The Cenomanian -Turonian succession of the Arabian Plate By contrast in the Najaf intrashelf basin (Iraq), there is a significant siliciclastic component sourced from the Arabian Shield. This influx resulted in a mixed carbonatesiliciclastic ramp depositional system on the proximal, western margin of the basin, and an apparent absence of organic-rich intervals within the central basin succession. Grainy carbonate reservoir rocks are restricted to the eastern margin and are charged by older source rocks within the underlying stratigraphy.The GDE maps record the configuration of these petroleum systems elements within the Cenomanian-Turonian interval and form the basis for play screening. The Cenomanian-Turonian interval is punctuated by the major mid-Turonian unconformity which is a tectonostratigraphic boundary of considerable geological and economic significance. In the southern and eastern part of the Arabian Plate, this unconformity has a differential erosion profile that facilitates a subcrop play with exploration potential. Identifying subtle stratigraphic traps is challenging, but by combining GDE facies with the mapped preservation limit for each sequence, it is possible to identify areas where rudist-rich reservoir facies with potential karst enhancement are overlain by a regional claystone seal, high-grading areas with subcrop trap potential.
The unconventional revolution in North America has firmly established unconventional resource plays as an integral component of global hydrocarbon production. The established North American resource plays are heterogeneous and vary considerably in terms of play type, stratigraphic organization, and the lithology of the target unit. The Middle East has several world-class source rocks that have charged giant and supergiant conventional fields, which implies many opportunities to develop unconventional resource plays. Within this study, the stratigraphic organization of two prolific source rock intervals within the Early Silurian (Qusaiba Member) and Middle-Late Jurassic (Tuwaiq Mountain Formation and equivalents) is characterized from public-domain data sets. From this, a variety of unconventional plays are conceptualized within these resource intervals.
The systematic classification of established resource plays in North America facilitates analogue identification for these emerging resource intervals across the Middle East. The Montney play is identified as an analogue for the Silurian resource interval and can be used to help validate unproven unconventional play concepts. Within the Jurassic resource interval, multiple analogues are identified that characterize different aspects of the emerging unconventional play types. For instance, stratigraphic architecture within the emerging Tuwaiq Mountain shale play is comparable to the Vaca Muerta play of the Neuquén Basin in South America, while mineralogy is similar to that within the Eagle Ford play and porosity development is akin to the Marcellus play. Applying understanding from these analogues can enable more informed and efficient exploration, appraisal, and development decisions within these frontier and emerging Middle East resource plays.
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