Stratigraphic evolution and source rock potential of a lower oligocene to lower-middle miocene continental slope system, hellenic fold and thrust belt, Ionian Sea, northwest Greece

The Western flanks of the Hellenic Fold and Thrust Belt are similar to the nearby prolific Albanian oil and gas provinces, where commercial volumes of oil have been produced. The Lower Oligocene to Lower-Middle Miocene slope series at this part of the Hellenic Fold and Thrust Belt provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the anatomy and source rock potential of such a system from an outcrop perspective. Slope progradation is manifested as a vertical pattern exhibiting an increasing amount of sediment bypass upwards, which is interpreted as reflecting increasing gradient conditions. The palaeoflow trend exhibits a western direction during the Late Oligocene but since the Early Miocene has shifted to the East. The occurrence of reliable index species allowed us to recognize several nannoplankton biozones (NP23 to NN5). Organic geochemical data indicate that the containing organic matter is present in sufficient abundance and with good enough quality to be regarded as potential source rocks. The present Rock-Eval II pyrolytic yields and calculated values of hydrogen and oxygen indexes imply that the recent organic matter type is of type III kerogen. A terrestrial origin is suggested and is attributed to short transportation distance and accumulation at rather low water depth. The succession is immature with respect to oil generation and has not experienced high temperature during burial. However, its eastern down-slope equivalent deep-sea mudstone facies should be considered as good gas-prone source rocks onshore since they may have experienced higher thermal evolution. In addition, they may have improved organic geochemical parameters because there is no oxidization of the organic matter

Cenozoic Clastic Deposits in the Thermaikos Basin in Northern Greece and Their Reservoir Potential

The Epanomi gas field discovery during the 1980s at the eastern fringe of the Thermaikos Basin in Northern Greece proved the existence of an active petroleum system in the area. Seismic and drilling exploration programs in the area provide data to study the Cenozoic clastic sequence in the Thermaikos Basin. This study aims to recognize, through core and well-log data, the wide range of facies associations from different depositional environments, which contribute to the basin fill. Additional wells from the Kassandra and Epanomi onshore areas support the conclusions of this study. A detailed core description, a cuttings evaluation, and a log analysis of selected wells were the main tools for the facies association analysis. Seismic data from the area were used to identify the lateral extension of the depositional environments in the areas between and around the wells. The Eocene–Oligocene part of the stratigraphic succession corresponds to deep-water turbidites in the middle of the basin, passing laterally to a shallow marine and locally to fluvial, alluvial, and deltaic settings. The dominant (in terms of thickness) Miocene interval consists of fluvial and shallow marine sediments, while deltaic deposits are also present. The Quaternary deposits are mostly shallow marine, with local lagoonal sediments. The reservoir properties were integrated at the last stages of the study in order to identify the most interesting facies. The outcome of this study can be useful for hydrocarbon exploration or for potential future CO2 storage

Hydrocarbons plays and prospectivity of the Mediterranean ridge

Summarization: The Mediterranean Ridge, the largest physiographic feature in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, is thought to be an accretionary complex, resulting from the convergence of the African and Eurasian plates. The presence of a salt layer in the upper deforming sequence (Late Miocene evaporites) and the unusually great thickness of the incoming sediment column differentiate the Mediterranean Ridge from most other accretionary complexes. Mud volcanoes are present in this region while various lithotypes from Carboniferous to Pleistocene can act as potential source, reservoir, and seal rocks resulting to the recognition of several potential hydrocarbon plays.Presented on: Energy Sources, Part