Somalian Gulf of Aden Petroleum Geology and Regional Geophysical Evaluation

BEHI, M., S. MOHAMED, and A. K. ABUKAR, Department of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Minerals and Water Resources, Mogadishu, Somalia

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 on a basinwide basis, 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 Somalian Gulf of Aden was based on public-domain exploration data, published information, and data released by operating companies. These included reports, sections and wireline logs from two offshore wells, more limited data from seven onshore wells, and samples from two offshore wells for biostratigraphic and geochemical analysis. Interpretation was carried out on 4000 line-km of seismic data selected from a grid of 7369 line-km of data. A series of horizons were identified on a regional basis, including the sea floor, approximate top of Mesozoic and intra-Tertiary unconformities. A bathymetric map, and structure-contour and interval isopach maps were prepared using digitized picks from the interpreted seismic. Examples of each of these interpreted results will be o display.

The results show that Upper Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous units, and possibly Oligocene-Miocene units in the offshore, show potential for hydrocarbon generation. Hydrocarbons may have accumulated in largely sub-Oligocene reservoirs in traps related to syn-rift Oligocene and younger or pre-rift structures.

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