Ghawar Arab-D Reservoir<subtitle>Widespread Porosity in Shoaling-upward Carbonate Cycles, Saudi Arabia</subtitle>

Three-dimensional morphometric analysis and statistical distribution of the Early Kimmeridgian Hanifa Formation stromatoporoid/coral buildups, central Saudi Arabia

“…The Arabian Plate during this time was located around the equatorial area with arid to semi-arid paleoclimate (Scotese, 2003;Al-mojel, 2017). A vast shallow-water epeiric sea flooded most of the Arabian Plate in this period, leading to the formation of an extensive (~10 3 km) shallow-water marine carbonate platform (Ziegler, 2001;Lindsay et al, 2006). Concurrently, differential intraplate subsidence partly enhanced by peripheral aggradation of shallow-marine carbonates led to the development of the Gotnia, Arabian, and Rub'Al-Khali intrashelf basins (Ziegler, 2001;Lindsay et al, 2006).…”

“…A vast shallow-water epeiric sea flooded most of the Arabian Plate in this period, leading to the formation of an extensive (~10 3 km) shallow-water marine carbonate platform (Ziegler, 2001;Lindsay et al, 2006). Concurrently, differential intraplate subsidence partly enhanced by peripheral aggradation of shallow-marine carbonates led to the development of the Gotnia, Arabian, and Rub'Al-Khali intrashelf basins (Ziegler, 2001;Lindsay et al, 2006). The study area (Wadi Birk) was located approximately 10 • -15 • south of the paleo-equator and ~1000 km inwards (Fig.…”

“…Laterally heterogenous high porosity and permeability stromatoporoid/coral facies partly characterize giants and supergiants hydrocarbon carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East (Al-Khalifah and Makkawi, 2002;Afifi, 2004;Lindsay et al, 2006). This stromatoporoid/coral facies exhibits sub-seismic interwell meter-scale depositional heterogeneities often overlooked or overly homogenized by most subsurface models.…”

3D Digital Outcrop Model-Based Fracture Network Analysis of Reservoir Outcrop Analogue, Upper Jubaila Formation, Saudi Arabia.

“…The entire sequence shows coarsening-upward trends. Toward the top the succession is overlain by a succession of cross-bedded bioclastic grainstones, bioturbated mudstones, intraclastic grainstones, and stromatoporoid biostromal beds (Lindsay et al, 2006). The setting of the depositional environment is under debate: a shallow lagoon as proposed by Al-Mojel (2017) or a mid-ramp depositional environment as proposed by Lindsay et al (2006).…”

“…In this study, we map the natural fracture network in a Jubaila formation outcrop, using 3D digital photogrammetry to rebuild a 800 m long Digital Outcrop Model (DOM), along a roadcut of the Jeddah-Riyadh motorway in Wadi Laban (western Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) (Figure 1). The Late Jurassic Arab-D member of the Arab Formation and the Upper Jubaila formation (Lindsay et al 2006) hosts the Arab-D reservoir in eastern Saudi Arabia, which is the most prolific subsurface formation in the world. Mapping the 3D geometry of visible fractures along the outcrop enabled us to define the main fracture sets and compute their intensity and related variability.…”