Improving Hydrocarbon Prospect Evaluation at Badr El Din-3 and Badr El Din-15 Oil Fields by Integrating 3D Structural Modeling and Petrophysical Analysis for Abu-Gharadig Basin, North of Western Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The BED-3 and BED-15 oil fields are situated in the northwestern portion of the Abu-Gharadig sedimentary basin. The Basin is an E–W trending intracratonic rift basin and ranges in age between the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Significant extension events, followed by subsidence, took place throughout the Middle Jurassic and continued to the Cretaceous. The relative movement of Africa toward Laurasia in the Jurassic changed from eastward to westward between the Early Cretaceous and the Santonian. Therefore, a compressive force due to the change in direction affected the African plate and gave rise to the reversal of basins (such as the Abu-Gharadig sedimentary basin). Inverted anticlines are important structural traps for hydrocarbons that were formed by the compressional forces acting on the Abu-Gharadig sedimentary basin. This study primarily focuses on understanding the BED-3 and BED-15 fileds' structural style, in addition to the subsurface structure that has participated in the petroleum accumulation in the Abu-Roash C Member (Abu-Roash Formation) in the oil fields, in order to maximize oil recovery in these two fields through new wells. The aim of this study was achieved based on information from 30 two-dimensional seismic profiles integrated with well log data from nine boreholes. The Abu-Roash C reservoir represented by two horizons, in addition to minor and major faults, are recognized and marked. Structural trend in the study area ranges from ESE–WNW to NW–SE, and structures consist of folds and faults, forming horsts, grabens, and half-grabens, all of which are favorable for hydrocarbon accumulation. The petrophysical analysis performed on the BED3-8 well shows approximately 87.4% hydrocarbon saturation within the reservoir rock, while the hydrocarbon saturation of the available wells in BED-15 is calculated to vary between 56.1 and 78.8%. Hence, this study suggests that BED-3 and BED-15 oilfields have an excellent chance of producing hydrocarbons.