Comparative petroleum systems analysis of the interior basins of Turkey: Implications for petroleum potential

The interior basins of Turkey remain effectively unexplored and their petroleum systems are poorly understood. This paper presents a comparative summary of the geological evolution, petroleum potential and prospectivity of the Central (Tuz Gölü, Sivas and Çankırı) and East Anatolian (Muş-Hınıs, Pasinler-Horasan and Tercan-Aşkale) basins using geological, seismic, geochemical and petrophysical data, and a series of quantitative basin models. The studied basins are ranked on the basis of source effectiveness, reservoir quality, seal efficiency, and the timing of hydrocarbon expulsion and migration relative to trap formation. A qualitative risk assessment, based on the elements of the petroleum system, is used to evaluate the likelihood of hydrocarbon discovery in each of the basins. This study shows that the chance of hydrocarbon discovery in the East Anatolian basins is unlikely-very unlikely and Tuz Gölü, Sivas and Çankırı basins are equally likely/unlikely-unlikely, likely and unlikely, respectively. Heavy oil and minor gas associated with two mature petroleum systems were discovered in the Tuz Gölü basin. Various trap forming mechanisms such as salt tectonics and Middle Eocene compression, accompanied by the effective sealing capacity of the Eocene evaporites favor the hydrocarbon exploration potential of the Tuz Gölü basin. The highest exploration risk in the Tuz Gölü basin arises from the poor quality sandstone reservoirs. The biggest risk factor in the Eastern Anatolian basins is insufficient thermal maturity, despite the presence of good quality source rocks. The Sivas basin is one of the most promising interior basins of Turkey due to the presence of multiple mature petroleum systems and high quality reservoirs. There is a high chance of accumulation of multi-phase hydrocarbons in the Eocene and Miocene traps. The major problem in the Sivas basin is the lack of an efficient seal rock. The Çankırı basin contains all of the necessary elements of an ideal petroleum system except the presence of an organic-rich source rock. Thus, the chance of hydrocarbon discovery in the Çankırı basin is low.