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Hammam Faraun carbonate sedimentation, Shoab Ali field, Egypt: Isotopic and petrographic study
Oussama M. El Badry and Omar E. Aiuob1

Dept. Geology, Fac. Sciences, Zagazig University, Egypt
1Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co., Egypt

In the Shoab All Field, the Middle Miocene Belayim Formation Consists of four members, from the oldest: Baba, Sidri, Fieran, and Hammam Faraun Members. The Hammam Faraun Member is characterized by five rock types: Sandy dolomitized intramicrite / intramicrudite; dolomicrudite; silty biomicrite; dolostones; and sandy siltstone. The most abundant rock-forming minerals are: Ferroan dolomite, calcite, quartz, smectite and feldspars.

The whole lithic and organic association suggests a subtidal (foreslope) environment with considerable clastic contribution. The energy varied between minimum water agitation and agitated water. On the other hand, the sandy siltstone can be considered to have been an oscillation between supratidal (sabkha) and intertidal - subtidal environments.

Dolomitizing fluids were hypersaline brines generated in a highly evaporative environment. Fluid delivery to the rock was probably by gravity-driven reflux (seepage - reflux) mechanism.