Structural and Stratigraphic Evolution of El Arish Block, Offshore North Sinai

El Arish offshore block belongs to East Mediterranean passive continental margin and is located on the boundary between Levant basin, Nile cone and Sinai sub-plate. The structural evolution of the area can be considered taking place in two major stages, separated by Messinian event. Two corresponding megasequences show different structural styles. There are structural features that correspond to the regional geology, such as SW-NE trending inverted Jurassic – Late Cretaceous half-grabens, as well as previously unrecognized ones. One of the examples is Pelusium shear zone, which was determined being active at Oligocene with sinistral strike-slip movement, reactivating the inverted structures and producing high narrow anticlines. NW direction of gravitational extension is also unusual for the area located closely to Nile delta. Sediment input from Nile had mostly played fewer role in the evolution of Post-Messinian sequence than the local source in SE. Strong inversion and strike-slip movement limited the hydrocarbon potential of the area, although there are some promising plays.