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THE ARABIA – EURASIA COLLISION ZONE IN IRAN: TECTONOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND STRUCTURAL SYNTHESIS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Saeed Madanipour, Mahdi Najafi, Reza Nozaem, Jaume Vergés, Ali Yassaghi, Iraj Heydari, Sedigheh Khodaparast, Zahra Soudmand, Lotfollah Aghajari
The Arabia – Eurasia collision zone in the central part of the Alpine – Himalayan orogenic system has had a complex deformation history since the Palaeozoic. In Iran, the collision zone consists of the Alborz‐Talesh, Kopeh Dagh and Zagros foldbelts and the intervening Central Iran area. In this review paper, we summarize the structural architecture and tectonostratigraphic characteristics of these
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A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL AND ENGINEERING PREDICTORS OF OILFIELD PERFORMANCE RESPONSE: A CASE STUDY OF OILFIELDS ON THE UK CONTINENTAL SHELF J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Ukari Osah, John Howell
Oilfield production is controlled by a wide range of geological and engineering parameters, many of which are at least partially interrelated. This paper uses multivariate statistical methods (principal component analysis, regression analysis and analysis of variance) to determine how these parameters are related, and which of them are most significant in controlling and predicting oilfield performance
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INFLUENCE OF PLEISTOCENE GLACIATION ON PETROLEUM SYSTEMS AND GAS HYDRATE STABILITY IN THE OLGA BASIN REGION, BARENTS SEA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Sebastian Amberg, Ralf Littke, Rüdiger Lutz, Peter Klitzke, Victoria Sachse
This study presents the results of a 2D numerical basin and petroleum systems model of the Olga Basin in the NW Barents Sea offshore northern Norway, a frontier exploration area in which there are abundant seafloor oil and gas seepages. The effects of Pleistocene ice sheet advances on rock properties and subsurface fluid migration in this area, and on seafloor hydrocarbon seepage, are not well understood
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REMOTE SENSING ANALYSIS AND NUMERICAL MODELLING OF SURFACE TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES OVER PETROLEUM ACCUMULATIONS: A CASE STUDY OF THE ALBORZ OILFIELD, CENTRAL IRAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-16 Saeid Asadzadeh, Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho
Petroleum accumulations may coincide with either positive or negative temperature anomalies, which are conventionally detected using in situ temperature measurements made in shallow boreholes 1‐3 m deep. Data gathered in this way, however, can be sparse and costly, and may require intensive fieldwork over a long time period. This article explores the possibility of detecting thermal anomalies associated
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-12-29
In this issue… Vergés et al. (pp 3–74) present a detailed review of the mechanisms and style of folding in the Zagros foldbelt-foreland system in SW Iran, and assess the influence of fold style on regional petroleum systems. The mechanical stratigraphy of the Zagros foldbelt has been investigated since the 1950s, and factors including the presence of a basement-cover detachment provided by the Infracambrian
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STRUCTURAL STYLE AND TIMING OF NW-SE TRENDING ZAGROS FOLDS IN SW IRAN: INTERACTION WITH NORTH-SOUTH TRENDING ARABIAN FOLDS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PETROLEUM GEOLOGY J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Jaume Vergés, Giulio Casini, Jonas Ruh, John Cosgrove, Shahram Sherkati, Mahdi Najafi, Emilio Casciello, Eduard Saura, Iraj Abdollahie Fard, Alireza Piryaei, Dominique Frizon de Lamotte, Jean Letouzey, Hasan Goodarzi, Bahman Soleimany, Salman Jahani
The Zagros foldbelt – foreland system in SW Iran is a prolific hydrocarbon province with known reserves of more than 90 billion brl of oil and 800 TCF of natural gas. Establishing the structural style of folding in the Zagros area presents a major challenge due both to the geographical extent of the foldbelt, which is some 1600 km long in total, and the presence of marked lateral variations in fold
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PALYNOFACIES AND ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY OF LACUSTRINE SOURCE ROCKS: THE POTRERILLOS – CACHEUTA SOURCE ROCK SYSTEM IN THE TRIASSIC CUYO BASIN, WEST-CENTRAL ARGENTINA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Juan A. Pineda, Marcos Comerio, Eduardo G. Ottone, Joaquín Salduondo, Gastón Otegui, Georgina Erra
This study presents an integrated investigation of the Upper Triassic Potrerillos – Cacheuta lacustrine source rock in the Cuyo Basin of western Argentina. Data came from palynofacies analyses, organic petrography, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and mineralogical studies based on X-ray diffraction analyses. An 80 m thick outcrop section was studied and is interpreted to represent the transition from shallow-lacustrine
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THE MODERN OIL INDUSTRY IN IRAN: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND REVIEW J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Mike Ala, Rasoul Sorkhabi
The production of petroleum substances has a long historical tradition in Iran. Glance (1970) reported that the “first man-made oil well was dug” in the ancient city of Susa (present-day Shush), about 40 km northwest of Ahwaz, in 500 BC during the reign of the Achaemenid emperor Darius I. Writing in the fifth century BC, Herodotus described petroleum production near a place called Ardericca, probably
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-09-28
In this issue Strogen et al. (pp 415–439) investigate the occurrence and petrological characteristics of bitumen in Middle – Upper Jurassic sandstones exposed at the surface in the Bjørnedal area of the Traill Ø region of East Greenland. Bitumen staining was mapped over an area of >20 km2 and is limited by a palaeo oil-water contact which cuts across stratigraphic boundaries. The bitumen is present
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PETROGRAPHY OF PYROBITUMENS IN MIDDLE – LATE JURASSIC SANDSTONES FROM THERMALLY DEGRADED HYDROCARBON ACCUMULATIONS, EAST GREENLAND J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-09-28 Dominic P. Strogen, John E. A. Marshall, Andrew G. Whitham, Steven D. Andrews
A number of exhumed hydrocarbon traps have been described from the Traill Ø region of East Greenland. This study focuses on the Bjørnedal area where the distribution of bitumen has been mapped out. Bitumen staining clearly has a cross-cutting relationship to stratigraphic units and can be shown to form distinct palaeo-accumulations. Detailed petrographic studies show that bitumen occurs as late diagenetic
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PRE-, SYN- AND POST-TECTONIC DIAGENETIC EVOLUTION OF A CARBONATE RESERVOIR: A CASE STUDY OF THE LOWER CRETACEOUS FAHLIYAN FORMATION IN THE DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, ZAGROS FOLDBELT, SW IRAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-09-28 Forooz Keyvani, Ihsan S. Al-Aasm, Howri Mansurbeg, Sadoon Morad
Lower Cretaceous carbonates of the Fahliyan Formation form prolific reservoir rocks at oilfields in the Dezful Embayment, central Zagros fold-thrust belt, SW Iran. The carbonates have undergone significant diagenetic alteration in phases which can in general be linked to the pre-, syn- and post-tectonic evolution of the fold-thrust belt. This paper investigates the impact of diagenetic processes on
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JURASSIC PETROLEUM SYSTEMS IN THE LUSITANIAN BASIN, PORTUGAL: NEW INSIGHTS BASED ON OIL – SOURCE ROCK CORRELATIONS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-09-28 Marco Brito, René Rodrigues, Rui Baptista, Luís V. Duarte, Ana C. Azerêdo, Cleveland M. Jones
New stable carbon isotope and biomarker data for oils and source rock extracts from the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal, were studied in order to investigate the petroleum systems which are present there. The new analytical data was combined with data presented in previous publications, and oil-oil and oil- source rock correlations were carried out. Three genetic groups of oils (Groups 1, 2 and 3), belonging
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A SYNTHESIS OF THE GEOLOGY AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF THE IRANIAN PORTION OF THE SOUTH CASPIAN BASIN AND SURROUNDING AREAS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-09-28 Mohammad R. Ghassemi, Mark B. Allen, Hossein Motamedi
The South Caspian Basin, the northern Alborz Mountains, the Gorgan plain and the Moghan plain constitute the northernmost and youngest petroleum system in Iran. This region was part of the Paratethys realm from Oligocene to Pliocene time. The Oligocene – Miocene Maikop/Diatom Total Petroleum System of the South Caspian Basin produces major volumes of hydrocarbons in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03
In this issue… Papers in this thematic issue focus on Zechstein petroleum system elements in the North Sea and adjacent areas. The Zechstein Supergroup was deposited over a period of ~3 Ma between 257 Ma and 254 Ma (Late Permian) following rapid marine inundation of the intracontinental Northern and Southern Permian Basins (Fig. 1).The Supergroup is composed mainly of cyclically-deposited carbonates
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A REGIONAL GEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF THE UPPER PERMIAN ZECHSTEIN SUPERGROUP (Z1 TO Z3) IN THE SW MARGIN OF THE SOUTHERN NORTH SEA AND ONSHORE EASTERN ENGLAND J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Laura-Jane C. Fyfe, John R. Underhill
The Upper Permian Zechstein Supergroup has the potential to play an important role in the UK's future energy production and energy transition. However the Supergroup is comparatively poorly understood in the UK, particularly the link between the onshore and offshore geology. In this paper we re-evaluate available data in order to present a consistent regional interpretation of the Z1 to Z3 Zechstein
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STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK FOR ZECHSTEIN CARBONATES ON THE UTSIRA HIGH, NORWEGIAN NORTH SEA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Lars Stemmerik, Kasper H. Blinkenberg, Ingrid P. Gianotten, Malcolm S.W. Hodgskiss, Aivo Lepland, Päärn Paiste, Israel Polonio, Nicholas M.W. Roberts, Niels Rameil
The preserved Zechstein succession on the Utsira High in the NE part of the Norwegian North Sea is 25-100 m thick and is dominated by shelf carbonates. Internal subdivision of the succession is based on the recognition of key surfaces in petrophysical logs and cores, and suggests that the carbonates mainly consist of ZS2 and ZS3 deposits and that younger ZS4 and ZS5 deposits are only locally preserved
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THE ZECHSTEIN Z2 HAUPTDOLOMIT PLATFORM IN THE SOUTHERN UK MID NORTH SEA HIGH AND ITS ASSOCIATED PETROLEUM PLAYS, POTENTIAL AND PROSPECTIVITY J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Peter Browning-Stamp, Carlo Caldarelli, Graham Heard, James Ryan, James Hendry
The Mid North Sea High (MNSH) region represents one of the least explored areas for the Late Permian Zechstein Hauptdolomit play in the Southern Permian Basin although some of the first offshore wells drilled in the UK were located here. In other parts of the basin such as onshore Poland, the Hauptdolomit Formation (“Hauptdolomit”) is an active and attractive exploration target, with oil and gas production
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ORIGIN OF OIL IN UPPER PERMIAN (ZECHSTEIN) CARBONATE RESERVOIR ROCKS AT THE JARVIS STRUCTURE UNDERLYING THE ETTRICK FIELD, OUTER MORAY FIRTH, UK NORTH SEA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Mirosław Słowakiewicz, Maurice E. Tucker
Oil in the Jarvis structure underlying the main Upper Jurassic reservoir at the Ettrick oilfield (Outer Moray Firth, UK northern North Sea) is present in Upper Permian (Zechstein) carbonates. The origin of this “Jarvis oil” is investigated in this paper using a multidisciplinary approach based on data from well-logs and cores from wells 20/02-2 and 20/02-3. Reservoirs at the Jarvis structure consist
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SEDIMENTOLOGY, PALAEOGEOGRAPHY AND DIAGENESIS OF THE UPPER PERMIAN (Z2) HAUPTDOLOMIT FORMATION ON THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF THE MID NORTH SEA HIGH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESERVOIR PROSPECTIVITY J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Jo Garland, Colin Tiltman, Callum Inglis
This paper provides an updated understanding of the reservoir stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeogeography and diagenesis of the Upper Permian Hauptdolomit Formation of the Zechstein Supergroup (“Hauptdolomit”) in a study area on the southern margin of the Mid North Sea High. The paper is based on the examination and description of core and cuttings data from 25 wells which were integrated with observations
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SEISMIC AND PETROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISATION OF THE ZECHSTEIN HAUPTDOLOMIT PLATFORMS AROUND THE ELBOW SPIT HIGH, DUTCH OFFSHORE J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 S. H. J. Peeters, C.R. Geel, J. Garland, R. Bouroullec
A multidisciplinary approach combining geological mapping based on seismic and well data with petrographic analyses of core and cuttings samples was used to gain a better understanding of the distribution of Upper Permian (Zechstein, Z2) Hauptdolomit platforms and their depositional facies around the Elbow Spit High in the northern Dutch offshore. A detailed understanding of the Hauptdolomit's lateral
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THE UPPER PERMIAN ZECHSTEIN SUPERGROUP OF NE ENGLAND AND THE ADJACENT SOUTHERN NORTH SEA: A REVIEW OF ITS ROLE IN THE UK'S ENERGY TRANSITION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-07-03 Laura-Jane Fyfe, John R. Underhill
As the United Kingdom reduces its CO2 emissions in order to meet its 2050 net zero greenhouse gas targets, there will be a significant evolution of the UK's energy mix. The reliance on hydrocarbons will decrease while there is predicted to be an increase in low carbon energy sources such as renewables and nuclear. In order to decarbonise and achieve the net zero emissions targets while concurrently
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-04-07
Editorial Board We are pleased to welcome to the Editorial Board Dr Miroslaw Slowakiewicz of the University of Warsaw, Poland. Dr Slowakiewicz was awarded a PhD in Earth Science from the University of Mining and Metallurgy in 2005. He then spent several years as an adjunct at the Polish Geological Institute and three years at the University of Bristol, and moved to the University of Warsaw in 2017
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BITUMEN RESOURCES OF THE EAST SIBERIAN BASIN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-04-07 Liu Zuodong, Graham Blackbourn, Wen Zhixing, Wang Hongjun, He Zhengjun, Ma Feng, Liu Xiaobing, Chen Ruiying, Bian Haiguang
The so-called East Siberian “Basin” extends over an ancient continental block, the Siberian Platform, and is made up of a number of smaller-scale basement arches and basins with a variable sedimentary cover of mostly Proterozoic and Palaeozoic ages. The basin hosts the oldest large-scale petroleum systems known. Proterozoic (“Riphean”: 1650-650 Ma) marine source rocks, which were deposited on the passive
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PARAMETERS CONTROLLING THE GEOMETRY OF DETACHMENT AND FAULT-BEND FOLDS: INSIGHTS FROM 3D FINITE-ELEMENT MODELS APPLIED TO THE AHWAZ ANTICLINE IN THE DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, SW IRAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-04-07 Anis Khalifeh-Soltani, Mohammad R. Ghassemi, Seyed Ahmad Alavi, Mehdi Ganjiani
Fault-related folds are present in most tectonic settings and can serve as structural traps for hydrocarbons. These structures have therefore been widely studied by both structural and petroleum geologists using a range of techniques. Approaches include field- and seismic-based methods, and numerical and analogue modelling. Geomechanical models attempt to examine the mechanical and geometric features
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INFLUENCE OF POST-DANIAN SEA-LEVEL CHANGES AND VARIATIONS IN SEDIMENTATION RATE ON OVERPRESSURE BUILD UP IN THE CLAY-RICH OVERBURDEN IN THE DANISH SECTOR OF THE NORTH SEA CENTRAL GRABEN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2023-04-07 Ivanka Orozova-Bekkevold, Erik Skovbjerg Rasmussen, Niels Hemmingsen Schovsbo
Overpressure build up in the clay-rich succession between sea floor and the top of the Chalk Group in the area around wells North Jens-1 and Fasan-1 in the Danish sector of the Central Graben, North Sea was examined by forward modelling. “Overpressure”, i.e. fluid pressure higher than hydrostatic pressure, is expressed here in terms of both the difference between pore pressure and hydrostatic pressure
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-12-22
Editorial Board We are pleased to welcome to the Editorial Board Professor Qingfeng Meng of the China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao. Following B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Beijing, Professor Meng was awarded a D.Phil. in Earth Science from the University of Oxford in 2017. He then spent two years as a Research Associate at the University of Manchester, and was appointed as full professor
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PETROLEUM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF THE EASTERN ARABIAN PLATE: CHEMOMETRICS BASED ON A REVIEW OF THE GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OILS IN JURASSIC – CENOZOIC RESERVOIRS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 Alireza Baniasad, Ralf Littke, Qusay Abeed
This paper presents the results of an integrated geochemical study of oils in Jurassic – Cenozoic reservoirs in the eastern region of the Arabian Plate. The main objective was to analyze the active petroleum systems at a regional scale across the study area which extends from NE Iraq to SE Oman and includes the entire Persian Gulf. The dataset for the study consisted of more than 500 crude oil samples
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APPLICATION OF MUD GAS DATA AND LEAKAGE PHENOMENA TO EVALUATE SEAL INTEGRITY OF POTENTIAL CO2 STORAGE SITES: A STUDY OF CHALK STRUCTURES IN THE DANISH CENTRAL GRABEN, NORTH SEA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 H.I. Petersen, F.W.H. Smit
Depleted chalk oilfields and chalk structures in the Danish Central Graben, North Sea, are potential CO2 storage sites. In most of these fields, the main reservoir is the Upper Cretaceous – Danian Chalk Group and the Eocene – Miocene mudstones of the Horda and Lark Formations constitute the primary seal. In a few fields, the reservoir is composed of the Lower Cretaceous Tuxen and Sola Formations. Here
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RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PLIOCENE RED SERIES, LAM FIELD AND SURROUNDING AREAS, OFFSHORE WESTERN TURKMENISTAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 Aneesa Ijaz Rabbani, Sameer Al-Hajri, Khaula Shahid Hussain, Graham Blackbourn, Chuangchuang Qi, Abhijith Suboyin, Jassim Abubacker Ponnambathayil, Md Motiur Rahman, Mohamed Haroun, Muhammad A. Gibrata, Lamia Rouis, Yanfidra Djanuar
The sedimentology, petrography and reservoir potential of Pliocene sandstones within the Upper Red Series in the offshore LAM field, Western Turkmenistan, have been examined. Depositional settings are interpreted within the framework of the Red Series palaeoenvironments across the entire Turkmen sector of the Apsheron-Prebalkhan uplift zone, including its onshore extension to the east.
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GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CRUDE OILS FROM THE SHARARA-C OIL FIELD, MURZUQ BASIN, SOUTHWESTERN LIBYA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-12-22 Ramadan Musbah M. Saheed, Tatjana Šolević Knudsen, Musbah Abduljalil M. Faraj, Hans Peter Nytoft, Branimir Jovančićević
Crude oil samples from the Sharara-C oil field (Concession NC-115, Murzuq Basin, SW Libya) were analysed by organic geochemical methods in order to infer the geochemical characteristics of their respective source rocks. Aromatic hydrocarbons were analysed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) was used to analyse saturated biomarkers
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30
Oil at Sahmah field in western Oman is generated by basal Silurian “hot” (high gamma) shales in the Sahmah Formation which were deposited following the end-Ordovician Gondwanan glaciation. Production at Sahmah comes from reservoirs in the Lower Permian Gharif Formation, but also from sandstones underlying the “hot” shale source rock. On pp 345-362, Al Ghafri et al. investigate the origin, age and stratigraphic
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THE AGE, ORIGIN AND CONTEXT OF RESERVOIR SANDSTONES UNDERLYING THE LOWERMOST SILURIAN “HOT” SHALES IN THE WEST OF THE SULTANATE OF OMAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30 A.S.M. Al Ghafri, A.P. Heward, G.A. Booth, I.A. Abbasi
The age and origin of reservoir sandstones which underlie the lowermost Silurian “hot” shales of the Sahmah Formation in the west of Oman is controversial. Here we describe one such sandstone which was cored and interpreted based on geological well evidence, and which then had to be re-interpreted when definitive palynological results became available. The findings are enhanced when interpreted along
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QUARTZITIC SANDSTONES IN THE NAMURIAN AND LOWER WESTPHALIAN SUCCESSION OF THE SOUTHERN NORTH SEA: A NEW HIGH-PERMEABILITY CARBONIFEROUS RESERVOIR TYPE J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30 G. A. Blackbourn, J. D. Collinson
Most of the potential sandstone reservoirs within the Namurian and lower Westphalian succession of the Southern North Sea Basin are originally feldspathic sands in which the feldspar has mainly been altered to microporous kaolinite clays. The sandstones provide a moderate porosity (typically 8-15%, depending mainly on grain size), but permeability is severely limited owing to the microporous nature
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SOURCE ROCK POTENTIAL OF THE UPPER TRIASSIC CHANG 7 MEMBER IN THE WESTERN ORDOS BASIN, CHINA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30 Guo Chen, Ning Wang, Shuai Yang, Xiaofeng Li, Pengfei Zhang, Yanqing Su
The Chang 7 member of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is an important source rock in the Ordos Basin, NW China. Previous studies of the unit have in general focused on the relatively deep-water (∼25 m) anoxic, OM-rich lacustrine mudstones which form the main Mesozoic source rock at fields in the south of the basin. However, this paper presents an integrated geochemical investigation of the relatively
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GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSES OF SEEP OILS IN THE SOUTHERN GAFSA BASIN, SW TUNISIA: REASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30 Kamel Dadi, Riadh Ahmadi, Anis Belhaj Mohamed, Chaouki Khalfi, Najwa Mbarki, Jamel Abdennaceur Ouali
The recent discovery of surface oil seeps in the Tamerza area in the west-central Gafsa Basin (southern Tunisia) has prompted a re-evaluation of the hydrocarbon potential of the region. In this paper, we report the results of analyses of seep oils by Rock-Eval pyrolysis (n = 6) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (n = 4). The goals of the study were to assess the composition of the seep oils
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ELECTROFACIES DEFINITION AND ZONATION OF THE LOWER CRETACEOUS BARRA VELHA FORMATION CARBONATE RESERVOIR IN THE PRE-SALT SEQUENCE OF THE SANTOS BASIN, SE BRAZIL J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-09-30 M. Molina Camargo, G. F. Chinelatto, M. Basso, A. C. Vidal
Lower Cretaceous carbonates in the pre-salt succession in the Santos Basin, eastern Brazil, are highly heterogeneous in terms of their reservoir characteristics as a result of depositional and diagenetic factors. Electrofacies have widely been used for reservoir zonation and, when allied with computer-based methods such as neural networks, may help with the study of such complex reservoir rocks and
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-06-23
The paper on pp. 253–282 by Shoaib et al. is a predictive study of the distribution of fractures in the low porosity Paleogene carbonates which serve as reservoir rocks at the Ratana field in the Upper Indus Basin, northern Pakistan. Cumulative production from the field totals about 68 B cu. ft natural gas and 3 MM brl condensate. Ratana is located in the Northern Potwar Deformed Zone in the frontal
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RATANA FIELD, POTWAR FOLD BELT, NORTHERN PAKISTAN: HIGH INTENSITY FRACTURE ZONES RELATED TO MAJOR THRUST FAULTS AS REVEALED BY SEISMIC FRACTURE PREDICTION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-06-23 Khalid Shoaib, Zaheer A. Zafar, Zeeshan Ali Raja, Stuart D. Burley
The Northern Potwar Deformed Zone (NPDZ) of the frontal Himalayas in northern Pakistan hosts many oil and gas fields located in thrust sheets and associated folds. The presence of fractures in Paleogene carbonates at >3 km target depths with very little or no primary porosity is an essential part of reservoir storage and connectivity. Predicting fracture presence, distribution and orientation is therefore
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THE LA LUNA/RÍO NEGRO(.) PETROLEUM SYSTEM AT THE URDANETA WEST FIELD, LAKE MARACAIBO BASIN, NW VENEZUELA: 1D BASIN MODELLING AND SECONDARY OIL MIGRATION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-06-23 M. Escobar, J.G. Díaz, G. Márquez, C. Boentec, R. Tocco
This paper investigates the timing of hydrocarbon generation in the northern part of the Urdaneta West field in the NW of the Lake Maracaibo Basin, NW Venezuela, based on 1D basin modelling at three wells referred to as wells X, Y and Z. Kitchen areas were identified and secondary migration directions were inferred based on analyses of the thermal and burial history of the Upper Cretaceous La Luna
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STRUCTURAL STYLE IN THE SOUTH DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, SW IRAN: COMBINED INFLUENCE OF THE ZAGROS FRONTAL FAULT SYSTEM AND THE DETACHMENT IN THE MIOCENE GACHSARAN FORMATION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-06-23 Islam Tavakolian, Ali Yassaghi, Mahdi Najafi
Structural decoupling in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt, SW Iran, is controlled by the presence of intermediate detachment horizons within the Phanerozoic stratigraphic column such as intervals rich in evaporites. The effectiveness of the detachment horizons varies across the Zagros, and controls the style of folding and therefore the formation of structural traps. In this paper, field mapping, seismic
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GEOCHEMISTRY AND CARBON ISOTOPE CHARACTERISTICS OF ASSOCIATED GASES FROM OILFIELDS IN THE NW GREATER CAUCASUS, RUSSIA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-06-23 N. V. Oblasov, I. V. Goncharov, A. V. Derduga, I. V. Kunitsyna
The NW Greater Caucasus and surrounding areas have a long history of petroleum production dating back to the mid-19th century. However the origin of the oil and gas is still a matter of debate. This paper focusses on a study area to the north of the western Greater Caucasus covering the West and East Kuban Basins and neighbouring structural highs where oil and natural gas occur in reservoir units of
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TECTONOSTRATIGRAPHIC EVOLUTION AND HYDROCARBON PROSPECTIVITY SOUTH OF GWADAR BAY, MAKRAN ACCRETIONARY WEDGE, OFFSHORE SW PAKISTAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24 Conall Cromie, Nicola Scarselli, Jonathan Craig, Moin R. Khan, Abid Hussain
The Makran accretionary wedge developed as a result of subduction of the Arabian Plate beneath the southern margin of Eurasia since the Eocene. Interpretation of 2D seismic profiles calibrated to offshore well data in a study area to the south of Gwadar Bay (SW Pakistan) indicates a major period of accretion from the mid-Miocene, as evidenced by the occurrence of thick growth strata associated with
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DEVELOPMENT OF FIBROUS CALCITE VEINS RELATED TO HYDROCARBON GENERATION AND OVERPRESSURING IN ORGANIC-RICH SHALE SOURCE ROCKS: THE VACA MUERTA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN, ARGENTINA J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24 J. B. Spacapan, M. Comerio, R. Ruiz, E. Rocha
Fibrous calcite bed-parallel veins (BPVs) are a typical feature of the Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous Vaca Muerta Formation in the subsurface of the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). The formation is considered to be the main source rock in the basin as well as an important unconventional play. This study examines the growth of BPVs through an analysis of core from three wells located along a transect
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24
Bromhead et al. (pp. 119–162) present a high resolution sequence stratigraphie model of the CenomanianTuronian (CT) succession on the Arabian Plate. Regional-scale depositional geometries and lateral facies changes are illustrated in a series of well and outcrop correlation panels, and the palaeogeographic evolution of the plate is mapped within the third-order depositional sequences recognized. Within
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SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY, PALAEOGEOGRAPHY AND PETROLEUM PLAYS OF THE CENOMANIAN – TURONIAN SUCCESSION OF THE ARABIAN PLATE: AN UPDATED SYNTHESIS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24 A. D. Bromhead, F.S.P. van Buchem, M.D. Simmons, R.B. Davies
In order to facilitate the search for new play concepts and exploration opportunities, a sequence stratigraphic synthesis of the Cenomanian–Turonian interval of the Arabian Plate has been compiled. The synthesis is based on published datasets which have been analysed within a temporal framework constrained by biostratigraphy and isotope stratigraphy. The high stratigraphic resolution allows the palaeogeography
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COMPOSITION OF LIGHT HYDROCARBONS IN JURASSIC TIGHT OILS IN THE CENTRAL SICHUAN BASIN, CHINA: ORIGIN AND SOURCE ROCK CORRELATION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24 Xiaolin Lu, Meijun Li, Tengqiang Wei, Changjiang Wu, Youjun Tang, Xiaojuan Wang, Haitao Hong, Yuan Liu, Zichao Ran
Crude oil reserves in tight Middle and Lower Jurassic reservoirs are of increasing exploration interest in the central Sichuan Basin, SW China. However, the origin of these “tight oils” is poorly understood. In this study, sixteen samples of light oils/condensates from tight Middle and Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry to
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NEOCOMIAN – BARREMIAN LACUSTRINE SHALES IN THE MAYO OULO-LERE BASIN, NORTH CAMEROON: DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND PETROLEUM POTENTIAL J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2022-03-24 Bachirou Mfayakouo Chavom, François Baudin, Josiane F. Kwéa Nzouedjio, Johann Schnyder, Aicha Maloum, Serge Edouard Angoua Biouélé
The synrift Mayo Oulo-Léré Basin in Northern Cameroon is located in the transition zone between the West and Central African Rift Systems. Structural and stratigraphic elements of the basin resemble those of the Yola Basin in NE Nigeria, an extension of the Upper Benue Trough. The Lower Cretaceous lacustrine shales with source rock potential which occur in nearby rift basins are also present in the
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21
Al-Kindi et al. (pp. 5-28) report on the geochemical characteristics of a recently discovered natural oil seepage at Wadi Bani Khalid in the eastern Oman Mountains. At the seepage site, minor volumes of liquid oil are present in fractured limestones of the Upper Triassic - Lower Jurassic Matbat Formation, part of the Hamrat Duru Group of the allochthonous Hawasina Complex. Together with the Semail
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A NEW OIL SEEPAGE IN THE OMAN MOUNTAINS AND ITS GEOLOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM SYSTEMS CONTEXT J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21 Mohammed Al Kindi, Mohammed Al-Ghammari, Alan Heward, Paul Taylor, George Siavalas
A minor natural oil seepage is described from an unlikely setting in the Oman Mountains. The host rocks are fractured pelagic limestones of the lower member of the Triassic – Lower Jurassic Matbat Formation of the Hamrat Duru Group in the lower part of the allochthonous Hawasina Complex. This paper summarises Oman's established oil families and documents previously recorded oil seepages as context
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STRATIGRAPHIC CORRELATION AND SOURCE ROCK CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BALUTI FORMATION FROM SELECTED WELLS IN THE ZAGROS FOLD BELT, KURDISTAN REGION, NORTHERN IRAQ J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21 Ibrahim M. J. Mohialdeen, Sardar S. Fatah, Rzger A. Abdula, Mohammed H. Hakimi, Wan H. Abdullah, Polla A. Khanaqa, Grenville A. Lunn
The Upper Triassic Baluti Formation has been identified and mapped based on its log response in selected wells from the Zagros foldbelt in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. A preliminary evaluation of the formation's source rock potential was made by Rock-Eval screening analysis in four wells along a NW-SE profile (Atrush-1, Shaikan-5B, Taq Taq-22 and Miran-2) with maturity determined from reflectance
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BIOMARKER GEOCHEMISTRY OF PALEOGENE CRUDE OILS AND SOURCE ROCKS FROM THE RAOYANG SAG, BOHAI BAY BASIN, NE CHINA: AN OIL – SOURCE ROCK CORRELATION STUDY J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21 Shengmin Su, Youlu Jiang
This study presents a systematic geochemical analysis of Paleogene crude oils and source rocks from the Raoyang Sag in the Jizhong sub-basin of the Bohai Bay Basin (NE China). The geochemical characteristics of fifty-three oil samples from wells in four sub-sags were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty core samples of mudstones from Members
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SEVERE BIODEGRADATION OF CRUDE OILS FROM THE QUIRIQUIRE FIELD, EASTERN VENEZUELAN BASIN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21 Liliana López, Jesús A. Romero, Salvador Lo Mónaco
Five crude oil samples from the Quiriquire field (Maturin sub-basin, Eastern Venezuelan Basin) were analysed to evaluate their levels of biodegradation. The oils were obtained from coarse sandstones and conglomerates of the Pliocene Quiriquire Formation at depths <1000 m. Analyses of the samples’ bulk physicochemical parameters indicate variations in API gravity and in the content of saturated hydrocarbons
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GEOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ORDOVICIAN OILS FROM THE TUOPUTAI REGION, NORTHERN TARIM BASIN, NW CHINA: SOURCE ROCK CORRELATION J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-12-21 Bin Cheng, Hua Liu, Xian Wu, Shen Wang, Zepeng Wu
Molecular and stable carbon isotope compositions of 46 Ordovician crude oil samples from wells in the Tuoputai region of the northern Tarim Basin were investigated using GC–MS, MRM GC–MS and IRMS to determine their genetic relationships and to identify possible source rocks. Thirty-three source rock samples from outcrops and cores were also investigated. The oil samples varied from light to heavy crudes
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Issue Information J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-09-29
The paper by Bojesen-Koefoed et al. (pp 437-460) reports the results of geochemical analyses of Cenozoic oil samples, and of Paleocene-Oligocene mudstone and coal samples, from Myanmar. The oil samples were collected from the Central Myanmar Depression and from the Rakhine Coastal Belt to the west. The rock samples came from outcrops in Central Myanmar; none of them showed significant potential for
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PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY OF OILS FROM MYANMAR – A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-09-29 Jørgen A. Bojesen-Koefoed, Michael B. W. Fyhn, H. Peter Nytoft, Lars H. Nielsen, Niels H. Schovsbo, Ioannis Abatzis
Myanmar has a long history of petroleum production, but little information has so far been published pertaining to the detailed composition of the country's oils. The present paper reports the results of the analysis of a total of 28 Cenozoic oil samples collected from producing fields/wells or natural seepages in the onshore Salin and Chindwin Basins of the Central Myanmar Depression and from Ramree
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A NEW REGIONAL PETROLEUM SYSTEMS MODEL FOR CENTRAL ITALY AND THE CENTRAL ADRIATIC SEA SUPPORTED BY BASIN MODELLING AND AN ANALYSIS OF HYDROCARBON OCCURRENCES J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-09-29 Lorenzo Lipparini, Andrea D'Ambrosio, Fabio Trippetta, Sabina Bigi, Jan Federik Derks, Victoire Roblet Bambridge, Teodoro Cassola
The petroleum system in Central Italy and the Adriatic Sea is of great interest for future hydrocarbon exploration. However, major uncertainties remain about key risk elements such as source rock spatial distribution and maturation history, the timing of hydrocarbon migration, and the nature of migration pathways. This paper presents a new regional-scale petroleum systems model based on an integrated
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MATURITY OF POTENTIAL CRETACEOUS SOURCE ROCKS AT THE ISIS FIELD, OFFSHORE EASTERN TUNISIA: INFLUENCE OF HYDROTHERMAL FLUIDS J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-09-29 Hanene Matoussi Kort, Ahmed Abd Elmola, Néjia Laridhi Ouazaa, Dalel Sgheir, Asma Ben Saleh
An increase in source rock thermal maturity is in general linked to burial-related heating according to the regional geothermal gradient, but maturities may also locally be influenced by high-temperature hydrothermal fluids or igneous intrusions. In the present study of the Isis field located in the Gulf of Gabes (offshore Tunisia), we combine an analysis of organic matter maturity indicators and clay
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SOURCE ROCK EVALUATION AND BASIN MODELLING IN THE GORGAN PLAIN, SE SOUTH CASPIAN BASIN, NORTHERN IRAN J. Petrol. Geol. (IF 1.8) Pub Date : 2021-09-29 A. Zeinalzadeh, M. Sharafi, M. Mirshahani, A. Shirzadi
Hydrocarbon exploration in the Gorgan Plain to the SE of the South Caspian Basin (northern Iran) has taken place since the 1960s but no economic resources of petroleum have yet been discovered in this area and few studies of potential source rocks have been carried out. In this study, the generation potential and thermal maturity of potential Cenozoic source rocks are investigated on the basis of Rock-Eval