Hydrocarbon Exploration in Morocco: Current Activities and Opportunities H. Jabour O N H Y M February 06, 2013
Outline Background Hydrocarbon potential of Morocco Non-Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Preliminary results Summary
Background Gateway to Europe Casablanca : Regional business and air hub Well developed Human Resources Strong entrepreneurial culture Strong economy Robust infrastructure
Background Stable modern and secure country Elected pro development government Open door policy to investors Offering most attractive fiscal terms Providing investors by improving business climate
Hydrocarbon Potential of Morocco Sedimentary Basins Onshore More than 85% Sedimentary cover Objectives ranging from Precambrian to Neogene Offshore Atlantic and Mediterranean Objectives ranging from Paleozoic to Neogene Wherever adequately explored Moroccan Sedimentary Basins have produced Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbon Potential of Morocco Exploration History Discovery of Ain Hamra oil Start using Seismic data Discovery of Meskela Gas field Creation of ONAREP Amendment of HC law 2000 ======= Present Renewed interests Creation of ONHYM 1923 1923 1981 2000 2005 1917 1928-1929 1950 1992 2004 2010 Exploration commenced Creation of BRPM SEP Discoveries of Prerif-ridge and Essaouira oil fields Amendment of HC law Start evaluating shale-gas First well drilled in the Deep Offshore
Hydrocarbon Potential of Morocco Data-base 200 000 km of 2D seismic 22 000 sq km of 3D seismic +300 Exploratory wells Oil seeps Oil shows in most wells All the data acquired are well preserved and managed
Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Offshore Basins Examples of play concepts : Lower Cretaceous leads in Offshore (Boujdour block) S Top_Albian 1061-BJ2 N Hz_L. Cretaceous F R Y Area of channel s Development of deltaic system within the Lower Cretaceous 0 5 Km Amalgamated channels W 1314- BJ2 Hz_L. Cretaceous E Traps : Stratigraphic (Amalgamated Channels) Reservoirs: Lower Cretaceous sandstones Source rocks: Aptian and Jurassic Amalgamated channels Seals: Tertiary & Upper Cretaceous marls and shales 0 5 Km
Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Offshore Basins Examples of play concepts : Lower Cretaceous leads In Offshore (Safi block) W E Seafloo r Line Crossline RS00-111 2741 4-way closure W E H_ 4 multi Salt pinch-outs flank Stacked amplitudes Salt Sub over-hang Salt Ponded sand H_ 5 H_ 5 Time slice at 4500 ms of the «Dip of maximum similarity» attribute Traps: - Structures related to salt tectonics - Stratigraphic: ponded sand Ligne RS 114 Salt Diapir Reservoirs: Lower Cretaceous sandstone turbidites Source rocks: Aptian and Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) «Shale indicator» attribute map extracted at the Lower Cretaceous (H_5) Seals: Upper Cretaceous marls & shales
Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Onshore Basins Examples of play concepts : Triassic prospects in Onshore (Abda block) D 1 N W Line DA-05, through the OBZ-1 Well to the D1 Structure Prospect D 1 OBZ-1 S E Break Up Unc. Bae Salt Top TAGI Hercyni an Unc. Base De v. Lmst Ordovician Areal closure : 9 Km² Gas Reserves : 3,513 Mm 3 Condensate Reserves: 113 Mbbls Depth map of Upper Triassic Block VII N W Brea k Up Ba Unc. se Sa lt Top TAGI Prospect D 2 S E Hercy nian Unc. Base Dev. Lmst Ordovi cian Areal closure : 36 Km² Gas Reserves 7,463 Mm 3 Condensate Reserves: 278 Mbbls Line DK 080006, through the D2 prospect Traps : Faulted blocks and accommodation anticlines Reservoirs: Triassic sandstones (TAGI) Source rocks: Silurian graptolic hot shales & Frasnian shales Seals: Triassic and Liassic interbedded shales & salt
Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Onshore Basins Examples of play concepts : Tertiary leads in Onshore (Asilah block) TWT structure map at Miocene Friska - 1 Lead Line 08-ASL-05, imbricated and folded Miocene play concept Asilah Larache Block XI Areal closure : 8.1 Km² Recoverable oil (MMBBLS) : 43.4 Mbbls Line 09-ASL-11, through the Friska-1 Lead Traps : Faulted anticline structures Reservoirs: Cretaceous & Tertiary turbidites Source rocks: Cenomano - Turonian Shales Seals: Tertiary shales
Non-Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Oil Shale In different part of the country 55 bilion barrels of reserves Shale Gas and Shale Oil Most Paleozoic formations field Potential First analysis showed encouraging results
Non-Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Oil Shale occurrence Timahd it Oil - shale deposits have been identified at ten localities in Morocco (map), the most important of which are Upper Cretaceous. The two deposits that have been explored most extensively are the Timahdit and the Tarfaya deposits ; Morocco has important oil reserves contained in the oil shales (approximately 50 billion barrels, just in Timahdit & Tarfaya).
Non-Conventional Hydrocarbon Resources Shale Gas Primary results of the shale gas reservoir evaluations in Morocco are encouraging Developing optimal shale gas partnerships: regulatory framework, technology transfer and environmental considerations Morocco s rich unconventional resources as a potential new source of Energy in the region
Preliminary results Paleozoic system BASIN AREA (Km²) FORMATION Boudenib 34 000 Carboniferous Devonian Silurian Tadla 10 000 Carboniferous Devonian Silurian Doukkala 8 000 Carboniferous Devonian Silurian Zag 65 000 Devonian Silurian High Plateaux 23 437 Carboniferous
Preliminary results 16 TCF 62,214 TCF First geological and geochemical appraisal of the Paleozoic depositional systems 89 TCF (bassin de Zag) 21,805 TCF 116,711 TCF Other basins worth a deep exploration work ; The Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments have a good potential and should be considered for future shale gas development plans.
Preliminary results : Silurian shales (Eastern Anti-Atlas) Ordovician Sandstone Silurian shales
Summary Moroccan sedimentary basins, both onshore and offshore, remain under-explored ; Exploration drilling activity, although limited, and outcrops have proven the presence of viable petroleum systems ; New 3D seismic data have permitted to increase the rate of success and to delineate new promising prospects ; Developed play concepts ranging in age from Paleozoic to Tertiary, and are of different types ; In terms of unconventional hydrocarbons, Moroccan basins are believed to have a good potential and worth a deep exploration work.
ONHYM MOROCCO @ NAPE Booth # 1132