Inverted basin analysis and geological modeling, Razzak Oil Field, Western Desert, Egypt

This paper deals with a geological modeling based on seismic and well data of the Razzak Oil Field, located in northwestern desert of Egypt aimed mainly at improving the knowledge on inversion tectonics in the sedimentary basin corresponding to the oil field. Contour maps of significant seismic horizons corresponding to the top of Meso-Cenozoic formations which represent the stratigraphic traps of the oil field (top Apollonia, top Abu Roash “G,” top Bahariya, and top Alamein) are presented. The final model consists of geological cross-sections showing the inversion basin in the Razzak Oil Field. From the seismic data interpretation and modeling, we have different results matching with regional tectonic and transcurrent motion model. There are two main fault trends: the first one was northeast–southwest matching the Jurassic rift where the Jurassic is characterized by normal faults that formed in conjunction with the opening of the Neo-Tethys, and the other fault trend is northwest–southeast matching with Cretaceous faults. This is followed by a period of compressive tectonism (Syrian Arc deformation) in which two of the Jurassic normal faulted blocks (one at the northern part and the other at the southern part of the Qattara–Alamein ridge in the Razzak field) are reactivated as reverse faulted by Eocene–Early Oligocene time.