STRUCTURAL ARCHITECTURE OF TARBOUL BASIN, SOUTHERN GULF OF SUEZ, EGYPT

Abstract

The surface structural architecture basin configuration and petroleum system are important steps in studying and evaluating frontier sedimentary basins. The Tarboul basin (TH) is a typical marginal half garben at the onshore part of the southern Gulf of Suez rift. It is bounded from the west by the NW-SE striking Oligo-Miocene rift boundary fault (RBF) and from the East by the NW-SE striking Gemsa basin major bounding fault. The TH has a tripartite geometry bordered by the RBF, rift onset unconformity and the post rift unconformity. The Pre-rift strata include undifferentiated Nubia sandstones of Paleozoic-Lower Cretaceous age, Raha Formation of Cenomanian age, Wata Formation of Turonian age, Matulla Formation of Coniacian - Santonian age, Duwi Formation of Campanian age, Sudr Formation of Masstrachtian age and Thebes Formation of lower Eocene age. The synrift strata are represented by Lower Miocene Nukhul Formation and Lower-Middle Miocene Rudeis Formation. The Syn-rift packages roll into and stratigraphically thicken toward the RBF. The up dip northeastern part of the TH is characterized by a flexural faulted margin where there is an exposed monoclinal structure. Integrating surface and subsurface mapping of the monocline facilitated the prediction of the upward propagated fault that formed this structure. The TH has a SE plunging NW-SE oriented synclinal structure representing a hanging wall syncline related to the upward propagation of the RBF. The exposed Pre-Miocene rock units at the northwest part of this structure indicate the decrease in the throw of the RBF toward the onshore part of the adjoining Morgan Transfer Zone.