Abstract
Reservoir pressure data in central and eastern Saudi Arabia reveals the presence of two normally-pressured (NPR 1 and NPR 2) and two overpressured (OPR 1 and OPR 2) regimes. The NPR 1 comprises the sequence from the Saq through the lower Jilh Formations, from outcrops to 15,000 ft below ground. The NPR 2 comprises the sequence from the upper Jilh through the Dammam Formations and extends from outcrops to 14,000 ft. The OPR 1 comprises the sequence from the Saq through the Khuff Formations at depths from 12,000 to 19,000 ft. Overpressures in the OPR1 are a result of reduced porosity and permeability, and gas generation from the Qusaiba shale. The OPR 2 comprises the lower Jilh Formation at depths between 10,000 and 13,000 ft. Compaction and/or hydrocarbon charging from the Qusaiba shale could be the reason for overpressures in the OPR 2. The NPR 1, NPR 2, and OPR 1 are divided into pressure systems by stratigraphic seals, but these are locally breached by unconformities or faults forming local anomalies. Geothermal gradients illustrate shallow and deep thermal regimes (STR and DTR) separated by a high thermal conductivity zone (HTCZ). The STR extends from land surface to 8000 ft, with low and high gradients in the up-dip and down-dip areas, respectively. The DTR extends from 10,000 to 19,000 ft, with no differences in gradients between the up-dip and down-dip areas. The HTGZ lies between 8000 and 10,000 ft, with low gradients.
The full citation and reference to the original article published in AJGS.
The original version of this chapter was revised: The chapter title has been modified. The erratum to this chapter is available at DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-44726-1_10
An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44726-1_10
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abu-Ali MA, Franz UA, Shen J, Monnier F, Mahmoud MD, Chambers TM (1991) Hydrocarbon generation and migration in the Paleozoic sequence of Saudi Arabia. SPE Middle East Oil Show Bahrain paper 21376:345–356
Abu-Ali M, Littke R (2005) Paleozoic petroleum systems of Saudi Arabia: a basin modeling approach. GeoArabia 10(3):131–168
Al-Aswad AA, Al-Bassam AM (1997) Proposed hydrostratigraphical classification and nomenclature: application to the Paleozoic in Saudi Arabia. J Afr Earth Sci 24(4):497–510
Al-Husseini MI (1991) Potential petroleum resources of the Paleozoic rocks of Saudi Arabia. In: Thirteenth world petroleum congress, Buenos Aires. Topic 1, recently discovered and potential petroleum resources, 11 p
Al-Husseini, MI (2000) Origin of the Arabian Plate Structures: Amar Collision and Najd Rift, GeoArabia 5(4):527–542.
Al-Laboun AA (1988) The distribution of carboniferous—Permian siliciclastic rocks in the greater Arabian Basin. Geol Soc Am Bull 100(3):362–373
Alsharhan AS, St C, Kendall C (1986) Precambrian to Jurassic rocks of Arabian gulf and adjacent areas: their facies, depositional setting, and hydrocarbon habitat. AAPG Bull 70(8):977–1002
Alsharhan AS, Nairn AEM (1995) Tertiary of the Arabian gulf: sedimentology and hydrocarbon potential, in Elsevier, 1995. Paleogeogr, Paleoclimatol, Paleoecol 114:369–384
Arouri KR, Van Laer PJ, Prudden MH, Jenden PD, Carrigan WJ, Al-Hajji AA (2010) Controls on hydrocarbon properties in a paleozoic petroleum system in Saudi Arabia: exploration and development implications. AAPG Bull 94(2):163–188
Ayres MG, Bilal M, Jones RW, Slentz LW, Tartir M, Wilson AO (1982) Hydrocarbon habitat in main producing areas, Saudi Arabia. AAPG Bull 66(1):1–9
Bakiewicz W, Milne DM, Noori M (1982) Hydrogeology of the Umm Er Radhuma aquifer, Saudi Arabia, with reference to fossil gradients. Q J Eng Hydrogeol 15:105–126
BRGM (1976) Hydrogeological investigations of the Wasia Aquifer in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, final report and appendices, vol 2, Ministry of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
BRGM. (1977) Al-Hassa development groundwater studies and program, vol 4, Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Riyadh
Caine JS, Evans JP, Forster CB (1996) Fault zone architecture and permeability structure. Geology 24(11):1025–1028
Carney S, Hill S, Franks SG (2002) Petrophysical characterization of lower Paleozoic Reservoirs of Saudi Arabia: an insight into factors controlling reservoir quality (abstract). In: AAPG international convention, Cairo, Egypt, 27–30 October 2002
Chapman DS, Clement MD, Mase CE (1981) Thermal regime of the Escalante Desert, Utah, with an analysis of the new castle geothermal system, J Geophys Res 86(B12):11735–11746
Deming D (1994). Overburden rock, temperature and heat flow. In: Magoon LB, Dow WG (eds) The petroleum system-from source to trap. AAPG memoir 60, Chapter 9, pp. 165–186
Diao N, Li Q, Fanq Z (2004) Heat transfer in ground heat exchangers with groundwater advection. Int J Therm Sci 43:1203–1211
Edgell HS (1996) Aquifers of Saudi Arabia and their geological framework. Arab J Sci Eng, vol 22, Number IC. King Fahd University of petroleum and Minerals, pp. 3–31
Franks SG, Zwingmann H (2010) Origin and timing of the late diagenetic illite in the Permian-carboniferous Unayzah sandstone reservoirs of Saudi Arabia. AAPG Bull 94(8):1133–1159
Freeze RA, Cherry JA (1979) Groundwater. Prentice-Hall Inc, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 604 p
Haq BU, Al-Qahtani AM (2005) Phanerozoic cycles of sea-level change on the Arabian platform. GeoArabia 10(2):127–160
Hitchon B (1984) Geothermal gradients, hydrodynamics and hydrocarbon occurrences, Alberta, Canada. AAPG Bull 68:713–743
ITALCONSULT (1969) Water and agricultural development studies for area IV, Final report, geohydrology. Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Riyadh 80 p
Jenden, P.D., A. A. Al-Hajji, W. J. Carrigan, A. S. Ahmed, and M. A. Abu-Ali, 2004, Petroleum Potential of the Triassic System, Saudi Arabia (Abstract), GEO 2004 Conference, Bahrain
Konert G, Al-Hajri SA, Al Naim A, Afifi AM, Groot K de, Droste HJ (2001) Paleozoic stratigrapgy and hydrocarbon habitat of the Arabian Plate. In: Downy MW, Threet JC, Morgan WA (eds) Petroleum provinces of the twenty-first century. AAPG Memoir 74:483–515
Law BE, Spencer CW (1998) Abnormal pressures in hydrocarbon environments, Chapter 1. In: Law BE, Ulmishek GF, Slavin VI (eds) Abnormal pressures in hydrocarbon environments, AAPG memoir 70
Luheshi MN, Jackson D (1986) Conductive and convective heat transfer in the sedimentary basins. In: Burrows J(ed) Proceedings of the 1st IFP exploration research conference; thermal modeling in sedimentary basins, Caracans, France, pp. 219–234.
Majorowicz JA, Jessop AM (1981) Regional heat flow in the Western Canadian basin. Tectonophysics 41:209–239
Majorowicz JA (1987) The controversy over the significance of the hydrodynamic effect on heat flow in the Prairies basin. In: Beck AE, Garven G, Stegena L (eds) Hydrogeological regimes and their subsurface thermal effects, geophysical monograph 47, vol 2. IUGG, pp. 101–118
MAW (Ministry of Agriculture and Water) (1984) Water Atlas of Saudi Arabia. Water Resources Development, Riyadh 272 p
McGillivray JG, Husseini MI (1992) The Paleozoic petroleum geology of Central Arabia. AAPG Bull 76:1473–1490
Naimi AI (1965) The groundwater of Northeastern Saudi Arabia. In: Fifth arab petroleum congress, Cairo, 24 p
Person M, Garven G (1989) Hydrogeologic constraints on the thermal evolution of the Rhine Graben. In: Beck AE, Garven G, Stegena L (eds) Hydrogeological regimes and their subsurface thermal effects, geophysical monograph 47, vol 2. IUGG, pp. 35–58
Pelissier J, Hedayati AA, Abgrall E, Plique J (1980) Study of hydrodynamic activity in the Mishrif fields offshore Iran. J Pet Technol 32(6):1043–1052
Pollastro RM (2003) Total petroleum systems of the Paleozoic and Jurassic, greater Ghawar uplift and adjoining provinces of Central Saudi Arabia and Northern Arabian-Persian Gulf, U.S. geological survey bulletin 2202-H, 100 p
Powers RW, Ramirez LF, Redmond CD, Elberg EL Jr (1966) Geology of the Arabian Peninsula: sedimentary geology of Saudi Arabia, U.S. geological survey professional paper 560-D, 147 p
Stenger B, Pham T, Al-Afaleg N, Lawrence Paul (2003) Tilted original oil/water contact in the Arab-D reservoir, Ghawar field, Saudi Arabia. GeoArabia 8(1):9–42
Swarbrick RE, Osborne MJ (1998) Mechanisms that generate abnormal pressures: an overview, Chapter 2. In Law BE, Ulmishek GF, Slavin VI (eds) Abnormal pressures in hydrocarbon environments, AAPG memoir 70
Todd DK (1980) Groundwater hydrology. John Wiley and Sons, NewYork 535 p
Walton WC (1970) Groundwater resource evaluation. McGraw-Hill Kogakusha, Tokyo 664 p
Ward RC (1975) Principles of hydrology, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill Book Company (UK), Limited, England 367 p
Wender LE, Bryant JW, Dickens MF, Neville AS, Al-Moqbel AM (1998) Paleozoic (Pre-Khuff) hydrocarbon geology of the Ghawar area, Eastern Saudi Arabia. GeoArabia 3(2):273–302
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Saudi Aramco for permission to publish this paper. Also, thanks go to Sedat Inan and Abdulkadir Afifi from Saudi Aramco for reviewing the paper and making constructive comments. Thanks are also extended to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. Finally, the author appreciates the drafting efforts by Salma Zahrani from Saudi Aramco.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Al Mahmoud, M. (2017). Pressure and Thermal Regimes and Systems in the Sedimentary Sequence of Central and Eastern Saudi Arabia. In: Roure, F., Amin, A., Khomsi, S., Al Garni, M. (eds) Lithosphere Dynamics and Sedimentary Basins of the Arabian Plate and Surrounding Areas. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44726-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44726-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44725-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44726-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)