Sedimentology of the Precambrian Nafun Group in the Subsurface of South Oman and its Relation to Outcrop Geology

I. Gomez Perez¹ and S. Al Farqani¹

Abstract

Recent exploration drilling for unconventional plays (Light Tight Oil) in the Precambrian succession of the South Oman Salt Basin has resulted in the acquisition of over 800m of Nafun Group core from three wells. The Precambrian succession contains some of the key source rock intervals in the hydrocarbon basins of Oman. All the previous knowledge of this succession in south Oman came from work with well logs, cuttings and sidewall samples. Although the lithology of the Nafun sediments was well known, its sedimentology was poorly understood. Sedimentological, petrological and mineralogical studies of the cored units have resulted in a much better understanding of their depositional environments and rock properties, although their correlation with outcrops and wells in central and north Oman remains challenging.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90188 ©GEO-2014, 11th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 March 2014, Manama, Bahrain