Paper submitted to SPE Mediterranean Offshore Conference held in Alexandria, Egypt, 20 - 22 October 2024.
Abstract
Egypt's west Mediterranean is a truly frontier basin in terms of hydrocarbon exploration, however, continued seismic data acquisition and exploration drilling scheduled for 2024/2025, is driving the region towards becoming an exploration hotspot. Regional 2D seismic data and a 24,000 sq km merged 3D seismic volume have recently been supplemented with two additional broadband 3D seismic volumes. Along with improved imaging, these recent seismic data allow interpreters to focus on stratigraphic elements and have more confidence in structural interpretation compared with 2D limitations.
The larger of the new multiclient 3D seismic surveys is located on the northwest of the offshore Nile Delta cone and west of the Rosetta fault trend, connecting the west to the more mature Nile Delta understanding and also having a direct tie to the Kiwi 1 well. The subsurface imaging is challenging, with complexities such as both dirty and clean evaporites as well as shale intrusions and extrusions being present. These challenges have been addressed using high-end depth imaging workflows. In the final 3D seismic volume, it is possible to extract spectacular channel systems in both Post and Pre-Messinian evaporite sections, using various seismic attributes, providing the interpreters with a better understanding of where high-quality reservoir facies may be located. Primary targets in this area are likely to be Oligo-Miocene clastic reservoirs in combination stratigraphic-structural traps, with secondary targets in the Pliocene shallow section.
In contrast, the second new multiclient 3D seismic survey is located far to the west and almost entirely on the shelf. These surveys are however linked by a large 3D merge volume, which allows the explorationists to have an excellent regional geological context. The new survey is extremely close to the Sidi Barrani 1 well, which was drilled on 2D data, and is thought to have failed due to poor trap definition. This is something the new 3D KPSDM depth seismic volume addresses, allowing explorers to better image and define traps in the area. Targets in this survey are most likely to be Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic reservoirs in structural traps.
Improved regional understanding has been achieved using these seismic data and this work highlights some of the imaging complexities and prospectivity using relevant seismic examples.