Geothermal investigations and hydrocarbon potentialities of the Northwestern Desert, Egypt

Abstract EN

269 bottom hole temperature measurements at 124 wells distributed in the Northwestern Desert and the Nile Delta of Egypt were used for obtaining the geothermal gradient values at each well.

Heat flow values over the studied area were found to range between 43-110 Wm2.

There is a regional decrease in geothermal gradient values northward, which was interpreted as due to thinning of the continental crust toward the Mediterranean Sea.

This trend apparently correlates with decrease in crustal thickness from about 33 km at the southern part of the studied area, to 24 km beneath the Mediterranean coast.

These geothermal gradient values were used for constructing the upper and lower limit of the expected hydrocarbon window in the area.

The thickness of the hydrocarbon windows reaches up to 3 km.

Maps representing the depth of these isotherms and the isopach map for the hydrocarbon window were correlated with known sedimentary basins in the Paleozoic.

Fairly good correlation was found especially for thickness of hydrocarbon window values > 2 km with the distribution of these basins.

Geothermal trend analysis reveals the presence of the following main trends: N45º-65ºE (Syrian arc, Pelusium and Siwa-Alexandria), N25ºW (Red Sea and Gulf of Suez) and N80ºE (Tethyan Sea).

These lineaments appear to be caused primarily by basement structures and overlying sediments.

They affect the hydrocarbon oil window of the area.

Parts of the study area which are not explored yet but show thick hydrocarbon window (2.5-3 km) are considered as target areas for future exploration programs.