PETROLEUM SYSTEMS OF IRAQI OIL FLELDS

(Extended Abstract)

Thamer Khazaal Al-Ameri

Prof. of Palynology and Petroleum Geology, University of Baghdad

Oil and gas fields in Iraq are distributed in geographic locations with giant oil
fields toward the east and giant gas field toward the west of Iraq, except Diala
region that have separated gas and oil fields in the north east. Farther more, their
reservoirs are scattered in stratigraphic successions. On the basis of Crude oil
analysis mainly by GC, GC/MS, source rock assessments mainly by pyrolysis
analysis and palynofacie, structural cross and seismic sections, as well as
petrophysical properties and PetroMod software basin modeling; Iraqi oil
accumulations could be grouped into varieties of total or formational petroleum
systems. These petroleum systems could be used for hydrocarbon exploration
and for mineral genesis through systematic studies and analysis in the proposed
.oil field
:I -Total Petroleum Systems
It is bounded by lowest and highest regional seal that encompass many
stratigraphically successive reservoirs that are grouped into families according
their geographic locations, stratigraphic successions and oil-source affinity of
-:the followings
Oil field of the Mesopotamian Foredeep Basin are of mainly Cretaceous -1
Petroleum systems of their pays in the Mishrif, Khasib, Tannuma, Saadi,
Ahmedi, Maudud, Nahr Umr, Shuiba, Ratawi, Yamama, Tayarat and Zubair
Formations as well as heavy oil in the Miocene Ghar Formation while their main
source rocks is the Sulaiy Formation with some Upper Jurassic sources (Al-

1
Ameri et al. 2013). Structural framework of mainly folding could form the main
.traps in these regions

Oil Fields of the Zagros Fold Belt are of mainly Tertiary Petroleum systems -2
such as oil and gas fields from pays of the Middle Miocene Jeribe Euphrates
Formation in Diala region (Al-Ameri et al. 2011a), Kirkule Group of the
Oligocene in Kirkuk Region and North Iraq (Al-Amri and Zumberge 2012) as
well as Tertiary and Cretaceous pays are from the wells of Eastern Mesan oil
fields (Al-Musawi 2010). These oils are of two families, the first is sourced
mainly from Middle Jurassic Sargelu Formation and the second is sourced from
mixed Sargelu and Lower Cretaceous Chia Gara Formation. Hydrocarbon seeps
could occur in the Zagros as gas in the site of Kirkuk and oil in the sites of
Zakho, Rowandoz and Naft Khaha. Structural framework of folding and faulting
.could form the main traps in these regions
Gas fields of the Widian Basin-Interior Platform in the west of Iraq are of -3
mainly Lower Paleozoic Petroleum Systems (Al-Ameri 2010) such as gas pays
in the Silurian Akkas and Khabour Formations while their main source could be
the Ordovician Khabour Formation as well as the oil shale of the Lower Silurian
Akkas Formation. Structural framework of folding and faulting as well as
.stratigraphic facies changes could form the main traps in these regions
Trapping of oil in the Euphrates sub zone of mainly along Abo Jir Fault -4
that extends from Therthar Lake through Euphrates River from Haditha down to
Nasiriyal cities (Al-Ameri and Al-Khafaji 2013). Sources of their oil and seeps
are mainly migrated from the Zagros and Mesopofamian Basin of mainly
Jurassic Sargelu and Chia Gara Formation and accumulated in mainly fault
structural traps as well as fold structural of the Cretaceous Ratawi, Shuaiba,
.Khasin and Hartha Formations
:II- Formation Petroleum System

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This could include naming of petroleum system of pod of reservoir oil in
individual formation and could be divided into these two groups
Intra formational: This type includes hydrocarbon generation, migration -1
and accumulation in the same formation that contain source, carrier, reservoir
-:and seal beds, such as
Clastic Zubair Formation in Basrah region to constitute layers of sand -
reservoirs and shale source rocks while seal could be the shale itself forming
.mainly facies stratigraphic traps (Al-Ameri et al. 2011b)
Carbonate Middle Triassic Kurrachine Formation of Mosul Region (Al-Ameri -
et al. 2009b) to constitute layers of fractured limestone of channel porosity and
fossiliferous limestone of intergranular porosity as reservoirs and foraminifera
wackstone and bituminous fine grained limestone as source rocks while
.anhydrite and dolomite mudstone as seal to form mainly facies traps too
Partial formational: Other cases of formation petroleum system is the -2
naming after the reservoir oil of a formation with affinity to a source rock of one
or many formations other than the named formation for such petroleum system.
Example is the Mishrif oil petroleum system described by Al-Ameri et al.
(2009a). The oil in this case was accumulated in the porous and permeable
carbonate bed of the Upper Cretaceous Mishrif Formation and sealed by the
marl and shale interlayers of the same formation while their source affinity
.ismainly the Upper Jurassic- Lower Cretaceous Sulaiy Formation
III- Petroleum system for mineral genesis
It is used to describe petroleum generation and maturation that could help in the
genetic identification of minerals. Case study in Iraq for such phenomena is
sulfur development from anhydrites and gypsum in the Mishraq Sulfur Mine
(Al-Ameri and Al-Jubouri 1992) in Mosul Region by the evolving non aerobic
bacterial species Desulfovibrio africano & D. vulgaris as well as
Saccharomyces and Escherinchia on the kerogen during diagenetic stage of the

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hydrocarbon generation in the Lower Fars Formation, they metabolize on the
Gypsum to form sulfur crystals and crystalline limestone with thermal energy
.increasing

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Text figure: Oil and gas field locations in the basins of northeaster Arabian
plate in Iraq.