Egypt's future petroleum resources: A revised look into the 21st century

Dolson, John; Atta, Mahmoud; Blanchard, D.C.; Sehim, Adel; Villinski, Jeffrey T.; Loutit, T. S.; Romine, Karen

doi:10.1306/13431856m106713

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…The In the Nile Delta area, abnormally high formation pressures have been recorded during hydrocarbon exploration (Dolson et al, 2005;Dolson et al, 2014;Dolson et al, 2001;Nashaat, 1998). Overpressures in the thick, clay-dominated Oligocene to Recent sedimentary section, and in the underlying pre-Tertiary section are primarily compactiondriven and due to rapid sedimentation (Nashaat, 1998).…”

Section: Role Of Overpressure and Messinian Evaporitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seismic indicators of focused fluid flow and cross-evaporitic seepage in the Eastern Mediterranean

Bertoni

Kirkham

Cartwright

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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We present for the first time a synthesis of the evidence of focused fluid flow in the Eastern Mediterranean, providing an updated record that includes recent and past occurrences through the last ca. 6 My of evolution of the basin. We do this by adding the interpretation of a previously unpublished regional 2D seismic dataset to the existing occurrences of focused fluid flow reported in the literature. Our interpretation shows a high number (141) of focused fluid flow features, which span the stratigraphic interval from late Miocene to Recent. Of these features, (82) are at the seabed, and (59) are buried. The previous published record is more difficult to quantify, but in comparison shows an overwhelming majority of seabed features, with only rare examples of buried features. The spectrum of the buried and seabed features covers pockmarks, pipes, mud volcanoes, clastic intrusions and collapse structures. Clustering of the fluid flow features is observed at different times in specific areas, including the Nile Cone, and the Levant, Herodotus, Cyprus and Latakia basins. With the buried record, we are able to highlight the evolution of the leakage points through time. Focused fluid flow venting has been occurring since the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the start of basinwide deposition of evaporites. We focus in particular on seismic indicators of leakage through evaporites, and of sub-evaporitic source for fluids and remobilized sediments. We also discuss the role of the evaporites as a seal to ascending fluids, and in which circumstances they can be breached. Fluids (and associated remobilised sediments) are sourced from different intervals, from the sub-and supra-evaporitic section, and possibly within the evaporites. Only a minor

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Section: Role Of Overpressure and Messinian Evaporitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seismic indicators of focused fluid flow and cross-evaporitic seepage in the Eastern Mediterranean

Bertoni

Kirkham

Cartwright

et al. 2017

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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“…The Oligocene deposits were sourced from the south via an up to 300m deep canyon with about 12 entry points (Dolson et al 2001). The palaeogeographical maps of the Oligocene system in northern Egypt are presented in Salem (1976) and Dolson et al (2005, 2014). The Oligocene sequences were deposited at a time of marine regression (Sestini, 1989) with complete subaerial exposure of the South Nile Delta (Dolson et al 2001).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Nile Delta region experienced rifting and extension in Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times with development of E–W-trending basins (Mosconi et al 1996; Loutit et al 2001). This was followed by general post-rift thermal cooling and subsidence with shelf-margin formation (Dolson et al 2001, 2005, 2014). During Late Cretaceous–Miocene times, the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous rift basins were inverted with development of the Syrian arc series of large NE–SW-oriented folds south of the Nile Delta and Eastern Mediterranean regions (Moustafa & Khalil, 1989, 1990, 1994; Chaimov et al 1993; Shahar, 1994; Ayyad & Darwish, 1996; Abd El-Motaal & Kusky, 2003; Abd-Allah, 2008).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the geological studies have focused on upper Miocene (Messinian) and Pliocene reservoirs in the onshore–offshore Nile Delta. However, some studies dealing with the regional context from the Oligocene to Pliocene have focused on the West Nile Delta and offshore East Nile Delta (Dolson et al 2001, 2002 a , b , 2005, 2014; Boucher et al 2004; Whaley, 2008; Kellner et al 2009; Abdullayev, Reinprecht & Villinski, 2011). The objectives of the present paper are to describe and interpret the sedimentary facies and depositional architecture of the Oligocene sequences within the onshore East Nile Delta through including a description and interpretation of different lithologies and stratal geometries; precise correlation and sequential evolution of the different sand units; and a discussion on the role of global and local controlling factors on the Oligocene sedimentation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sedimentological architecture, shelf-edge trajectories and evolution of an Oligocene reservoir, East Nile Delta

Selim

2016

Geol. Mag.

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Abstract3D seismic data and wireline logs from 17 wells in the onshore East Nile Delta were utilized to study the stratigraphic architecture and evolution of Oligocene deposits. The Oligocene is readily recognized on seismic cross-sections by a series of northward prograding clinoforms. The Oligocene sequences show lateral facies changes from fluvial to deepwater via a shelf-edge delta. Such deltaic features include distributary channels, interdistributary bay fill, and a delta plain and front, gradually changing downslope into prodelta and slope deposits. The slope deposits include three main depositional elements: a deeply incised channel, a complex of laterally switched leveed channels and lobes, and crevasses and frontal splays. These depositional elements are formed in the main western slope basin and local eastern intraslope ponded sub-basin. The reactivated E–W- and NW-trending faults as well as NE–SW inverted structures are the main controls on slope physiography that formed the main corridors for Oligocene sediment distribution. Two main globally correlated Oligocene sequences are encountered being separated by the major drop in global eustatic sea level at 28.1Ma. The lower Oligocene sequence has two main stages: (1) the formation and filling of a basal canyon; and (2) the formation and progradation of shelf deltas to form shelf-edge deltas, and then progradation with an ascending shelf-edge trajectory (clinoforms 1). The upper Oligocene sequence is characterized by accretionary shelf-edge deltas with descending and then flat trajectories (clinoforms 2–4). The frontal splay and lobe complex exhibits potentially favourable reservoir continuity and areal coverage followed by the slope channels.

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“…The Western Desert region has been a petroleum exploration focus area since the mid-sixties for primarily Cretaceous reservoirs, as well as Jurassic targets since the early nineties. Published production data suggests that the Far Western Desert basins are capable of contributing about one fifth of Egypt's annual oil and gas production (Dolson et al, 2014). The majority of discoveries to date are less than 100 MMBOE, which is partially attributed to complex structural and stratigraphic trap geometries, as well as a lack of proper understanding of the regional hydrocarbon charge mechanisms (Dolson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Egypt far Western Desert basins petroleum charge system as defined by oil chemistry and unmixing analysis

Abrams¹,

Greb²,

Collister

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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Egypt's future petroleum resources: A revised look into the 21st century

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Seismic indicators of focused fluid flow and cross-evaporitic seepage in the Eastern Mediterranean

Seismic indicators of focused fluid flow and cross-evaporitic seepage in the Eastern Mediterranean

Sedimentological architecture, shelf-edge trajectories and evolution of an Oligocene reservoir, East Nile Delta

Egypt far Western Desert basins petroleum charge system as defined by oil chemistry and unmixing analysis

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