Print this pageHydrocarbon Potential of Levantine Basin: A Frontier Basin in Eastern Mediterranean
A detailed seismic reservoir characterization study of two 3D PSTM (Pre-Stack Time Migration) seismic volumes covering a total area of 2,383 km2 is conducted within the Levantine Basin, in Eastern Mediterranean Basin (EMB).
The Levantine Basin has an areal extent of around 50,000 km2 and it is located at the zone of interaction between the Anatolian, African and Arabian plates in the EMB. It forms a curved NNE-SSW trending depression and is considered as a relict of the Mesozoic Neo-Tethys. The basin demonstrates a complex geological history which involves continental rifting, passive margin development, continental collision with subduction, accretion and ophiolite emplacement and post- collision exhumation. The stratigraphic column composites of a thick Mesozoic- Cenozoic succession and is a combination of clastic and carbonate sediments. Insight into the lithofacies distribution and architectural features of different scales seen in the subsurface data suggest that common depositional processes may be involved across a deep-water profile.
A large variability in geometry and size of trapping mechanisms is presented; including stratigraphic and structural traps or a combination of both. Detailed seismo- stratigraphic interpretation has been obtained using 7 regional scale horizons. In addition, based on seismic facies analysis, there are two main architectural elements observed within the entire succession of the study area: (1) basin-floor deposits characterized by constructional processes such as sheet sands (Miocene section) and (2) canyons and channels with several phases of infill (Lower Pliocene section).
A successful methodology based on relative seismic inversion enables to screen a series of potential leads using an integration of seismic and elastic properties attributes. To highlight areas of potential hydrocarbon sands within the study area, acoustic impedance and Vp/Vs ratio are used to discriminate between various lithologies and fluid types. The applied methodology is a very useful screening tool at a regional scale, to predict fluid type and also what part of the basin is most likely to be sand prone. Although there are no exploration wells in the study area, the results of prospectivity review reveal the presence of several plays corresponding to different stratigraphic intervals. In addition to the above, recent discoveries within the Southern part of the Levantine Basin promote the basin as a viable hydrocarbon exploration target.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90100©2009 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition 15-18 November 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil