--> 3-D Forward Stratigraphic Modeling of Mixed Carbonate/Siliciclastic Systems in Frontier Deepwater Basins: The East-Mediterranean Levant Basin Case-Study

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3-D Forward Stratigraphic Modeling of Mixed Carbonate/Siliciclastic Systems in Frontier Deepwater Basins: The East-Mediterranean Levant Basin Case-Study

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean region has proven to be a world-class, frontier deepwater hydrocarbon province with major gas discoveries. More than 60 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas were discovered offshore Israel, Cyprus and Egypt, including the Tamar field (the world's largest deepwater natural gas discovery in 2009). More recently, new plays have been proposed, and un-explored areas, such as the Lebanese offshore, may yield additional discoveries. Add to that, the giant gas province of the Nile Delta, which has witnessed a significant increase up to 42 Tcf of proven gas reserves. The Levant Basin – part of the East-Mediterranean frontier province – is characterized by a lack of data, a complex geodynamic history, and high exploration costs. Recent seismic acquisitions and interpretations place it as ‘natural laboratory’ for improving numerical modeling workflows and techniques. The objective of this contribution is to present a new approach for forward stratigraphic modeling, whereby the sedimentary filling and original organic matter distribution of the basin are simulated. The constructed model (500km × 400 km; horizontal grid resolution = 5km; vertical grid resolution = 50 m) is constrained by paleo-geographic and isopach maps as well as seismic interpretation (facies and sedimentary architecture). It takes into account the tectono-stratigraphic history and the source-to-sink sedimentary basin filling. It covers a time span of 90 Ma, from the Senonian (Coniacian to Maastrichtian ages) to present day and succeeds to simulate the transition from a carbonate platform dominated post-rift phase to a siliciclastic turbiditic depositional system, which is linked to increasing detrital inputs due to major uplifts of the margin and increasing subsidence in the basin since the Cenozoic. In addition, the mixed Miocene marginal carbonates and basinal siliciclastics systems are modeled. Results of stratigraphic simulations shed more lights on facies and organic matter distributions as well as spatial transitions across the basin. This contribution addresses key scientific questions related to the Levant Basin history, and provides a workflow that can be applied on other similar frontier hydrocarbon basins. It is, indeed, a ‘tool’ for further understanding the stratigraphic filling (source to sink), geodynamic and structural evolution, as well as source rocks potentials. Ultimately, it aims at de-risking exploration of similarly challenging basins.