Source rock evaluation and burial history modeling of Cretaceous rocks at the Khalda Concession of Abu Gharadig Basin, Western Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The Khalda Concession is located southeast of the Abu Gharadig Basin in the Western Egyptian Desert. The present study is based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) data of the SPYGLASS-1X and AG-24 wells and analyses of two-dimensional seismic sections. This study evaluates the hydrocarbon potential, quality of organic matter, and thermal maturation history of the Abu Roash F and G members and the Bahariya Formation in the two wells. In addition, two burial history models were constructed using the PetroMod software to determine the status of the studied sequences with respect to oil and gas windows and the timing of hydrocarbon generation, which depend on the modeled %Ro. The structural setting and entrapment styles of the generated hydrocarbons were detected via the interpretation of the two-dimensional seismic lines using the Petrel software platform. The results indicate that the hydrocarbon potentiality of the Bahariya Formation and the Abu Roash F and G members ranges from poor to very good with the total organic carbon reaching 2.5 wt%. The hydrogen index values indicate that the kerogen types are mainly Type II, mixed Type II/III, and Type III. In addition, the maturity parameters (%Ro, Tmax, and the production index) and the burial history models of the studied wells indicate that the Abu Roash F and G members and the Bahariya Formation have reached the mature stage at the studied depths. The seismic interpretation reveals that the entrapment styles of the generated hydrocarbons are primarily structural traps of normal faults, forming horst and graben structures, and anticline folds.