Characterising regional evaporite seal for hydrocarbon and CO2 storage – Upper Jurassic, Arab-Hith formations, Saudi Arabia

At KAUST in the Fall of 2022 we drilled 390 m of core that spans the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous. The formations include: the Sulaiy, Hith, Arab and top of the Jubaila Formation. The Hith and Arab formations consist and contain important evaporite deposits that act as regional seals. Many of the world’s largest hydrocarbon accumulations in Saudi Arabia and the region (such as the Ghawar field) are contained within these seals. As the energy transition is becoming increasingly significant, the importance of these seals for CO2 storage is also being considered. Characterising these evaporite seals based on their sedimentology, geochemistry and geomechanical properties is essential in order to assess their lateral continuity and sealing capacity, and thus their ability to act as seals for CO2 storage sites. This presentation will present the results obtained from the core regarding the formation thickness and sedimentology, as well as additional geochemical and rock mechanical properties from experimental lab analysis carried out at the ANPERC research lab for Petroleum Engineering at KAUST.