Seismic analysis of the igneous intrusions in the Ash Shaer Area in the Northern Palmyrides, Syria and their impacts on petroleum system

Abstract

The increasing availability of 3D seismic data and well logs from Ash Shaer Area has provided fundamental new insights into the Miocene igneous activity and its impacts on the petroleum system. The well logs, time slices, seismic attributes, and the seismic sections formed effective tools in delineating the igneous intrusions in the study area. Due to distinct geophysical property contrasts with host rocks (e.g., higher Vp, density, and resistivity than host rocks), intrusions were easily delineated on the well logs and then on the seismic data. The detailed analyses of 3D seismic data have provided valuable insights into the (1) interaction between strike-slip faults and igneous intrusion, (2) reservoir compartmentalization, and (3) geological risk in hydrocarbon exploration. Our analysis explained the bad reservoir properties (porosity and permeability) in some parts of the study area, which in turn explained why one of the drilled wells was a dry well. As a result of this study, a map of geological risk in hydrocarbon exploration and a schematic model of the reservoir formation in the Miocene have been generated.