Impact of Cenozoic Structural Deformation on Hydrocarbon Preservation in South Alamein Block (northern Western Desert, Egypt)

Abstract

Oil and gas reservoirs in the northern Western Desert have Mesozoic age and later phases of deformation during the Tertiary affected some areas of the northern Western Desert and may have positive or negative impact on hydrocarbon preservation in these fields. This thesis deals with this issue in one of the hydrocarbon exploration areas in the northern Western Desert. The study is based on detailed subsurface study in the South Alamein area (northern Western Desert) as well as detailed surface study of Gebel Qattamia area (northern Eastern Desert) where Tertiary deformation affected well-exposed Eocene and Oligocene rocks and can be studied in detail. The South Alamein Concession is about 3220 Km2 and is bounded by latitudes 29º 57' 00" N and 30º 30' 00" N and longitudes 28º 45' 00" E and 28º 36' 00" E. It is situated in the central part of the northern Western Desert, east of the Qattara Depression. It is bounded on the north and on the south by the Alamein and Abu Gharadig basins, respectively. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the impact of Cenozoic deformation that affected northern Egypt on hydrocarbon preservation in the northern Western Desert. To achieve this goal, the South Alamein area (northern Western Desert) was selected as a target area to study the structures at the levels of producing horizons of the northern Western Desert. Also, Cenozoic deformation was studied in the exposed Tertiary rocks at Gebel Qattamia in the Cairo-Suez District (northern Eastern Desert). The subsurface study aims to investigate the phases of deformation that affected the rocks of the northern Western Desert through detailed subsurface mapping whereas the surface study is intended to provide enough detail on the nature and characteristics of the Cenozoic structures (mainly faults) at the outcrop scale.