Petroleum Systems of Rub al Khali Basin

TECHNICAL SUMMARY OF
BLOCK 36, SULTANATE OF
OMAN
ALLIED PETROLEUM EXPLORATION Inc.
October 2011
BLOCK 36
The Block is located
in western Oman
along the southeast
margin of the
prolific Rub al Khali
basin of Saudi
Arabia, with an area
of 18,556 sq km (4.6
million acres).
U.A.E
SAUDI
ARABIA
36
OMAN
• Size: 18,556 km.
• Shares 180 km with Saudi
Arabia
• Dunes of Rub al Khali desert
cover the northern area
whereas the southern part is
"rocky desert“.
• Two existing deep
exploration wells have
encountered oil and gas
shows, and established
similar petroleum system
than the northern areas in
Saudi Arabia where most of
the fields were discovered.
Indeed, those two wells
display over 40 meters of
source rock in the basal
Silurian hot shale; and
several, thick stacked
potential reservoir units
spanning from Ordovician to
Permian.
BLOCK 36
Petroleum Systems of
Rub al Khali Basin
Silurian Sahmah
Petroleum System
IRAN
QATAR
Jurassic Tuwaik
Petroleum System
Block 36 shares the same
Paleozoic Petroleum
system of the prolific Rub
al Khali Basin; this in
addition to the classical
play of Oman basins, the
PreCambrian petroleum
system.
Cretaceous Natih
Petroleum System
U.A.E
SAUDI
ARABIA
RUB AL KHALI
PROVINCE
OMAN
36
YEMEN
500 Km
Aramco & Shell exploring
the southern flank of
Rub al Khali Basin
IRAN
QATAR
SHELL BLOCKS
• 16,000 km of 2D seismic
• 7 Exploration wells
• 5 years
U.A.E
SAUDI
ARABIA
OMAN
36
YEMEN
APEX work program:
• 300 km of 2D seismic
• 6 years
500 Km
Silurian organicrich (hot) shale
were the source of
supergiant and
giant fields in
North Africa and
the Middle East.
Around 80% of
Palaeozoic plays
are sourced by the
Silurian (hot) shale,
including the
Permian of Ghawar
field.
3
6
OMAN
Main fields sourced by the
Silurian in the northern flank
of the Rub al Khali (including
the Permian of Ghawar
field).
More recent fields were
found around Ryad in the
last decade.
There is commonly a correlation between zones with high levels of organic
richness and high radioactivity (caused by an increase in Uranium content).
A 150 GR API is the threshold for a favourable source rock.
Source Rocks intervals in Al Hashman – 1 Well
10 m
10 m
Source Rocks intervals in Burknah – 1 Well
0
200
Source: GeoArabia, V. 9, N. 3, 2004
Hercynian
Subcrop Map
showing the
areal extent of
the Silurian
Sahmah Shale
(Brown colour)
Source:
GeoArabia, V. 9, N. 3, 2004
Source: GeoArabia, V. 9, N. 3, 2004
Isopach Map of the basal Silurian
(Sahmah Shale Member)
Isopach Map of the Silurian
(Sahmah) Fm.
4
3
1.
2.
3.
4.
2
Immature
Oil Window
Wet Gas/Condensates
Dry Gas
1
Source: GeoArabia, V. 9, N. 3, 2004
Note:
• Reports from Saudis and other credible sources are stating
that over 1,000 TCF of gas are expected to be discovered in
the Rub al Khali; and several authors (in the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Memoir 74) noted
that 48 to 83 billion bbls of oil and oil equivalents are
predicted to be recoverable from the geographic area, where
the source rock is within the oil window; and 380 to 439
billion bbls of oil and oil equivalent are predicted to be
recoverable from the geographic area, where the source rock
is presently in the gas window.
• A very comprehensive geochemical and basin mod has
concluded that our block is located mostly in the oil window.
Source Rock in Block 36
• Minimum of 20 meters source rock in the two
wells, and probably as high as 41 m in Al
Hashman-1 well and 55 m in Burknah-1 well
• In Algeria, Libya, Saudi Arabia, the average
thickness usually does not exceed 30 meters
• Only 2 meters of hot shales recorded in the
discovery well of Sahmah-1 (Oman
• Most of the block is in oil window; and wet gas is
expected along the Saudi border.
Reservoirs
• The producing fields of Eastern Arabia have a Mesozoic
source and reservoirs,
• The newly discovered fields of Rub al Khali (in central
Arabia) consist of Paleozoic reservoirs with a Silurian
source rock.
• In Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Oman, the Paleozoic
reservoirs are:
• the Permian Khuff and the Upper Carboniferous
Unayzah/Gharif.
• Silurian and Ordovician reservoirs where not too buried,
especially in the flanks of the Basin.
S
Al-Hashman-1
Burknah-1
N
Lower Permian
Very good Seal
Fair- good reservoir, up to
20%
Fair- good reservoir, up to
15%
Late Carboniferous
Fair- good reservoir, up to
18%
Silurian
Fair- good reservoir, up to
15%
Fair- good reservoir, up to 21%
Fair- good reservoir, up to 15%
Seal
Seal
Source Rock
Source Rock
Ordovician
?
30 m+, very good reservoir:
up to 21%
REGIONAL COMPOSITE LINE AA’
N
S
KHARAIB
NEAR KUFF
NEAR U.GHARIF
A
HASSIRAH
A’
ORDOVICIAN “HARISSAH” TIME STRUCTURE MAP C.I= 20 ms TWT
0
35 km
35 KM
NEAR GHARIF (PERMIAN) TWT TRUCTURE MAP C.I=10 ms
KHARAIBS TWT TRUCTURE MAP C.I=10 ms
20km²
CG2-1424
C
50km²
A
60km²
D
97km²
Reserves Simulation for Potential Prospect
Mean OOIP:
1,418 billion bbls
Mean Recoverable:
431 million bbls
CONCLUSION
• Block 36 contains all the key elements that are
present in the prolific Rub al Khali Basin.
• Large discoveries are expected, and should be
oil in most parts of the block and wet gas along
the Saudi border.
• Seismic reprocessing & new acquisition would
allow a better imaging of the deeper horizons
and generate drillable prospects.
Activity Timeline First Phase – Block 36
Data Gathering
Select Lines and Design Seismic Re-processing
Evaluate/Re-interpret Gravimetry and Aeromag
Regional Geochem Study
Develop Stratigraphic Framework
Seismic Re-processing
Seismic Interpretation
Preliminary Structural
Framework and Mapping
Design and Tender New 2D Seismic
New 2D Seismic Acquisition
Process and Interpret New Seismic
Complete Geologic Mapping/Prospect Evaluation
Prospect Ranking/Drilling Decision and Location
Well Design
Tender Drilling and Services, Rig Selection, Long Lead Procurement
Drilling Optional Exploratory Well
0
24
12
Months
36