Sequence Stratigraphy

Application to Exploration and Production

Middle Eastern Basins of the Gulf
Summer 2005

Professor Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

kendall@sc.edu
803-777-2410

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Current Reserves for Middle East
Crude Oil(BB) - Natural Gas (TCF)
•Saudi Arabia 263.5 bbls 204.5Tcf
•Iraq 112 bbls 109Tcf
•UAE 97.8bbls 212Tcf
•Kuwait 96.5 bbls 52.7Tcf
•Iran 89.7 bbls 812.3Tcf
•Oman 5.3 bbls 28.4Tcf
•Yemen 4.0 bbls 16.9Tcf
•Qatar 3.7 bbls 300.0Tcf
•Syria 2.5 bbls 8.5Tcf
•Bahrain 0.1 bbls
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
3.9Tcf
Arabian Gulf
AfterChristopher
Al Sharhan G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
From International Petroleum Encyclopedia
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
From International Petroleum Encyclopedia

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Arabian Basin
Traces a polyhistory of plate tectonic & sedimentary fill:
Pre Cambrian to Infra-Cambrian - Continental interior
Silurian and Ordovician clastics – Continental interior
Permian clastics & carbonates – Trailing margin
Upper Jurassic Carbonates – Trailing margin
Lower Cretaceous Carbonates – Trailing margin
Middle Cretaceous – Compression & Zagros Mts initiated
Tertiary Carbonates and Clastics - Compressional margin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Oil Production - Arabian Gulf
Productive hydrocarbon section older to West [Paleozoic]
& younger in East in the Zagros Mts [ Upper Tertiary].
West to East production includes:
Infra-Cambrian Salt
Silurian and Ordovician clastics – Unaizah
Permian clastics & carbonates – Khuff
Upper Jurassic Carbonates - Arab & Tuwaik Mt Group
Lower Cretaceous Carbonates – Shuaiba & Thammama
Middle Cretaceous – Mishrif
Tertiary - Asmari

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Zagros Mountain Chain

After Dennis Tassa

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Structural Provinces - Arabian Gulf

Mesozoic to Tertiary
Foreland Basin
Pre-Cambrian Shield

Nasa Image
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Mosaic of Drifting Rigid Plates

After Dennis Tassa

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Arabian Gulf tracks the Wilson Cycle
 Plate tectonic theory divides earth’s crust into
plates
 Plates diverge apart or rift & a new ocean basin
forms
 Plate motion reverses & convergence causes
collision, & mountain building
 The Wilson Cycle records plate motion opening &
closing of ocean basins in the rock record

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Arabian Gulf

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Evolution of Arabian Gulf
Foreland Basin

Compression &
Foreland Basin

Extensional margin

Extensional margin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Interior Sag
After Kingston et al, 1983
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian plateArabian
stratigraphic
Gulf section with
hydrocarbon production
Geologic Cross-Section - Arabian Gulf

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Gas

Gas

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Restricted
Entrance
To Sea
Structural &
Depositional
Permian Khuff
Barrier over
Saudi Arabia
Hercynian
Oman & UAE
Horst Blocks

Arid Tropics Air System

Wide ShadowChristopher
from G. St. C. Kendall
Adjacent Continents
Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Restricted
Entrance
To Sea
Upper Jurrassic Depositional
Saudi Arabia Barrier over
Kuwait, Iran Hercynian
& UAE Horst Blocks

Tropical Air System !

Wide ShadowChristopher
from G. St. C. Kendall
Adjacent Continents
Arabian Gulf
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
After Dennis Tassa
 Zagros Fold Mountains - Iran

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Nasa Image Arabian Gulf
Zagros Fold Mountains Iran
Nasa Image

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Zagros
Fold
Mountains
Iran

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Nasa Image Arabian Gulf
Zagros Fold Mountains - Iran

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 After Murris
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
After Murris

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
From International Petroleum Encyclopedia

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Arabian Gulf
Factory producing carbonates &
storing products of cyanbacteria
since Permian

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Nasa Image Arabian Gulf
 A big day for a bloom!!

Organics in the Gulf!

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Nasa Image Arabian Gulf
 Basin
Ramp

Open
Shelf Restricted
Shelf

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Sedimentary Section is Source
Collister, James, Robert Ehrlich, Frank Mango, and
Glenn Johnson (2004), Modification of the
petroleum system concept: Origins of alkanes
and isoprenoids in crude oils AAPG Bulletin, v. 88,
no. 5 pp. 587–611
Establish that the source of petroleum was once
dispersed through much of the sedimentary
sections and not necessarily from classic
organic rich source rocks.
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
After Baum, & Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Arabian Basin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Geological Setting of Jurassic Oil

Seal Seal

Reservoir Reservoir

Intrashelf
Basin
Intrashelf
Basin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
The Hanifa Formation Oil Fields

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Hanifa Formation - Berri Field

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
The Hanifa Formation
Sequence Stratigraphic Hierarchy

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
The Hanifa Formation
Stratigraphic Framework

•Each formation was deposited as a complete 3rd order sequence

Seal
Reservoir

Source

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
The Hanifa Formation
Stratigraphic Framework

Drowning
Surface

Drowning
Surface

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Mid Slope - Storm Deposits

Note lack of
Tidal Flat fill

High-stand Surface of Condensation

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Crest of Margin - Storm Deposits

Note Tidal Flat

& Standard
Sequence
Stratigraphic
Surfaces

Maximum Flooding Surface

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Jurassic Stratigraphy & Sea Level

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 The Hanifa Formation
Ideal Parasequence

Used as a guide for identifying & Predicting lithofacies character throughout the basin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 The Hanifa Formation
Regional X-section

TS

Reservoir

SB-2

MFS
Source
TS

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
The Hanifa Formation
Detailed interpretation

SMW

HST

TST

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Hanifa Formation - Conclusion
• Most of reservoir skeletal conglomerate deposited on
relatively high-energy shelf within HST.
• Contemporaneous of organic-rich lime mudstones to south
during late TST & HST with reservoir facies of north.
• Lithofacies shift from shelf to basin is gradual & grades
through 11 lithofacies in response to changes of relative sea
level along gentle ramp profile with intrashelf basin in
south.
• Lithofacies distribution in basin enables prediction of best
reservoir facies to north, & interpolation of intermediate
lithofacies.
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Lekweir Formation
• Most of reservoir grain carbonates deposited over
relatively high-energy shoal and ramp during LST and
sorted by storm events.
• Sourced from Lower and Middle Jurassic.
• Lithofacies shift from shoal/ramp crest to margin of finer
grained carbonate.
• A rise in relative sea level over the gentle ramp profile
caused the carbonates to fine upward and lose reservoir
character; condensed impermeable HST layers formed.
• Lithofacies distribution over shoal has lead to best
reservoir facies upsection in response to shallower water
sorting during LST of the upper cycles.
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Lower Cretaceous - Barremian

Barremian Paleogeography in Gulf

Region (Murris1980)
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Lower Cretaceous

Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous

Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Lower Cretaceous

Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous

Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Lower Cretaceous

Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous

Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Lower Cretaceous

Stratigraphic cross-section of Cretaceous

Eastern Arabia (Alsharhan & Nairn 1986)

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Lekhwair Formation - UAE
Stratigraphic section of Late Jurassic Eastern Saudi Arabia
(Murris 1980) Jubaila small cycles fine up but overall section
coarsens up.

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Type-section of Lekhwair Fm
PDO well Lekhwair N° 7

Note fining upwards cycles

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Zakum Field - UAE

Pittet et al, 2002

Note fining upwards cycles

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Zakum Field - UAE

Pittet et al, 2002

Anticlinal shape of field
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Lekweir Formation
• Most of reservoir grain carbonates deposited over
relatively high-energy shoal and ramp during LST and
sorted by storm events.
• Sourced from Lower and Middle Jurassic.
• Lithofacies shift from shoal/ramp crest to margin of finer
grained carbonate.
• A rise in relative sea level over the gentle ramp profile
caused the carbonates to fine upward and lose reservoir
character; condensed impermeable HST layers formed.
• Lithofacies distribution over shoal has lead to best
reservoir facies upsection in response to shallower water
sorting during LST of the upper cycles.
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
 Arabian Basin
Traces a polyhistory of plate tectonic & sedimentary fill:
Pre Cambrian to Infra-Cambrian - continental interior
Silurian and Ordovician clastics – continental interior
Permian clastics & carbonates – trailing margin
Upper Jurassic Carbonates – trailing margin
Lower Cretaceous Carbonates – trailing margin
Middle Cretaceous – compression and collision starts
Tertiary Carbonates and Clastics- compressional margin

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Oil Production - Arabian Gulf
Productive hydrocarbon section older to West [Paleozoic]
& younger in East in the Zagros Mts [ Upper Tertiary].
West to East production includes:
Infra-Cambrian Salt
Silurian and Ordovician clastics – Unaizah
Permian clastics & carbonates – Khuff
Upper Jurassic Carbonates - Arab & Tuwaik Mt Group
Lower Cretaceous Carbonates – Shuaiba & Thammama
Middle Cretaceous – Mishrif
Tertiary - Asmari

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
 Conclusions

Burn it in transport
or use it for
petrochemicals?

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf
Thank You

Kendall Photo
Christopher G. St. C. Kendall
Arabian Gulf
Lecture Ends!!

 And so to a break!

Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Arabian Gulf