The comparison of the Retained Gas in Shale (RGIS) between the Paleocene Ranikot Formation and the lower Cretaceous Sembar Formation, the Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan

Abstract

In this study, mass balance approach was proposed and applied for volumetric calculations to compute the Retained Gas In Shale (RGIS) of the PaleoceneRanikot Formation and the Lower Cretaceous Sembar Formation in the Southern Indus Basin of Pakistan. The study was conducted based on the data from regional geological sections, base maps, and geochemical data. The volumetric calculations estimated that the Retained Gas In Shale (RGIS) of the Paleocene Ranikot Formation is 115.01 Trillion Cubic feet (Tcf), out of that 13.08 Trillion Cubic feet (Tcf) is risked RGIS while for the Lower Cretaceous Sembar Formation RGIS is 359.41 Trillion Cubic feet (Tcf), out of that 43.13 Trillion Cubic feet (Tcf) is risked RGIS. The results of this study concluded that the Sembar Formation has more shale gas potential in terms of Retained Gas In Shale (RGIS) in the Southern Indus Basin, than the Ranikot Formation. The approach employed in this study for RGIS calculation is pertinent to evaluate source rocks in other sedimentary basins.