Geochemical characteristics and thermal maturity modelling of Alam El Bueib/Kharita in the Tut Oil Field, Shushan Basin, North Western Desert, Egypt

Hassan, Hadeer Ali; Kharbish, Sherif; Saada, Saada A.; Lotfy, Naira M.

doi:10.21608/fsrt.2024.273633.1120

Geochemical characteristics and thermal maturity modelling of Alam El Bueib/Kharita in the Tut Oil Field, Shushan Basin, North Western Desert, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Suez University, P.O.Box: 43221, Suez, Egypt

² Exploration Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Ahmed El Zommor St. Nasr City, Cairo, 11727, Egypt

10.21608/fsrt.2024.273633.1120

Abstract

The main goal of this study is determining the source rock characteristics and petroleum generative potentiality of the Lower Cretaceous formations in the Tut Oil Field. The present work has employed multiple analytical techniques, including TOC, rock-eval pyrolysis, organic petrography, and palynofacies analysis. The geochemical analyses suggested that the Kharita Formation is immature source rock (with Ro= 0.52) with poor hydrocarbon potentiality to generate gas (type III and IV kerogen). The AEB Formation is ranging from immature to mature source rocks (with Ro= 0.52-0.67) and has poor to very good generating capability for producing gas and mixed oil/gas (III and II/III). Conversely, the organic petrographical analysis indicates that all samples of AEB Formation are of type II, with a high abundance of liptinite. Along with, Three palynofacies associations have been identified by the palynofacies study in the AEB Formation: Palynofacies association-A is dominated by the phytoclasts group, ranging from 54 to 90%, with significant amounts of amorphous organic matter (AOM) (6-38%), Palynofacies association-B reveals a high abundance of phytoclasts (61-98%) compared to palynomorphs and AOM, and Palynofacies association-C displays a dominance of AOM with significant amounts of phytoclasts. Ultimately, basin modelling was utilised to incorporate the results of geochemical tests in order to improve our understanding of the hydrocarbon production process from AEB/Kharita fms. According to this model, AEB Fm reached the early mature stage with a transformation ratio of less than 10% TR and no indications of generation or expulsion, while Kharita Fm are still in the immature stage.

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