Egyptian Red Sea Petroleum Geology and Regional Geophysical Evaluation

AHMED, Y. H., A. A. SHALAAN,* and H. A. ZAKI, Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, New Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

The World Bank-executed Red Sea/Gulf of Aden Regional Hydrocarbon Study Project was organized to synthesize data on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden basins. The primary objectives were to encourage increased hydrocarbon exploration activity within the project area by applying recent exploration techniques basin wide, and to train national geoscientists in exploration techniques. The study was carried out by task forces for each participating country, working in Cairo under the supervision of World Bank technical personnel. In addition, biostratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and lithostratigraphic analyses by Robertson Group and geochemical studies by BEICIP were carried out on well cuttings and core samples.

The study of the Egyptian Red Sea was based on public-domain exploration data, published information, and data released by operating companies. This included reports, sections, and wireline logs from 13 wells, samples from ten wells for biostratigraphic analysis, and samples from eight wells for geochemical analysis. Interpretation was carried out on 4350 line-km of seismic data selected from a grid of 19,000 line-km of data. Four horizons were identified on a regional basis, including the sea floor, top, and near base of middle to upper Miocene evaporites, and approximate acoustic basement. A bathymetric map, three structure contour maps, and three interval isopach maps were prepared using digitized picks from the interpreted seismic. Examples of each of these interpreted results wil be on display.

The results show that the Egyptian Red Sea is similar to the better known, productive Gulf of Suez in many respects, including overall tectonic evolution and structural style, present geothermal gradients, and Miocene to Holocene stratigraphic sequence. Based in part on this similarity, the Egyptian Red Sea appears to contain the necessary elements for an attractive petroleum potential.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91007© 1991 AAPG International Conference, London, England, September 29-October 2, 1991 (2009)