Oman

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2008 Seepage Studies

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Hydrocarbon prospectivity of the foreland region, Oman

Client:

Independent oil company

Location:

Oman, United Arab Emirates

Terrain and Climate:

Coastal: Mountainous deserts.

Inland: Desertic.

Area - km²:

Regional;	300 km 2
Detailed;	As appropriate to concessions

Objectives:

Regional;	To map the major thrusted units and their accommodating transfer zones. To identify and map the foreland bulge.
Detailed;	Identification of thrust systems - imbricates, duplexes etc. Identification of upfaulted Natih carbonates in the foreland.

Geology and Prospectivity:

Foreland vergent fold and thrust system. Oman mountains are a massive obducted sheet of ophiolites onto the Arabian platform. Their emplacement is accommodated by transfer zones. The Suneinah foreland high is a flexural response to this mass, and acts as an excellent trap to hydrocarbons which have migrated away from the encroaching nappe - eg. Sajan, Yibal and Fuhud fields.

Data available for integration:

Regional;	Offshore Gravity.
Detailed;	Isochron maps of the Natih - Block 30.

Methods and Products:

Methods:	Regional;	7 interpreted Landsat TM scenes at 1:250,000 scale.
	Detailed;	SPOT Pan of the Hafar concession in stereo at 1:50,000 scale. TM interpretation of far blocks at 1:100,000 scale.
Products:	Regional;	A mosaic of the interpretations at 1:500,000 scale. This was merged with the offshore gravity to integrate with the structures interpreted onshore. Summary structure overlay.
	Detailed;	Interpretations of TM scenes at 1:250,000 scale. SPOT interpretation to overlay the anaglyph produced, 1:50,000 scale. TM interpretation of the Natih block at 1:100,000 scale.

Benefits and Results:

A better understanding of the geometric relationshipbetween the allochthon and the foreland.

Aided management decision in targeting further prospects.

Identified and classified type of thrust systems present.

Integration of satellite interpretation and seismic isochron maps helped to validate the interpretation of the latter.

Innovation:

N/A

Cost:

Regional;	Data acquisition: $15,000
Detailed;	SPOT imagery: additional TM scenes $16,640. Interpretation: $14,000.

Future Developments:

N/A