Multi-scale characterization of unconventional tight carbonate reservoir: Insights from October oil filed, Gulf of Suez rift basin, Egypt

The thick Eocene carbonate deposits that are newly ascribed as Radwany Formation (previously Thebes Formation) in the October basin within the Gulf of Suez region, are of particular interest for hydrocarbon exploitation. However, no efforts have been directed to investigate their petrophysical characteristics and pore system. This study aims to investigate the petrophysical characteristic, pore system and formation potentiality as a reservoir rock. Thirteen sidewall core samples and sixty thin sections from OCT-X well were studied in order to investigate the lithological characteristics, porosity network. In addition, well logging data and petrophysical and geochemical laboratories measurements including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) porosity technique were used to define the petrophysical characteristics. The investigated work revealed that: 1) the pore system is a combination of depositional and diagenetic processes. 2) the dominant porosity types include fracture, inter-particle, intra-particle and moldic porosity; NMR indicates mesopores to macropores, 3) petrophysical evaluation and geochemical analysis indicates a self-sourced unconventional reservoir based on its organic richness characteristics unconventional resource opportunity as tight carbonate reservoir, 4) the basal part of the Radwany Formation has a high potential to store hydrocarbon, and it is a potential conventional resource. 6) The linking trends between the petrophysical parameters with sediment microfacies were defined in the studied section, where a significant increasing trend line has been inferred in the direction from wackestone microfacies to packstone microfacies. Finally, the diagenetic process through time has greatly controlled the petrophysical parameters of the Radwany Formation. The gap between Source and Reservoir rocks has been defined based on integrated geochemical and petrophysical characteristics. The studied section has unique multiscale characterization as unconventional and conventional resource.