A Brief History of the Exploration History of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract

The Gulf of Suez (GOS) is a failed rift located north of the triple junction formed by it and the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. It is one of the oldest known hydrocarbon provinces in the world with reports of natural seeps going back to Pharonic time. In the more modern era, oil was first discovered in 1868 by a French mining company while digging for sulfur. The first “true” exploration well (Gemsa D-1) was drilled by the Egyptian Government in 1886. Commercial oil was developed, later in 1908, by the Anglo Egypt Oil Company and the Egyptian Oil Trust with the establishment of Gemsa Field. By the end of 2015, more than 1545 exploration wells (including outpost and deeper/shallower pool) have been drilled in the GOS rift resulting in 170 fields with reserves of 12.7 bboe.

In their comprehensive overview of GOS oil fields, published by The Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC) in 1996, the exploration history of the basin was divided into six stages. The first phase extended from 1868 to 1921 and focused on the areas with known seeps around Gebel Zeit and Gemsa. Three fields were discovered during this time. The second stage extended from 1922-53 and witnessed the introduction of gravity, magnetics and seismic exploration methods. Also, during this time rotary drilling was first used and five fields were discovered. From 1954-63 the first marine seismic surveys were acquired and eight more fields were brought on line. EGPC was established in 1956 to oversee petroleum operations in Egypt. The fourth stage from 1964-72 was the time when several international oil companies entered in to “participation” agreements with EGPC. Discoveries during this time, which included the giant El Morgan Field, increased the reserve base by more than three billion barrels. Stage five was from 1973-85 was a very active period of exploration with 365 wells drilled with 110 of them finding oil. During this time the EGPC introduced the “Gas Clause” which allowed companies to economically search for natural gas. The second century of GOS exploration began in 1987 and since then the GOS has continued to be a major petroleum exploration venue. Modern exploration techniques continued to unlock the secrets of the rift and added to the discovered reserves. Today the basin is in its mature stage with many fields in decline and supported by enhanced recovery techniques; however, the GOS remains one of the world's important hydrocarbon provinces.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90260 © 2016 AAPG/SEG International Conference & Exhibition, Cancun, Mexico, September 6-9, 2016