The Upper Cretaceous petroleum system of the East Beni Suef Basin, Egypt: an integrated geological and 2D basin modelling approach

Abstract

We integrated geological and 2D basin modeling to investigate the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the East Beni Suef Basin (EBSB) of north central Egypt and its implications for the Upper Cretaceous petroleum system. Two intersecting seismic sections and three exploration wells were used for this study. The geological model defines the structural and geometrical framework of the basin, which formed the basis for subsequent 2D basin modeling. The developed basin models were calibrated and fine-tuned using vitrinite reflectance and corrected temperature data. Modeling results indicate that the Abu Roash “F” source rock maturity ranges from the early oil window at the basin margins to the main oil window in the center. The main phase of hydrocarbon generation occurred during the Eocene after trap formation in the Late Cretaceous. Generated hydrocarbons have migrated both laterally and vertically, most likely from the central part of the basin toward the basin margins, particularly eastward to the structural traps. The model predicts low accumulation rates for the EBSB, which are caused by the ineffective sealing capacity of the overburden rocks and normal faults. In addition to the proven kitchen for the charging of the Abu Roash “E” reservoirs, an additional kitchen area to the northwest of the basin is suggested for the Abu Roash “G” reservoirs. Basin modeling provides a powerful approach to examining subsurface geology, reconstructing the evolution of sedimentary basins through time, and evaluating potential prospects of the associated petroleum systems by integrating fundamental aspects from geology, geophysics, and geochemistry (Poelchau et al. 1997; Hantschel and Kauerauf 2009; Peters et al. 2017). Reliability and validity of basin models require integrating multidisciplinary data and methods to maximize the understanding of the various interrelated controls on petroleum systems (Ungerer et al. 1990; Rudkiewicz et al. 2000; Verweij et al. 2000; Mosca et al. 2017; Khan et al. 2022; Mahdi et al. 2022). Integrated basin modeling studies contribute to constraining the put-forward assumptions, minimizing the potential uncertainties, and reducing exploration risk by investigating different scenarios and hypotheses.