Ivan R. Sandrea¹, John R. Underhill¹, Jon D. Turner¹

(1) The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

ABSTRACT: Controls on the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Development and Evolution of the Northern Egypt: Implications for Hydrocarbon Prospectivity in the SE Mediterranean

Integration of regional seismic and well data, field observations and landsat images provides important new insights into the structural and stratigraphic development and evolution of the prospective North Egyptian Margin. It is now apparent that the Neogene burial of reactivated (structurally inverted) normal faults belonging to an earlier (Mesozoic) phase of Tethyan rifting and contraction has led to the development of highly prospective structural trend in offshore waters of the SE Mediterranean. Furthermore, the subsequent burial history during renewed extension and thermal subsidence has led to maturation and migration of hydrocarbons from beneath the Nile Delta and adjacent areas of the passive continental margin. Results of the study not only suggest that the North Egyptian Margin has excellent exploration potential, but so too does adjacent areas including offshore waters immediately west of the Gaza Strip.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado