oa Tectonic, Depositional, and Thermal History of the Levantine Basin Resulted in Numerous Structural and Stratigraphic Plays

The tectonics, deposition and thermal history of the Levantine Basin was conducive to the generation,<br>expulsion and migration of hydrocarbons; as indicated by many hydrocarbon shows and a recent major<br>gas discovery in the basin. Tectonics and deposition have led to the formation of numerous unexplored<br>structural and stratigraphic traps including: anticlines, flower structures, reefs, talus, turbidites, and<br>stratal pinchouts adjacent to salt. Traps are ubiquitous in the 15 km thick stratal package of the<br>Levantine Basin, many with direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHI's) including flat spots, bright spots and<br>gas chimneys with positive play potential. Tectonics in the Levantine Basin followed a similar<br>progression to that of the rest of the Southern Tethyan Margin; rift-extension followed by passive<br>margin and then compression beginning in the Late Cretaceous with the collision of the African-Arabian<br>Plate with the Eurasian Plate. These tectonic systems along with the reoccurring strike-slip activity<br>resulted in structural traps throughout the basin: anticlines and flower structures. One of the anticlinal<br>structures is a trap for the recent "giant" gas discovery from the Tamar Well (5+TCF gas). Deposition<br>in the basin was equally conducive to trap formation; several stratigraphic traps exist. Triassic salt<br>deposits (the Kurra Chine equivalent) likely extend well into the Levantine Basin; in fact, seismic<br>evidence indicates doming of the Triassic Salt through overlying strata and development of traps<br>adjacent to the salt. Jurassic to Early Cretaceous deposits are dominantly carbonate platform and<br>interplatform basins; carbonate platforms extend over 200km to the north of the present southern<br>continental margin. The carbonate platforms, which are up to 75 km in diameter, contain several<br>stratigraphic traps in the form of reefs atop the platform and the talus and turbidites adjacent to the<br>platform core. Late Cretaceous chalk deposits that onlap anticlines in addition to the Paleocene and<br>Oligocene turbidites complete the Pre-Messinian stratigraphic traps.