GeoArabia, Vol. 3, No.

4, 1998
Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

A New Look at the Middle to Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy,

Offshore Kuwait
Abdul Aziz Al-Fares
Kuwait Oil Company (KSC)
Mark Bouman and Pete Jeans
Shell International Exploration and Production B.V.

ABSTRACT

Offshore exploration in Kuwait commenced in 1961 with the award of a 5,600 square
kilometre offshore concession to Shell. Some 6,300 kilometres of 3-fold analogue seismic
were acquired in 1961, and 3 wells were drilled during 1962 and 1963. In the same
period, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) also drilled their first 3 offshore exploration wells.
In 1981, KOC embarked upon a second offshore exploration campaign, acquiring some
6,000 kilometres of seismic data and, during 1983 and 1984, drilling two wells. None of
these wells was a commercial discovery.

Between 1995 and 1997, an integrated team of KOC and Shell explorers undertook a
review of the hydrocarbon potential of Offshore Kuwait. In order to establish an
integrated sequence-stratigraphical framework for the prospective Lower to Middle
Cretaceous interval, a quantitative biostratigraphical study was made. Some 790
biostratigraphical analyses (10% core samples; 90% cuttings) from eleven wells were
carried out: the nanno-fossil data was particularly important in providing accurate
chronostratigraphical calibration, and this data has been used to constrain a “Time-
Rock Synopsis”.

KOC’s lithostratigraphical nomenclature proved to be basically sound and has been

maintained as the basis for the present stratigraphical framework. However, the study
revealed the existence of two substantial and hitherto unsuspected hiati: one between
the Ratawi and Zubair formations of Early Valanginian to Mid-Hauterivian age; and
the other, representing the whole of the Early Albian, within the Burgan Formation.
This latter result, if it can be further substantiated by more exhaustive study in the
onshore area, would neccessitate a re-definition of the Burgan Formation and the erection
of a new formation to describe the clastic sequence of Late Aptian age which lies between
the Early Albian hiatus and the top of the Shu’aiba Formation, and which has hitherto
been included within the Lower Burgan Formation.

INTRODUCTION

On 27 September, 1995, a Joint-Study Agreement was signed between Shell International Exploration
and Production B.V. and Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) whereby an integrated team of Shell and KOC
geologists and geophysicists was established in The Hague (The Netherlands) to undertake a review of
the hydrocarbon potential of Offshore Kuwait, including Kuwait Bay and Bubiyan Island (Figure 1).

The results of the Study regarding plays and prospectivity of the Offshore area are still deemed to be
confidential by both parties and so will not be discussed here. This paper, however, presents the results
of one aspect of the work, on the Cretaceous Stratigraphy of Offshore Kuwait, which has no
confidentiality implications and which, it is hoped, may be of interest to the wider community.

Prior to the discussion of the details of the work, overviews of the history of exploration of Offshore
Kuwait, and of the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of Kuwait through the Cretaceous, will be presented.

The standard international sub-division of the Cretaceous comprises of an Upper and Lower Cretaceous,
with the boundary being at the top of the Albian. However, in the Middle East a three-fold Cretaceous

543
Al-Fares et al.

30° 47° Ratqa Abdali 49° 30°

Raudhatain Behregan Sar
Ash-Shaham
Bubiyan
IRAQ Sabiriyah Island
Mutriba I N
Bahrah H
G
Nowruz
KUWAIT A Area of Study
Medina Abouzar
(Ardeshir)
Kuwait City F
Khashman B
Dharif C Figure 9
Rugei Abduliyah Ahmadi
Minagish D u re 2 Soroush
29°
Umm Gudair Burgan F ig Dorra (Cyrus) 29°

South Umm Gudair E

Khafji-Nowruz Esfandiar
oil well Arch Lulu
SAUDI-KUWAIT Hout
oil interpreted Burgan
productive PARTITIONED NEUTRAL ZONE
Arch Marjan
oil with gas show Wafra Zuluf
oil show Rimthan
gas show Fuwaris Khafji
oil with gas show South
Hamur
Dibdibah
plugged & abandoned
Ribyan
well with biostratigraphic Jauf Maharah Lawhah Hasbah
analyses
Safaniya
28° oil Sadawi
field 28°
gas field
SAUDI ARABIA 0 25
Harqus
Km
47° 48° 49°

Figure 1: Location map of Kuwait Offshore Study Area and location of wells from which samples
were taken for biostratigraphic analyses. The locations of the cross-section in Figure 2, and the
seismic line in Figure 9, are indicated.

sub-division has traditionally been used (Christian, 1997), with boundaries at the top of the Aptian
and at the top of the Turonian, respectively. This practice reflects, far more usefully, the tectono-
stratigraphic evolution of the area, and is maintained in this account.

HISTORY OF PREVIOUS EXPLORATION

A brief history of onshore exploration and an overview of the geology and oil fields of onshore Kuwait
is most recently provided by Carman (1996), whilst detailed accounts of the Burgan and Raudhatain
fields are presented by Brennan (1990a, b). The first, and arguably still the best, discussion of the
Tertiary and Cretaceous stratigraphy of Kuwait was provided by Owen and Nasr (1958). Yousif and
Nouman (1997) provide the latest overview of the Jurassic stratigraphy of Kuwait, whilst Khan (1989)
reviews the Permo-Triassic stratigraphy. An excellent list of additional references is provided by Carman
(1996).

Offshore exploration in the Northern Gulf commenced in the mid-1950s in the Partitioned Neutral
Zone of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the first offshore oil field was discovered in 1958 (Khafji: the
northern continuation of Saudi Aramco’s Safaniya field). Possibly prompted by this and by the IPAC
consortium’s exploratory activity in Iranian waters, offshore exploration in Kuwait commenced in
1961 with the award of a 5,600 square kilometre (sq km) offshore concession to Shell, of which the
eastern part of the area was effectively ‘off-limits’ due to boundary disputes between Kuwait, Iran,
and Saudi Arabia.

In 1961 Shell shot 6,300 km of 3-fold analogue seismic, from which it became apparent that the ‘open’
part of the concession comprised a gentle, north-easterly-dipping monocline, and the only three

544
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

West Greater Burgan Arch East

Well F
Minagish Burgan (projected) Khafji-Nowruz Arch
Well E
Coast
0 0
Neogene

1 Paleogene 1
?

2 Upper 2
Cretaceous

TD Middle
3 Cretaceous 3
Depth 2,765m Depth
(km) (km)
4 Lower 4
TD Cretaceous
TD Triassic 3,856m
TD
5 4,450m 4,457m Jurassic 5
Permian
Khuff 0 30
6 Basement 6
oil show oil Km
TD gas show gas + condensate
6,778m Vertical Exaggeration = 10 times
7 7

Figure 2: Geological cross-section, Kuwait Offshore and coastal area. For location see Figure 1.

48°00' 48°30' 49°00'

0

IRAQ
50

30°00' 30°00'
2,

N
0

2,500
60

oil
2,

2,40 00
0 2,7 well closed in
2,

interpreted productive
30
0

oil with gas show

2, oil show
20
0
2, plugged & abandoned
10
0 I H 2,7
00
2, Contour Interval
00
0 in metres (subsea)
0
2,40

1,900
2,700

G 2,6
2,800

00
2,900

3,00

3,100
0

29°30' 29°30'
0
1,80 A
0
70

3,00
1,

60

0
50
1,

1,

Kuwait City
B
F 2,80
1,6

0
00 0

2,5
C 75
1,4
0

2,70
KUWAIT 0
2,
60
0
2,50
2,40

0
2,300

0
00

2,20
00

1,2
0

D
1,3
40

29°00' 2, 29°00'
1,

10
0 0
10
1,
E
2,000

0 20
Km

48°00' 48°30' 49°00'

Figure 3: Kuwait Offshore: Depth Map, Top Ahmadi Formation (in metres subsea).

545
Al-Fares et al.

structures which could be identified were of very low relief, with mapped closures of less than 35
metres (m). These were drilled between 1962 and 1963. The least discouraging results were obtained
from the first well drilled, which tested at an initial rate of 720 barrels of oil per day (bopd) of 38°-40°
API oil from Lower Cretaceous Ratawi limestones. Unfortunately, production declined to only 103
bopd after 5 days. Only minor oil and gas shows were noted in the other two wells. All three wells
were abandoned. In the same 1962-63 period, KOC also drilled their first offshore exploration wells, in
the Bubiyan Island-Kuwait Bay area.

In 1981, the then-nationalised KOC embarked upon a second offshore and shallow-water exploration
campaign, acquiring some 6,000 km of seismic data. The new seismic data was interpreted in the light
of the results of the three Shell wells, and a detailed review was made of the stratigraphy and
hydrocarbon potential of Offshore Kuwait (Al-Kandari, 1981). Between 1983 and 1984, KOC drilled
two wells: the first, a follow-up of the Shell non-commercial discovery, was a dry hole with only
shows of oil; the second recovered a maximum of 420 bopd on test from the Minagish Formation.

0 Opening of Red Sea; Zagros Orogeny

10
ARABIA
20
30 20°
40 End Paleogene

50
End Cretaceous
60 10°
Zagros-Oman Ophiolite Emplacement
80 70
Rifting East Africa-Madagascar
200 End Triassic
90
210 End Jurassic EQUATOR
100
Opening of Equatorial Atlantic
220 110

230 10°

240 Opening of Neo-Tethys

20°
End Permian
250

260 'Hercynian' Orogeny

270
End Devonian 30°
360
280
370
End
290
Carboniferous 350
380
300
390 40° End Silurian
310
Cape Fold G 400
410 G 450
Belt Sutured 'Caledonian' Orogeny 420 430 440

Figure 4: Plate Wander Path (in red) for Kuwait, Late Ordovician to Recent. Numbers (in red)
indicate age in million years before present. Green ‘G’ indicates timing of Paleozoic glaciations
and the red hash marks ‘/ / / /’ indicate timing of periods of major rifting or deformation. Shell
internal compilation.

546
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

STRUCTURAL OVERVIEW OF THE KUWAITI OFFSHORE AREA

As shown by the geological cross-section and the seismic depth map (Figures 2 and 3), the structure in
Offshore Kuwait is dominated by a gentle regional dip to the north-east with no significant structuration
intervening between the Burgan Arch to the west, and the Khafji-Nowruz Arch to the east.
Consequently, all the offshore wells to date have been drilled on very low relief structures.

The most prominent offshore feature is the north-northeast-trending Khafji-Nowruz Arch, located in
the extreme east of the Kuwaiti Offshore. The structure plunges gently to the north-northeast; is
asymmetric with a steeper western flank; and, in common with the Burgan Arch, the upper part of the
Middle Cretaceous sequence appears to be truncated below the Base Upper Cretaceous Unconformity
over the structure. Structural growth is also apparent during Neogene times.

KUWAIT DURING THE CRETACEOUS: AN OVERVIEW

The geological history and stratigraphic succession of Kuwait has been determined by its location on
the north-eastern margin of the Afro-Arabian Plate, and by the motions and stresses (near and far-

NORTH 60°
AMERICA
50°

E U R A S I A
40°

30°

20°

10°

N E O - T E T H Y S

E Q U AT O R
A R A B I A
A F R I C A

10°
SOUTH
AMERICA

20°

30°
I N D I A

40°

50°

60°

Figure 5: Paleogeographic reconstruction, Late Cretaceous times (~85 Ma, approximating Base
Upper Cretaceous Unconformity time. Shell internal compilation).

547
Al-Fares et al.

EUSTATIC
CURVE
ERA/EPOCH TRADITIONAL THIS PAPER Ma (After Haq
et al., 1988)
+200 +100 0m

Turonian 90
Mishrif
Middle Cretaceous

Rumaila Mishrif
Cenomanian Ahmadi
Rumaila
Wara Ahmadi
Wara
Mauddud Mauddud 100

Burgan
Albian
Burgan ? ?

110

"Unnamed Clastics"

Aptian Shu’aiba Shu’aiba

120
Lower Cretaceous

Zubair
Barremian Zubair 130

Hauterivian Ratawi

Valanginian Minagish
Ratawi
140
Minagish
Berriasian Makhul Makhul

Upper Jurassic Hith Hith

150

Figure 6: Traditional Lower - Middle Cretaceous lithostratigraphy of Kuwait, and the revised
stratigraphy described in this paper, with the eustatic sea-level curve in red (after Haq et al.,
1988). Timescale is after Harland et al., 1990.

field) to which that plate has been subject throughout its evolution. Hence this overview will attempt
to place the key elements of Kuwait’s Cretaceous history in a global plate-tectonic context, as illustrated
in Figures 4 and 5.

At the beginning of Cretaceous times, Kuwait was located just north of the Equator, and the large scale
basin configuration had just changed from one of a differentiated passive-margin of shallow shelves
and deeper, intra-shelf basins which characterized the Jurassic (Murris, 1980) to that of a very low
relief passive-margin ramp setting, with the stable Arabian shelf passing northeastwards into the deeper
water realm of the Mesopotamian-Northern Gulf Basin. Although the location of the shelf-to-basin
transition oscillated through time with successive eustatic sea-level changes, the overall ramp
architecture remained little changed in Offshore Kuwait throughout the Cretaceous.

Consistent with its equatorial location throughout the Cretaceous, and the low-relief nature of the
Arabian margin, the Cretaceous succession in Offshore Kuwait is dominated by carbonates, generally
mud-supported (Figure 6). However, around 130 million years before present (Ma), the opening of the
South Atlantic, and then, some 25 Ma later, the opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean, induced a major
change in plate motion direction (Figure 4) with consequent impact, through far-field stresses, on the
Afro-Arabian Plate. Uplift of the cratonic hinterland of Arabia resulted in the flooding of the passive
margin with extensive tongues of deltaic, shallow-marine sands, forming the Zubair and Burgan
reservoirs, of Barremian-Early Aptian and Mid-Late Albian age, respectively. Reduced clastic influx,

548
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

48°00' 48°30' 49°00'

30°00'
800
IRAQ 30°00'
N

700 oil

90
well closed in

0
interpreted productive
oil with gas show
60
0

oil show

50
I H
plugged & abandoned
0
Contour Interval
in meters (subsea)

29°30' 29°30'
400
1,
10
0

1,
A

00
0
900
0
30
80
0
Kuwait City
B
F

70
C

0
KUWAIT
60
0
50
0
40
0

29°00' D 29°00'

30
0
E
20
0

0 20
Km

48°00' 48°30' 49°00'

Figure 7: Kuwait Offshore: Depth Map, Top Rus Formation (in metres subsea.)

coupled with rising sea-level, resulted in the re-establishment in Offshore Kuwait of cyclic carbonate-
shale deposition through the balance of the Middle Cretaceous.

At approximately 90 Ma, there occurred a pause in the steady northwards progress of Kuwait, which
reflects the onset of ophiolite obduction and nappe emplacement at the leading edge of the Arabian
Plate, the site of the present-day Zagros Suture. In Kuwait, this deformation reactivated older structural
features, and generated the Base Upper Cretaceous Unconformity, which downcuts progressively
towards the west and south, causing significant thinning and loss of section of the Middle Cretaceous
over the major anticlines of coastal Kuwait. Growth, though more subdued, of these major structures
continued throughout the Upper Cretaceous, which in Kuwait developed in a dominantly carbonate
shelf setting, whilst to the east, in the Mesopotamian-Northern Gulf Basin, a marl and shale-dominated
foredeep developed.

The effectiveness of far-field stresses as a mechanism for generating tectono-stratigraphic responses

over large areas of craton is illustrated by a comparison between Arabia and Central Africa. Guiraud
and Maurin (1992) describe two phases of intra-cratonic rifting from Central Africa which appear to
be co-eval with the Zubair and Burgan sand influxes of Arabia, and with the two-phase opening of the
Atlantic. In the reverse direction, the Santonian obduction event on the Arabian margin is co-eval with
the inversion of many of the Cretaceous rifts in Central Africa (Guiraud and Maurin, 1992).

549
Al-Fares et al.

Nanno
Age Formation Zones Nanno Events

Mishrif KN27
L. pseudoquadratus
Late R. undosus, O.perspicuum, A. albianus, B. enormis
A
G. theta, H. paleocaudiculus, P. constans
Cenomanian Middle

KN28
B O. partitum, R. achlyostaurion
Rumaila
B. hanckokii, G. nanum
C
Early
G. chiasta, G. praeobliquum
KN29
Rothia sp. (persistent), R. irregularis

Ahmadi KN30

N. fragilis

Late
Wara
Albian
KN31

Mauddud

Basal Late KN32 B. stenorhetha, B. bigelowi

to Burgan not older
Middle KN35
T. phacelosus P. cretacea

N. circularis, L. houghtonii
'Unnamed
Clastics'
Aptian KN40/
KN41
Shu'aiba

M. obtusus, D. lehmanii
Early Aptian KN42/
KN45
to F. biforaminis

Barremian KN46
Zubair N. circularis
W. manivitea
KN47
Hauterivian C. margerelii , C. margerelii grandis
KN48/
KN49

N. steinmannii minor, N. kamptneri minor,

D. rectus, N. quadratus

Valanginian Ratawi Frequent

Early KN50B
Shale Common
Abundant

Ratawi Limestone
N. neocomianus
KN51
Berriasian P. parvistellatus, P. maltica
KN52
Minagish P. senaria
KN53
C. mexicana minor
Tithonian Makhul JN1 N. steinmannii minor, N. kamptneri minor

Figure 8: Middle to Lower Cretaceous nanno-fossil zones and major nanno-fossil events, Offshore
Kuwait (after Varol Research, 1996).

550
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

Tectonic quiesence and shallow-water carbonate deposition characterized the Paleogene of Kuwait.
The onset, in Lower Miocene times, of the Zagros Orogeny, representing the final collision of Arabia
and Eurasia caused uplift and erosion in Kuwait, represented by the Top Dammam Unconformity
which shows truncation and gentle arching over most of the major oil fields, whilst the succeeding
development and infill of the Zagros foredeep generated the regional north-easterly dip which is such
a feature of the Offshore area today (Figure 7).

STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LOWER-MIDDLE CRETACEOUS SEQUENCE

Introduction

Given the low relief, monoclinal nature of much of Offshore Kuwait, it was felt that stratigraphic
trapping would provide the only possibility of significant hydrocarbon entrapment within the Lower-
Middle Cretaceous reservoirs (prolific producers in the Onshore fields). In order to explore for
stratigraphic traps, a high-resolution sequence-stratigraphic framework is essential, building on
quantitative biostratigraphical data in order to provide as detailed a chronostratigraphical and paleo-
environmental calibration of this sequence as possible.

Over 500 samples were collected from eleven wells (highlighted in orange in Figure 1): most of these
samples were split, and a total of some 790 biostratigraphic analyses were made, by Robertson Research
International Ltd. (foraminifera), and Varol Research (nannoplankton). Approximately 90% of the
samples analyzed were cuttings. Previous analyses commissioned by KOC on ostracod distribution
were re-evaluated by Lacustrine Basin Research (LBR).

This study is the first to utilize nannoplankton analysis on Kuwait samples, and the data so obtained
were crucial in providing accurate chronostratigraphical calibration, far more than would have been
obtained from the microfaunal data alone. A zonation scheme specific to Offshore Kuwait has been
developed (Figure 8). It utilizes a combination of global markers and local nanno-fossil events which
are consistently recognizable in the wells studied (Varol, 1996).

Results

The quantitative biostratigraphic data was plotted on a well-by-well basis and a well log and seismic
correlation framework established (Figure 9). From this it was apparent that the parallel reflection
geometry seen on the seismic data concealed no significant diachronicity in the investigated sequence,
and that KOC’s lithostratigraphical nomenclature was sound. Hence it was retained as the basis for
the Offshore stratigraphical framework. A new Time-Rock Synopsis (Figure 10) was constructed. The
parallel nature of the formation boundaries reflects the lack of diachronicity and the parallel nature of
the seismic reflections across the area.

Plotting of the biostratigraphic and well-data revealed the presence of two major disconformities/
hiati, with no data representing the Late Valanginian-Early Hauterivian, or Latest Aptian-Early Albian
being recorded. It was also apparent that the age and stratigraphic position of these gaps may have
been incorrectly identified in the past, namely:

(1) that the regionally-identified Aptian-Albian disconformity does not occur at the Burgan-Shu’aiba
contact, but within the lower part of the Burgan Formation, and that the basal shales of the Burgan
Formation lie below this hiatus, and are of Late Aptian age. The age control on the Lower Burgan
sands is poor, and the hiatus is assumed to lie just below the incoming of the massive Burgan
Fourth sands. The presence of a major hiatus at this time is attributed to the significant change in
plate motion that affected Arabia at ~110 Ma (Figure 4).

551
Al-Fares et al.

WELL C SYNTHETIC SEISMOGRAM

16 SP 16 RHO 16 DTC
-160 MV 40 1.95 2.95 140 40 Acoustic Synthetic
16 GR 16 ILD 16 RHO-EFLG 16 DTC-EFLG
Impedance Seismogram
0 GAPI 100 .2 OHMM 200 0 10 0 10
0
0

Dammam

Rus

2,000
Radhuma

0.5

4,000 Tayarat
TWO-WAY
TIME
(sec)
Qurna
DEPTH (Feet)

Hartha

6,000 Sadi 1.0

Mutriba

Mishrif
Rumaila

Ahmadi
Wara
8,000 Mauddud
Burgan

Shu'aiba 2.0
Zubair

10,000

Ratawi
Shale
Ratawi
Limestone
Minagish
12,000

Makhul

Figures 9a: Synthetic Seismogram for Well C, typical of Offshore Kuwait. The fine pink lines
represent formation boundaries; the heavier blue lines correspond to seismic reflectors or other
markers.

552
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

Well C Well B Well F

0 0
TOP DAMMAM / BASE NEOGENE

TOP RUS
RUS
0.5 0.5
TWO-WAY TIME (sec)

TWO-WAY TIME (sec)

BASE TERTIARY
TAYARAT

1.0 BASE HARTHA 1.0

BASE AHMADI
AHMADI Limestone

1.5 1.5

2.0 2.0

I H

G
Figure 9b : Seismic line, Offshore Kuwait, illustrating the
monoclinical nature of the offshore area between the Burgan and
A the Khafji-Nowruz Arches (Figure 1). The key interpreted reflections
correspond to the Middle Cretaceous Ahmadi, Upper Cretaceous
B F Tayarat and the Tertiary Rus formations. Blue vertical lines indicate
C bends in the seismic line (see inset map). The synthetic seismogram
for Well C is shown on Figure 9a.

(2) that the disconformity separating the Zubair and Ratawi formations is of Early Valanginian-Early
Hauterivian age, and not co-incident with the Hauterivian-Barremian boundary as previously
suggested. A hiatus of similar age is reported from southwest Iran by Shakib (in Simmons, 1994),
and corresponds to a major global eustatic sea-level lowstand.

Summary of the Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy

The Lower Cretaceous sequence of Kuwait ranges in thickness from 3,800 ft to 4,400 ft (Figure 11),
becoming thicker to the north-northeast as the Mesopotamian trough is approached. The sequence
can be sub-divided into two cycles:

Makhul, Minagish and Ratawi Formations

The sequence comprises a relatively featureless succession of mud-supported limestones and inter-
bedded shales. The Makhul Formation is composed of dense grey-dark grey limestones and interbed-
ded dark grey shales and averages 450 ft in thickness in the Offshore area. The succeeding Minagish
Formation ranges in thickness from 800 ft in the south of the area to 1,200 ft in the north and comprises
a sequence of grey argillaceous lime mud-wackestones with interbedded green-grey calcareous shales.
The oolitic grainstones that characterize this formation in Onshore Kuwait have not been encountered
in the Offshore. The Ratawi Formation is divided into two members, the Lower Ratawi Limestone and
the Upper Ratawi Shale, reflecting the proportion of lime mud-wackestone and calcareous shales and
marls in each unit, which average about 500 feet in thickness.

The environment of deposition based on ostracod analysis is overall inner shelf (i.e. low tide down to
~40 m) with a conjectural 20-50 m water-depth towards the north (Lacustrine Basin Research, 1996).

The age of the sequence is ?latest Tithonian to Early Valanginian (Varol Research, 1996).

Zubair, Shu’aiba and “Unnamed Clastics” Formations

High global sea-level prevailed during Late Hauterivian to Late Aptian but despite this, uplift of the
Arabo-Nubian craton resulted in the influx of the Zubair delta from the west, inundating the entire

553
 Al-Fares et al.

CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY AGE MINAGISH BURGAN WELL F KHAFJI-NOWRUZ

(after Harland et al., 1990) (Ma)
ARCH
Pliocene/Pleistocene
Pleistocene Unconformity Dibdibba
Miocene Lower Fars
Ghar

Oligocene Asmari
35

Eocene Dammam

TERTIARY
50 Rus
Radhuma
Paleocene
65
Maastrichtian Tayarat
Qurna

Campanian Hartha

Upper
Santonian Sadi
Coniacian Khasib Mutriba Base Hartha Unconformity
Turonian Base Khasib Unconformity Mishrif

554
Cenomanian Rumaila
Ahmadi
Wara Mauddud
100 Burgan
Albian

Middle
"Unnamed Clastics"

Aptian Shu'aiba

CRETACEOUS
Zubair
Barremian

Lower
Hauterivian
Valanginian
145 Minagish Ratawi
Berriasian Makhul
Tithonian 150
Upper Kimmeridgian Gotnia Figure 10: Stratigraphic
Oxfordian 157 Najmah Hith
Callovian Summary Profile across
Bathonian coastal and Offshore
Sargelu
Bajocian

Middle
Aalenian Dhruma
Kuwait. (The line of
178 NO DATA
Toarcian
profile approximates
that of Figure 2, and is

JURASSIC
Pliensbachian Marrat approximately 200 km in

Lower
Sinemurian 200 length).
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

48° 48°30 30°

30°

00
4,4
N

Sabiriyah

I
40 H
% 0
G 20
Bahrah 4,

29°30'
29°30'
A

20
%
Kuwait City B
F 00
4,0
C
Figure 11: Kuwait
60
%

Offshore, Lower
0

Cretaceous isopach map

00

D 00
3,8
4,

40
29°
29° in feet (black); and

%
Burgan E Net-to-Gross (i.e sand
0 25 percentage) contours for
00
3,8

Km the Zubair Formation

48°30 49° (orange).

Offshore area with an interbedded sequence of sands (fine-very fine grained) and shales. The sequence
thins from ~1,350 ft to less than 1,000 ft, and the sand percentage decreases, in a northeasterly direction,
from 50% near the southern coast to ~20% in the vicinity of Bubiyan Island (Figure 11).

Ostracod faunas indicate that the Zubair Formation was deposited on a broad, relatively shallow
continental shelf with average water depths between 20 and 40 metres (Lacustrine Basin Research,
1996). Nannoplankton ages for the Zubair range from Late Hauterivian to Early Aptian.

48° 48°30 30°

100

30°

N
Sabiriyah

I H
Bahrah
G

29°30'
29°30'
A
15
0

Kuwait City
B F
300

C
250

0
20

D 29°
29°
Burgan E Figure 12: Kuwait
100

0 25 Offshore, “Unnamed
Km
Clastics” isopach map
48°30 49°
in feet.

555
Al-Fares et al.

ABUNDANCE
CHRON

PLANKTON

PLANKTON
STRAT

NANNO-

NANNO-
ZONES
DEPTH DEPTH SP SONIC LITHOLOGY

SERIES

STAGE
-200 0 200
(ft) (ft)
GAMMA
0 RAY 150 190 40 (VAROL) 0 100

Ku
7,815
KN21
Mishrif and

CENOMANIAN
8,000 older
8,070
KN28A
Rumaila KN28B
Indet.
8,430
8,500
Ahmadi KN30
SP
MIDDLE CRETACEOUS

8,795
GR
Wara KN31
9,000 8,975
Mauddud
9,225
ALBIAN

Indeterminate
9,500

Burgan

10,000

KN35
10,245

"Unnamed
Clastics"
10,500
10,560 KN41/
APTIAN

KN40
Shu'aiba

10,850
SONIC
11,000
KN44/
KN42
BARR.

Indet.

11,500 Zubair
HAUTERIVIAN

KN49/
KN47

12,000 KN49/
LOWER CRETACEOUS

KN48
12,120
VALANGINIAN

SONIC
KN51/
KN50B
Ratawi
Shale
12,500
12,570
Indeterminate

Ratawi
Limestone

13,000
13,070

KN53/
BERRIASIAN

KN52
13,500 not older
Minagish than
KN53

Indet.
Figure 13: Representative
Log for the Offshore
14,000
14,080 KN53 Kuwait Lower-Middle
Cretaceous sequence, and
Makhul
Indet. suggested Type Log for
14,500 ? ?
SP the ‘Unnamed Clastics’
SONIC
Ju Hith 14,610 GR Hith Formation (Well F).
T.D. 14,622

556
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

48° 48°30 30°

30°

50%
N
Sabiriyah

I H
Bahrah
60 G
%
29°30'

00
29°30'

2,8
A
2 ,4
00

Kuwait City
B 40%
F
C
00
2,0

50
% D 29°
29° Figure 14: Kuwait Offshore, Middle
0
40

Cretaceous isopach map in feet,

2,

Burgan E
60
%

0 25 (black); and Net-to-Gross (sand

1,600

Km percentage) contours for the Burgan

70

48°30 49°
Formation (orange).
%

The Shu’aiba Formation (Early-Late Aptian in age) marked a temporary return to shallow marine
carbonate deposition, and it comprises a light grey-buff, lime wackestone, which is frequently fractured,
locally vuggy (and hence a frequent lost circulation zone) and averages 300 ft in thickness.

At the close of Shu’aiba times, clastic sedimentation resumed through to the end of the Aptian. This
shale sequence is considered to conformably overlie the Shuaiba (as observed by Owen and Nasr,
1958), and has hitherto been referred to the lowermost part of the Burgan Formation. As a result of this
study, however, a major hiatus or disconformity has been identified seperating these shales from the
rest of the Burgan Formation, and hence it is felt that a new formation name is required (the informal
term ‘Unnamed Clastics Formation’ has been used in Study Team reports). This interval ranges in
thickness from ~80 ft in Burgan field, to some 300 ft in the east of the Offshore (Figure 12), and was
deposited in an open marine inner neritic environment (Robertson Research, 1996). The easternmost
offshore well has been selected as the proposed type log for the ‘Unnamed Clastics’, which were
encountered between 10,245 ft and 10,560 ft (depths below derrick floor) (Figure 13).

Summary of the Middle Cretaceous Stratigraphy

During the Middle Cretaceous, global sea level rose to its highest level in Mesozoic-Cenozoic history,
reaching a maximum during the Cenomanian/Turonian. However, across the entire Arabian passive
margin, a renewed clastic influx occurred, spreading clastics across large parts of the basin. Two
sedimentation cycles can generally be recognised during this period, both ranging from clastics at the
base to carbonates at the top. In Offshore Kuwait the lower cycle (Burgan and Mauddud formations)
is readily distinguished. However the upper cycle (Wara, Ahmadi, Rumaila and Mishrif formations)
in the offshore consists essentially of carbonates and shales only. The isopach of the Middle Cretaceous
sequence (Figure 14) increases from 1,600 ft to 2,800 ft, though the ‘thin’ over the Burgan Arch is the
result of erosion below the base Upper Cretaceous unconformity.

Burgan and Mauddud Formations

After the deposition of the Zubair and Shu’aiba formations and the (as yet unnamed) basal shale of
the Burgan Formation, the Middle Cretaceous commences with a newly-recognised hiatus of
approximately six (to possibly 11) million years duration. (Due to age dating problems within the
Burgan sandstones (only ditch cuttings were used) no firm conclusions can yet be drawn regarding
the precise duration of this hiatus).

557
Al-Fares et al.

Uplift of the cratonic source areas to the west caused a renewed influx of sands over large parts of the
basin in the early Middle Albian. The Burgan Formation is characterised by thick deltaic sands in the
west, thinning somewhat to an average thickness of 1,100 ft in the Offshore (including the basal shales).
Towards the east the sand percentage diminishes but not so dramatically as in the Zubair, such that a
net-to-gross of ~45% is still apparent in the easternmost well of Offshore Kuwait (Figure 14). Carbonates
onlapped in a westerly direction and progressively displaced the clastics westward into interior Kuwait,
resulting in the deposition of the Upper Albian Mauddud carbonates. The Mauddud Formation shows
a gradual overall thickening towards the east and northeast, ranging from the depositional feather-
edge in the Minagish area to some 425 ft in the Bubiyan area.

Wara, Ahmadi, Rumaila and Mishrif Formations

Following the deposition of the thick Albian Burgan-Mauddud sequence a number of relatively short-
duration carbonate-shale cycles comprise the balance of the Middle Cretaceous.

The original depositional thickness of these intervals gradually increases towards the northeast, but
this pattern is highly modified by the syn-depositional thinning, and end-Middle Cretaceous erosion,
over the Burgan and Khafji-Nowruz Arches, from which the Rumaila and the Mishrif formations have
been completely removed.

The lithologies in the offshore area are relatively uniform and are characterised by alternations of
(“highstand”) carbonates (i.e. mainly wackestones) and (“transgressive”) shales. Water depths based
on ostracods consistently range from ~20 m (shallow inner shelf) to a possible maximum of ~70 m
(middle shelf) during deposition of the Ahmadi shale (Lacustrine Basin Research, 1996).

CONCLUSIONS

The principal conclusions from this study are as follows:

• There is no significant diachronicity apparent in the Lower and Middle Cretaceous sequences
across Offshore Kuwait. The layer-cake appearance of the Time-Rock Synopsis mirrors the parallel
nature of the seismic reflectors across the area.

• Nanno-fossils have the potential to provide a far more detailed sub-division of the Cretaceous
of Kuwait than has hitherto been available.

• A significant hiatus or disconformity is present across the Aptian-Albian boundary, but it is

thought to lie, not at the Shu’aiba-Burgan contact, but within the Burgan at the contact of the
basal shales (now thought to be of Late Aptian age) with the base of the Burgan Main or Fourth
sand (of ?Mid-Albian age).

• A second major hiatus or disconformity is thought to lie at the contact of the Ratawi Shale (now
thought to be no younger than Early Valanginian) with the base of the Zubair Formation (of
Late Hauterivian age).

The majority of the samples studied were cuttings, and hence the above results should be regarded as
provisional or indicative until they can be substantiated by more detailed examinations based on
cores and sidewall samples. If the assignment of the basal Burgan shales to the Late Aptian as indicated
here can be substantiated by more detailed work, then it is recommended that this sequence be elevated
to formation status and a formal name, preferably local, be assigned.

558
 Middle-Lower Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Kuwait

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to thank Kuwait Oil Company and Shell International for permission to publish the
results of this study. The authors also wish to thank the anonymous reviewers and Gulf PetroLink
staff for redrafting some of the figures.

REFERENCES

Al-Kandari, A. 1981. Kuwait Offshore Geology. Kuwait Oil Company, Internal Report.

Brennan, P. 1990a. Raudhatain Field, Kuwait, Arabian Basin. American Association of Petroleum
Geologists Atlas of Oil and Gas Fields, Structural Traps, 1, p. 187-210.

Brennan, P. 1990b. Greater Burgan Field, Kuwait, Arabian Basin. American Association of Petroleum
Geologists Atlas of Oil and Gas Fields, Structural Traps, 1, p. 103-128.

Carman, G.J. 1996. Structural Elements of Onshore Kuwait. GeoArabia, v. 1, n. 2, p. 239-266.

Christian, L. 1997. Cretaceous Subsurface Geology of the Middle East Region. GeoArabia, v. 2, n. 3, p. 239-
256.

Guiraud, R. and J.C Maurin 1992. Early Cretaceous Rifts in West and Central Africa. Tectonophysics, 213,
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Haq, B.U., J. Hardenbol and P.R. Vail 1988. Mesozoic and Cainozoic Chronostratigraphy and Cycles of Sea
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Harland, W.B., R.L. Armstrong, A.V. Cox, L.E. Craig, A.G. Smith and D.G. Smith 1990. A Geological
Timescale. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Khan, A. 1989. Stratigraphy and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Permo-Triassic Sequence of Rocks in the State
of Kuwait. Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries Seminar on Hydrocarbon Potential
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Lacustrine Basin Research 1996. Environmental Interpretation of Ostracod Faunas from Wells Onshore/
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Murris, R.J. 1980. Middle East Stratigraphic Evolution and Oil Habitat. American Association Petroleum
Geologists Bulletin, v. 65, no. 5, p. 597-618.

Owen, R.M.S. and S.N. Nasr 1958. Stratigraphy of the Kuwait-Basra Area. In ‘Habitat of Oil’ American
Association Petroleum Geologist Memoir 1, p. 1252-1278.

Robertson Research International 1996. Mid and Lower Cretaceous, Coastal/Offshore Kuwait;
Lithostratigraphy, Biostratigraphy and Palaeoenvironments of 7 wells. Kuwait Joint Study Team Internal
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Simmons, M.D. 1994 (Ed.) Micropalaeontology and Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Middle East. Chapman
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Varol Research 1996. Report on the Stratigraphical Implications of Nannoplankton Analyses on Eleven Wells.
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559
Al-Fares et al.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Abdul Aziz Al-Fares graduated from Kuwait University with

a BSc degree in Geology in 1992, and in the same year he joined
Kuwait Oil Company as a Wellsite Geologist. In 1994 Abdul
Aziz was assigned to work as a Geophysicist at KOC, and from
November 1995 to December 1996 he was a member of the KOC/
Shell Joint Study Team. He is currently working as a 3-D Seismic
Interpreter.

Mark Bouman gained a MSc in Stratigraphy from the

University of Utrecht, and joined Shell in 1982. Following
assignments in Peru, London, and Cairo, he returned to The
Hague in 1995 and was Senior Stratigrapher in the Kuwait Joint
Study Team. Mark is currently Course Director for Geosciences
at the Shell Learning and Development Centre, Noordwijkerhoud,
in The Netherlands. His areas of expertise include sequence
stratigraphy, basin analysis, and stratigraphical computing.

Pete Jeans is currently a Regional Business Advisor with Shell

EP International Ventures’ New Business Development Group.
Prior to this, he was Senior Geologist and then Project Leader of
the Kuwait Joint Study Team. Pete graduated with a PhD in
Geology from Birmingham University in 1973, and worked in
Oman, Jakarta, Houston, and Brunei before returning to The
Hague in 1989. His particular interest is prospect and play
generation.

Paper presented at 3rd Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition,

GEO’98, Bahrain, 20-22 April, 1998

Manuscript received 23 June 1998

Revised 27October 1998

Accepted 5 November 1998

560