Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Arabian-Iranian basin

Conference · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5063676

Masters, C D; Klemme, H D; Coury, A B; Peterson, J A

Undiscovered, conventionally recoverable petroleum resources in the Arabian-Iranian basin are estimated at probability levels of 95%, 5%, and statistical mean. Estimates for oil are 72, 337, and 174 billion bbl; for gas, they are 299, 1, 792, and 849 tcf. Petroleum occurrences can be accounted for in five definitive geologic settings of plays. Undiscovered resource potential is assessed, assuming that new discoveries will expand the occurrence of petroleum in these basic plays. The five plays listed in sequence are: (1) Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary, (2) Lower and middle Cretaceous sandstone, (3) Lower and middle Cretaceous limestone, (4) Jurassic, and (5) Permian. The Permian play is located in the south-central Arabian Gulf region and extends northeast-southwest from southern Iran to the Ar Rub'al Khali in Saudi Arabia. It accounts for more than four-fifths of the mean estimate of undiscovered gas. 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. The Lower and middle Cretaceous sandstone play is centralized in Kuwait at the heat of the Arabian Gulf, with significant potential extending northwest into Iraq. This play accounts for about one-third of the undiscovered oil. The Upper Cretaceous-Tertiary play is located in the Zagros foldbelt of Iran and Iraq, and accounts for about one-fifth of the undiscovered oil.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Reston, VA
• OSTI ID: 5063676
• Report Number(s): CONF-860624-
• Journal Information: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 70:5; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 15 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
IRAN
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
IRAQ
SAUDI ARABIA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
JURASSIC PERIOD
LIMESTONE
PERMIAN PERIOD
RESERVOIR ROCK
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
ASIA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
PALEOZOIC ERA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration