Tectonic Evolution of Abu Gharadig Basin

W. M. Meshref, A. E. H. Beleity, H. Hammouda, M. Kamel

The Abu Gharadig basin, northwestern desert of Egypt, is considered the most petroliferous basin in the Western Desert as far as hydrocarbon production and potential. The basin is believed to be growing and developing throughout geologic time. Aeromagnetic data and subsurface information, derived from a set of isopach maps from wells including complete sections only, revealed that the Abu Gharadig basin was subjected to different tectonic events that resulted in different tectonic trends. These trends include (1) north-south to north-northwest-south-southeast of Precambrian age, (2) east-west (Y-trends) of Paleozoic to Jurassic age, (3) west-northwest (R-trends) of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, and (4) east-northeast (P-trends) of Late Cretaceous to Eocene age. The p eviously mentioned tectonic trends can be explained by a convergent wrench model that affected northern Egypt.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91032©1988 Mediterranean Basins Conference and Exhibition, Nice, France, 25-28 September 1988.