Hydrocarbon Exploration in a Tertiary Stratigraphy of the Offshore, Nile Delta Basin, Egypt

Abstract

The offshore Nile Delta remains a sparsely explored area of the Mediterranean, Nile Delta considered as a prospective area for hydrocarbon exploration. It is located at the western side offshore Nile Delta. The available geophysical, geologic and well logging data obtained from exploration and development wells were used to establish static and dynamic models of the area to calculate gas in place prior to production. High resolution 3D seismic data and recent exploration activities proved several plays with complex depositional settings. Tertiary channels systems can be recognized using 3-D seismic and attributes interpretations with tying channel characteristics to well control within a sequence stratigraphic framework to predict the reservoir facies within undrilled exploration areas. The interpretation and mapping of Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene sequences together with the seismic attribute extractions indicate the presence of several upsides potential developed within the area of study. Oligocene channels complex running in a NW-SE direction. The sequence stratigraphic approach has shown very applicable for mapping the Pre-Messinian depositional systems, Nile Delta and present drilling of these features have confirmed the presence of Pre-Messinian channel complexes as indicated in seismic data, and introduces a new play in the study area. Well logging data proved the presence of reservoir, with good porosity and permeability, ranged from clean sandstone to interbedd nature. The depositional environment and tectonic evolutions of offshore Nile Delta Basin allow the presence of hydrocarbon source rocks with adequate maturity. The hydrocarbon migration path which goes laterally up dip toward the prism of Nile Delta basin The shallow gas discoveries in the Pliocene sands and condensate oil in the Oligocene – Miocene and Mesozoic reservoirs indicate the presence of multiple source rocks and a suitable conditions for hydrocarbon accumulations in both biogenic and thermoginic petroleum system. Leakage of natural gas from traps in the Tertiary rocks resulted in gas chimneys related to the deep seated faults in the Nile delta.