Architecture and sedimentary evolution of Turonian-Coniacian carbonate reservoir (Douleb and Bireno members) in the Golf of Gabes

The Pelagian Province generally coincides with the offshore shelf area of east-central Tunisia and northern Libya. The Golf of Gabes lies in the pellagian province. It is a wide Ceno-Mesoizoic basin developed at the expense of... [ view full abstract ]

The Pelagian Province generally coincides with the offshore shelf area of east-central Tunisia and northern Libya. The Golf of Gabes lies in the pellagian province. It is a wide Ceno-Mesoizoic basin developed at the expense of a stable platform and separated from it by the NW-SE platform.

During late Cretaceous, extensive shallow water carbonate platforms were developed over a large part of Golf of Gabes. The development of this carbonate platform was especially controlled by NW-SE extensional faults network development, strike slip and NE-SW minor normal faults system. The structural pattern resulting from the NW-SE compartmentation is governed mainly by tilted bloks, horsts and grabens puzzling structures.

Therefore, deep carbonate levels of Turonian-Coniacian interval (Douleb and Bireno members) are considered among the most attractant reservoirs targets within Tripolitania-Ashtart basin. Douleb and Bireno carbonates have produced oil and gas in several fields in the Gulf of Gabes (Miskar, Elyssa….).

In this, present study, borehole data were used to establish several regional lithostratigraphic correlations using flattening level in aim to reconstitute the tectono-sedimentary architecture of the study area.

To better understand the facies distribution and the spatial variation of deposition of the Douleb and Bireno carbonate members, several diagraphic correlations were drawn using offshore petroleum wells according NW-SE and NE-SW directions. The sedimentary evolution, of this reservoir, is closely related to the earlier sedimentary floor structuration. Thereby Turonian-Conaician carbonates facies evolved from shallow water marine carbonates in the SW part to more marine deep facies towards the NE.
Thus, this study allowed us to bring out the best area of interest where all favorable conditions to the generation and hydrocarbons accumulation are met.

Keywords: Golf of Gabes, Turonian-Coniacian, diagraphic corralations, tectono-sedimentary architecture