An Integrated Approach for Characterizing Source Rocks in Frontier Hydrocarbon Basins by Organic Geochemical Analyses and Stratigraphic Forward Modeling: the Case of the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Summary In order to better understand petroleum systems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, an integrated approach is presented to characterize potential source rocks by means of organic geochemistry and stratigraphic forward modeling. Upper Cretaceous and Upper Eocene organic matter-rich deposits were found in the OPD Leg 160 boreholes along the Eratosthenes Seamount, south of Cyprus and within the Upper Miocene strata onshore Cyprus. The geochemical results indicate a mainly marine type of organic matter that was deposited as a result of upwelling systems above the seamount. Onshore, nutrients were derived together with clastic material, leading to increased bio-productivity. These results together with literature data for Cretaceous source rocks along the Levant Margin were the base for a large scale stratigraphic forward model, which was used to simulate the distribution of different sediments including organic matter within the respective intervals. The simulations could reproduce organic matter-rich deposits along the Levant margin as well as on top of the Eratosthenes Seamount. The simulated intervals are in accordance with published facies maps and show relatively small thickness errors compared to depth-converted seismic horizons. These models can provide valuable process-based facies input parameters for petroleum system modelling.