PAKISTAN PETROLEUM EXPLORATION PROMOTION

CONFERENCE, 2012

MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Area: 2246.2 sq.km Prospectivity Zone: I

ABBOTTABADBLOCK

(3372-25)

Pakistan Exploration Promotion Conference 2012

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES

Abbotabad Block (3372-25)

INTRODUCTION

Abbottabad Block covering an area 2298 sq km is

located in Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra districts

of Khyber Pukhton Khwa Province (KPK). The block

falls in Prospectivity Zone I.

GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Tectonically, the Abbottabad Block is bounded by

Main Central Thrust (MCT) in the north, Main

boundary thrust (MBT) in the southeast and Indus

River in the west. This entire zone is part of the Lesser

Himalayas and structures are mainly developed by

compression. The northeast-southwest trending

Khairabad Fault runs across the Abbottabad Block.

Generally NE-SW trending folds are present, which

have been disrupted by dip-slip faults.

STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE

Stratigraphy of the area ranges from Infra-Cambrian to Mio-Pliocene. Precambrian to Eocene strata is

exposed in various parts of the the block area. Northern part of the block is comprised of granite and

metamorphic rocks of Cambrian age. Permian to Eocene sedimentary sequence is present in the southern

portion of the block area.

PETROLEUM GEOLOGY

As the area is virgin, the petroleum plays can only be described as analogous to the Kohat-Potwar Basin.

In the block area Permian-Eocene prolific sequence is present which is proven in Kohat Plateau, to have

dynamic petroleum system comprising all the necessary ingredients for the generation and accumulation

of hydrocarbons.

SOURCE

A number of source horizons are present in the area, which includes Infra-Cambrian, Paleozioc, Jurassic

(Datta Formation), Cretaceous (Chichali Formation) and Paleocene (Patala Formation). The geothermal

gradient is 2.75 C/100 m. As the area is virgin, the maturity can be assumed as similar to the Kohat-

Pakistan Exploration Promotion Conference 2012

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES

Abbotabad Block (3372-25)

Potwar Basin. Maturity model of Manzalai-1

located in Kohat Plateau shows that the Base

of Datta Formation (Jurassic) had reached in

oil window at 4000m in Miocene time. The

Patala Formation from Panoba Village is

thermally mature (Tmax 446 C to 448 C)

and is in early oil window. Rock-Eval Tmax of

the Chichali Formation is 439 C to 446 C

showing that the sediments in the Chichali

Formation are in early oil window in the

Chanda Field.

RESERVOIR

Cambrian Sandstones, Permian Tillites (Tobra

Formation), Datta Formation (Jurassic),

Huangu & Lockhart Formations (Paleocene),

Sakesar & Chorgali Formations (Eocene) are

the proven reservoirs in the Kohat Plateau.

SEAL

The interbedded shales of the Cambrian, Permian, Jurassic (Data Formation), Cretaceous (Chichali

Formation) and Eocene (Kuldana Formation) are proven cap rocks in Potwar area. It is quite possible that

these rocks may act as cap rocks in the Abbottabad area.

TRAPPING MECHANISM

Faulted anticlines may provide trapping

mechanism for the accumulation of

hydrocarbons in the block area.