Brew, G. E., Litak, R.K., Seber, D., Barazangi, M., Sawaf, T., and Zaza, T

Brew, G. E., Litak, R.K., Seber, D., Barazangi, M., Sawaf, T., and Zaza, T.

Summary of the geological evolution of Syria through geophysical interpretation: Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

The Leading Edge, 16, 1473-1482, 1997

Abstract

Intracontinental deformation, caused by plate boundary processes, dominates the past and present tectonics of Syria (Figure 1). This deformation has created structures that form hydrocarbon traps in several different areas of the country. Current production from Syria is around 600,000 barrels per day and the country hosts ongoing exploratory efforts. Deformation within Syria can be conveniently divided into four zones (Figure 2): the Dead Sea fault system; the Palmyride fold and thrust belt; the Euphrates fault system; and the Abd el Aziz / Sinjar structures in the northeast of the country. Each of these areas have been, and continue to be, studied in detail by the Cornell Syria Project. The Syria Project is an industry sponsored collaborative program between Cornell and Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) scientists that uses diverse geophysical and geological data to analyze the tectonics of the northern Arabian platform.

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Copyright Statement

This paper was published in the journal The Leading Edge by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. SEG retains the copyright to this paper.

Brew, G. E., Litak, R. K., Seber, D., Barazangi, M., Sawaf, T., and Zaza, T., Summary of the geological evolution of Syria through geophysical interpretation: Implications for hydrocarbon exploration, The Leading Edge, 16, 1473-1482, 1997.

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Key Figures and Captions

Figure 6. Cross-section across the Euphrates graben. Location of cross-section is shown on Figures 2 and 5. This cross-section is constrained by seismic and well data. Note the numerous faults, with only the larger ones shown here, demonstrating the distributed nature of deformation in the graben. Dramatic thickening of the Upper Cretaceous strata indicates that the rifting was most active at this time, followed by a period of Paleogene post-rift subsidence.

Figure 8. Evolution of the northern Arabian platform.
Generalized isopachs and proposed tectonic setting of Syria and surroundings from Triassic to Recent. Present-day geography retained. AEA = Abd El Aziz.
a) Major deposition along the Levantine margin and within the Palmyride / Sinjar trough.
b) Decreased deposition on the Levantine margin, increased deposition in the Sinjar, southern Euphrates and Sirhan areas.
c) Collision along the northwest margin of Arabia leads to inversion of the Palmyrides and termination of rifting in the Euphrates.
d) Full-scale collision along the northern margin leads to transpression in the Palmyrides and Euphrates, and compression in the Sinjar and Anah areas.

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