Source rock evaluation and burial history modeling of the Middle Jurassic Khatatba Formation in the West Kanayes Concession of Matruh Basin, North Western Desert, Egypt.

Attiya, Ahmed S.; Kassab, Mohamed A.; Salem, Tamer M.; Abbas, Ali E.

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2022.132957.5874

Source rock evaluation and burial history modeling of the Middle Jurassic Khatatba Formation in the West Kanayes Concession of Matruh Basin, North Western Desert, Egypt.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Khalda Petroleum Company,Cairo,Egypt

² Exploration Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute

³ Khalda Petroleum Company, Cairo,Egypt

⁴ Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering-Suez University.

10.21608/ejchem.2022.132957.5874

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the hydrocarbon potential of the main source rock in the study area in Matruh Basin, Western Desert, Egypt. The geochemical analyses assist in the identification of the potential source intervals within the studied rock units. The Geochemical method used encompasses Petro-mode 1D software which is used for the construction and prediction of geological and geochemical models. A total of 26 cutting samples from the exploratory well were selected to be analyzed by Rock-Eval pyrolysis. There are two source rocks in Khatatba Formation (Zahra and Safa members ). The geochemical results showed that Zahra and Safa source rocks in Matruh Basin vary from Excellent to poor organic carbon richness with kerogen types III and III/II. Also, these source rocks have kerogens that are thermally mature and mostly within the oil generation zone. In addition, the burial history models indicate that the Middle Jurassic Zahra and Upper Safa source rocks started the oil generation at the Early Cretaceous, with difference in the timing of oil window, whereas it recorded at 103 Ma at depth 6158 ft. and 108.23 Ma at 5865 ft. respectively. The Zahra source rock still in oil generation until today, there is no gas generation yet. While Upper Safa are still in oil generating until the first onset of gas generation during the Late Cretaceous at 77.53 Ma at depth 11686 ft., and then continue in gas generation with a minor appearance until today, with a transformation ratio of kerogen reached to 93% and 96% respectively.

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