Christopher G. St. C. Kendall Arabian Gulf Sequence Stratigraphy Application to Exploration and Production Middle Eastern Basins of the Gulf Summer 2005

Christopher G. St. C. KendallArabian Gulf

Sequence StratigraphyApplication to Exploration and

Production Middle Eastern Basins of the Gulf

Summer 2005

Professor Christopher G. St. C. KendallProfessor Christopher G. St. C. [email protected] [email protected]

803-777-2410803-777-2410


Current Reserves for Middle EastCurrent Reserves for Middle East

•Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 263.5 bbls 263.5 bbls 204.5Tcf204.5Tcf•Iraq Iraq 112 bbls 112 bbls 109Tcf109Tcf•UAE UAE 97.8bbls 97.8bbls 212Tcf212Tcf•KuwaitKuwait 96.5 bbls 96.5 bbls 52.7Tcf52.7Tcf •Iran Iran 89.7 bbls 89.7 bbls 812.3Tcf812.3Tcf•OmanOman 5.3 bbls 5.3 bbls 28.4Tcf28.4Tcf•YemenYemen 4.0 bbls 4.0 bbls 16.9Tcf16.9Tcf•QatarQatar 3.7 bbls 3.7 bbls 300.0Tcf300.0Tcf•SyriaSyria 2.5 bbls 2.5 bbls 8.5Tcf8.5Tcf•BahrainBahrain 0.1 bbls 0.1 bbls 3.9Tcf3.9Tcf

Crude Oil(BB) - Natural Gas Crude Oil(BB) - Natural Gas (TCF)(TCF)


After Al SharhanAfter Al Sharhan


From International Petroleum EncyclopediaFrom International Petroleum Encyclopedia




Arabian BasinArabian Basin

Traces a polyhistory of plate tectonic & sedimentary fill:Pre Cambrian to Infra-Cambrian - Continental interiorSilurian and Ordovician clastics – Continental interiorPermian clastics & carbonates – Trailing marginUpper Jurassic Carbonates – Trailing marginLower Cretaceous Carbonates – Trailing marginMiddle Cretaceous – Compression & Zagros Mts initiatedTertiary Carbonates and Clastics - Compressional margin


Oil Production - Arabian Gulf Oil Production - Arabian Gulf Productive hydrocarbon section older to West [Paleozoic] & younger in East in the Zagros Mts [ Upper Tertiary]. West to East production includes:Infra-Cambrian Salt Silurian and Ordovician clastics – Unaizah Permian clastics & carbonates – Khuff Upper Jurassic Carbonates - Arab & Tuwaik Mt GroupLower Cretaceous Carbonates – Shuaiba & ThammamaMiddle Cretaceous – MishrifTertiary - Asmari


Zagros Mountain ChainZagros Mountain Chain

After Dennis TassaAfter Dennis Tassa


Structural Provinces - Arabian Gulf

Structural Provinces - Arabian Gulf

Zagros Fold Mts

Mesozoic to Tertiary Foreland Basin

Pre-Cambrian Shield

Nasa ImageNasa Image


Mosaic of Drifting Rigid Mosaic of Drifting Rigid PlatesPlates

After Dennis TassaAfter Dennis Tassa


Arabian Gulf tracks the Wilson CycleArabian Gulf tracks the Wilson Cycle

Plate tectonic theory divides earth’s crust into plates

Plates diverge apart or rift & a new ocean basin forms

Plate motion reverses & convergence causes collision, & mountain building

The Wilson Cycle records plate motion opening & closing of ocean basins in the rock record


Arabian GulfArabian Gulf


Evolution of Arabian GulfEvolution of Arabian Gulf

After Kingston et al, 1983

Interior Sag

Extensional margin

Extensional margin

Compression & Foreland Basin

Foreland Basin


Christopher G. St. C. KendallArabian GulfArabian plate stratigraphic section withArabian plate stratigraphic section with

hydrocarbon productionhydrocarbon production


Geologic Cross-Section - Arabian Gulf

Geologic Cross-Section - Arabian Gulf


GasGas

GasGas




Restricted Restricted Entrance Entrance To SeaTo Sea

Permian Khuff Permian Khuff

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

Oman & UAEOman & UAE

Structural & Structural &

DepositionalDepositional

Barrier overBarrier over

Hercynian Hercynian

Horst BlocksHorst Blocks

Arid Tropics Air System Arid Tropics Air System

Wide Shadow from Adjacent ContinentsWide Shadow from Adjacent Continents





Restricted Restricted Entrance Entrance

To SeaTo Sea

Upper Jurrassic Upper Jurrassic

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

Kuwait, IranKuwait, Iran

& UAE& UAE

DepositionalDepositional

Barrier overBarrier over

Hercynian Hercynian

Horst BlocksHorst Blocks

Tropical Air System !Tropical Air System !

Wide Shadow from Adjacent ContinentsWide Shadow from Adjacent Continents

Christopher G. St. C. KendallArabian Gulf After Dennis TassaAfter Dennis Tassa


Zagros Fold Mountains - IranZagros Fold Mountains - Iran



Zagros Fold Mountains Zagros Fold Mountains IranIran

Zagros Fold Mountains Zagros Fold Mountains IranIran



Zagros Zagros Fold Fold

MountainMountainss

IranIran

Zagros Zagros Fold Fold

MountainMountainss

IranIran



Zagros Fold Mountains - IranZagros Fold Mountains - IranZagros Fold Mountains - IranZagros Fold Mountains - Iran


After MurrisAfter Murris


After MurrisAfter Murris




Arabian Gulf Factory producing carbonates & storing products of cyanbacteria since Permian

Arabian Gulf Factory producing carbonates & storing products of cyanbacteria since Permian



A big day for a bloom!!A big day for a bloom!!

Organics in the Gulf!Organics in the Gulf!



BasinRamp

RestrictedShelf

OpenShelf


Sedimentary Section is SourceSedimentary Section is Source

Collister, James, Robert Ehrlich, Frank Mango, and Glenn Johnson (2004), Modification of the petroleum system concept: Origins of alkanes and isoprenoids in crude oils AAPG Bulletin, v. 88, no. 5 pp. 587–611Establish that the source of petroleum was once dispersed through much of the sedimentary sections and not necessarily from classic organic rich source rocks.

Christopher G. St. C. KendallArabian GulfAfter Baum, & KendallAfter Baum, & Kendall




Geological Setting of Jurassic OilGeological Setting of Jurassic Oil

Reservoir Reservoir

Seal Seal

IntrashelfBasin

IntrashelfBasin


The Hanifa Formation Oil FieldsThe Hanifa Formation Oil Fields


Hanifa Formation - Berri FieldHanifa Formation - Berri Field


The Hanifa FormationSequence Stratigraphic Hierarchy

The Hanifa FormationSequence Stratigraphic Hierarchy


The Hanifa FormationStratigraphic Framework


•Each formation was deposited as a complete 3rd order sequence

Source

Reservoir

Seal




DrowningSurface

DrowningSurface


High-stand Surface of High-stand Surface of CondensationCondensation

Mid Slope - Storm DepositsMid Slope - Storm Deposits

Note lack of Note lack of Tidal Flat fillTidal Flat fill


Maximum Flooding SurfaceMaximum Flooding Surface

Crest of Margin - Storm DepositsCrest of Margin - Storm Deposits

Note Tidal FlatNote Tidal Flat& Standard& StandardSequenceSequence

StratigraphicStratigraphicSurfacesSurfaces


Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea LevelJurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level




































































































































The Hanifa FormationIdeal Parasequence

The Hanifa FormationIdeal Parasequence

Used as a guide for identifying & Predicting lithofacies character throughout the basin


The Hanifa FormationRegional X-section

The Hanifa FormationRegional X-section

TS

TS

SB-2

MFS

Source

Reservoir


The Hanifa FormationDetailed interpretation

The Hanifa FormationDetailed interpretation

SMW

HST

TST


Hanifa Formation - ConclusionHanifa Formation - Conclusion

• Most of reservoir skeletal conglomerate deposited on relatively high-energy shelf within HST.

• Contemporaneous of organic-rich lime mudstones to south during late TST & HST with reservoir facies of north.

• Lithofacies shift from shelf to basin is gradual & grades through 11 lithofacies in response to changes of relative sea level along gentle ramp profile with intrashelf basin in south.

• Lithofacies distribution in basin enables prediction of best reservoir facies to north, & interpolation of intermediate lithofacies.


Lekweir FormationLekweir Formation• Most of reservoir grain carbonates deposited

over relatively high-energy shoal and ramp during LST and sorted by storm events.

• Sourced from Lower and Middle Jurassic.• Lithofacies shift from shoal/ramp crest to

margin of finer grained carbonate.• A rise in relative sea level over the gentle ramp

profile caused the carbonates to fine upward and lose reservoir character; condensed impermeable HST layers formed.

• Lithofacies distribution over shoal has lead to best reservoir facies upsection in response to shallower water sorting during LST of the upper cycles.


Lower Cretaceous - Barremian

Lower Cretaceous - Barremian

Barremian Paleogeography in Gulf Barremian Paleogeography in Gulf Region (Murris1980)Region (Murris1980)


Lower Cretaceous Lower Cretaceous

Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)











Lekhwair Formation - UAELekhwair Formation - UAEStratigraphic section of Late Jurassic Eastern Saudi Arabia(Murris 1980) Jubaila small cycles fine up but overall sectioncoarsens up.


Type-section of Lekhwair Fm

PDO well Lekhwair N° 7

Type-section of Lekhwair Fm

PDO well Lekhwair N° 7

Note fining upwards cyclesNote fining upwards cycles


Zakum Field - UAEZakum Field - UAE

Note fining upwards cyclesNote fining upwards cyclesPittet et al, 2002


Zakum Field - UAEZakum Field - UAE

Anticlinal shape of fieldAnticlinal shape of fieldPittet et al, 2002


Lekweir FormationLekweir Formation• Most of reservoir grain carbonates deposited

over relatively high-energy shoal and ramp during LST and sorted by storm events.

• Sourced from Lower and Middle Jurassic.• Lithofacies shift from shoal/ramp crest to

margin of finer grained carbonate.• A rise in relative sea level over the gentle ramp

profile caused the carbonates to fine upward and lose reservoir character; condensed impermeable HST layers formed.

• Lithofacies distribution over shoal has lead to best reservoir facies upsection in response to shallower water sorting during LST of the upper cycles.



Traces a polyhistory of plate tectonic & sedimentary fill:Pre Cambrian to Infra-Cambrian - continental interiorSilurian and Ordovician clastics – continental interiorPermian clastics & carbonates – trailing marginUpper Jurassic Carbonates – trailing marginLower Cretaceous Carbonates – trailing marginMiddle Cretaceous – compression and collision startsTertiary Carbonates and Clastics- compressional margin


Oil Production - Arabian Gulf Oil Production - Arabian Gulf Productive hydrocarbon section older to West [Paleozoic] & younger in East in the Zagros Mts [ Upper Tertiary]. West to East production includes:Infra-Cambrian Salt Silurian and Ordovician clastics – Unaizah Permian clastics & carbonates – Khuff Upper Jurassic Carbonates - Arab & Tuwaik Mt GroupLower Cretaceous Carbonates – Shuaiba & ThammamaMiddle Cretaceous – MishrifTertiary - Asmari


ConclusionsConclusionsConclusionsConclusions

Burn it in transport Burn it in transport or use it foror use it for

petrochemicals?petrochemicals?

Burn it in transport Burn it in transport or use it foror use it for

petrochemicals?petrochemicals?


Thank YouThank You

Kendall PhotoKendall Photo


Lecture Ends!!Lecture Ends!!

And so to a break!

Documents

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall Arabian Gulf Sequence Stratigraphy Application to Exploration and Production Middle Eastern Basins of the Gulf Summer 2005