DOCSLIB.ORG

Source Rock Distribution and Thermal Maturity in the Southern Arabian Peninsula

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Source Rock Distribution and Thermal Maturity in the Southern Arabian Peninsula GeoArabia, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1998 Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain Source Rock Distribution and Thermal Maturity in the Southern Arabian Peninsula Penelope A. Milner Phillips Petroleum Company ABSTRACT Recent work by Phillips Petroleum in the Southern Arabian Peninsula has elucidated the source potential of the Palaeozoic strata. A group of newly drilled and older wells, together with exclusive and non-exclusive reports, have been used in order to develop improved maturation and migration models for emerging plays, and to gain a better understanding of the subsidence and maturation history of this large and diverse area. It has been possible to conduct comprehensive burial history modelling for a number of wells from Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This, together with the modelling of hypothetical wells derived from depth structure maps, has improved our understanding of oil- and gas-prone source rocks in the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Palaeozoic strata. The resultant maturity distribution has been developed with the aid of a more detailed structural model for the Southern Arabian Peninsula. In tandem with this study, available cores and cuttings were analysed to measure source rock total organic carbon, maturity and richness parameters and summarised using proprietary techniques. It is concluded that the Jurassic Hanifa Formation is less mature and not source facies to the south and west of the Rub’ Al-Khali. The oil and gas mature source facies is present in the north and east of the Rub’ Al-Khali and in the Western Emirates. In addition, it is concluded that the oil mature Silurian source facies is confined to the narrow southern and western margins of the Rub’ Al-Khali. Outside this area the over- mature area is in the core of the Rub’ Al-Khali extending northeast to the United Arab Emirates. The remaining area is modelled as gas mature in western Saudi Arabia and Qatar. INTRODUCTION Oil and gas maturity mapping of key Middle East source rocks is often simplified and confined to the Mesozoic. This paper describes a study conducted on 68 locations in Southern Saudi Arabia, Western Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Yemen, and applied to several established source intervals of both Mesozoic and Palaeozoic age. Recognized source formations in the area are the Infra-Cambrian Huqf and so-called ‘Q’ source (Grantham et al., 1987), the Silurian Qusaiba Member (Mahmoud et al., 1992), the Permian Unayzah-Khuff Transition Zone (Abu-Ali et al., 1991), the Jurassic Hanifa Formation (Ayres et al., 1982; Wilson, 1984), the Lower Cretaceous Sulaiy Formation (Ayres et al., 1982; Taher, 1997), the Middle Cretaceous Shilaif Formation (Ayres et al., 1982; Wilson, 1984) and the Pabdeh Shale (Ala et al., 1980; Beydoun, 1993). The study was conducted to establish the distribution of source rocks and their maturity in the region of newly acquired acreage by Phillips on the southern flank of the Rub’ Al-Khali Basin (Figure 1). A suite of burial history models was generated for wells from concessions previously licensed by Phillips Petroleum in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. The first objective of this paper is to establish those areas of the Southern Arabian Peninsula which are mature for the presence of oil and gas. To accomplish this, it is necessary to map both source presence and maturity distribution. Through the integration of regional depth, isopach and facies maps, source rock presence and maturity distributions have been established for the Hanifa and Safiq formations. Mapping of Tertiary and Cretaceous source rocks is in progress. In addition, this paper intends to provide some insight into the Silurian source rock, a potential key to future exploration in the Middle East. Source rock samples were analysed for both richness and maturity. Statistical evaluation using Phillips Petroleum Company proprietary software ‘Source Rock Advisor’ (SRA) has provided a simple output useful for demonstrating source rock quality and maturity information for selected wells in the area. 339 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geoarabia/article-pdf/3/3/339/4552786/milner.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 Milner 46° 48° 50° 52° 54° 56° 26° North 26° Dome 0 100 QATAR N Km ARABIAN GULF Palaeozoic oil field Ghawar Palaeozoic gas field 24° 24° Central UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Arabian 04 Wells: Good modelling input Fields 09 Wells: No temperatures 15 Wells: No temperatures or lithologies Al-Hawtah 6 22° 22° Figures 8 and 12 Sahmah SAUDI ARABIA L1 09 Wells: Good modelling input OMAN 20° 10 Wells: No temperatures L2 4 Wells: Good ° 11 Wells: No temperatures or lithologies 20 0 modelling input 11 Pseudo-wells Oman Block 36 Phillips 2 Wells: No tem- 0 peratures L3 Al-Hashman 1 YEMEN 18° 1 Well: No temperatures or lithologies 18° 2 Pseudo-wells 46° 48° 50° 52° 54° 56° Figure 1: Base map showing the area of study and modelling database for each country. No temperatures indicates lack of bottom hole temperature data. ‘Pseudo-wells’ are synthetic locations sited on key basins or highs. Major Palaeozoic fields are outlined. METHOD Structural Framework The structural framework for the study area was constructed using Middle East in-house literature, references, published reports and a historical database of seismic structure maps, supplemented by in-house interpretations of gravity, magnetics and satellite image data for the Arabian Plate (Figure 2). The Rub’ Al-Khali, a large basinal area, is composed of a number of sub-basins separated by northwest- and northeast-trending faults, attributed to the ancient Infra-Cambrian structural Najd and Dibba (informal) Trends, respectively (Husseini, 1989). This framework map provides the structural setting, for example, basin or high, for the burial history models. Knowledge of the tectonic evolution of certain structural elements was used to indicate the timing and amount of uplift in the models. In addition, an explanation for the presence of thin units in certain wells could be made using the accompanying tectonic history. These issues are key to the development of realistic burial history models. Chronostratigraphic Framework By subdividing each country into major structural segments, for example Southwest Oman, then further subdividing these areas into more detailed elements, such as the Rub’ Al-Khali and the Ghudun 340 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geoarabia/article-pdf/3/3/339/4552786/milner.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 on 24 September 2021 by guest Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geoarabia/article-pdf/3/3/339/4552786/milner.pdf 46° 48° 50° 52° 54° 56° 26° Dibdibba High Trough North 26° Dome Intermediate N QATAR Basin Ghawar South Gulf High Salt Basin Basement T L U A H Ophiolite F C A R B Major Palaeozoic A IB D 24° R oil fields A T Major Palaeozoic Riyadh A Suninah Foredeep Q gas fields 24° T Central Arabian R A Anticline Fields N UNITED ARAB Idsas S R Syncline CENTRAL U EMIRATES B ARABIAN ' A ARCH L Lekhwair Faults -K H High A L ZAULIYAH AXIS I L Fahud IN E Salt Basin A M E ° N 22 T 341 Musallim (Central) 22° platform Source RockDistribution,SouthernArabianPeninsula Source Sahmah E N I ° L 20 A B B 20° I Ghudun-Khasfah High SAUDI ARABIA D Figure 2: Surface and sub-surface Wajid Sayyala Basin structural Graben WEST RUB' AL-KHALI Oman OMAN framework map Block 36 BASIN Phillips based on reports, an Salt Basin literature and ° Eastern 18Flank proprietary satellite, 0 100 Tertiary Basin gravity and Basin 18° Southern Om magnetic studies. Km Southern Monocline Hazar Saddle YEMEN Yistah Some names are 46° 48° 50° 52° 56° Niymah High informal. Milner NORTH OMAN INTERIOR OMAN SOUTHWEST OMAN Eustatic Era Curve NE SW NE SW NE SW Group System OMAN MTS. SUNEINAH FAHUD LEKHWAIR SOUTH OMAN/GHABA HUQF FLANK RUB' AL-KHALI GHUDUN KHASFAH Qt. Lower Fars Asmari Formation Equivalent FARS Dammam Taqa ? Dammam Seeb Rus Tertiary Dammam Umm Er Radhuma CENOZOIC Umm Er Radhuma Jafnayn Rus MAUT ? HADRA- ? Umm Er Radhuma Simsima Simsima Shammar ARUMA Shale ARUMA Fiqa ARUMA Fiqa Natih WASIA Natih Natih WASIA ? Cretaceous Shu'aiba Nahr Umr Kharaib KAHMAH KAHMAH Lekhwair MAH KAH- Habshan Nahr Umr Salil Semail Opholite Hanifa Tuwaiq Mountain SAHTAN Hanifa, Tuwaiq Mountain & Dhruma Formations Dhruma MESOZOIC Jurassic Mafraq Mafraq Minjur Mahil Jilh Sudair Triassic Jilh Jilh Saiq Sudair Sudair Minjur Khuff Khuff Khuff Gharif ? Gharif Gharif Rahab Shale Permian Rahab Shale Al Khlata Al Khlata Al Khlata Legend Oil Carboniferous Gas Oil & Gas Source ? Speculative source Misfar Misfar Devonian ? Silurian PALAEOZOIC Safiq Safiq Ghudun Ghudun Barakat Ordovician Amdeh Andam Mabrouk Barik Miqrat Mahwis Amin Amin Amdeh Amin Cambrian Karim Haradh Pre-Haima Group Unknown in North Dhofar Ara Equiv ARA ARA Infra- ??? Cambrian Kharus Buah Buah HUQFMiaidin HAIMAShuram HAUSHI AKHDAR SAHTAN Shuram ? Hajir Kufai Kufai Mistal Abu Mahara Abu Mahara PROTEROZOIC Basement Basement Basement Figure 3: Oman chronostratigraphic summary for different regions and sub-regions. 342 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geoarabia/article-pdf/3/3/339/4552786/milner.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 Source Rock Distribution, Southern Arabian Peninsula Khasfah High, a series of chronostratigraphic summaries were made. An example for Oman is shown in Figure 3. These summaries detail where each formation is present and its age, and allow a relatively simple comparison of the differing stratigraphic nomenclature from different countries. One key input related to the burial history modelling is the identification of major unconformities. These may be long-lived, for example the Hercynian Orogeny of Devonian to Carboniferous times (McGillivray and Husseini, 1992), or may be shorter events such as the Cretaceous pre-Aruma Unconformity which resulted from the uplift of the Oman Mountains (Figure 3). Burial History Modelling A series of burial history models was generated for 65 wells in the area with available log, lithology, and temperature data.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Marine Benthic Invertebrates of the Upper Jurassic Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah, Central Saudi Arabia ⇑ Abdelbaset S
    Journal of African Earth Sciences 97 (2014) 161–172 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of African Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jafrearsci Marine benthic invertebrates of the upper Jurassic Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah, central Saudi Arabia ⇑ Abdelbaset S. El-Sorogy a,b, , Khaled M. Al-Kahtany a, Hesham M. El-Asmar c a Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia b Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Egypt c Consultant, Vice Rectorate for Education and Academic Affairs, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia article info abstract Article history: 26 species belong to 24 genera and 16 families have been described and illustrated from the Callovian Received 5 August 2013 Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone, Khashm Al-Qaddiyah, central Saudi Arabia. 10 of the identified species Received in revised form 29 March 2014 belong to scleractinian corals, 7 to brachiopods, 4 to bivalves, 4 to gastropods and one to cephalopods. Accepted 4 April 2014 Actinastraea pseudominima, Thamnasteria nicoleti, Enallocoenia crassoramosa, Collignonastraea cf. grossou- Available online 24 April 2014 vrei, Burmirhynchia jirbaensis, Pholadomya (Bucardiomya) somaliensis, Pseudomelania (Rhabdoconcha) raabi and Nautilus giganteus are believed to be recorded for the first time from the Jurassic rocks of central Keywords: Arabia. The identified species have close affinity to Tethyan faunas known from parts in Asia, Africa Invertebrates and Europe. They indicated shoaling of the sea floor persisted throughout the deposition of the Tuwaiq Jurassic Saudi Arabia Mountain Limestone, in water depth ranging from 20 to 30 m. The low diversity of invertebrates in Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone the studied section may attribute to paleoenvironmental conditions prevailed during the Callovian age as high rate of sedimentation.
    [Show full text]
  • Uae Visa & Border Pass Requirements
    UAE VISA & BORDER PASS REQUIREMENTS Arrival at Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Some visitors entering the UAE require an entry visa that needs to be arranged prior to arrival, with the exception of certain nationalities, which are: Andorra; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Brunei; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; GCC countries; Germany; Greece; Holland; Hong Kong; Hungary: Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Malta; Monaco; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; San Marino; Singapore; Slovenia, Slovakia, South Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; UK; USA; Vatican City. Any of the above nationalities can procure your visa upon arrival from immigration. If you do not fall into one of the above nationalities, you will require a visa and a sponsor for your visit. Please be advised No Oman visa is required to visit Zighy Bay; you can visit on your UAE Tourist Visa. The Tourist Visa entitles its holder up to a 15 or 30-day stay and is non-renewable. You can arrange this Tourist Visa through your local UAE Consulate or Embassy. If you would like us to arrange your Tourist Visa, our colleagues at South Travels will be happy to assist. They will require: • Completed visa form • Copy of first and last page of your passport • Passport size photograph. • Tourist Visa processing charges: for up to 15 days is USD 150 per person; for up to 30-days is USD 232 per person Minimum of 7 (seven) working days are necessary for visa processing. An electronic visa will be provided via email; please print for provision at immigration upon arrival to Dubai International Airport.
    [Show full text]
  • Saudi Arabia Land of Opportunities
    SAUDI ARABIA LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES INDUSTRIAL INVESTORS GUIDE My first objective is for our country to be a pioneering and successful global model of excellence, on all fronts, and I will work with you to achieve that The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Contents Saudi Vision 2030 8 16 Why Saudi Arabia? 40 Industrial Clusters (IC) Saudi Vision 2030 8 Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Our Vision for Saudi Arabia is to be the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the investment powerhouse, and the hub beneath our lands. But our real wealth lies in the ambition of our people and the connecting three continents potential of our younger generation. They are our nation’s pride and the architects It is my pleasure to present Saudi Arabia’s of our future. We will never forget how, Vision for the future. It is an ambitious yet under tougher circumstances than today, achievable blueprint, which expresses our nation was forged by collective our long-term goals and expectations determination when the late King Abdulaziz and reflects our country’s strengths and Al-Saud – may Allah bless his soul – united capabilities. All success stories start with the Kingdom. Our people will amaze the a vision, and successful visions are based world again. on strong pillars. The first pillar of our vision is our status as the heart of the Arab and We are confident about the Kingdom’s Islamic worlds. We recognize that Allah the future. With all the blessings Allah has Almighty has bestowed on our lands a gift bestowed on our nation, we cannot help but more precious than oil.
    [Show full text]
  • Tectonics of the Musandam Peninsula and Northern Oman Mountains: from Ophiolite Obduction to Continental Collision
    GeoArabia, 2014, v. 19, no. 2, p. 135-174 Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain Tectonics of the Musandam Peninsula and northern Oman Mountains: From ophiolite obduction to continental collision Michael P. Searle, Alan G. Cherry, Mohammed Y. Ali and David J.W. Cooper ABSTRACT The tectonics of the Musandam Peninsula in northern Oman shows a transition between the Late Cretaceous ophiolite emplacement related tectonics recorded along the Oman Mountains and Dibba Zone to the SE and the Late Cenozoic continent-continent collision tectonics along the Zagros Mountains in Iran to the northwest. Three stages in the continental collision process have been recognized. Stage one involves the emplacement of the Semail Ophiolite from NE to SW onto the Mid-Permian–Mesozoic passive continental margin of Arabia. The Semail Ophiolite shows a lower ocean ridge axis suite of gabbros, tonalites, trondhjemites and lavas (Geotimes V1 unit) dated by U-Pb zircon between 96.4–95.4 Ma overlain by a post-ridge suite including island-arc related volcanics including boninites formed between 95.4–94.7 Ma (Lasail, V2 unit). The ophiolite obduction process began at 96 Ma with subduction of Triassic–Jurassic oceanic crust to depths of > 40 km to form the amphibolite/granulite facies metamorphic sole along an ENE- dipping subduction zone. U-Pb ages of partial melts in the sole amphibolites (95.6– 94.5 Ma) overlap precisely in age with the ophiolite crustal sequence, implying that subduction was occurring at the same time as the ophiolite was forming. The ophiolite, together with the underlying Haybi and Hawasina thrust sheets, were thrust southwest on top of the Permian–Mesozoic shelf carbonate sequence during the Late Cenomanian–Campanian.
    [Show full text]
  • Before the Emirates: an Archaeological and Historical Account of Developments in the Region C
    Before the Emirates: an Archaeological and Historical Account of Developments in the Region c. 5000 BC to 676 AD D.T. Potts Introduction In a little more than 40 years the territory of the former Trucial States and modern United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gone from being a blank on the archaeological map of Western Asia to being one of the most intensively studied regions in the entire area. The present chapter seeks to synthesize the data currently available which shed light on the lifestyles, industries and foreign relations of the earliest inhabitants of the UAE. Climate and Environment Within the confines of a relatively narrow area, the UAE straddles five different topographic zones. Moving from west to east, these are (1) the sandy Gulf coast and its intermittent sabkha; (2) the desert foreland; (3) the gravel plains of the interior; (4) the Hajar mountain range; and (5) the eastern mountain piedmont and coastal plain which represents the northern extension of the Batinah of Oman. Each of these zones is characterized by a wide range of exploitable natural resources (Table 1) capable of sustaining human groups practising a variety of different subsistence strategies, such as hunting, horticulture, agriculture and pastoralism. Tables 2–6 summarize the chronological distribution of those terrestrial faunal, avifaunal, floral, marine, and molluscan species which we know to have been exploited in antiquity, based on the study of faunal and botanical remains from excavated archaeological sites in the UAE. Unfortunately, at the time of writing the number of sites from which the inventories of faunal and botanical remains have been published remains minimal.
    [Show full text]
  • Saudi Arabia Under King Faisal
    SAUDI ARABIA UNDER KING FAISAL ABSTRACT || T^EsIs SubiviiTTEd FOR TIIE DEqREE of ' * ISLAMIC STUDIES ' ^ O^ilal Ahmad OZuttp UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. ABDUL ALI READER DEPARTMENT OF ISLAMIC STUDIES ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1997 /•, •^iX ,:Q. ABSTRACT It is a well-known fact of history that ever since the assassination of capital Uthman in 656 A.D. the Political importance of Central Arabia, the cradle of Islam , including its two holiest cities Mecca and Medina, paled into in insignificance. The fourth Rashidi Calif 'Ali bin Abi Talib had already left Medina and made Kufa in Iraq his new capital not only because it was the main base of his power, but also because the weight of the far-flung expanding Islamic Empire had shifted its centre of gravity to the north. From that time onwards even Mecca and Medina came into the news only once annually on the occasion of the Haj. It was for similar reasons that the 'Umayyads 661-750 A.D. ruled form Damascus in Syria, while the Abbasids (750- 1258 A.D ) made Baghdad in Iraq their capital. However , after a long gap of inertia, Central Arabia again came into the limelight of the Muslim world with the rise of the Wahhabi movement launched jointly by the religious reformer Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab and his ally Muhammad bin saud, a chieftain of the town of Dar'iyah situated between *Uyayana and Riyadh in the fertile Wadi Hanifa. There can be no denying the fact that the early rulers of the Saudi family succeeded in bringing about political stability in strife-torn Central Arabia by fusing together the numerous war-like Bedouin tribes and the settled communities into a political entity under the banner of standard, Unitarian Islam as revived and preached by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
    [Show full text]
  • Nursing Sciences Program Accreditation Self
    Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences Majmaah University College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS) Department of Nursing Sciences NURSING SCIENCES PROGRAM ACCREDITATION SELF-EVALUATION REPORT (SER) 1 © AHPGS 2014 SELF-EVALUATION REPORT Applying university Majmaah University (MU) Title of study program Nursing Sciences Date of initial accreditation, if No previous accreditation of the program applicable Contact Dr. Mahmoud M. Musleh Head, Department of Nursing Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Address PO Box 66, AlMajmaah-11952, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Phone +966 164042824, +966 535169464 E-mail [email protected] 1. STUDY PROGRAM CONCEPT The College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS) at Majmaah University (MU) was established in 2009 to meet the need for qualified health care professionals in healthcare sectors in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia. It aims at preparing qualified, skilled, and competent graduates to match the highly developed and sophisticated healthcare systems in the Kingdom, and to employ recent scientific and technical developments in the delivery of healthcare services. Since its establishment, it has been playing a significant role in providing both the private and the public health sectors with highly competent professional graduates who are equipped with the most recent knowledge and skills in their speciality role. The College of Applied Medical Sciences encompasses five academic departments including the Department of Nursing Sciences (Male and Female Sections) which offers a Bachelor Degree in Nursing Sciences. In 2013, the Department of Nursing has carried out a revision and assessment to its current study plan and, subsequently, some modifications. The previous study plan was approved on April 2010 as a starting point for the nursing program at the newly established department within CAMS.
    [Show full text]
  • Publication.Pdf
    In The Name Of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Compassionate Arriyadh holds a strategic and pivotal role as the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is the birthplace of the Message of Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon Him) and the location of the Two Holy Mosques. The dynamic capital hosts diplomatic, Islamic, political, economic, financial, trade, scientific, technological and educational institutions and is a fast developing national, regional and international center. Arriyadh is also a hub of administration with national cultural and heritage bodies and activities. the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz (may God bless him) has over many decades actively supported Arriyadh and its remarkable development. Today, with his Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior; and the Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister; King Salman is ably guiding the development of the Kingdom, its capital and provinces and ensuring the welfare, security and prosperity of the nation’s population. Evidence of this is seen in the range of visionary development and infrastructure projects, which are helping to transform the Kingdom and the wider region. The development process in Arriyadh does not focus on specific areas or sectors. Rather it embraces a wide and comprehensive range of projects and needs. These include ambitious programs in transportation. The King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project in Arriyadh City is the largest of its kind and will provide a network of metro and bus services in the capital. The King Khaled International Airport Development Project will considerably expand passenger and airfreight capacity; and national and regional projects to develop railroad and road networks will soon offer remarkable improvements in transportation within the Kingdom and GCC.
    [Show full text]
  • (UAE) Desert Using Geophysical Methods
    Scholars' Mine Doctoral Dissertations Student Theses and Dissertations Summer 2010 Investigating the source of thermal anomalies in the northern United Arab Emirates (UAE) desert using geophysical methods Khalid Ahmad Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations Part of the Geophysics and Seismology Commons Department: Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Recommended Citation Ahmad, Khalid, "Investigating the source of thermal anomalies in the northern United Arab Emirates (UAE) desert using geophysical methods" (2010). Doctoral Dissertations. 1897. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/1897 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INVESTIGATING THE SOURCE OF THERMAL ANOMALIES IN THE NORTHERN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) DESERT USING GEOPHYSICAL METHODS by KHALID AHMAD A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in GEOPHYSICS 2010 Approved by Estella Atekwana, Advisor Abdeldjelil Belarbi Jeffery Cawlfield J David Rogers Farouk El Baz Neil Anderson 2010 Khalid Ahmad All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT We conducted geophysical surveys to investigate the source of thermal anomalies and to delineate any potential water transport pathways from the recharge zones in the Oman Mountains to the location of the temporal thermal anomalies within the desert plain of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the visible region of the spectrum of both ASTER and MODIS satellite images, the desert plain of the UAE appears as a bare sandy surface.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Trips Hardground at Al –Ukair Lagoon Complex, Southern Arabian Gulf
    Field Trips Hardground at Al –Ukair Lagoon complex, southern Arabian Gulf. A spit at the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. Checking modern halite deposit close to Half Moon Bay, southern Arabian Gulf, with Professor John Warren. My field buddies Fadhel (KFUPM) and Emmanuel (Schlumberger Dhahran Carbonate Research) during a field trip to the south shore of the Arabian Gulf, close to the Bahran Cuaseway. (1997) With my friend Professor Paul Bernier of the University of Lyon (France) during a field trip at Qurriyah beach, close to Half Moon Bay, Arabian Gulf. We organized a day-long field trip to the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf close to Jubail during Professor John Waren’s March 2004 visit to our campus. Here is John with some of my KFUPM colleagues and Aramco friends. L-R: Abdallah Dhbeeb(Saudi Aramco), Dr. Adley Saafin (KFUPM), Rami Kamal (Saudi Aramco), me, Dr. Abdul Wahab Abokhodair (KFUPM), Prof. John Warren (University of Brunei), Cecilia McDonald (Saudi Aramco), Dr. Osaman Abdullatif (KFUPM), and Nasser Al-Naji (Saudi Aramco). Investigating Holocene hardground on the beach of the Al Ukair Lagoon. Onlookers are Prof. John Warren, Dr. Osman Abdullatif, Emanuel Bize (Schlumberger), Khalid Ramadan, and Fdhel Al-Khalifa. Three generations (John – my supervisor; me – Emmanuel’s supervisor) during a field trip in a salt mine close to Half-Moon Bay, Qurriayah, northeastern Saudi Arabia. Open-pit salt mining in Qurraiyah area, southern Arabian Gulf. These are high evaporation areas cut-off by spit progradation along the irregular shorelines Spectacular example of Quaternary eolianite from the Arabian Gulf Shoreline, Dammam, northestern Saudi Arabia.
    [Show full text]
  • Bridging the Gulf.Indd
    1 Archaeology of Indo-Gulf Relations in the Early Historic Period: e Ceramic Evidence ANJANA L. REDDY INTRODUCTION e countries connected with the Indian Ocean form a series of relationships based on sea communication. ese are reflected above all in trade. e Indian Ocean is one of the world’s most ancient trading systems. Its existence as a cultural entity was first defined by K.N. Chaudhuri in his book titled Trade and Civilisation in the Indian Ocean: An Economic History from the Rise of Islam to 1750. He recognized that the Indian Ocean has a unity of civilization that is equivalent to that perceived of the Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel (Chaudhuri, 1985). Of all the seas, the Indian Ocean is perhaps a late entrant in historical studies. One reason for this may be the complexity of the subject, owing to the diversity of cultures prevailing in the Indian Ocean, which would make it a subject of study for many lives of many historians (Kejariwal, 2006). is is what Chaudhuri (1990: 11) explains has led to . the specialist historians of Asia, each examining his own narrow chronology and field, are often unable to see the structural totality of economic and social life and are inclined to treat the experience of their own regions as unique or special . historians of Asia, whether working on the Middle East, India, China, or Japan, seem to be much more interested in comparing the course of their history with that of Western Europe rather than with other regions of Asia. Subsequently, Indian Ocean studies relating to the Early Historic period have focused on the Early Roman ‘India Trade’ with emphasis particularly on the role of the Red Sea, East African and South Arabian ports.
    [Show full text]
  • Geological Passport
    Geological Passport www.moei.gov.ae Contact Details Ministry of Energy & Industry Geology & Mineral Resources Department PO Box 59 - Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Phone +971 2 6190000 Toll Free 8006634 Fax +971 2 6190001 Email: [email protected] Website: www.moei.gov.ae © Ministry of Energy & Industry, UAE Geological Setting of the UAE e United Arab Emirates (UAE) are located on the southern side of the Arabian Gulf, at the north-eastern edge of the Arabian Plate. Although large areas of the country are covered in Quaternary sediments. e bedrock geology is well exposed in the Hajar Mountains and the Musandam Peninsula of the eastern UAE, and along the southern side of the Arabian Gulf west of Abu Dhabi. e geology of the Emirates can be divided into ten main components: (1) e Late Cretaceous UAE-Oman ophiolite; (2) A Middle Permian to Upper Cretaceous carbonate platform sequence, exposed in the northern UAE (the Hajar Supergroup); (3) A deformed sequence of thin limestone’s and associated deepwater sediments, with volcanic rocks and mélanges, which occurs in the Dibba and Hatta Zones; Geological map of the UAE (Scale 1:500 000) 1 (4) A ploydeformed sequence of metamorphic rocks, seen in the Masafi – Ismah and Bani Hamid areas; (5) A younger, Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene cover sequence exposed in a foreland basin along the western edge of the Hajar Mountains; (6) An extensive suite of Quaternary fluvial gravels and coalesced alluvial fans extending out from the Hajar Mountains; (7) A sequence of Late Miocene sedimentary rocks exposed in the western Emirates; (8) A number of salt domes forming islands in the Arabian Gulf, characterised by complex dissolution breccias with a varied clast suite of mainly Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) sedimentary and volcanic rocks; (9) A suite of Holocene marine and near-shore carbonate and evaporate deposits along the southern side of the Arabian Gulf forming the classic Abu Dhabi sabkhas and Extensive Quaternary to recent aeolian sand dunes which underlie the bulk of Abu Dhabi Emirate.
    [Show full text]