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Ech Cheid Salt Structure and Its Influence on the Maturity of the Bahloul Fr
Source Rock

Chapter · January 2019

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-01578-7_34

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Mohamed Malek Khenissi BEN SLAMA Mohamed Montassar

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 Ech Cheid Salt Structure and Its Influence
on the Maturity of the Bahloul Fr Source
Rock

Mohamed Malek Khenissi, Mohamed Montassar Ben Slama,

Amina Mabrouk El Asmi, Anis Mohamed Belhadj, and Moncef Saidi

Abstract Keywords

The geological landscape in Northern Tunisia is domi-
nated by its diapiric structures that started its ascending
movements since the late Triassic to Early Cretaceous.
This movement is driven by a mechanism known as
Halokinesis. The main objective of this study is to
establish the relationship between the salt structure setting
and the maturity of the surrounding source rocks
especially the Cenomanian-Turonian Bahloul Fr. In order
to assess the maturity history of the source rock, we
analyzed several black shale samples from around Jebal
Ech cheid by means of Rock Eval pyrolysis and GC/MS.
Our results demonstrate a total organic Carbon (TOC) per-
centage of 1–9% and a Tmax maturity between 424 and
445 °C. In addition, the distributions of the source rock
biomarkers saturated as well as aromatic, change in a
specific trend of increasing maturity from the SW to the
NE of the structure. This change is also proven when
using GC/MS technique to analyze the saturated and
aromatic biomarkers such as Ts/Ts+Tm ratios, 22S/22S
+22r values for C31 homohopanes, and 20S/(20S+20R)
ratios for C29. The results from Rock Eval and GC/MS
analyses demonstrate that the salt structure played a role
in modifying the geothermal gradient of the basin and in
the maturity of the source rock in Bahloul Fr., the
individualization of subsidence and deep-seated faults are
the main reasons behind the maturity contrast between the
studied zones. The organic matter has reached different
stages of thermal maturity with a general increasing
maturity trend (SW to NE).


Halokinesis Salt body Jebel Ech Cheid
Source rock maturity Bahloul Fr
1 Introduction
The geological setting of northern Tunisia is well known by
its diapirism. During the late Triassic and early Cretaceous,
an extension phase induced the development of multiple salt
structures and complex systems in northern Tunisia, these
complex systems contributed to several geochemical modi-
fications on source rocks [1].
Salt bodies can have a major effect on the temperature
distribution in sedimentary basins [2]. This can create ther-
mal anomalies that modify the source rock maturity [3, 4].
The objective of our research is to study thermal anomalies
in Jebel Ech Cheid and, how it has affected the maturity of
the Cenomanian-Turonian source rock of the Bahloul Fr.
2 Methods
The lab analysis was carried by means of (1) Rock Eval
pyrolysis to measure the maturity of the source rock,
(2) Chromatography techniques to analyze biomarkers.
3 Results

3.1 Rock-Eval Results

The source rock samples analyzed were from four main

M. M. Khenissi (&)
M. M. B. Slama
A. Mabrouk El Asmi
Earth Science Department, Faculty of Science of Tunis, Tunis,
Tunisia
e-mail: medmalek.khenissi@etudiant-fst.utm.tn
A. M. Belhadj
M. Saidi
Tunisian Enterprise of Petroleum Activity (ETAP), Tunis, Tunisia
locations around our target structure (Oued El Merir, Jebel
Lakhouet, Oued Siliana, Oued Lahmar) (Fig. 1). These
Bahloul Fr samples have shown differences on the maturity.
Through the pyrolysis analysis, we have obtained Tmax

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 143

S. Banerjee et al. (eds.), Advances in Petroleum Engineering and Petroleum Geochemistry, Advances in Science,
Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01578-7_34
144 M. M. Khenissi et al.

Fig. 1 Summary figure showing the maturity distribution of the studied zone with their Tmax, Veq, and their Ion 231 specters

responses that gave us different values depending on the
samples localization with regard to Ech Cheid structure
(Fig. 1).
The Tmax and Veq (calculated) responses show us a
different stage of maturation around the salt structures with a
specific maturity tendency (Fig. 1).
3.2 GC/MS Results
The distribution of the studied biomarkers showed a
variability in their maturity status and a specific tendency of
the maturity progress, aromatic biomarkers maturity
including 4-MDBT/1-MDBT, 2MN/1MN, MPI1, MPI2 and
Ech Cheid Salt Structure and Its Influence … 145

Fig. 2 Cross plot MPI-1 versus

MPI-2 shows maturity

Fig. 3 Maturity assessment

using the Cross MDR versus
Ts/Tm cross plot

C20/(C20+C28) were the most efficient on assessing the

maturity of the analyzed samples.
Maturity parameters derived from both the chro-
matograms ion m/z 191 and ion m/z 217 such as 20S/(20S
+20R) C27, C20, C21 (Fig. 4) and Tm/Ts (Fig. 3) are good
indicators of the source rock maturity. The cross plot of
MDR versus Ts/Tm and the cross plot of MPI-1 versus
MPI-2 (Fig. 2) show that the maturity differences between
the different studied zones are compatible with the Tmax and
Vitrinite equivalent previously studied.
4 Discussion
Differences of Geochemical values and maturity levels can
be explained by a certain tectonic evolution that was the
main factor of the subsiding zones individualization that
allowed the burial of the organic matter but it was also a
factor of individualization of heights (Haud fond) that might
be caused by the salt movement.
146
Fig. 4 Maturity level based on 0,8
20S/20S+20R versus bb/bb+aa
0,7
0,6
C29 bb / (aa+bb )
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 0,1
In fact, different factors can be involved in the structuration
of the diapirs zone in Tunisia, one of them is the tectonic and
the Triassic extrusion that took place from the Upper Aptian to
the lower Albian. The current study has a shown a general
thermal maturity evolution following a SW to NE direction. In
the NE, the remarkable maturity of the source rock in the zone
of Oued Siliana can be related mainly to the deep-seated faults.
One of the possible explanations of the lack of maturity in the
southern part of Jebel Ech Cheid (Jebel Lakhouet and Oued El
Merir) is that the setting of Ech Cheid structure during the
Aptian played an important role for a high zone to take place
and, therefore, prevented the burial of the organic rich sedi-
ments of the Cenomanian-Turonian series. Therefore, we can
say that this Triassic extrusion prevented the normal thermal
evolution of the source rock in order to reach maturity.
Moreover, the peri-diaperic sediments represent an immature
organic matter, due to the Uplifting of the sedimentary floor by
the Triassic extrusion.
5 Conclusions
Thus, from the Rock-Eval pyrolysis and GC/MS results we
can conclude that the salt structure of Jebel Ech Cheid played a
significant role in the thermal maturity of the surrounding
source rocks. The magnitude and nature of the impact depend
on many factors related to the size of the diaper and also to the
regional geological and geodynamic history.
View publication stats
M. M. Khenissi et al.
Peak Oil Lakhouat
Window
ElMerir
Early Oil Window
and
Supermature oil
Immature Oued Lahmar
Rock
Extract
Oued Siliana
0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7
C29 aa 20S /(20S + 20R)
Our research also confirms that (1) Jebel Ech cheid has a
significant effect on the local distribution of anoxic
depocenter (Cenomanian-Turonian) and (2) the thermal
anomaly surrounding Jebel Ech Cheid salt structure had an
influence on the maturity of the Cenomanian-Turonian
source rock. This influence induced a maturity contrast
between the different analyzed zones. The individualization
of heights in the southern-west of the structure prevented the
burial of source rock and, therefore, their maturity. On the
other hand, the deep-seated faults in the northern-east part of
the structure were the main cause of the geothermal gradient
increase and the source rock maturity.
References
1. Khenissi, M.: The influence of salt structure on the maturation and
thermal history of Bahloul source rock (Jebel Ech.cheid) and
neighboring structures. Master thesis, University Tunis Carthage,
Faculty of Science of Bizerte (2016)
2. Down, N.M.: The effect of Salt diapirson the thermal maturity of
surrounding sediments in the Western Pyrenees, Spain. Thesis,
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2009)
3. Mello, U.T., Karner, G.D., Anderson, R.N.: Role of salt in
restraining the maturation of subsalt source rocks. Mar. Pet. Geol.
12, 697–716 (1995)
4. Jensen, P.K.: Calculations on the thermal conditions around a salt
diapir. Geophys. Prospect. 31 (1983)