Tectonic and basin evolution of South Eastern Mediterranean for hydrocarbon potentiality in North Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

South Eastern Mediterranean margin has expressed two Jurassic-Recent tectonic cycles that related to the opening and closure of the Neotethys Ocean. Structural and sedimentological complications related to these cycles and the basin evolution are selected to be the main targets of the present study in North Sinai. 2D seismic, boreholes, and outcrop data are used to achieve these targets. The development of the margin began by the formation of the NE and E-W oriented normal faults during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rifting. Two Albian uplifting phases occurred by the end of this rifting and followed by the Cenomanian-Oligocene positive inversion that was interrupted by a tectonic loading subsidence phase allowed the deposition of the pelagic Campanian- Maastrichtian chalk on the shallow Upper Cretaceous carbonate. Shortening related to this inversion inverted completely the normal-slip on some rift-related faults into reverse faults and related folds or partially inverted by decreasing of the normal slip on the others. Inversion was ended by the post-Oligocene extensional-subsidence event that is related to north-sinking of the northern part of the African margin under the European plate. The three-tectonic regimes in association with the sediments supplies, sea level changes, total basin subsidence, basin extension, uplifting, and erosion resulted in complex sedimentary packages that are interrupted by many unconformities and exhibited dramatic lateral facies and thickness changes. Considerable depositional environments were transited northward, from the reefal and subtidal to shelf and then to the deep marine, where the facies formation was controlled by mix effects of the sediment supplies, north-tilting continental margin, tectonic activities, sediment load and subsidence. Offshore part of Sinai preserves good conditions favorable for hydrocarbon accumulation and requires more intensive exploration.