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7th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition
Manama, Bahrain
March 27-29, 2006
Reservoir
Characteristics of Yabus and Samaa Formations (Tertiary),
Agordeed Belt, Adar Yale Field, Melut Rift Basin, Sudan
1 University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan, phone: +966-3-8060049, [email protected]
2 KFUPM
3 University of Khartoum
The Melut rift-related basin of interior Sudan is regionally linked to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic central and west African rift
system
. The sandstone
reservoir
of Yabus and Samaa Formations, which occur at shallow burial depth, deposited within
fluvial/lacustrine environments. This study included facies
analysis
based on cutting, cores and wire line logs. Thin section
petrography, XRD and SEM
analysis
were also used to investigate the sandstone composition, diagenesis and porosity
evolution. The
reservoir
sandstone heterogeneity shows vertical and lateral variation along and across the basin, reflecting
tectonic, and depositional and post depositional controls within proximal to distal fluvial and lacustrine environments. The
reservoir
facies are dominated by channel and bar made of planner cross-bedded, trough cross-bedded and horizontally
bedded sandstone interbedded with laminated to massive siltstone and mudstone. The sandstone of Yabus Formation
ranges from subarkosic to arkosic arenite, while that in Samaa Formation is mainly arkosic arenite to litharenite. The
sandstone is fine to medium grained, poorly to moderately sorted and sub angular to sub rounded. Quartz and feldspars
dominate the grain framework; rock fragments are rare in Yabus and dominate in Samaa Formation. Heavy minerals
contents generally are low in both formations. Clays and mica predominate as matrix and carbonate and clays are the main
cements. Porosity of sandstone ranges from 3 to 50 % with an average of 19 %. A number of factors have significantly
reduced porosity by combined the affect of kaolinite precipitation, presence of clay matrix, carbonate cement and pore
filling, moderate grain packing and mild compaction. The
reservoir
quality is improved by the development of secondary
porosity through dissolution of feldspars, partial dissolution of carbonate cement and grain -coating hematite.