Petroleum system analysis of the northwestern part of the Persian Gulf, Iranian sector

All attempts to correlate the identified families to prospective source rocks failed due to substantial maturity differences between the oils and rock samples. Inversion correlation based on detailed isotopic and biomarker analyses, however, confirms that the carbonates and marls of the Neocomian and Albian Formations are the main oil-generating facies for families I and II, respectively. The geographical extension and composition of the identified oil families are highly affected by source rock facies distribution and migration pathways. 2D cross sections provided in the region indicate the dominance of lateral and vertical migration pathways from the Binak depression as the main hydrocarbon generation kitchen toward the structural highs in the study area.