Preliminary Biofacies Studies of the Ratawi, Minagish and Makhul Formations Kuwait: The Search for the Subtle Trap

The Berriasian to Hauterivian stages of the Lower Cretaceous succession in the State of Kuwait are dominated by relatively shallow marine carbonates of the Makhul, Minagish and Ratawi formations. Exploration for hydrocarbons in Kuwait has during the last 75 years concentrated on the search for structural traps. It has only been in the last 10 to 15 years that effort has been given to the search for the more subtle stratigraphical plays and traps. The pursuit of the stratigraphical trap in the Lower Cretaceous Makhul (Tithonian in part), Minagish and Ratawi formations of Kuwait relies therefore upon the interpretation and thorough understanding of the large amount of data generated from the preceding structural phase of exploration. One interpretation technique is the integration of biofacies analysis data (from core thin sections) with geological core derived data (sedimentology, lithofacies and petrology) and with wireline logs