZitnMFraeul (Khuttau
Locattoa (liClosfl
Ruige^LAn (j^
41 BiUy r i C i K k m i e lypc AP
Prtrvlmn Prrvtoct
N>ft-Jv •a ft 3
/. continued
FIELDNAME
BtlHtini
IbflKtl
N™.
KumI
fWN-Si^
SvMnaB
'^-
OIL nUUMETERS 0«Gnr»l«jCArT)
1
7
}].«
» •
7 7
7
7
T
7
S^)tvC,muat(%)
^
T
1.1
IJ
7
VlHHitT (LT)
T
7
7
7
7
T
7
7
7
7
GuupuHion + wuHdnve
7
CHnp«w4
+ waierdnvv
00
ft
PJtODlICTlOM FlUMMETTja
lh*™M-k-h-
InjirtlM S U M
7
7
^
7
7
IM>r PnxliKtto* (dMt)
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
1
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
ITS
I CD
rnliiMIr il B i i i i i M
c o"
RK»inli4tOII
1
7
T
•t
7
ItKgTgTiW* C^i*
T
7
7
7
7
o
a. W 05
/. continued
rVLDNMHE
Pu^E-SWi
Pirii
nMStalkm')
Dkk oTINioTcrT
Srns
H E L D NAME •SOURCE
-
VttamOaa
'
Z*tr»R«iul pDldBclt
Z i p ™ RDHIMI RlUScIl (KhuiAun Piovince>
FoUBcll (KJuuolin
Souitierrt AAbiiACuir B*iin
7
•>
?
W3V2I'N,
29»0J'a7"N, 4919'jrE
l%fi
I9M
iw:
1962
OTHER FAKAMEmS
CIS-1
SynH-lA
DtpttbTdtlDr r.jm)
?
» i 6
"**" AnbiuGulf
l^4ai Dnftk lft^
T
Prt^l
Puuiu-2
?
7
9.481
Tjn
Rcfncuo* lurvey
Sviimif tnd
Seiimic utrvcy
Setsmk Hirvejr
1273
1.700
1,190
1
7
Wnur [>e|>(h (R)
1
T
7
W
r
Data nf P V v d K d H
7
?
^
7
7
FMdSUtui
Produocf
PrnkKcr
Produor
^Dducer
Producer
T D U I Wtlb DrUk*
1(19TJ)
13
21(1974)
I*(I9TJ)
DbCDvtf^ Mcttod
TUekBHitAI Aft
1961 toi1> PBS'I
TnipTrtw
T V l c k s m of Par
A m «f PnHtKtlHi EknUaalft>
Pvy
P n -
s»»
STTVI
Gwpi
Lows SlUTTKh
-J
Factor CRO/yTBI ML.
= ••
MKAMETESS (NIGmtqfl'APl)
M.2
HM 7
/. continued
> OS
riBLONAME
PkT-E^lAb •
nuCAHETERS
-
'
'
.
•
'
PkHi
Piraiwn J-
•
..^
^
. ,
•. f
S H H / • '
-w
'
•
'' [MT,M.k-l-
"
^
^
^
C u rTDHiiioit +
C u cipu]u«] t
T C/2 CD CI.
[^iKttoaSutii
1
1
1
7
DyiT FinductiDB
1
1
7
7
§• m
Ttotal rrwtwcHas
?
7
!
T
3
EctllHtHi RtMTHI
7
7
t
7
RHOvtfvMc Raatrvta — EqvlTslHiMHl
7
7
1
RaconnbtrOa
7
1
T
7
ftiHvtnbtrGii
T
7
T
7
I
dd
' •13 CI
I CD S
3 O O, O*
m &5
/. continued
ACHA JARI
FIELD NAME
OTHEft PARAMEintS
GENERAL
pescumON TicM Siie I k m ' j
\jxMtion t1*l, lonil 1bu)Dtplk(nj
Dnitgr Praduccjon Prnductr W d l i PRODlfCLNG HORIZONS FariiBlJpa
A1 B i U y ^ * KlHiuiH lypc''
Pro vine*
Zi^roi Frontil Fokl Bcl[
Dattet
193*
Disco re r^i'
A f r4 l t n - 2
DlKOVtTV Micb«l
Svismtc and
1
FleMStltia
ProdiKer
69DiL. 21 p u
ObMmrWtUt
16
7
« ' 4 8 ' N.
-»
auiUlotkn
A**
SEAL
139(1^75^
Injefliof) Well?
l,J50
RESERVOnt FAftAMETERS HMtf>oir Ponsllir 1^)
:
3,100
6X100
J90
::o
61.000
3S.0Qt>
1
2
IJ-li
6
--
t
3190
Initial P j * s u r t
il-ii,
Bubb^Poim PmxuTT(puet
?
'*
]JJ
173
1,700
Bollom Holt TtmpfriCuiT
CfOuS
ForinatiDn VolunH FacUtr CD 3
'> 2
• >
'* •
2
SOURCE
1
FoririBtion
Gurpt
Khudumi
littwJcic?
shak
shiie
:(;o
200
Sintoniv>PiJcDccnc
Altuin
TnpTrpc
A n a ol Prvduriion C*cr« i
FVrmtmbililT (mdj
Fissured culxtnitn
Pan;ctUj; Gp
Ap
T h i d i n t u of
1
Bui jtUAti GrtHi^i
A^min
Cachsjtrvi
TliickAKS
700 (Ml
Ulbok>c
TtuduxHlRI
AG HA J A R I
FIELD NAME
Lon£. nuTD^r mticbnc running >rW-S£. \i xi. more neepfy foklpJ Of! i)tc SW ihin oo Uw NE
Suirur Coiwltnl
"*
V u f A l t y iCP)
••
•
PRODUCTION PARAMETERS R f « i t * n Fad or
..:..-.,.
^ '
Drin McduiunD
Dai)> ProducUva Ldate \
0
Totd Pn>ducl»n (daltl
RKOvTrtNr Rner>Tfc — Eouivplrni Oil
t
ktcovtnblc OiJ
G»e:fpiumDn-i-
'F
IqiKtion Slaluf
t
EdiiuiMl Reserves
7
RrcorcraMr
t
/. continued
> -J
BIBHAKIMAH
FIELD NAME GKNEML DBSCROTtON
RESERVOIR rXRAMETERS
Field S l i t i W l
7
CliHlllatiaa
41 B i l l y ' X j K}enime lypc
PftrolfuA
Zj}n»
Locitloa
7
DiUoT Di«o*efy
IMl
Discovery
BibH)klnu^-i
Scitmicuid ^eoioficr survey
Eltvaliaft (Ft)
:.ooa
Itat. I a i t > T g u l Depth itt)
Dalitf Frwliicdop Prwliinr Wtllt
ntODUCING BOUZONS Famutfoo
BIB HA K I M A H
FIELD NAME
^ T
34 cnl, 3 I K
RtKfYoir Poniut> (%l PrnnatHlltydHl)
Fitid S u n i i
O b K m f f Wflli
pioiJuMr
«
Total W d b Driticd (dale; itl^tlOB Wdli
1
2
Asmin
Sarvak fi 14 u m l carbon-
LilbatDir
TUckBemri) Af>
SEAL
1.400 Oligo-MloccM
Mid
1
1
CKThsAnn
Ulboivcr
Anhydnlc. u l l
Aft
Ijcnc^lonc,
\it3[t
CtnoinuuinTun>ni>n
1
2
Formation
G
w
FormaUoa VoJitmc Fictor (Rfi/STB)
T
OIL PARAMTTERS
1
2
C3 3
:99
30
;?
:
1
(stOSTB) T h i c k i K n (rt) Sulfur Content A(t
t>liea-MiD«iK
Mid-L. Cretaceous
-^
vuoKitr icpi pRomicnoM rALhoiDU'
AnhvdniF. iilt
Bui^f stftn Gp.
PARAMETERS
^hak
R K f f v r n Fictof
1
M-L.CretKCDUs SOUKCE « —
E^uiratent Oil
TIllclUKSfn) Air
Ban^stanCp. shile
LlthoJoD'
a.
1 £
l.-l
(*P
lajtction
1
water tlnve
^
?
/. continued
> 00
LAB-E^AFID
FIELDNAME
FIELDNAME
.,
PboupnoN
r.-.|S
LAR-E-SAFID
KESEBVOIB nUUMETEKS
Cluiinciiiofl
TMdSlKdun'l
41 E i i N y / X j
MrTjkuni
K i t m m c type
PrtjTiiic*
9
IanH*MIH;(^) Losttaa n i l . kH()
i2'W
N.
L96S
Lib-E-Si6d4 WcU
I M d DUs
1
FarmliQii
t
7
VdJumt P a d o r
K: 1'
PROOtJCINGflM BOKIZON.S ] ^ |
2
(RB/VTB)
_2^J^^^^^^H
Fomttm
Anxn
LUbgkcr
Fiuund
cirbonato
CVtPOtWO
1.400
3,000 Mid-L.
OUgo-MwcH
Aff
G^hunn
UlkoHcr
Anhydnte. u h
31
?
C^OaRalta (KfiSTB)
7
7
SoUar CoBlHil
7
7
viic«itr(CP)
T
7
(«)
- I _ ,^
S H
r m t t «
FRODUCnON rARAMEWS }lt11>
4« inl. ! I j t u
OtiHmrWElii
muwctNG HCHUZOKS
.
FuurAd cailxmits
(")
ft 3 '.1 lio-M H HTfnc
Act
a. > Vnhydnlc. ^alf
Ap SOtiSCE
•^ V -
1*»pT>i»
MSAHFTERS DcptkuiTop
of P^Zninj
/. continued
> 00
NAFT-E-SAFID
FIELDNAME
'
DESCRIPnON [ » i l Sin 1 km')
Lscilloii lUl> loaf)
FIELDNAME
7 y
CluitnatloD
DMt
J9TO
39;;
'Kit)
^
Biibblt Pojnt
^
Bottom Holt Ttmpcntim
30(I97S)
IM
IM
2
OH. PA1UMETERS
1
2
Oil Gravity I^APII
30
Ji
7
t
J
33
SjnjJi
Udiotaij
tatoonacti
^:artfindt«
1,200
^,000
OlntQ-Miocfnt
CcnomuuAnTuroniin
1
2
GacK&dnn
Sirvak
SEAL
12
Formalioa VoluDK FtclDT IRB/STB)
•njKUiMi WcJIi
A^man
Ar
2
Pt4mre(|Htt>
formmtian
TWdUKsO)
Rufrvolr
PFrmtAblUry Imdl
VkUnd E>lltnf PrwIiKliDn
1
lARAMEIERS
fiovincci Lootioo 1l>t, IDDBJ
RAG-t-SAFID
FIELD NAME
Buntvont
GENERAL DESCKIFnOM
•'
ft 3
(wKiTJtl SnJFur Conttnl 1*1
LiUu4i«!>
Anhydnte. SJII
firtNHUle
PRODUCTION PARAMETEKS
Aft
(Jli?o-Wioccrtt
Cenomanian^ TuiXHIIdfl
R t c w t r y Ftclor It)
SOURCE
1
2
FormBtion
Gurp*
Kozhftumi
LiU»4ocr
ihik
shAl«
':o
:t»
Sdnlonidn' Pikeoccne
AKilKl
Thickiwu (fl> A(t
I "
AS ^mmeirc. dnticlinai 1Dtd
TVttnVp.
1
2
Dtplh 10 Toil of P I T (fl)
4.400
4,;oo
ThkkDHiot PljrZDfW{rt)
924
I3M
OTHER PARAIttETEItS
Area oi
30.400
& >
'
Vlicoiity (CP) FormBEion
>
^
Dritt VttcfatniiiD
Datl; ProdiKtkHi Idlltl
1
TMia Produdkn
Rtcovrnblt Rpstr>« ^ F q u i t i l t n t (HI
T
Rtcovtrabit Oil
UHiter dnvt
li^ltcHoii Stitiu
1
CitlniMttd Rtstrvet
t
Rtcovtnbtc
T
->
Idliti)
GJU
1
I. continued
> oo o
FIELD NAME
r n
GENERAL DBSCBiPnoN FteMSIndtBi')
•
• ^ ' .
tixb
.
.
,
'
:
•
.
•
-
•
•
.
;
•
hUulcuDi
•
/
*
:
•
••
SouUicm
nSERVCHR PARAMKTERS
r
2
Rnrrrolr
T
1
h r m a b U l t y (iHl»
7
t
tnilblPmirT
1
7
Bubble Polnl
7
NERo«ttin-l
DtoMFttry
WcD
1
RAKASH
AnbunCuir Buin
19W 52'W50'E
:
•
221 BillynCi KJcnuzKiypc
OuilSalliHi
Lacxtlga ( b l . laB()
Total Dttpth (ft)
FIELDNAME
RAKASH
S«Uabciun(VT
Wiln- D « ^ m
JJO
Prodimr
TotklWrili DriUrd ld«tc)
14(197})
MMlod 7
P t o d m r Wclb
11
FBODVCING HURIZONK
FWtdSbbH
ObwrTcrWilli
U * * ^
t- *
2
t»
Ap
AptlAII
KimmfrnJetBT
SEAL
:
^
.
•
IJUKOOK;
Ap it-
riimlloii Utbolofy
An
ihilc
•ntiydfiif
Albiin
THhoniir
.;;i::"
Lower Surmch
ihik
VXllLKCOUt
)30
^K]
Vkltn^nian
^•ihonun
StniL Turc f c l i i c i ^ !•' 'H.III - I : . r ; - : f
1
2
5.4iK.
T.ii:
ThickDHiDf Paj'ZoHini
M
u
A n * at PnducHoa
7
y
OTHER J, PAKAMETERS
T
3 B5
OIL PARAMETERS
1
OU G n v i l ; ( ' A P l I ;
7
7
G u / U l l RiUo (•tOSTBI
7
7
Sulfur CofUCDt
7
7
VliflKity [ C n
•'
:
•••
- 3
ft
c
(*)
3 O CO
7
o" (TO
PROouciKm MRAMETEKS Rtcovrry
Factor
7
Drln Mcdujuini
^
Tool Pnducdofl (4«lt)
7
RKOversblc U
7
7 Stitui
ft
2
GKIWI
TrtpTyjw
t
Hith
liTTic^[[ine
T i h t i i i i ihl
>
.2
_
Khudufni
Formalkin
T
Votmnt K*ctor (RBWTBJ
Anb
330
T
6d
-
Cirttonila
Tiikt—uni
Dtptta Lo Top
^
lnJKUoaWeUi
ShuulH
FwnHlian
SOUBCT:
-)
DouaoHci* Tempcntun
7
'
P«>Mn(Inll) X>mljtot PmdKlian
00
ofPirfft)
i
D*U7 pTDductlaa
Rfcormbk Rncrm — EqutnlenlOa
7
7
EdllMLHl RcKTva
7
RtvffTvnMc
7
ofT 65
/. continued
FIRLD N4ME
SULABEDAR
GENERAL DCSotimoN
H E L D
.
ClusiflciiiDn
Field Slic ( k m ' )
'
22\ Bi i U i * 7 ^ittd>
Locmdan I I M .
1
•?
?
150
T
1
1
1
2
Tcmpcnturt l l h « m r
P r o d u t t r W»ll5
li^tcdon Weill
Wills
• '
ForoHlion
ntoDucDM BORIZONS
1
2
K4fhdiifTj
Kiiamj Groap
Shltc
Cs^OfUiet
200
1300
Voluotf Kiclor TUckacnlti)
^
42
(K S
t A p
Alhun
Tithoftian-
1
2
Kl/CJUuTTu
K h j n i j
^
'i
Esdnutcd
T
idatFh
rdBKk t
rj|UL*aknt
• ^
Production
Rrcot^rabk Oil
Aption
TnpT>p
'
"
1
PRODUCTION i n d Limestone
An
V i m s i i T rCP)
S".
1
1
S£ 4 L
Oil
^
/. continued
FfeM S l H (km')
FIELD NAME
AHWAZ
FTEI.D N \ M E
CDtERAL ; DESaumON
. /'"^^
^r •y
PttTAlruni
ClualAcmliDa
AHWAZ
MSEKVOn nUtAMETERS
1
Uiatryoir
17
•
,2
3
14
s
Fold Bell
Wril T i u l D t p t h
Total PmduclkHi (dalil
7
RMo«™Wa Oil
water drive
7
It^litn Statu
7
EidiiBtHl Riatrrtj
T
RennvraUt
7
/. continued
> O
ROSTAM
FIELDNAME
FIELDNAME
ATH
of
1
DssoupnoN 2JI BalJy/ 2Ca Klcmmc
neUSinika'}
ArtbiinGuir
LocMivKlal, laoo Sdinuc lurvey
lUttl Dtpth (ft)
PndDction (J^PWTT WnM
navts)
IqjKtkriiWiU*
WmzoNS Mtsttnf (^djv^ I
(ft)
1
PcimnMUtr iBd)
7
7
7
'
3
7
7
n>
1
I—^
f
BcttiniHgk Ttmpcrvturt
7
FtraitiDn VoJuBvFKlar (RS/STB)
T
OB, MSAMETEKS
1
(NI CnTltj rAPIl
-
T
1
•>
'F
T
7
7
t
t
^1 •
;•
'
1
3
1
^
^ 1
a3 a>
-)
T
OS
7
['
7
7
a.
«
fT c
1 %
• '
3 O o_ o"
. . ^^. -jjJB
t
• --^-Jt^-A
Ate
• i :
ft
PAKAMTTEKS ^OUVCF:
CO
•
BabbkPDlDl
(») i*-^(cn
Utbnlocr
'2
.-..•^.J
(KiSTB)
^
nirili
nrzaatdi)
Slrt'rrtalcd sSruL-Cuic LrcnJir;^ ^criijully H-W withlubudjng lAf
[hf rmirTof 2»afl.
W 0=
;oo
AiynHPCtnc uiiiciiiw
1
1
3
4
7.100
IO,2JO
10.900
i:.o»
M3
JS8
377
I0.M6
44.Mn
MJSO
U9
PMJ 2 W K
>
Area of Prvdiiclkn ( K R J l
17.649
ISO
22]
23S
1
245
t
t
1
2
3
4
30
:o
29
:i9
1
?
2.3
23
•>
1
Sulfur Coottiu
2
> 3
J
a-
(»l 1 • '
Drin Mcrbaiunn
t
InJKtiDa
•Y
•J
Total ProdiKtKHi
1
Ed^matnl
t
7
Recorerablc OU
t
HnownUc
T
•'
Pr«dlictlofl (date) RenrertMe RtMrwa — EqulTalenl Oti
Altiiin
SuilDitiin Ptkccenc
"fr»p1>p*
•*
t
DaUr
Thkl[iMu4fl>
1
PKODUCTtON PARAMETERS
4
3
T
Uai/Oil RaUo (seVSTB)
R«:itver> Kactor Aft
t 6 2 ^
FAKAMETEItS
Vlitmuty (CP) Pwnudon
1
5750
T o u l Dcplli (ft)
HORizora
•J
3511
pH-iDabilIlT
FIELDNAME
BAII]tAGA^SAR
GENEKAL 1 DCSCMPnON F M i SIK (kB>)
-.
• ^
S.t> 1 J. 6
CUinAalkv
FIELDNAME
41 B i l l ; 1 ^CiKkinme
-^'^^'fsS?
PnMncc
FDUBCU
DtKvrcrr WtN
B«hrminHr-l
BAHRAGANSAR •
50
T
t
*
RESEnvom PARAMETERS
1
2
3
4
5
Rocm^r
1
20-15
7
7
li
Ptrrmbility tndl
*t
7
7
7
Initial f i f u t T
7
7
7
7
7
T
7
7
T
T
7
7
Formallan VdHiwFtKiar (kB/STBI
T
7
T
7
on-
i
3
4
5
1
Pnsductioa Iku^}
trpc D a d of
LocmllDD l
T.42t Mil (I9U)
MXnObbl
4.000 bbl bl
t
0.6 MM.bU
6M.1 M M M l ?9.M)BCF (1983)
3
0.14bm'((t
Rccwciy PKIor
00 CD
(I9M)
Total PrndnctkHi (diui
2.}l M M t M
(19931
l.7MM.titil
(I9M)
CD
s W SB
1
lOO-JCOMM.bbl
lilB.bM
2TMMUil
UMM.tM
l.lMMMMil
ft
22-150 MMtM
7
7
1
7
7
c
R K W t n b k Oil
t
WMM.bN
1
7
7
1
RanxTCffvblf G u
1
1
7
7
7
7
EiUmalnl Rncrvs Rec«vent>lc Rewr^a — EquivBlHI Oil
O
o
a. & fT 05
J. continued
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
7.1D
F k M SJa Ikm)
OwlAatkn
221 Bdty^ 2 C l KJenuiKtype
I
OIBER ^^^^ nUtAMETGRS
•^
V
hlrv^ifi
r.
. 2
i.OWJ
} I.7!0
TfakkDCHof PajZmini
300
7
A m oi
TO
Pvplh lA Top
Hkhixl EUain
!
AL HlIWAtSAH
H E L D NANfE
A L HITWAISAM
FIELD NAME
•fPkyim • • , - * '
A l Huwiiiah-l
I9W
7
L K * M «
DbcoTtry Smmic survey
7^7)
I t i U I D194I1 (ft)
Elcmknm)
30O
1971
rwystetM
ProAmJ
3)(1M3)
ObHTTcrWdlt
1
TbUlWdb
7
RESERVDIR PABAMFTFJI5
7
Rcacrrvlr
Pradncttofl
..*
1
ntODUCLNG HORIZONS
1 Line $1 one
A*«
SEAL
.VVJ
KOO
Aptiiin
PtrrtHJ-
1
2
Nah[ ^'mr
Al KhlA^
• • '
l-omuUno
'^htk m l
LMkalgfr
Aft
SOURCE IW—dH
[ninformaiLonaL
nurl
Wrmo-
Mtnon
2
j.:-»
200 1
Bubbk M M P T H H R (psit>
7
7
BollAiBHalt TVnpcrmlun
7
7
ft 3
Formatiiin V O I U H H Fictor (RH/STTBl
1
7
a.
OIL rARAMETERS
1
2
OU Crarily T A P I )
:i.i
GH/OUR>tl«
7
T
l-l.j
1
^
7
>
VO
tJ
• '
(*1
Cluuci PRODUCTION PARAMKI'ERS i.Boa
200
llM»Hry f •cur
7
Drin Mtdvnba
1
Total PndiKtiiia Idatt)
149 7fi MM.bbI (IMS)
Eidnilcd RcKtirH
J00-2!a MM.bbt
R«VTVr«U»
7
R*cvttnbl»
7
7 Sbbii
OxFonliaii Unfiutot
11
7
Sulfur CunMM . - k
H^iin^
Diyib
hiiuminout
•mfTyv
19-23
M-J.OOO
Vl>carity{CP)
Alt
2
•'
Ud-oo
TUckBMdl)
I
tiddal h w u n
P t n m N U t T (nd)
LltlialDD
T i i i i b i i m rni
:
Al KhUti
Stuubt
Fbrnatioa
J '
Production 4kdl')
Mrtbod
P r o d u o r X^Uk
V
oa
G B
J. continued
>
YIBAL
FIELD NAME GBNERyU. OBSCRIFITON
.-
FMdXlulknil
^UPB
':"': lSi20
221 Billy/2La
UUjHOatloa
riBAL
FIELD NAME
htmJnuA
1
1
v3
MKAMETESS " [>t|rtll I n Tftp
- • • • ' '
(Pihud) 1 lllllf
L4e2
IIMEI4
VkKtfnsy
Yibal-l
3»
7
70
t
00 ft)
Pljf Z a « (ft) I M i l D i p l k (11}
Sajmiciunvy
7.M8
ElenM«ga(ft)
2»-«I]
Ananl
Melboil ig«9
f l d d Statu
Producer
IMalWdb DrHVed ( d i u )
1»T(I9«])
RESEItVOIH PAftAMETERS
95(t9«ll
O b H m r WeDi
?
liOecdofi Weill
j^diBi)
RHtrniir
Piwluctldit Frnduor Wttb
rtCODUCING HORIZONS FonnadiiD Litbo4acr Tlili t III •
mi
^F SEAL
1
2
Sh,:.,,u
Khuff
>t:..,LH,..,.».„.
(^aibu(UI»
im
;,;t«j
•S^itljr-.
Lite Permiin
2
1 NiJir U r m
FAniKtiDn
Stialc. n i j r i .
UUiiitatr
'
AlhiiJl
SOm.CE
"•:'
Formation UdmliiKr
' •
1.
... •
Suliif
AV IViplVpt
1-30
7
Initial P n a u n
IJ30
^
BabUalNiliil
I.)J7
7
BMUmHolt TmiptratuiT
7
T
v-t
7
?
1
1
Fomaliati V W u i H Factor
3
o
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ H
(H
[•jrly Tri»sic
2
DiVBh
S^riiui t.']ftHLi:i
OUGnnty('APl>
3*
1.60(1
OKfordidn
SuUiir ConUBl
I
7
&
i-LM
'*
tn
(*> PRODUCTION PARAMETERS 33Enmar>and Kcondary
Owin Macfaa^HD
Dall; Production (dala)
l2S,l»Mil
Total ProdoctioB (^Ul
Rccofvtrablr
670 Ml^.btil
RacovcnMc
RecwiTT Factor
(*> J t v e toped
«i
55(.
GaaKMl RaUs (H^STBI
VlaaritTlCP)
ponul intichnc through u l t irtDvcmciH. fniking
if-
^
11-3(1
OIL nUUMfTTEKS
ArplLli^fLUli.
:^
••, V.
ft 3
2
Shile
tnlUTTUKlUS
nktuKairi)
'W>r:
EVniHability Imdl
^1!^L|J^•C^«J^
Aft
els'
Prndncilim ikin'i
on E4a*»l«itOa
lOjOLlHHI
Water
tyyi
MM.iM TZwK(ni
14)
*
IM
7
1
T
1
2
3
l^39
135
16-M
50-1,110
(11-35
2JU0
1
)J»
•?
Babbit PoliH P H I I I T lpfif>
7
II0-2V)
7
BononHolf
7
114
7
I.Of/
7
Arc* of
?
Pniducllon (km'l
Metha4 DMmr
MARMUL
1
l«8a
FWUSMu
Praduccf
TobJWrib
1)9(1982)
icn
ObRTTtl-WtUt
?
[DjcctiDII
7
RESERVOIK nUUMETEM RcRrvDu-
WelU
FwniAlioB
EVnuubflitr IBHt)
1-
PBODUCMG flOUZONS
^ • ^
Haimi Cmup
uttotte
• ' • :
AikhLHU
Chjrif
RuviDgkKIti
RUVIAI u n d i iill ind cla]r
iotefc*litiofu TMckBHlh) At!
SKAL rontttloa
320-l,9BO
5.000 Cicnbn)Ordovlci*n -*!-
,t.
•
Nihrtlmr
( P ^
TioiKTitun e n
34! Pcrmiar
Cirtjoniftrouj
2Rihib
•••.3'
--^v
Nohr LJnu
FociKlhia VoliBBC F K t a IRB/STRI
7
on,
1
Shile
Shilc
StlElc
( M ( I n v i t o [*API1
Ap
Albion
FVnnun
Albiui
GoUtlRaUa
1
2
y
SOUSCE
Huqf Gimp
UtbuloET
Carboruics tnd inNydr le
tUckHlt(tl) Aft TVtpTX*
3000 rnrnambrjm SuiKiunkt-unugnpti c
2 .
3
21.i
21
22
7
I}}
IM
:
1
2
1
46-80
30
1
li^crtiDn
TO.MO M M tlbl
Edinutnt
390 M M m ^
(L9B31
Totsl Producliqn (dm)
7
R4cwn-ib4c
1
RKWCTBUC
T
(KI'STB)
SulAir C o n M I FgnnalkM
>
nUtAMETEU
UUHdDitj
(») VbnritTlCn
•'
PROmX.TlON ?AKAMETKRS Rccvnr^ Ftclor
(») DWir
tin proffcu) M.DOObbI
FmliictlDa ( l U U I
Rvcc*Tcnblf Rcatrm — EquiTakm UU
•a ft 3
(IWl)
Gu
J. continued
>
GIMXRAL OKCKDTTON FWMStirllUBI
TMilDtplkdl)
OTHER F A K A M INTERS
r* '
T
Clusifintion
K-JI'N
Pbwvtry
7JB5
• : " .
WHiOniftn
Pttroleuni
FihLhl S«lL Buin
L969
Dbnvvry
Lfkiiwair-6
Sdintic tuTVfy
Elcntioaift)
360
Mtlbod Ditcnf Pmductioa Producer Wrlla
1976
FWUStatui
Producer
«I
1
niOIHtCING HORIZONS
LEKHWAIR
FIELD ^ A M e
LEKHWAtR
FIELD NM4E
Diyib AffiliKKUiH bitumiFHius LimsuHK 300 OxFordua Smugnptnc/ MrucEunl
•
h m H b i l i l r lilAd>
|.W
Ii^tUI Pivdurv
i.tfn
••
• '
(••ill
3 7
1.914
Babble PtHiit Pmwnlpdw Bottom Koir I V i b p t n l u r t I^F)
c
Formacion V'nIuDW Fi^lur iKB/VTBl
3
a ft
^
OIL PARAMETERS
1
2
O i l C n v l l v ['API)
38
••
G u r O U Ratio (•cffSTVI
I
^
• '
\
o*
J I M .40) CD
SwlAir Contnu
• '
• '
a.
-
OS
VlHSSlt} (CP)
fT
ra
PRODUCTION PAXAML'rejlS Rccorvrf FICUH-
0= Wuci
10
1*1 iMtr
l4JO0Nil(IM3
PnductiDn Idfttcl
R«cn¥>nbk
1
IJllMMbtil
TDUI
4I.)7MM.M>I
Productioa (ibtil
(1«3)
Racrra
RtCOVCTKbtl
1
ftccflt«*blt Gu
oe E^uivBiMi on
U^tion Saicm
1
J. continued
FTEI.D NAME GENERAL DESCRirami Fldd SJu IkmJ
20ll}
CUMlGatkn
H E L D NAME
-
OFTHXE PARAMRTFRS
1
2
D f pilii 1o Tvp of Pi3f«!)
T
T
1.100
^ '
M.lSOacm
^
NufihOmui
PrtrntruiD
FocEland B u m
(Friud) Locadan ((•t.li>ntl TbulDtpthtrt)
ProdHxr Wrili
56'ab Ar^llAccoui, tpjlumirmut timuione
UlholoD
TUckKH
IiyUalPmwn l|Kitl
FonmUQa
ThickBHXIt)
^
15 27
Raatmjr
WcUi fwmtabilUy tmd)
PFOOUCING
2
1
500
200
Mid A l h u Eirty Cemiiumin
Oxfordtin
F«uli«d UHicline fonned by upLificd. \i\i\\-
ft » O.
"J
Formaljon Volume Farlof tRB/STHI
>
OIL PARAME'l'BRS
2
I
(Ml Grarity I'APT)
31.3
•>
(^•VOil Riitia tacC^TBh
3S0
7
Suirur L'DatuI
1
^
Vbcodt; ( f P )
^
T
PRODUCTION PAAAMETEKS Rfcorvrry Vmctar
1
29.200 M M 1995)
Produrtloi I4aia) Recotetrabk Rearms — EqiUTpknt OH
MOMMbbl
^
Diin McclHniHU
Gucip
Total Prvductloa tiliitti
)IS.«MM.bbl (IMS)
RflHTKI
Rtcovtrmbto
7
Rf CDVCrADK
Oil
Sttlw 444MMbbl
T
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