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Hydrocarbon potentiality of the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sequence in Abu Sennan area, Abu Gharadig Basin, Egypt

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Abstract

The Abu Sennan block as a part of Abu Gharadig basin is producing hydrocarbons from Upper Cretaceous reservoirs in the three block partitions: SWS, GPT, and GPY (± 15,000 BBL/day). Exploration of deeper reservoirs (Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous) were not successful compared to the nearby southeast blocks belong to KEC (Kuwait Energy Company). The main objective of this work is to study the hydrocarbon potentiality of the deep Jurassic and Early Cretaceous reservoirs (Masajid, Alam El-Buieb, and Alamien). This work permits the chance to evaluate the petroleum system elements of the Jurassic basin in the studied area. The structural model constructed in this work is based on a recent 3D seismic pre-stack depth migration data (PSDM). The structural configuration of the Abu Sennan area is represented by a group of en’echelon normal faults with NE-SW orientation intersected by NW–SE normal faults Early. During Late Cretaceous-Middle Eocene time, the NE-SW en’echelon normal faults, suffered positive structural inversion forming the Abu Sennan asymmetrical anticline.The analysis of the organic-rich shales of the Jurassic Khatatba Formation, as the most significant potential source rock, shows that there are many Jurassic sub-basins sources for hydrocarbon supply to the deeper reservoirs. Source capabilities change from poor quality in the southwest (SWS field) to high quality in the northeast (GPY-GPT fields). The distance between the basin source and the amount and direction of migration control also the accumulation of hydrocarbons in closures. Fault seal/leak capabilites and reservoir qualities explains the failure occurred at Jurassic drilled wells.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to give great thanks to Alaa El-Batal, Chairman of the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation, for providing all required data and publish this work, and to the management stuff of the General Petroleum Company for their great help on facilating this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exploration Department, Petrosalam Petroleum Company, Cairo, Egypt

    Ghada Farrag

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    Ali Abd-Allah

  3. CEO ROCKSERV for Petroleum Services, Cairo, Egypt

    Ali Bakr

  4. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

    Zakaria Hassan

  5. Exploration Department, General Petroleum Company, Cairo, Egypt

    Sherif El-Shahawy

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  1. Ghada Farrag
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  2. Ali Abd-Allah
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  3. Ali Bakr
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Correspondence to Ghada Farrag.

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Farrag, G., Abd-Allah, A., Bakr, A. et al. Hydrocarbon potentiality of the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sequence in Abu Sennan area, Abu Gharadig Basin, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 15, 1423 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10660-y

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