RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LOWER MIOCENE SEDIMENTS, CENTRAL TROUGH OF THE SOUTHERN GULF OF SUEZ, EGYPT

The Lower Miocene Nukhul Formation is oil producing in several fields throughout the Gulf of Suez either from clastics or reefoidal limestones. Six wells were selected in the central trough of the southern Gulf of Suez to investigate the geologic and petrophysical properties of the Nukhul Formation. It consists mainly of lower Shoab Ali clastics Member and upper Ghara anhydrite Member. The complete succession of the Nukhul Formation is usually encountered on the downthrown side and faulted part is usually located on the upthrown one. This may be attributed to fault movements post Shoab Ali Member. This member can be divided into three units. The upper boundary of the lower unit defined a sequence boundary. The middle unit represents a sandstone interval deposited in a basin floor fan. The upper unit which its lower boundary defined as an erosion surface was deposited in a fan complex. The Nukhul clastics represent a good reservoir quality with high porosity and permeability as well as low shale content. Three reservoir rock types as well as at least nine hydraulic flow units can be detected within these Nukhul clastics.