Work

Reservoir assessment, source rock evaluation, and 1D basin modeling in Azraq, Dead Sea, Sirhan, Jafr, and Risha basins, Jordan

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents a coherent petrophysical analysis of selected wells in the Azraq, Dead Sea, Sirhan, and Risha basins to define reservoir quality and hydrocarbon prospectivity in diverse geological settings. The application of a consistent set of petrophysical cutoffs enabled the systematic identification and delineation of pay intervals in terms of effective porosity, shale volume, fluid saturation, and net pay thickness, providing a robust basis for comparative assessment and prospect ranking. In total, more than 260 m of combined net pay have been assessed and characterized within the Paleozoic to Eocene interval of the studied wells from four different basins. Based on limited thin sections, quick look petrographic characteristics were evaluated. The assessment of source rocks based on Rock Eval pyrolysis data revealed that the potential source rocks are the Ghareb and Wadi Essir formations in the Azraq Basin, the Mudawwara Formation in the Risha, Jafr, and Sirhan basins, and the Dubeidib and Hiswa formations in the Sirhan Basin. The estimated transformation ratio, along with the timing of maturation relative to trap formation and migration pathways, provided a critical discriminator for determining which source intervals are likely to have contributed to the commercial charge. The integrated geochemical and basin‑modeling results emphasized that successful charge prediction requires coupling kerogen quality with robust maturity and burial histories. This cross-basin comparison study highlights the importance of integrating petrophysical analysis with source rock evaluation in informing exploration plans, identifying sweet spots, and managing reservoirs in geologically complex regions.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-52646-w