Geologic, Seismic, Climatic and Oil Production Controls on Hydrocarbon Seepages at Al-Ahmadi Town, South-Eastern Kuwait

A series of explosions destroyed several houses at Al-Ahmadi Town in southeast Kuwait during 2010 and 2011; they were initially attributed to gas leakages from discarded old domestic gas supply system. The incidents led Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to commission a surface geochemical survey of one of KOC's Al-Ahmadi housing blocks which was affected by the explosions. A serious gas explosion in Al-Ahmadi on the 18th of May 2015 prompted an evacuation of a number of Al-Ahmadi houses, followed by a prolonged investigation of the source(s) of the recurrent gas leakages. This paper is a review of the published surface geology, subsurface stratigraphy, seismic structural motives and consequences of prolonged production operations of Greater Burgan Oil Field (with special focus on the surface and subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the Al-Ahmadi Ridge of Greater Burgan Oil Field, which is situated beneath the afflicted Al-Ahmadi Town) in search of natural seepage(s) rather than man-made leakage(s) of the exploding gas. The review revealed that the gas explosions were not likely caused by trapped gas in the discarded domestic gas supply network, and argue for an imperfect Greater Burgan oil trap, with inherent ancient oil and gas seepages propagated by environmental side effects of prolonged oil production operations, which attained recurrent cycles in response to climatic seasons, and probably amplified by the occasional regional earthquake seismic waves. The review concludes that under current environments and production practices, the historic trend projects an increase in the volume and number of gas seepages sites over and beyond the footprint of Greater Burgan Oil Field. Furthermore, the review recommends some habitat gas seepage mitigation measures and the deployment of mobile technologies for regular surveying and monitoring of Methane and H2S build-up in the air, and in the shallow subsurface reservoirs below the Ahmadi Town as routine risk management procedures.