Paleozoic Petroleum System of Central Saudi Arabia

Abstract

ABSTRACT An integrated geochemical model was developed to reconstruct the history of expulsion, migration and entrapment of Paleozoic oil and gas in the main regional Permian Unayzah Sandstone Reservoir in Central Saudi Arabia. The model indicates that by the Late Jurassic, approximately 140 million years ago (Ma), the principal Paleozoic source rock, the Lower Silurian Qusaiba “hot” shale, was mature in the deepest hydrocarbon “kitchens”. Hydrocarbon expulsion started during the Aptian and Albian (late Early to early Middle Cretaceous, 100 to 120 Ma). Expulsion of oil and gas is linked to three geochemical events. Primary kerogen cracking led to a first episode of expulsion about 120 Ma. Secondary heavy component and oil cracking resulted in a second episode of expulsion at approximately 100 Ma. Between 20 to 10 Ma, later uplift, and the resulting pressure drop in the source rock, led to a third expulsion phase. The first two expulsion episodes were gradual, whereas the third was more rapid and related to uplift of the Arabian Arch, opening of the Red Sea and the Zagros Orogeny during the Miocene. Expulsion of oil nearly terminated after the Late Cretaceous, while gas continued to be expelled, though at a lower rate, in the Tertiary. Peak gas expulsion occurred post Early Eocene with significant gas generation from secondary cracking of oil retained in the source rock. Gas was sourced either directly from kerogen, or from secondary cracking of heavy absorbed components or non-migrated oils. The expulsion of gas coincides with oil expulsion for the first two episodes because the gas and oil formed as a single phase. As a result of Tertiary Uplift, gas separated from the oil and re-migrated in the final episode (20 to 10 Ma).