Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences

Middle East Source Rock Equivalents on other Continents

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
D.C Foley
N.E Foreman
Advance Exploration Organization, Conoco Inc., Houston, Texas, USA
Abstract
Middle Eastern source rocks were deposited in interconnected coastal seaways that formed a global system of source rock provinces. For example, in the Turonian- Cenomanian the Zagros Basin's Ahmadi/Khatiyah source rock was deposited in a seaway that extended from the Middle East to the South Atlantic and even to the north polar regions. Source rocks deposited in this seaway have generated significant petroleum in Angola, Gabon, Venezuela, Colombia, Tunisia, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and the West Siberian Basin, among other areas. Upper Jurassic organic-rich beds were deposited in similar global seaways. Upper Jurassic and Middle Cretaceous source rocks such as these have generated more than 50% of the world's discovered petroleum reserves.
Conoco's Advance Exploration Organization focuses its efforts on identifying highly prospective, underexplored areas. Since regional geoscience research is required to support this work, we have created a computer system that facilitates mapping of global seaways for all of the world's major source- rock- rich time periods. Viewing the whole globe for any time in the geologic past allows us to project extensions of highly petroliferous geology, such as that of the ancient Tethyan realm, into underexplored areas. This study details usage of this methodology to identify high- potential new plays in the Tethyan basins of the southern republics of the Soviet Commonwealth, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Keywords
Source Rock
Subjects
Agah, S.A., 1984. Plarat Evaluation of the Middle East Conoco Internal Publication.
Alavi, M., 1980 Tectonostratigraphic Evolution of the Zagrosides of Iran. Geology, V. 8, 144-149.
Barron, I. R., Murphy, C., and Perkins, S. M., 1993. Mid-East Paleogeographic Maps Conoco Internal Report.
Demaison, G., and Moore, G., 1980. Anoxic Environments and Source Bed Genesis. AAPG Bull. 64. 1179-1209.
Jenkins, D., and Agah, S., 1986. Middle East, Iran Study Conoco Internal Special Report.
Moussavi- Harami, R. and Brenner, R. L., 1992. Geohistory Analysis and Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics of Lower Cretaceous (Neocomian) Sandstones, Eastern Kopet Dagh Basin, Northeastern Iran AAPG. 76 No. 8. 1200-1208.
Robertson Group, 1990. Sedimentary Basins in Iran. Robertson Research Special Publication.
Sengor, C. A. M., 1990. Plate Tectonics and Orogenic Research after 25 Years: A Tethyan Perspective. Earth Science Reviews, 27, 1-201.
Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences
Volume 4, 15-16
Spring & Summer 1995, Vol. 4,No. 15-16
Summer 1995
Pages 96-103