THE SUDANESE RED SEA: 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
From the limited analytical data which is available from the study area, it appears that the Mukawar and Hamait Formations, sandy facies of Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic age, have little or no hydrocarbon source potential. However, of the twelve Sudanese Red Sea wells, only one penetrated the Mukawar Formation. and the Hamamit is only known in four wells.On the other hand, the lower to middle Miocene Rudeis. Kareem and Belayim Formations were penetrated in several wells. and may have actually generated black oil in attaining their current levels of thermal maturity. The middle to upper? Miocene Dungunab Formation, which is equivalent to thesouth Gharib Formation of the Gulf of Suez. contains thin. regionallyextensive, intra‐evaporite shales. These are early‐mature in coastal areas but, if developed in the deeper offshore. are likely to be post‐mature and are likely to have generated hydrocarbons. The zeit Formation is of variable thickness. the maxima coniciding with areas of deltaic influence. Although information is limited, it appears that occasional thin shales units may have significam source potential. The areas of more concentrated deltaic sedimentation with in the Zeit Formation are more likely to provide gas‐prone source rocks. The Plio‐pleistocene Abu Shagara Group has no oil source‐potential in the nearshore areas. Potential may improve further offshore. where it is possible that these marine sediments may be richer in organic matter and have been subject to higher heat flow.Hydrocarbon generation in the Sudanese Red Sea had been influenced by many factors in addition to rift‐controlled subsidence. These include the high thermal conductivity of evaporites, tectonic overpressuring and, in deeper waters, significantly higher levels of heat flow. Lower to middle Miocene source rocks are likely to have generated hydrocarbons at the end of Miocene times, whereas younger source rocks could be generating hydrcarbons at the present.The source of gas in the Suakin‐1 gas‐condenstae and Bashayer‐1 dry gas discoveries is probably in the lower part of the Zeit Formation, an organically‐rich deltaic facies. The condensate at Suakin‐1 is likely to have been sourced from the inter‐evaporitic shales of the underlying Dungunab Formation. Black‐oil shows have been recorded at several Sudanese Red Sea wells and a significant gas‐condensate discovery was made at Barrqan‐1 in the northern part of he Saqdi sector. It has been suggested that reserves of condensate may be as high as half a billion barrels. Oil seeps on the Dahlac and Farasan Islands in the Ethiopin and Saudi sectors provide further grounds for an optimistic view that generation of commercial volumes of oil in the Sudanese Red Sea cannot be ruled our

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: