Platform cover and sedimentary basins of Yemen: Lithological characterization and hydrocarbon prospectivity

Abstract

Based on lithostratigaphic and geological studies, and structural patterns of the platform cover of the southern Arabian Peninsula, three types of depositional sedimentary basins were recognized. (1) Paleozoic Basins: (a) the southern flank of the Rub’ Al-Khali Basin contains Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary successions and is bounded by the Hadramawt Arch (oriented approximately E-W). (b) The San’a Basin, in which deposition started in the Paleozoic and continued up to the Late Jurassic times. (c) The southern Permian-Triassic Socotra Basin is probably linked with the Karoo Rift. (2). Mesozoic sedimentary rift basins initiated along the ancient Najd Fault System (NW-trending) in the Late Jurassic. Subsidence continued up to the Early Cretaceous in the west and in Late Cretaceous/Paleogene? in the east. These basins evolved as sub-parallel features, and their axes rotated from NW in the west, to WNW in the centre and to W-E directions in the east. Five sedimentary rift basins are developed from west to east; Siham-Ad-Dali’, Sab’atayn, Balhaf, Say’un-Masilah and Jiza’-Qamar. (3). Cenozoic sedimentary rift basins developed and formed along major ENE-oriented transform faults, mostly in the offshore area along the northern side of the Gulf of Aden (Aden-Abyan in the west, Hawrah in the centre and the Mukalla-Sayhut in the east) and along a NNWtrending fault system parallel to the main Red Sea trend (Tihamah basin). The rift basins along the Gulf of Aden propagated from east to west in the late Early Oligocene and continued up to the Pleistocene. The Tihamah Basin developed on- and offshore during the Late Oligocene and continued up to the Pleistocene as a result of Red Sea rifting. This study will discuss the hydrocarbon system of all the sedimentary basins in detail. It will review the proven and potential source rocks, reservoirs (and their quality), seals and traps styles.