Source rock maturity and hydrocarbon potential of Abu Rudeis-Sidri area, central province, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

The most accumulated oil in the main reservoir intervals in the Abu Rudeis-Sidri area is generated from the Duwi and Thebes source rocks. Therefore, the present study focuses on modeling their maturity and hydrocarbon potential using the available data of five wells by the BasinMod program for petroleum system and basin analysis. The input data include formation ages, erosions and hiatuses, lithologies, formation thicknesses and eroded thicknesses, hydrogen index, oxygen index, production index, total organic carbon, and vitrinite reflectance. These data are modeled, and the results are presented in the form of a variety of models, including burial and thermal maturity, generation, and expulsion models. Duwi and Thebes source rocks began the maturation and generation at different times in different wells. The Duwi source rock started the maturation at 20.1 Ma and the generation at 15.6 Ma, while the Thebes source rock started the maturation at 15.72 Ma and the generation at 15.2 Ma. Moreover, the Duwi reached the top of the peak-late generation oil phase at 13.3 Ma, while the Thebes reached this stage at 1.95 Ma. The high potential for Duwi and Thebes source rocks is promoted by many factors, including high overburden thicknesses, high tectonic subsidence and sedimentation rates, high burial temperatures, shallow depths to maturity, and reaching late mature stage with long mid mature duration. These factors increase the transformation ratio and consequently the expelled oil. The generated and expelled hydrocarbons are mainly oil with small amounts of gas.