The evolution of halite, solid bitumen and carbonate in the petroleum system of the South Oman Salt Basin

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This thesis deals with diagenetic and structural processes in the Late Precambrian to Early Cambrian Ara Group petroleum system of the South Oman Salt Basin (SOSB) and the Ghaba Salt Basin (GSB). The Ara hydrocarbon play is constituted by partly highly overpressured up to 150 m thick carbonate bodies (so-called ‘stringers’), which are source and reservoir rock at the same time. The stringers are fully enclosed by thick Ara salt diapirs, which form the bottom, side and top seal of this unconventional hydrocarbon system at burial depths of ~ 3 to 6 km. The evolution of reservoir quality of the stringers in the SOSB was investigated with special emphasis on the cementation of porosity by halite and solid bitumen as well as on the sealing capacity and rheology of the surrounding Ara salt. In addition, these findings were compared with data from the Ara Group, constituting six surface-piercing salt domes in the GSB (Northern Oman). Based on detailed microscopic investigations using differen

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