Hydrocarbon Prospect Evaluation Study of Joyamair Area, Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan (P-1238) (MFN 8066)

Abstract

The hunt for hydrocarbon exploration in Pakistan was started in 1868, when the first drilling was made at Kundal near Mianwali, that is sustain till present. The first merchandising was achieved in 1915, with the drill of Khaur-01. Most of the rocks in Pakistan are sedimentary and are rich in petroliferous content. The main aim of petroleum companies is to look for structural and stratigraphic traps where most of the hydrocarbons accumulate. In Pakistan these structures are present in areas of intense folding and faulting i.e. Potwar area. There is likelihood of major discoveries, either in on-shore or off-shore areas, is considered quite resourceful (Shami and Baig, 2002). Geophysicists have been trying for petroleum exploration since long time ago and developed many techniques for hydrocarbon exploration. Seismic Reflection technique is use for deeper hydrocarbon exploration. Petroleum geologists make mention of specific set of geological course of study that are used for hydrocarbon exploration. Geophysical methods are used to study earth’s interior. These methods are used to take measurements at or near Earth’s surface for analysis that can reveal both lateral and vertical changes in physical properties of earth’s subsurface. Logs such as electrical, nuclear and acoustic have been used to study these variations (Shami and Baig, 2002). 1.2 Introduction to study area The Joyamair fields lies in the south-southeast of the Salt Range-Potwar foreland basin (SRPBF) in the Chakwal District of Punjab. It is the outcome of tertiary Himalayan collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate in late Eocene and is designated by number of reverse and thrust faults which created the structural hydrocarbons traps. Joyamair structure is a result of combination of thrust and backthrust, forging a triangular zone at subsurface. This triangular zone is the consequences of two phases of Himalayan thrusting. The Salt Range forms its decollement surface. Stratigraphically it is composed 2 of a petroleum play in which Patala Formation of Paleocene age act as a source rock while Chorgali Formation and Sakesar Limestone of Eocene age are two major reservoirs here and Murree Formation of Miocene age act as a seal for this petroleum play