STRUCTURAL SETTING AND HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF KHARITE-NUQRA-KOMOMBO RIFT BASINS, SOUTH EGYPT: A PROSPECTIVE APPROACH

— The sedimentary basins of Kharite, Nuqra,and Komombo are outlined with the potential geophysicaldata where the southern N-S Egyptian Nile courseseparates Nuqra and Kharit as the East Nile basins. Twocommercial discoveries of Al Barka and West El Barka oilfields have been declared in the West Nile basin ofKomombo. This work presents our insights on thestructural setting and hydrocarbon system of these basinsthrough our integrating results in form of interpretedseismic profiles and structural mapping on the differenthorizons, 1D basin modeling, geochemistry, and geologicmaps based on high-resolution satellite images.Structurally, these rift basins are developed as NWtrending asymmetric fault-bounded half-grabens (obliqueto the Red Sea trend) through the reactivation of a majorPrecambrian Pan African tectonic zone by the Neocomianextensional tectonics. The high potential source rock withup to 7wt. % TOC of kerogen II are proved in theKomombo basin. The seismic and drilling results showNeocomian-Barremian maximum subsidence and thepossible occurrence of similar Neocomian source rocks inthe eastern Nile basins. Additionally, the convenient clasticreservoir rocks occurred in the entire stratigraphicsuccession and seal capacity in the upper interval ofSenonian-Paleocene. Good opportunities for hydrocarbonstructural trapping take place in form of rotated faultblocks by the Early Cretaceous extensional rift and mildlyinverted structures by a long span of Late Cretaceous topost-Early Eocene Syrian Arc compression in South Egypt.These elements were verified by Al Baraka discovery andpresent a promising play concept for hydrocarbonpotential in the Kharit and Nuqra basins. The geochemicaldata indicate different basins exhumation and maturationlevels, as the 0.5% calculated vitrinite reflectance "Ro"values occur at the depths of 1200ft and 2100ft in Nuqraand Komombo basins, respectively