Petroleum potential of Western Desert of Egypt
The Western Desert of Egypt, despite many discouragements, has major potential as a petroleum province. Approximately 150 exploratory wells have discovered nine commercial oil and gas fields, with flows of oil or gas recorded from an additional 21 wells. All discoveries have been in marine inner shelf sandstones and carbonates that range from Aptian to Turonian in age. Potential reservoir rocks are known in Paleozoic to Tertiary sedimentary rocks. Mature source rocks have been recognized in the Devonian and in Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous strata. Despite these favorable factors, in-place reserves of only 800 million bbl of oil and condensate, and up to 1185 bcf of natural gas have been found. Almost all exploration has been limited to the drilling of relatively small onshore structures and no giant fields have been found. New investigations utilizing a broad regional tectonic framework provide a means both of recognizing the more prospective provinces of the Western Desert and for understanding the structural evolution in terms of the timing of growth folding and growth faulting. Particular attention should be given to testing the lower part of the Cretaceous and Jurassic. The Paleozoic section also warrants further attention as demonstrated by a review of drilling results and by indications from gravity data. The new investigations indicate a considerable potential within the Western Desert for discovery of small to moderate-size accumulations of oil and gas. More exploration should test these features, which although high-risk leads, may contain giant fields.
- Research Organization:
- Robertson Research International Limited, Llanduduo, Gwynedd, North Wales
- OSTI ID:
- 6426939
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8410143-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 68:9; Conference: 34. annual meeting of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies and Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, Shreveport, LA, USA, 24 Oct 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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