Crude oil and condensate in the Ordovician–Silurian formations of the Eastern European: The Western Black Sea Basin

ABSTRACT

The Lower Paleozoic sediments of Eastern Europe extend from Poland to the Black Sea Coasts. The Lower Ordovician Bakacak Formation and Middle Ordovician–Silurian Karadere, Ketencikdere, and Fındıklı formations of the Western Black Sea Basin contain mudstones and black shales with sandstone and limestone intervals. The mudstones of the Lower Ordovician do not display any potential. But some intervals of the Middle Ordovician–Silurian black shales have potential for unconventional exploration because total organic carbon (TOC) of organic matter contents ranges from 0.11% to 1.94%. Hydrogen index (HI) values of the Karadere, Ketencikdere, and Fındıklı formations are ranging 0–139 mg oil/g TOC. Vitrinite reflection equivalent (Roe) estimation from HI shows that the shales locate within the oil, wet gas-condensate, and dry gas zone. In-situ oil and condensate volumes of the black shales have been calculated between 0 and 2812 mg HC/g TOC. These volumes indicate presence of potentially producible hydrocarbon in the some intervals of the Middle Ordovician–Silurian shales. Mineralogical properties of the Karadere, Ketencikdere, and Fındıklı formations are suitable for hydraulic fracturing because the shales are dominated by quartz/carbonate. Quartz ratio ranges from 12% to 91% with an average 53%. Total calcite/dolomite content is an average of 13/0.5%. Total clay mineral chance between 0% and 39% with an average of 21%.

KEYWORDS:

• shale oil
• condensate
• ordovician–Silurian
• western black sea
• turkey

Acknowledgment

I thank M. Urban (Vermilion Energy), I.E. Kerey (Istanbul University), G. Kelling (Kelee University), H. Kozlu (Turkish Petroleum Company) for helpful and constructive comments, and T. Tekin, S. Sayılı, D. Alaygut, and Z.Ö.OCihan (Turkish Petroleum Company) for sample analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by Vermilion Energy, Technology Transfer Inc. and Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University under the Project numbers: YADOP 14580 and IRP 54924.