Plankton, the Fuel of War: The Origin and Development of Iraqi Oil
Dec 16, 2015
Plankton, the Fuel of War:The Origin and Development of Iraqi Oil
Plankton, the Fuel of War:The Origin and Development of Iraqi Oil
Lecture Outline
• Introduction
• Geologic development of Iraq and oil formation
• Tectonic history
• Sedimentation history
• Human history of oil production in Iraq
• Current trends in oil and gas use
• Introduction
• Geologic development of Iraq and oil formation
• Tectonic history
• Sedimentation history
• Human history of oil production in Iraq
• Current trends in oil and gas use
This ad for the Chevron-Texaco 1936 marketing merger featured a processing plant built in Bahrain
Folds in Sedimentary Layers Can Trap Oil
Oil migrates from a source rock into a trap in a reservoir rockOil migrates from a source rock into a trap in a reservoir rock
Requirements for Formation of Oil and Gas Deposits
• Source RockSource Rock - sedimentary strata rock rich in organic matter - sedimentary strata rock rich in organic matter typically shale or limestonetypically shale or limestone
• Thermal maturation and migrationThermal maturation and migration - Source rock is heated to - Source rock is heated to 90 to 15090 to 150ooC to convert organic solids into liquid hydrocarbon (oil C to convert organic solids into liquid hydrocarbon (oil and natural gas)and natural gas)
• Reservoir RockReservoir Rock - Sedimentary rock in which oil accumulates; - Sedimentary rock in which oil accumulates; must contain abundant pore spaces;must contain abundant pore spaces; typically sandstone or limestonetypically sandstone or limestone
• Seal RockSeal Rock - Impermeable sedimentary strata that blocks upward - Impermeable sedimentary strata that blocks upward flow of oil; flow of oil; typically shale or evaporites (salt)typically shale or evaporites (salt)
• TrapTrap - Geometric arrangement of reservoir and seal rocks that - Geometric arrangement of reservoir and seal rocks that cause significant amounts of oil to accumulate in one areacause significant amounts of oil to accumulate in one area
• TimingTiming - Trap must form before thermal maturation and - Trap must form before thermal maturation and migration occursmigration occurs
PaleozoicPaleozoic255 Ma255 Ma• Arabia covered by Arabia covered by
Paleo-Tethys Sea Paleo-Tethys Sea (shallow)(shallow)
• Shale source rocks Shale source rocks accumulate in Saudi accumulate in Saudi ArabiaArabia
PaleozoicPaleozoic255 Ma255 Ma• Arabia covered by Arabia covered by
Paleo-Tethys Sea Paleo-Tethys Sea (shallow)(shallow)
• Shale source rocks Shale source rocks accumulate in Saudi accumulate in Saudi ArabiaArabia
Tectonic Development of Arabian Peninsula
Early TriassicEarly Triassic235 Ma235 Ma
• Persia rifts from Persia rifts from ArabiaArabia
• Arabia inundated Arabia inundated by Tethys Sea by Tethys Sea (shallow) (shallow)
Early TriassicEarly Triassic235 Ma235 Ma
• Persia rifts from Persia rifts from ArabiaArabia
• Arabia inundated Arabia inundated by Tethys Sea by Tethys Sea (shallow) (shallow)
Tectonic Development of Arabian Peninsula
Tethys Sea
JurassicJurassic195 Ma195 Ma
• Arabia Arabia covered by covered by shallow Seasshallow Seas
• Organic - rich Organic - rich limestone limestone source rocks source rocks accumulateaccumulate
JurassicJurassic195 Ma195 Ma
• Arabia Arabia covered by covered by shallow Seasshallow Seas
• Organic - rich Organic - rich limestone limestone source rocks source rocks accumulateaccumulate
Tectonic Development of Arabian Peninsula
Tethys Sea
Distribution Distribution of Jurassic of Jurassic
Source Source Rocks on Rocks on Arabian Arabian
PeninsulaPeninsula
From USGS Bull. 2202-E
CretaceousCretaceous95 Ma95 Ma• Arabia covered by Arabia covered by
shallow Seas, but shallow Seas, but Tethys Sea begins Tethys Sea begins to closeto close
• Limestone and Limestone and sandstone sandstone reservoir rocks reservoir rocks accumulateaccumulate
• Evaporite seal Evaporite seal rocks accumulaterocks accumulate
CretaceousCretaceous95 Ma95 Ma• Arabia covered by Arabia covered by
shallow Seas, but shallow Seas, but Tethys Sea begins Tethys Sea begins to closeto close
• Limestone and Limestone and sandstone sandstone reservoir rocks reservoir rocks accumulateaccumulate
• Evaporite seal Evaporite seal rocks accumulaterocks accumulate
Tethys Sea
Tectonic Development of Arabian Peninsula
Distribution Distribution of of
Cretaceous Cretaceous Seal Rocks Seal Rocks on Arabian on Arabian PeninsulaPeninsula
From USGS Bull. 2202-E
Early TertiaryEarly Tertiary35 Ma35 Ma
• Arabia collides Arabia collides with Persia and with Persia and AsiaAsia
• Zagros Mountains Zagros Mountains begin forming (+ begin forming (+ Alps through Alps through Himalaya)Himalaya)
• Anticline traps Anticline traps formedformed
• Oil migrates from Oil migrates from source rocks to source rocks to reservoir rocks reservoir rocks and accumulates and accumulates in trapsin traps
Early TertiaryEarly Tertiary35 Ma35 Ma
• Arabia collides Arabia collides with Persia and with Persia and AsiaAsia
• Zagros Mountains Zagros Mountains begin forming (+ begin forming (+ Alps through Alps through Himalaya)Himalaya)
• Anticline traps Anticline traps formedformed
• Oil migrates from Oil migrates from source rocks to source rocks to reservoir rocks reservoir rocks and accumulates and accumulates in trapsin traps
Tectonic Development of Arabian Peninsula
Overly Overly Deformed Deformed
and Uplifted and Uplifted RocksRocks
Insufficient Insufficient Accumulation of Accumulation of
Sedimentary RocksSedimentary Rocks
Oil was first discovered in the Middle East by George Reynolds (left) in 1908, working for a British Company
History of Middle Eastern Oil Development and Production
• Pre - WWI• 1908 - Oil discovered by British Interests in
Persia (Iran) after 5 - year search.
• Ottoman Empire (Iraq, Saudi Arabia) mostly unexplored for oil
• Post - WWI• Oil recognized by Europeans and U.S. as vital
to national security
• Ottoman Empire dissolved
• Oil discovered near Kirkuk in 1927
• Production volume split equally between Britain, France and U.S. by agreement
• 1938, oil discovered in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
• Pre - WWI• 1908 - Oil discovered by British Interests in
Persia (Iran) after 5 - year search.
• Ottoman Empire (Iraq, Saudi Arabia) mostly unexplored for oil
• Post - WWI• Oil recognized by Europeans and U.S. as vital
to national security
• Ottoman Empire dissolved
• Oil discovered near Kirkuk in 1927
• Production volume split equally between Britain, France and U.S. by agreement
• 1938, oil discovered in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
History of Iraqi Oil Development and Production
Two StagesTwo Stages
• 1925-19611925-1961
• Iraqi Petroleum Iraqi Petroleum Company, post Company, post WWI, moderate WWI, moderate development, development, most profits most profits taken abroad taken abroad (Britain)(Britain)
• 1968 - Present1968 - Present
• Iraqi National Oil Iraqi National Oil Company, rapid Company, rapid development, development, profits kept in profits kept in IraqIraq
From Graham, 2002
U.S. consumes 20 million bbl/day, 7 billion bbl/year
Iraqi Oil Fields
Two main Two main groupsgroups
• Basrah Basrah area in area in southeastsoutheast
• Kirkuk Kirkuk area in area in northnorth
U.S. Imports of Iraqi Oil
Iraqi Oil Exports• To the U.S.
• 800,000 bbl/day
• 8.5% of total U.S. imports
• 32% of Iraqi exports
• To other countries
• 1.5 million bbl/day to France, China and Russia
• 200,000 to 400,000 bbl/day smuggled to neighboring states
• Erratic Production Rates
From Graham, 2002
EstimatedReserves
• Proven reserves
• 112 (EIA, 2002) to 142 (Ibrahim, 1996) billion barrels
• Undiscovered reserves
• 45 (USGS) to 220 (EIA) billion barrels
Iraqi Oil Potential
From Graham, 2002
U.S. Oil Consumption Will Outpace Production
• Based on Based on trends over trends over past ten yearspast ten years
• U.S. U.S. consumption consumption will increase will increase by 6 million by 6 million bbl per daybbl per day
• U.S. U.S. production production will decrease will decrease by 1.5 million by 1.5 million bbl per daybbl per day
After Graham, 2002
Conclusions• Fortuitous geologic history gave Iraq
enormous oil reserves
• U.S. and global oil consumption will increase while production declines
• Iraq will play vital role in global economy