Sirte Basin
FACTS * Also known as Sirt Basin. Named after the town in Libya, Sirte. It was the hometown of Gaddafi. LOL * Ranks 15th among the worlds’ petroleum provinces. * Estimated reserves of 43.1 billion barrels of crude oil: 36.7 billion barrels of oil and 37.7 trillion scf of gas (3). * An approximate land area of 230,000 km2. * Its dominate petroleum system is the Sirte-Zelten Total Petroleum System (3). * Primary source rock is the Campanian-Coniacian Sirte-Rachmat shale of upper Cretaceous era. This source rock contains minor amounts of carbonates (Tagrifet limestone). TOC of this sequence ranges from 0.5 to 8% (avg. of 1.5 to 4%). (1) * Other sources include: (1) * The Cenomanian-Turonian Etel Formation (evaporates, shales, and minor carbonates) (Upper Cretaceous). * The Nubian lacustrine to lagoonal shale in the Hameimat trough of the Nubian formation (Lower Cretaceous). TOC is approximately 3%. * Operation of more than 23 “large” oilfields (i.e., reserves > 100 million barrels of crude oil); and 16 “giant” oilfields (>500 million barrels of crude oil).
Figure 1: Net shale isopach map of the Sirte-Rachmat formations (Upper Cretaceous)
HISTORY OF SIRTE BASIN
STRUCTURAL CROSS SECTION
Figure 2: Northwest-southwest offshore regional cross section showing structural, tectonic, and crustal relationships in offshore Sirte Rise to Hellenic Arc.
Figure 3: Generalised Stratigraphic column of the Sirte Basin; with a focus on the south Ajdabiya trough, Maradah graben, and south Zallah trough-Tumayam trough. Hachured boxes represent reservoirs.
SEDIMENTARY AND STRATIGRAPHIC COLUMNS
WELL LOGS
DEEP CRUSTAL SEISMIC IMAGES
NOMENCLATURE scf: standard cubic feet
TOC: total organic carbon
API: American Petroleum Institute
REFERENCES
1. http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/rusk/index.htm figure 3 2. THERMAL MATURATION HISTORY OF THE SIRTE BASIN, LIBYA by Y. D. Gumati, and S. Schamel 3.
Figure 1: Net shale isopach map of the Sirte-Rachmat formations (Upper Cretaceous)
HISTORY OF SIRTE BASIN
STRUCTURAL CROSS SECTION
Figure 2: Northwest-southwest offshore regional cross section showing structural, tectonic, and crustal relationships in offshore Sirte Rise to Hellenic Arc.
Figure 3: Generalised Stratigraphic column of the Sirte Basin; with a focus on the south Ajdabiya trough, Maradah graben, and south Zallah trough-Tumayam trough. Hachured boxes represent reservoirs.
SEDIMENTARY AND STRATIGRAPHIC COLUMNS
WELL LOGS
DEEP CRUSTAL SEISMIC IMAGES
NOMENCLATURE scf: standard cubic feet
TOC: total organic carbon
API: American Petroleum Institute
REFERENCES
1. http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/rusk/index.htm figure 3 2. THERMAL MATURATION HISTORY OF THE SIRTE BASIN, LIBYA by Y. D. Gumati, and S. Schamel 3.
References: 1. http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/rusk/index.htm figure 3 2. THERMAL MATURATION HISTORY OF THE SIRTE BASIN, LIBYA by Y. D. Gumati, and S. Schamel 3. Ahlbrandt T. T., 2001. The Sirte Basin Province of Libya: Sirte-Zelten Total Petroleum System. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2202-F. Figure 1 and 2