Sedimentology and reservoir characterization of the Upper Miocene Qawasim Formation, El-Tamad Oil Field onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

Leila, Mahmoud; Kora, Mahmoud; Ahmed, Mohammed A.; Ghanem, Abdelhakim

doi:10.1007/s12517-015-2088-9

Cited by 27 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Above is an interval of sandstone, Eocene chert and anhydrite with a thin conglomeratic bed on top that marks the Messinian–Zanclean boundary, interpreted to be deposited in brackish waters based on the presence of the ostracod Cyprideis torosa (Derin, ). Leila, Kora, Ahmed, and Ghanem () report of similar lithology of late Messinian age in the Nile Delta. Safadi et al () on the other hand, interpreted a 100–400 m unit overlying and onlapping the IMTS as Nile‐derived sediments prograding northeastwards based on the well data analysis of the Romi‐1 well by Almogi‐Labin et al ().…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Above is an interval of sandstone, Eocene chert and anhydrite with a thin conglomeratic bed on top that marks the Messinian-Zanclean boundary, interpreted to be deposited in brackish waters based on the presence of the ostracod Cyprideis torosa (Derin, 2000). Leila, Kora, Ahmed, and Ghanem (2016) Hawie et al (2013), and assigned chaotic facies unconformably overlying the IMTS as Plio-Quaternary units representing reworked evaporites or clastic mounds. They also recognized siliciclastic turbidites sourced from the Nile Delta to the south and east of the ESM.…”

Section: The Post-imts Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of sea level drawdown at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis and seismic investigation of the Nahr Menashe unit in the northern Levant Basin, offshore Lebanon

2019

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Several important aspects of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) are still subject to controversy and debate after more than 40 years of studies. Recent work from the eastern Mediterranean have provided a renewed stratigraphic framework for the basin that is inconsistent with previous interpretation studies in the area. This study presents a description of the evolution of the depositional environment in the northern Levant Basin in a time interval surrounding the end of the famous event, from Late Messinian to the Pliocene. Through seismic mapping, we have identified a sediment package overlying the intra‐Messinian truncation surface (IMTS). This package is interpreted as an axial fluvial system running along the Levant Margin in stage 3 of the salinity crisis, likely composed of redeposited evaporites and clastic material. The system was fed primarily from a large fan system building out from the basin margin during a time of sea‐level low stand following a major erosional event, and presumably also from similar systems along the Latakia Ridge and Syria. Our interpretation also lends weight to the theory of a subaerial origin for the truncation surface after a catastrophic desiccation event succeeding the deposition of the halite‐dominated Messinian evaporite succession, based on differences in maximum erosional depth throughout the basin. After the deposition of the post‐IMTS package, deep marine settings were restored in the basin, and hemipelagic sediments from the Nile Delta and the Levant Margin have dominated the sediment deposition since.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: The Post-imts Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of sea level drawdown at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis and seismic investigation of the Nahr Menashe unit in the northern Levant Basin, offshore Lebanon

2019

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“…In the Nile Delta onshore region (Fig. 1), the main hydrocarbon reservoirs are the Neogene-Quaternary siliciclastic successions which were deposited in a wide range of depositional environments (e.g., EGPC 1994;Dolson et al 2005;Leila et al 2015;. In this region, the Pliocene Kafr El-Sheikh (KES) Formation hosts the very potential shallow siliciclastic reservoirs which were deposited during and after the major marine transgression at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagenesis and petrophysical characteristics of the shallow Pliocene sandstone reservoirs in the Shinfas Gas Field, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

Leila

Mohamed

2020

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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The Pliocene Kafr El-Sheikh (KES) Formation in the onshore Nile Delta region hosts numerous shallow gas accumulations. These are readily detected on seismic profiles by definable direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHI). However, the presence of residual gases causes many production failures. Two shallow (< 1500 m) pay zones were investigated in this study; both display seismic flat bright spots. The shallower pay zone (pay zone 1) comprises prograding distributary channel-fill sandstones, whereas the deeper pay zone 2 constitutes the transgressive distal sand bars. Pay zone 1 sandstones have better reservoir quality in terms of porosity (Av. 25.68%), permeability (86 md), water saturation (Av. 43.26%), and hence host thick gas accumulation (~ 15 m) with high net/gross (N/G) ratio ~ 0.98. On the other hand, pay zone 2 has a significant reservoir heterogeneity and contains only residual gases with N/G ratio of 0.26. The eodiagenetic infiltration of clays (Av. 31.46%), authigenic precipitation of glauconite (Av. 7%), and formation of pseudomatrix materials (Av. 2%) in pay zone 2 sandstones have the most detrimental impact on their reservoir quality. Elevated water saturation in pay zone 2 (Av. 64%) reduced the movable hydrocarbon content and results in accumulation of residual gases. Mild mechanical compaction preserved the intergranular porosity of the pay zone 1 sandstones, and incursion of meteoric water facilitated the dissolution of feldspars, the neoformation of secondary pore spaces (Av. 2.9%), and thus increased the reservoir storage and flow capacities. This study highlights that the initial depositional setting of the shallow siliciclastic reservoirs controls their diagenetic pathways and hence their reservoir quality.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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“…The main Messinian reservoirs are the pre‐MSC Qawasim and the MSC Abu Madi formations (Figure ). Few studies concerning the reservoir quality of these Messinian sediments in the Nile Delta have been published (e.g., Leila, Kora, Ahmed, & Ghanem, ; Salem, Ketzer, Mora, Rizk, & Al‐Aasm, ), leading to uncertainties regarding the depositional and burial controls on their porosity/permeability. The Qawasim Formation is penetrated by boreholes in the West Dikirnis (WD) Field (Figure ) at a relatively shallow depth (~2,300 m), whereas the Abu Madi Formation is comparatively deeper (~2,700 m) in West Al‐Khilala (WAK) Field (Figure ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main Messinian reservoirs are the pre-MSC Qawasim and the MSC Abu Madi formations ( Figure 2). Few studies concerning the reservoir quality of these Messinian sediments in the Nile Delta have been published (e.g., Leila, Kora, Ahmed, & Ghanem, 2016;Salem, Ketzer, Mora, Rizk, & Al-Aasm, 2005), leading to uncertainties regarding the depositional and burial controls on their porosity/permeability. The (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depositional facies controls on the diagenesis and reservoir quality of the Messinian Qawasim and Abu Madi formations, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

2018

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The Messinian Qawasim and Abu Madi formations are the main hydrocarbon exploration targets in the onshore Nile Delta. Qawasim Formation constitutes prograditional deltaic system from prodelta and distal delta‐front (distal deltaic facies) to proximal delta‐front and delta‐plain (proximal deltaic facies). Abu Madi sediments on the other hand change upward from continental subaerial gravity‐flow and fluvial facies to marginal‐marine estuarine facies. The seismic attribute (RMS amplitude) and petrophysical analyses revealed that solely the Qawasim proximal deltaic and Abu Madi fluvial facies define the potential reservoir targets. The reservoir quality of the Qawasim distal deltaic and the Abu Madi estuarine facies was completely deteriorated during eodiagenesis by calcite and glauconite cementation (mean > 7.3% and 4.5%, respectively). Conversely, the depositional setting of the Qawasim proximal deltaic and Abu Madi fluvial facies favoured a precipitation of scattered eodiagenetic calcite (mean < 2.5%), which supported the facies framework against mechanical compaction and preserved the intergranular volume (IGV). Chemical compaction, smectite infiltration, quartz cementation, and clay minerals authigenesis were more pronounced in the relatively deeper Abu Madi fluvial facies. These burial attributes caused a large‐scale reservoir heterogeneity. Therefore, the relatively shallower Qawasim proximal deltaic facies presents the best reservoir target in the Messinian sequence of the Nile Delta. This study reveals that in analogous systems, the depositional environment largely controls the diagenetic pathways and, hence, the reservoir quality.

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Sedimentology and reservoir characterization of the Upper Miocene Qawasim Formation, El-Tamad Oil Field onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

Cited by 27 publications

References 8 publications

Evidence of sea level drawdown at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis and seismic investigation of the Nahr Menashe unit in the northern Levant Basin, offshore Lebanon

Evidence of sea level drawdown at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis and seismic investigation of the Nahr Menashe unit in the northern Levant Basin, offshore Lebanon

Diagenesis and petrophysical characteristics of the shallow Pliocene sandstone reservoirs in the Shinfas Gas Field, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

Depositional facies controls on the diagenesis and reservoir quality of the Messinian Qawasim and Abu Madi formations, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt

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