Investigation of the Geochemical Properties and Origin of the Crude Oils Accumulated in the Mishrif Reservoirs in the Zubair, Halfaya, and Buzurgan Oilfields, Southern Iraq

Abstract

The Mishrif Formation is among southern Iraq's most important reservoirs, which contains a third of the oil in the Cretaceous reservoirs, which is a broad carbonaceous succession in Iraq and the surrounding area. For detecting differences in the geochemical characteristics of crude oil, three crude oil samples were obtained from the Mishrif carbonate reservoir intervals in the Cretaceous at the Zubair, Halfaya and Buzurgan oilfields in southern Iraq. Analyses utilize API gravity, sulfur concentration, Gc, Gc/MS, and bulk carbon isotope compositions. The low API (23 to 28) and high sulfur content (4.45 to 5.36 wt%) of the oils studied can be linked to the deposition of a marine carbonate environment under sulfate-reducing environments. The anoxic, non-biodegradation, organic matter type II-S, marine carbonate depositional was indicated by the pristane/ nC17 (0.16 to 0.26), phytane/ nC18 (0.29 to 0.31), narrow Pr/Ph ratio range from 0.76 to 0.78, high C29/C30 hopane ratios of 1.01–1.71, and low C26/C25 tricyclic terpene ratios in the related source-rock. TAS3 (CR) ratios of 0.33 to 0.36, C27 Ts of 0.18 to 0.22, and 29 sterane 20S/20R sterane ratios all refer to early maturity. Biomarker parameters and bulk carbon isotope values in the oil analysis match those found in the Sulaiy and Yamama sources of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous.