Hydrocarbon potential of the upper cretaceous oil shale in Quseir-Safaga District, Egypt

Egypt has the 13th largest oil shale resource with its oil potential being much higher than 5.7 billion barrel oil equivalent (BBOE), most of which exists in Quseir-Safaga District in the Eastern Desert. This is larger than the country's conventional oil reserve (4.4 billion barrels). This study attempts to assess the hydrocarbon potential of the Upper Cretaceous oil shale units (Campanian - Maastrichtian Duwi Formation) of the Quseir-Safaga District, in the Eastern Desert in Egypt by Rock-Eval pyrolysis and LECO C 230 tests. The total organic carbon (TOC) values range from 1.07 to 15.90 wt. % (averaging 4.15 wt. %). The S2 values range from 0.63 to 102.31 mg hydrocarbon/g dry rock. This indicates that the petroleum potential varies widely across the samples from poor to excellent potential. The hydrogen index (HI) values range from 50 to 643 mg HC/g TOC. These values indicate that the sediments vary in their hydrocarbon fluid generating potential. Some are oil prone, others are gas prone and the rest have mixed oil and gas generating potential. The organic matter is predominantly kerogen II with some being of type III, mixed type II/III, type IV and one sample of type I. T_max values below 435° C and Production Indices <0.1 - suggest the source rock is immature and no hydrocarbon generation has occurred.