Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Salinity mapping model and brine chemistry of Mishrif reservoir in Basrah oilfields, Southern Iraq

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cation and anion concentrations and boron isotopic ratio of brines in the Mishrif Formation (U. Campanian-Tuoronian) from North Rumaila, South Rumaila, Majnoon, Zubair, and West Qurna oilfields southern Iraq were investigated. The aims of this study are to define the type, origin of the oilfield waters, and its flow model in the subsurface oil traps. Mishrif brines are characterized by having higher concentrations of sodium (50,500–84,200 ppm), chlorine (102,100–161,500 ppm), and boron (21.9–31.1 ppm) with lower sulfate contents (187–1350 ppm) relative to the modern seawater. Samples have slightly depleted in δ 11B (35.4‰) relative to seawater fall near the seawater intrusion of the diagram Cl/Br Vs δ 11B and occupied the field of evaporated seawater on the diagrams of Cl vs B and 1/Br vs δ 11B. The brine of Na-chloride type is characteristics of the Mishrif reservoir in all oilfields except WQ which defined by facies of Na-Ca-chloride type. A weak acidic brine of a salinity six-time greater than seawater plays a role in generating the formation pressure and controlling the fluid flow. The reservoir rock-fluid interactions were interpreted using boron isotopes which eventually reveal an ongoing dilution process by the present seawater intrusion and injection water used for the secondary production under conditions of high-temperature digenetic reactions. The 11B in the oilfield water is resulted from uptake of the tetrahedral borate after precipitation of calcium carbonate, while 10B is sourced from the thermal maturation of organic matters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alkersan H (1975) Depositional environments and geological history of the Mishrif Formation in Southern Iraq. 9th Arab Petroleum Congress, Dubai, UAE, paper 121 (section 3): 1–18

  • Al-Khafaji JL (2003) Hydrochemistry and hydrodynamics of oil field brines of cretaceous reservoirs in oilfields-south Iraq. Ph.D. Thesis, College of Science, Baghdad University, 277P

  • Al-Muttory WG (2002) Structure and Tectonism of Jabal Sanam Southern Iraq. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Basrah - College of Science – Department of Geology, Iraq, (In Arabic)

  • Aqrawi AA, Thehni GA, Sherwani AD, Kareem BM (1998) Mid cretaceous rudist-bearing carbonates of the Mishrif formation: an important reservoir sequence in the Mesopotamian Basin. J Pet Geol 21:57–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Awadh SM (2018) Physico-chemical characterization and salinity distribution of the oilfield water in the upper member of Zubair sandstones in Rumaila north oilfield, southern Iraq. Iran J Oil Gas Sci Technol 7(1):20–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Awadh SM, Al-Yaseri AA, Hussein AR (2014) The influence of kaolinite and pH on permeability in the Zubair reservoir in the north Rumaila oilfield, southern Iraq. Iraqi J Sci 55(2B):780–789

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchette TP (1993) Mishrif formation (Cenomanian-Turonian), southern Arabian gulf: carbonate platform growth along a cratonic basin margin. In J.a.T. Simo, R.W. Scott and J.P. masse (Eds.), cretaceous carbonate platforms. AAPG Mem 56:185–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Boschetti T, Toscani L, Shouakar-Stash O, Iacumin P, Venturelli G, Mucchino C, Frape SK (2011) Salt waters of the northern Apennine Foredeep Basin (Italy), origin and evolution. Aquat Geochem 17:71–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boschetti T, Etiope G, Pennisi M, Romain M, Toscani L (2013) Boron, lithium and methane isotope composition of hyper alkaline waters (northern Apennines, Italy): terrestrial serpentinization or mixing with brine. Appl Geochem 32:17–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buday T, Jassim SZ (1987) The Regional Geology of Iraq, Vol .2, Tectonism, Magmatism and metamorphism. S.E. Geol. Surv. Min. Invest. Baghdad, Iraq, 33P

  • Buday T (1980) The regional geology of Iraq. Vol. 1: Stratigraphy and Paleogeography, Publications of Geosurvy, Baghdad, 445P

  • Catanzaro EJ, Champion CE, Garner EL, Malinenko G, Sappenfield KM, Shields WR (1970) Boric acid; isotopic and assay standard reference materials. US national Bureau of Standards Special publication 260–17. US GPO, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao HC, You CF (2006) Distribution of B, cl and their isotopes in pore waters separated from gas hydrate potential areas, offshore southwestern Taiwan. Terr Atmos Ocean Sci 17(4):961–979

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins AG (1975) Geochemistry of oilfield waters. Development in petroleum science. Elsevier Sci. Publ. Co, Oxford - New York 464P

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis SN, Dewiest RJ (1966) Hydrogeology. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York 463P

    Google Scholar 

  • Deyhle AA, Kopf S, Frape SF, Hesse R (2004) Evidence for fluid flow in the Japan Trench forearc using isotope geochemistry (Cl, Sr, B): results from ODP Site 1150. Isl. Arc (13): 258–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunnington HV, Wetzel R, Morton DM (1959) Mesozoic and Paleozoic: In: van Bellen, R.C., Dunnington, H.V., Wetzel, R. and Morton, D.M., 1959; Lexique Stratigraphique International III Asie, International Geological Congress Commission on Stratigraphy, Paris. 333p

  • Faure G (1986) Principles of isotope geology: New York, John Wiley and Sons, 589p

  • Fleischer M (1962) Recent estimates of the abundances of the elements in the earth’s crust. US Geol Surv Circ 285:9

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurevich AE, Chilingar GV, Aminzadeh F (1994) Origin of the formation fluid pressure distributions and ways of improving pressure prediction methods. J Pet Sci Eng 12:67–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hem JD (1989) Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water: U.S. Geol Surv Water-Supply Paper 2254:263

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemming NG, Hanson GN (1992) Boron isotope composition and concentration in modern marine carbonate. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 56:537–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivanov VV, Barvanon LN, Plotnikova GN (1968) The main genetic type of Earth' crust mineral water and their distribution in the USSR. Inter Geol Cong Of 23rd session, Czechoslovakia 12:33

    Google Scholar 

  • Jafar MS (2010) Hydrocarbon sources and oil accumulations in Cenomanian-Early Turonian Mishrif Formation reservoir in selected oilfields, southern Iraq, Ph.D thesis , University of Baghdad, 221P

  • Jamil AK (2004) Hydrochemical indices for the prospecting of hydrocarbon and native Sulphur deposits. Iraqi J Earth Sci 4(2):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason B (1966) Principles of geochemistry. John Wiley and Sons. N.Y, New York 329P

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirnejad H, Sisakht V, Mohammadzadeh H, Amini AH, Rostron BJ, Haghparast G (2010) Major, minor element chemistry and oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of Marun oil-field brines, SW Iran: source history and economic potential. Geol J 46(1):1099–1034

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen RM, Nasr SN (1958) Stratigraphy of the Kuwait Basrah area. In: Weeks LG (ed) Habitat of oil. AAPG, Tulsa, pp 1252–1278

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer MR, Swihart GH (1996) Boron isotope geochemistry: an overview. In: boron mineralogy. Petrology and geochemistry (eds GrewES, AnovitzLM). Rev Mineral 33:709–744

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiu XW (2008) Characteristics and forming environments of tuffs in Yanchang formation in Ordos Basin. Northwest University Master’s Dissertation

  • Rosman KJR, Taylor PDP (1998) Isotopic compositions of the elements 1997. Pure Appl Chem 70:217–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selley RC (1998) Elements of petroleum geology. Academic press, London 470P

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherwani GH, Mohammad IQ (1993) Sedimentological factors controlling the depositional environment of Cenomanian Mishrif formation, southern Iraq. Iraqi Geol J 26:122–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Sissakian VK, Abdul Ahad AD, Al-Ansari N, Knutsson S (2017) Geomorphology, geology and tectonics of Jabal Sanam, southern Iraq. J Earth Sci Geotech Eng 7(3):97–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Vengosh A, Starinsky A, Kolodny Y, Chivas AR, Raab M (1992) Boron isotope variations during fractional evaporation of sea water: new constraints on the marine vs. non-marine debate. Geology 20:799–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams LB, Hervig RL, Holloway JR, Hutcheon I (2001b) Boron isotope geochemistry during diagenesis. Part I. experimental determination of fractionation during illitization of smectite. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 65:1769–1782

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams LB, Hervig RL, Wieser ME, Hutcheon I (2001a) The influence of organic matter on the boron isotope geochemistry of the gulf coast sedimentary basin, USA. Chem Geol 174:445–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao Y, Sun D, Wang Y, Qi H, Jin L (1992) Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in Da Qaidam Lake, Qinghai, China. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 56:1561–1568

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the South Oil Company for providing us with the oilfield water samples and necessary pressure and temperature values. Our thanks also send to the staff of the ALS laboratory group in Spain and Sweden for conducting the chemical analysis of oilfield waters and boron isotopes, respectively.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, POB 47182, Baghdad, Iraq

    Salih Muhammad Awadh & Heba S. Al-Mimar

  2. South Oil Company, Basrah, Iraq

    Abdullah A. Al-Yaseri

Authors
  1. Salih Muhammad Awadh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Heba S. Al-Mimar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abdullah A. Al-Yaseri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Salih Muhammad Awadh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Awadh, S.M., Al-Mimar, H.S. & Al-Yaseri, A.A. Salinity mapping model and brine chemistry of Mishrif reservoir in Basrah oilfields, Southern Iraq. Arab J Geosci 11, 552 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3908-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3908-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation