1. The Middle Cretaceous
Carbonate Ramp
of the Northern Sinai
(Egypt)
Sequence Stratigraphy and Facies
Distribution
KONIDARI ELISSAVET
100352445

2. Contents
Setting of North Sinai (Regional, Tectonic and Geological)
Mid-Cretaceous Carbonate ramp
Mid-Cretaceous rock units
Facies of carbonate ramp
Exploration of H/C
Elements

3. Setting of North
Sinai
o Active seismic area (Middle Miocene rift, Northeastern Africa –
Arabian Peninsula)
o Tectonic processes because of Tethys
o The Carbonate platform covered Sinai’s peninsula (Cenomanian
sea level rise)
o Excellent wide lateral extended outcrops
o North - Mediterranean Sea
o South – South Sinai
o West – Port Said and Channel Suez
o East – Gaza and Israel
o Area 27,500 sq.km

4. oGradual Lateral Deepening to the North(Upper Aptian to
Albian)
oNorth dipping ramp geometry with a shelf break (inner
ramp)
oOrganic barriers, shoals (high energy), shoreface deposits
and subtidal (low energy)
oContinuous transgressive systems resulted in a shallow shelf
geometry
oMid-Albian – Cenomanian sea level rise(shallow marine)
o southward extension of the ramp
o shift of the shoreline
o flooding of a delta system
Mid – Cretaceous carbonate
ramp
Fig. 1. Early Aptian palaeoenvironments redrawn from Masse et al.
(1993) where carbonate platform depositional environment took place

5. Paleogeographical maps to illustrate the Late Aptian and Late
Cenomanian environments of deposition.
The carbonate ramp of the northern Sinai passed laterally
into a carbonate platform with a steeply inclined slope
further northeast (Sass & Bein 1982).
Explanation:
1, exposed swell
2, terrestrial realms marked by fluvial sandstones
3, deltaic sediments
4, inner platform-ramp with siliciclastic deposits
5, inner platform-ramp with mixed carbonate-siliciclastic
deposits
6, inner platform-ramp with carbonate deposits
7, inner ramp with carbonate shoals (northern Sinai)
8, platform margin with reefs (northern Israel)
9, platform slope-mid- and outer ramp
10, basin
11, position of the sections.

6. o Lower delta dominated ramp
o Unit A - Malha Formation
o Upper Aptian-Lower Albian
o Marine carbonates with siliciclastics , sandstones and limestones
o Upper carbonate ramp
o Unit B - Galala Formation
o Middle Albian-Cenomanian
o Overlies the Malha formation
o Low and high energy conditions
o Different facies (lagoonal , tidal and open-marine)
o Lower part consists of sand bodies with calcareous mudstones, shales and
limestones with plant remains and oysters
o Middle and upper parts comprise fossiliferous limestone, marls and mudstones
o Fossils: benthic foraminifera, ostracodes, palynomorphs(strongly oxidizing
bottom water in shallow marine environment or a later weathering), rudist
biostromes, gymnosperms, ferruginous ooids
Mid-Cretaceous Units

7. o Middle Albian – low sediment accumulation
rate
o Early Cenomanian 4 times higher
sedimentation
o Upper Albian: strong dolomitization – Defined
boundary by foraminifera – 24 microfacies
o Cenomanian : eustasy and redusing of the
extentional tectonic influenced North Sinai
o Cenomanian: delta progradation,
karstification, retrogradation of the shoreline
and ferruginous ooids are related to the
humid climate of this period
Mid-Cretaceous Units

8. Facies of Carbonate
Ramp
Characterized by 5 different facies from proximal to distal ramp
1.Tidal Environment: alteration of dolomites with mudstones,
wackestones with bioclasts and ooids and marls
2.Inner Ramp: wackestones with small benthic foraminifera, gastropods,
packstones and marls with oysters and gastropods
3.Shallow Ramp: Alteration of wackestones and packstones(influence of
wave activity), fine grained bioclasts with bivalves, coarser packestones
with enriched in echinoids which indicate moderate – low energy
depositional environment, rudist biostrome and oolithic grainstones
4.Shoals: Massive beds with lateral thinning and thickening, cross-
bedding with low angle, oolithic grainstones with 90% of ooids,
echionoids, bivalves, gastropods and bryozoans , high energy barrier
shoal
5.Mid-Ramp: Marls with limestones, laterally change into wackestones
and mudstones with foraminifera and echinoids

9. Exploration of
H/C
o1910 Beginning of exploration
o4 major sequences in North Sinai
oPaleozoic , marine environment
oTriassic to Early Cretaceous ,marine(deep and shallow)
and continental environment
o (source, reservoir and seal)
oUpper Cretaceous-Late Eocene (Carbonates-potential
reservoir)
oOligocene-Late Miocene, absence of rock because of
the Gulf of Suez rifting, two formation during Miocene
oHigh tectonic acitivity – produce of carbonate
reservoirs, evaporite seals and favorable traps

10. Elements
oSource rock
o Jurassic shale
o Kerogen Type II-III (oil and gas)
o TOC 2%
oReservoir rock
o Late Cretaceous carbonate
o Matulla formation(Unit B)
o 13% porosity
o 81md permeability
o 30billion cf of gas
o Trap rock
o Paleocene shale(Esna)
o Vertical seal
o Normal faults –effective sealing mechanism
o Traps
o Structural(anticlines)
o Stratigraphic(reservoir embedded in fine
grained shaly - silty rock, anhydrite)
o Combination

11. It is fair to say that the north Sinai remains high in H/C exploration with
many untested plays because do not forget that…….wars smell like OIL….
Thank you…

12. References
• Alsharhan A.S. et al. (1996), “Geologic setting and hydrocarbon potential of north Sinai,
Egypt”, BULLETIN OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY VOL 44, NO.4, P 615-631
• Bachmann M. et al.(2003), “Timing of Mid-Cretaceous carbonate platform depositional
cycles, northern Sinai, Egypt”, Elsevier 3135(2003)1-32
• Bachmann M. et al. (1999), “The Middle Cretaceous carbonate ramp of the northern
Sinai:Sequence stratigraphy and facies distribution”, Geological Society, London, Special
Publications 1998, v.149, p. 253-280
• El Beialy et al. (2010), “Palynology of the Mid-Cretaceous Malha and Galala Formations,
Gebel el Minshera, North Sinai, Egypt”, Palaios 2010 v.25, p.517-526