Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of the Arabian-Iranian Basin
The estimates of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources in the Arabian-Iranian basin at probability levels of 95 percent, 5 percent, and statistical mean are for oil (in billions of barrels); 72,337, and 174; and for gas (in trillions of cubic feet): 299, 1792, and 849. The occurrence of petroleum can be accounted for in five definitive geological settings or plays. The five plays listed by geologic age are: (I) Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary, (II) Lower and Middle Cretaceous sandstone, (III) Lower and Middle Cretaceous limestone, (IV) Jurassic, and (V) Permian. The Permian play, located in the south-central Arabian Gulf region and extending northeast-southwest from southern Iran to the Ar Rub'al Khali in Saudi Arabia, accounts for over four-fifths of the mean estimate of undiscovered gas. The remainder of the gas is divided about equally among the other four plays. The Jurassic play, located on the south side of the Arabian Gulf, accounts for slightly less than one-third of the estimated undiscovered oil, which is split equally between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The Lower and Middle Cretaceous limestone play is located in the southern Gulf region and accounts for about one-fifth of the undiscovered oil, most of which is located in Saudi Arabia and the remainder in the United Arab Emirates. The Lower and Middle Cretaceous sandstone play is centralized in Kuwait at the head of the Arabian Gulf with significant potential extending to the northwest in Iraq; the play accounts for about one-third of the undiscovered oil, the great majority of which is estimated to be in Iraq with the remainder divided between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The upper Cretaceous-Tertiary play is located in the Zagros fold belt of Iran and Iraq and accounts for about one-fifth of the undiscovered oil. 5 references, 16 figures, 3 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Alexandria, VA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI01-79IA10002
- OSTI ID:
- 5766036
- Report Number(s):
- USGS-CIRC-881; ON: DE83016934
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ARABIAN SEA
ASIA
BAHRAIN
CENOZOIC ERA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
INDIAN OCEAN
INFORMATION
IRAN
IRAQ
JURASSIC PERIOD
KUWAIT
MESOZOIC ERA
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NUMERICAL DATA
OMAN
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN PERIOD
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
QATAR
RESERVES
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
SAUDI ARABIA
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
TERTIARY PERIOD
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES