Greater Burgan of Kuwait: world's second largest oil field

Conference · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · AAPG Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5798208

Youash, Y Y

Greater Burgan (Main burgan, Magwa, and Ahmadi) field is located in the Arabian Platform geologic province and the stable shelf tectonic environment of the Mesopotamian geosyncline, a sedimentary basin extending from the Arabian shield on the west to the complexly folded and faulted Zagros Mountains on the east. The structural development in Cretaceous time represents a major anticlinorium bounded by a basin to the west and a synclinorium to the east. Greater Burgan is located within this anticlinorium. The field consists of three dome structures 25 km wide and 65 km long with gentle dips of only few degrees. Faults have little throw and did not contribute to the trapping mechanism. The structural deformation may have been caused by halokinetic movements and most likely by basement block faulting that may have started in the Paleozoic. Greater Burgan was discovered in 1938. All production during the last 40 years has been by its natural pressure. Although natural gas injection has been carried out for some time, no waterflooding has been initiated yet. Recoverable reserves of the field are 87 billion bbl of oil. During the last 5 years giant reserves have been added in this field from the deeper strata of Jurassic age. Several deep wells have been drilled to the Permian for the purpose of discovering gas. So far, no Permian gas has been found in Kuwait. The Permian is 25,000 ft deep, and it is unlikely gas will be found there in the future. However, the potential of the Jurassic reservoirs will be a major target in the future. Also, there is a great possibility of discovering oil in stratigraphic traps, as several producing strata in the nearby fields pinch out on the flanks of this giant structure. Enhanced oil recovery should add significant reserves in the future.

• OSTI ID: 5798208
• Report Number(s): CONF-890404-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 73:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ANTICLINES
ASIA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS INJECTION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
JURASSIC PERIOD
KUWAIT
MESOZOIC ERA
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
OIL FIELDS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN PERIOD
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
TECTONICS
WATERFLOODING