The Beni Suef Basin in central Egypt is a relatively underexplored basin that holds potential for further hydrocarbon discoveries. Six oil fields have already been discovered in the basin since 1997. Detailed mapping of 3D seismic data and geochemical analysis indicate two potential source rocks and help delineate hydrocarbon migration patterns. Further exploration success may come from evaluating additional source rock potential and re-evaluating past dry wells with modern techniques like hydraulic fracturing.

1. Beni Suef Basin the Key for Exploration Future Success in Upper Egypt*
Hemida Zahran1, Khaled Abu Elyazid1, Moustafa Mohamad1
Search and Discovery Article #10351 (2011)
Posted August 22, 2011
*Adapted from oral presentation at AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, USA, April 10-13, 2011.
1
Qarun Petroleum Company, Cairo, Egypt. (hzhran@hotmail.com)
Abstract
The Beni Suef Basin is a relatively under-explored basin in N. Central Egypt. It lies approximately 150 km south of Cairo and
is bisected by the present day Nile Valley.
It is currently believed that hydrocarbons, sourced from the Albian Lower Kharita (shales and siltstones) and Turonian Abu
Roash F (carbonates), have been expelled and have subsequently migrated into up-dip structural closures along the margins of
the basin.
The stratigraphic column of the Beni Suef Basin extends from the Pre-Cambrian granitic basement through the major
Cretaceous reservoirs and seals and up into the Eocene Apollonia carbonates. Late Tertiary to recent deposition is also
recorded within the ancestral Nile valley and along its margins. Some uncertainty exists as to the age of inception of the Beni
Suef Basin and the extent of sedimentation within the basin prior to the deposition of the Lower Kharita shales. Current 3D
seismic mapping is endeavoring to delineate more clearly these older sedimentary packages.
The Beni Suef Oil Field was discovered in September 1997 by Seagull Energy Corporation and was followed by the discovery
of five additional oil fields - Azhar, Yusif, Gharibon, Lahun and Sobha by Qarun Petroleum Company.
Beni Suef Oil Field contains excellent reservoir quality rocks in both the Kharita and Bahariya Formations with additional
reserves being calculated in the Abu Roash "A & G" Members. Due to some of the complex mineralogy observed in the
Cenomanian Bahariya Formation a detailed petrophysical model was built using Schlumberger’s ELAN&IP software to ensure
an accurate understanding of reservoir properties could be achieved. This petrophysical work combined with detailed
sedimentological work has greatly aided the understanding of the field’s reserves distribution.

2. Recent geochemical work along with detailed mapping of newly acquired 3D seismic is greatly helping the delineation of the
two potential source rocks and helping to formulate a clearer picture of hydrocarbon expulsion and migration within the Beni
Suef basin. The results of this work may be applicable to the hydrocarbon potential of other basins such as the Minya and
Asyut basins of Upper Egypt.

3. Q
Qarun Petroleum Company
C p y
Beni Suef Basin
The Key For
Exploration Future Success in Upper Egypt
By
Hemida Zahran * Khaled Abu Elyazid Mostafa Mohamad
April 2011

4. AFRICA
EGYPT

5. B. Suef Concession
Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
B S f
Azhar
AFRICA
Sohba Gharibon
EGYPT

6. Matruh - Shushan
Basins
Alamein Basin
Abu El-Gharadig Gindi Basin
Basin
Karama Field
Qarun Field
W. Rayan Field
0 100 km.
Basins Distribution Map

7. Matruh - Shushan
Basins
Alamein Basin
Abu El-Gharadig Gindi Basin
Basin
Karama Field
Qarun Field
W. Rayan Field B. Suef Basin
0 100 km.
Basins Distribution Map

8. Stratigraphic Column of B. Suef Basin
Reservoires :
R i
A/R“A,E&G“
Bahariya & Kharita
Source Rocks :
A / R “ F “ carbonates
L. Kharita Shale & Siltstone

9. 2D & 3D Seismic Surveys In Beni-Suef Concession
West of Nile East of Nile
2
247 Km
(2004)
2
598 Km
(2009)
2
700 Km
(2007)
3D : 2429 km2
2D : 3034 km
2
884 K
Km
(2008)

10. Combined TWT Structure maps
East of Nile
West of Nile

11. Combined TWT Structure maps
East of Nile
West of Nile

12. Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba
East Of Nile

13. Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba
East Of Nile

14. B. Suef Field Bahariya Depth Structure
N
B. Suef – 1x

15. B.Suef – 5x Kharita
O.W.C @ 7100` / - 6890`
= 20-22 % SW =15-20 % NP = 70 ft.

16. B. Suef Field A / R “ A “ Depth Structure
N
B. Suef – 11

17. BS-11 Abu Roash “A” Pay Sands
3580
3596
3605
3616
3624
3640
3652
3658
= 19 % SW =35 % NP = 23 ft.

18. Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba
East Of Nile

19. Azhar Field Bahariya Depth Structure
N
Azhar E – 2
Azhar E – 1x
Azhar – 1x
Azhar E – 3

20. Azhar – 1x Kharita Sand
Kharita Zone – 1
8148 / - 7623
Kharita Zone – 2
8218 / - 7692
Kharita Zone – 3
8298 / - 7770
O. W. C.
8350 / - 7821
= 14 % SW =38 % NP =80 %

21. Azhar E. – 1x U. Bahariya
= 21 % SW =40 % NP = 12 ft.

22. Azhar E. – 1x Up. A / R “ G – 5 “
6348
6374
= 12 % SW =32 % NP = 20 ft.

23. Lahun
Yusif
Y if
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba
East Of Nile

24. Yusif Field L. A /R “ G “ Depth Structure
N
Yusif – 4
Yusif – 2
Yusif – 1x
Yusif – 3

25. Yusif – 1x L. A / R “ G “ Sands
= 17 % SW =48 % NP = 21.5 ft.

26. Yusif - 3 U. Bahariya Sands
7150
7170
= 17 % SW =29 % NP = 20 ft.

27. Yusif - 4 L. Bahariya Sands
7640
7660
= 14 % SW =50 % NP = 14 ft.

28. Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba
East Of Nile

29. Lahun Field Bahariya Depth Structure
N
Lahun – 1x

30. Lahun -1x U. Bahariya
6060
6080
= 15 % SW =32 % NP = 29 ft.

31. Lahun
West Of Nile
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
East Of Nile
Gharibon
Sohba

32. Gharibon Field A / R “ G “ Depth Structure
N
Gharibon – 1x

33. Gharibon – 1x A / R “ G – 10 “
7108
7130
= 21 % SW =42 % NP = 16 ft.

34. Lahun
Yusif
B. Suef
Azhar
West Of Nile
Gharibon
S hb
Sohba
East Of Nile

35. Sohba – 1x
NW SE

36. Depth Structure Top A / R “E” Sand
N
Sohba NE – 1x
Sohba – 1x

37. Sohba – 1x A / R “ E “
7010
7020
O.W.C @ 7032` / - 6354`
= 19 % SW =35 % NP = 23 ft.

38. Beni Suef Oils Correlation
Oil-oil correlation for the oils recovered from Beni Suef
Concession suggests there are two oil groups .
Group I :
includes the oils that appear to be generated from
predominantly terrestrial organic matter and are
represented by Beni Suef-1X, Azhar -1X and Yusef -1X
oils.
oils These oils appear to be generated at a high thermal
maturity ( Paraffinic waxy , high API & high Pour Point . )

39. Beni Suef Oils Correlation
Group II :
represented by Azhar -7X, Azhar E-1X, Sohba -1X and
Gharibon-1X oils appears to be generated from a
predominantly marine organic matter at moderate
thermal maturity ( API 25° , pour point Zero ).

40. 10.00
A : Terrestrial Source
B : Peat/Coal Source
C : Mixed Source
D : Marine Source
A B C D
1.00
Group “I” Oils Group “II” Oils
Pr/n 17
n-C
0.10
Azhar -7X A/R G5 6325 ft
Azhar E 1X
A h E-1X A/R "G" 6348-6374
6348 6374 ft
Sohba-1X A/R "E" Sand 7020 ft
Azhar-1 Kharita 8146-8164 ft
Yusef-1 L. A/R "G" 6565-6610 ft
Gharibon-1 A/R "G" 7108-7130 ft
Beni Suef-1 Kharita DST # 3 7033-7075 ft
Beni Suef-1 Bahariya DST # 4 6800 ft
Beni Suef-1 Bahariya RFT 6869 ft
0.01
0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00
Ph/n-C18
Plot of Pr/n-C17 vs. Ph/n-C18 for Oils

41. Conclusions
Stratigraphic column of E.Desert is similar to W.Desert
with the exception that Basin inception may be
controlled by Aptian/Albian NE-SW extension and
resulted in the Kharita Formation being deposited
directly on basement.
di tl b t
Major part of Beni Suef basin is located in the
East o Nile
ast of e
Three oil discoveries were achieved based on 2D
seismic interpretation and other three oil discoveries
were achieved based on 3D seismic i t
hi db d i i interpretation .
t ti

42. Geochemical studies confirmed presence of two oil
families in Beni Suef basin, first is generated from
lower Kharita shale & siltstones, second is generated
from A/R “F”.
“F”
Basement is encountered in Azhar-2 & Azhar-5 more
than 12¸000 ft which confirmed the presence of more
¸ p
than 1500 ft of shale & siltstone as an excellent source
rock of lower Kharita.
Very high gas readings were recorded (more than 30%)
while drilling L. Kharita shale & siltstones in Azhar field
which could be a gas producer in future by using
hydraulic frac.

43. Recommendations
The results of this work may be applied to the south for
hydrocarbon potential of other basins such as Minya &
Assyut of Upper Egypt.
Conduct required geological studies to evaluate lower
Kharita shales & siltstones as gas producer
producer.
Re-evalute any dry hole well data in the light of applying
hydraulic frac. and in case of having encouraged
results, study the visibility of re-enter or drill a twin well.
Conduct hydraulic frac. in case of having poor oil rate or
oil slugs in the testing of an exploratory well .

44. Acknowledgement
This contribution reflects work carried out as
joint Exploration team between QPC, Dana
Petroleum and Apache. All staff involved are
acknowledged here for their in put and
g p
efforts. In closing EGPC, QPC, Dana
Petroleum and Apache Egypt management
are thanked for their in put and permission to
release this information
information.