Home / Vol. 22 No. 1 (2016)

Geochemical Evaluation of Thermal Maturity and Depositional Palaeoenvironment of Seven Cretaceous Formations from the East Sirt Basin, Libya

S. Aboglila, K. Grice, K. Trinajstic, D. Dawson, K. Williford

Libya

DOI: 10.68482/prj.2016.22.008 · Published Dec 2016 · Section: Exploration · Pages: 107–118

Abstract

The Sirt Basin is Libya’s most important petroleum province and the world’s 13th largest petroleum-producing region. Several potential source rocks have been recognised within a complex geological setting, ranging in age from Precambrian to Eocene. Biomarker ratios, together with stable carbon (δ13C) and hydrogen (δD) isotopic compositions of individual hydrocarbons in source rock extracts (n = 21) from the East Sirte Basin were used to establish their thermal maturity and palaeoenvironmental conditions of deposition. Rock Eval pyrolysis data (OI range: 3 - 309 mg CO2/g TOC and HI range: 115 – 702 mg/hydrocarbon/ g TOC) obtained from source rocks of the Cretaceous Sirte, Tagrifet, Rakb, Rachmat, Bahi and Nubian formations show that the organic matter (OM) is mainly dominated by Type II/III kerogen. Vitrinite reflectance data (% Ro range: 0.46 – 1.38) support variations in thermal maturity and indicate mature to post mature rocks in the Sirte and Rachmat Formations and early to mid stage maturities for the other formations. The Sirte Formation in the study area was found to be relatively more thermally mature than the Tagrifet, Rakb, Rachmat, Bahi, and Nubian Formations, reflected by δD of pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph) (less depleted in D). A contribution of terrigenous organic matter to all formations except the Sirte Formation is evident from δD of the higher-molecular-weight n-alkanes. Anoxic and suboxic of the source rock deposition was identified via the pristane to phytane (Ph/Ph range 0.65 – 1.25) and dibenzothiophene to phenanthrene (DBT/P range 0.04 – 0.47) values.

Keywords

Sirt Basin, Source rocks, Biomarker, Pyrolysis, Kerogen, Stable isotopes

Download PDF

Petroleum Research Journal
Print ISSN {{ t.issnP }}
Online ISSN {{ t.issnO }}
⌘K
{{ t.searchHdr }} {{ t.clear }}
{{ t.noMatch }}
{{ r.sec }} · pp. {{ r.pages }}
{{ r.title }}
{{ r.authors }}
{{ t.makeSub }}

{{ t.journalName }}

{{ t.heroDesc }}

{{ t.makeSub }}
{{ mIssues }}
{{ t.heroIssues }}
{{ heroLatestCount }}
{{ t.heroLatestArts }}
{{ heroLatestDate }}
{{ t.heroLatest }}
{{ t.newBadge }}
{{ t.heroCurrent }}
{{ latestIssueLbl }}
{{ t.indexedIn }}
{{ ix.name }}{{ ix.text }} {{ t.plagScreen }} iThenticate

{{ t.latestArticles }}

{{ t.fromVol }}
{{ a.sec }}
{{ a.title }}
{{ au.name }}iD{{ au.comma }}
PDF DOI {{ a.doi }} {{ a.views }} {{ a.dl }} {{ t.pp }} {{ a.pages }}

{{ t.atGlance }}

{{ gl.value }}
{{ gl.label }}
{{ t.latestIssue }} {{ latestIssueLbl }}

{{ t.quickLinks }}

{{ ql.label }} {{ qlChev }}

{{ t.tplTitle }}

{{ t.tplSub }}
{{ t.navHome }} / {{ t.archives }} / {{ curIssue.vol }}

{{ curIssue.vol }}

{{ t.published }} {{ curIssue.dateLbl }} · {{ curIssue.count }} {{ t.articlesWord }}

{{ t.issueDesc }}

{{ issueViews }} {{ issueDownloads }}

{{ g.name }}

{{ a.title }}
{{ au.name }}iD{{ au.comma }}
PDF DOI{{ a.doi }} {{ a.views }} {{ a.dl }} {{ t.pp }} {{ a.pages }}
{{ art.sec }}

{{ art.title }}

{{ au.name }}iD{{ au.comma }}
{{ af }}
DOI{{ art.doi }} {{ t.published }} {{ artDate }} {{ t.sectionLbl }} {{ art.sec }} {{ t.pagesLbl }} {{ art.pages }}

{{ t.abstract }}

{{ artAbs }}

{{ t.keywords }}

{{ k }}

{{ t.howCite }}

{{ citeText }}

{{ t.moreCite }} {{ citeChevron }}
{{ cs.name }}
{{ t.dlCiteLbl }} Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX

{{ t.publishedIn }}

{{ artIssueTitle }}
{{ t.sectionLbl }} {{ art.sec }}
{{ t.pagesLbl }} {{ art.pages }}
{{ t.share }}

{{ t.license }}

{{ t.licenseBody }}

{{ t.archives }}

{{ y.year }}

{{ y.countLbl }}

{{ y.stTitle }}

{{ y.stP1 }}

{{ y.stP2 }}

{{ y.stP3 }}

{{ y.stP4 }}

{{ y.stSign }}
 {{ y.stToggleLbl }}
{{ i.noLbl }}
{{ i.vol }}
{{ i.dateLbl }} {{ i.count }} {{ t.articlesWord }}
{{ t.phTitle }}
{{ t.phBody }}

{{ docTitle }}

{{ b.text }}

{{ b.text }}

{{ b.text }}

{{ b.text }}

{{ b.text }}
  • {{ it }}
{{ tblH1 }}
{{ tblH2 }}
{{ r.d }}
{{ r.x }}
{{ t.navHome }} / {{ t.announcements }}

{{ t.announcements }}

No announcements yet.
{{ n.mon }}
{{ n.day }}
{{ n.cat }}
{{ n.title }}
{{ n.sub }}
{{ t.readMore }}
{{ ann.cat }}

{{ ann.title }}

{{ t.posted }} {{ ann.date }} {{ t.edOffice }}

{{ ann.p1 }}

{{ ann.p2 }}

{{ ann.pdfName }}
{{ t.navHome }} / {{ t.authorsBc }} / {{ authorName }}
{{ authorInitials }}

{{ authorName }}

{{ authorAff }}
{{ authorCount }} {{ t.pubsIn }}

{{ t.publishedInThis }}

{{ a.sec }} · {{ a.issueTitle }}
{{ a.title }}
{{ a.authors }}
PDF DOI{{ a.doi }} {{ a.views }} {{ a.dl }} {{ t.pp }} {{ a.pages }}

{{ t.atGlance }}

{{ gl.value }}
{{ gl.label }}
{{ t.latestIssue }} {{ latestIssueLbl }}

{{ t.tplTitle }}

{{ t.tplSub }}

{{ t.editorialTeam }}

{{ m.name }}
{{ m.role }}
{{ m.spec }}
{{ m.aff }}

{{ t.advisoryHdr }}

{{ av.name }}
{{ av.roleLbl }}
{{ av.inst }}
{{ av.country }}
{{ t.viewCv }}

{{ t.signIn }}

{{ t.loginSub }}

{{ authErr }}
{{ authMsg }}
 {{ t.signIn }}
{{ t.newTo }} {{ t.register }}
{{ t.navHome }} / {{ t.searchBc }}

{{ t.searchResults }}

{{ fullCount }} {{ t.resultsFor }} “{{ searchQuery }}”
{{ t.noArticles }}
{{ t.tryDifferent }}
{{ a.sec }} · {{ a.issueTitle }}
{{ a.title }}
{{ au.name }}iD{{ au.comma }}
PDF DOI{{ a.doi }} {{ a.views }} {{ a.dl }} {{ t.pp }} {{ a.pages }}
✓

{{ t.checkEmail }}

{{ t.checkEmailBody }}

{{ t.resetTitle }}

{{ t.resetBody }}

{{ authErr }}

{{ t.newPwTitle }}

{{ t.newPwBody }}

{{ authErr }}
✓

{{ t.regDoneTitle }}

{{ t.regDoneBody }}

{{ t.makeSub }}

{{ t.register }}

{{ t.regSub }}

iD
{{ t.authorRole }}
{{ t.authorRoleDesc }}
{{ t.revRoles }} {{ t.revNote }} {{ t.email }}.
{{ authErr }}
{{ t.haveAccount }} {{ t.signIn }}
{{ t.footCtaT }}
{{ t.footCtaS }}
{{ t.authorGuidelines }} {{ t.makeSub }}
Petroleum Research Journal
{{ t.footDesc }}
Print ISSN {{ t.issnP }} Online ISSN {{ t.issnO }}
{{ t.footJournal }}
{{ t.currentIssue }} {{ t.archives }} {{ t.aboutJournal }} {{ t.editorialTeam }} {{ t.announcements }}
{{ t.footAuthors }}
{{ dm.label }}
{{ t.contact }}
{{ t.address }}
{{ t.phone }}
{{ t.copyright }} CC BY 4.0 {{ t.footLicense }}
{{ pdfViewTitle }}
{{ cvM.init }}
{{ cvM.name }}
{{ cvM.role }} · {{ cvM.aff }}
✕

{{ t.rankHdr }}

{{ cvM.rank }}

{{ t.specHdr }}

{{ cvM.spec }}

ORCID

{{ cvM.orcid }}

{{ t.emailHdr }}

{{ cvM.mail }}

{{ cs.h }}

  • {{ ci }}
    •
{{ t.dlCv }}