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3D-sedimentary model of a Late Ordovician glacial cycles: fully-integrated

subsurface approach (Illizi Basin, Algeria)

Conference Paper · January 2019

DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.2019X60047109

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3D-sedimentary model of a Late Ordovician glacial cycles: fully-integrated subsurface
approach (Illizi Basin, Algeria)

Roussé, S. (a); Allard, J. (a); Chrest T. (a), Drab, L. (a); Kuhfuss-Monval L. (a), Benseradj M. (b), Hachour, K. (b) and
Zemmouk A. (b)
(a) (b)
BEICIP-FRANLAB SONATRACH

In the Illizi Basin, SE Algeria, Late Ordovician glaciogenic deposits (Unit IV) form economically
important hydrocarbon reservoirs, holding numerous gas condensate reserves within syn- and post-
glacial sediments.
Late Ordovician glacial episode led to extensive ice-sheet growth at the scale of North-Gondwana
platform. Ice-sheets development implies glacially-cut topographies (e.g. within pre-glacial substrate;
Units II and III). In the SE Illizi basin the size of the glacially-cut valleys ranges from 5km (tunnel-
valleys) to 50km wide (ice-streams). These topographies are subsequently filled by glaciogenic
sediments that generally exhibit extremely complex sedimentary facies architectures.
The studied dataset, comprising four (4) exploration cored-wells and 3-D seismic volumes of around
400 km², is located on a regional glacial interfluve and, as a consequence, illustrates mainly tunnel-
valleys network. Based on a detailed sedimentological analysis of the glaciogenic sediments,
integrated with seismic and petrophysical characterization, this paper aims to address the nature,
complexity and prediction of sedimentary tunnel-valley infill as well as the related potential
petroleum reservoir occurrences.
A complex depositional model is proposed, with deposition dominated by various glaciogenic
processes ranging from sub-glacial to pro-glacial, in both marine and continental conditions
associated with glacio-tectonics.
The application of allostratigraphic concepts on syn-glacial strata leads to the 3D definition of two (2)
glacial depositional sequences bounded by glacial erosion surfaces (minor high-frequency ice
advance/retreat cycles) that can be traced at the study scale.
The resolved stratigraphic architecture indicates two sedimentary glaciogenic infill patterns: (1) a
sand-prone signature built with sandy sub-glacial facies and pro-glacial sandy outwash fan; (2) a mud-
prone signature made essentially by muddy glaciogenic diamictite deposits.
Final deglaciation (very Late Ordovician to Early Silurian) is recorded by the development of a
transgressive coastal to shallow marine sedimentary wedge, in which deposit distribution is linked to
inherited glacial palaeotopography (under-filled valleys), isostatic rebound process and coeval eustatic
rise. This postglacial transgressive wedge hosts fluvio-tidal sandstones and open marine to anoxic
organic-rich shales (e.g. Llandovery “Hot Shales” playing as the main source rock of the Illizi basin)
In the particular Late Ordovician glaciogenic context, accurate reservoir prediction and source rock
distribution relies on: (1) preservation of preglacial reservoirs units from glacial incision; (2) precise
definition of superimposed tunnel valley pathways/networks for sandy reservoir distribution; (3)
distribution on postglacial sediments themselves dependent on inherited glacial topography.

EAGE/ALNAFT Geoscience Workshop

28 – 29 January 2019, Algiers, Algeria
Introduction

In the Illizi Basin, SE Algeria (Figure 1a), Late Ordovician glaciogenic deposits (Unit IV) form
economically important hydrocarbon reservoirs, holding numerous gas condensate reserves within
syn- and post-glacial sediments (Figure 1b).

Figure 1 (a) Location map of the study area. The boundaries of regional ice-stream pathways
inferred within subsurface dataset are indicated in pale grey (modified from Deschamps et al., 2013).
(b) Simplified chrono-stratigraphic chart for the Cambro-Ordovician to early Silurian interval in
South-Eastern Illizi basin.

Late Ordovician glacial episode led to extensive ice-sheet growth at the scale of North-Gondwana
platform (Ghienne et al., 2007; Deschamps et al., 2013). Ice-sheets development implies glacially-cut
topographies (e.g. within pre-glacial substrate; Units II and III). In the SE Illizi basin the size of the
glacially-cut valleys ranges from 5km (tunnel-valleys) to 50km wide (ice-streams) (Figure 1a). These
topographies are subsequently filled by glaciogenic sediments that generally exhibit extremely
complex sedimentary facies architectures.

Nevertheless, their high degree of complexity in term of reservoir prediction (stratigraphic and
geographic distribution) makes them a high risky prospect for oil and gas companies. Numerous wells
have targeted cambro-ordovician reservoirs on structural traps (anticlines structures, three-way dip
closure...) but up to know few have taken the gamble to target glaciogenic stratigraphic trap.

One possible solution to reduce such risk relies on the integration of all available data (sedimentary
cores, complete set of well-logs, 3D seismic cube…) for a given study area and take into account all
concepts coming from quaternary and/or outcrops analogs.

A complete data set from an exploration block in the SouthEast Illizi Basin (SEIB) in Algeria will
provide an excellent example of such integrated approach in the extremely complex late Ordovician
glaciogenic environment.

EAGE/ALNAFT Geoscience Workshop

28 – 29 January 2019, Algiers, Algeria
Dataset and methods

The studied dataset comprises four (4) exploration cored-wells, with typical good-quality wireline log
suite (GR, NPHI/RHOB, DT, SP…) and a 3-D seismic volume of around 400 km². Seismic data were
acquired at a sample interval of 4 ms and with a bin of 25 x 25 m.

All wells have penetrated the Cambro-Ordovician interval with cores in the glaciogenic series (for a
total footage of 150 m) and have been later used for well-to-seismic tie and petrophysical evaluation
purposes.

Classical sedimentary core description methodology has been applied aiming at identify the
constitutive lithofacies and facies associations as well as any relevant stratigraphic surfaces (major
stratigraphic subdivisions; e.g. glacial erosive surface, transgressive surface…etc.).

The stratigraphic bounding surfaces were picked manually throughout seismic volume via the
generation of synthetic seismogram for each well. We then generate the instantaneous phase and
cosine of phase-attribute volumes. An AI (acoustic impedance volume) was also generated by
inverting the seismic data using P-wave sonic-and-density-log information.

In parallel, using petrophysical log suite and sedimentary cores data, electrofacies have been defined
by various and iterative logs cross-plots (EASYTRACE®) assigned to a particular lithofacies and/or
facies association.

After the petro-elastic inversion of the 3D seismic cube data, all defined electrofacies were used to
populate the seismic volume (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Workflow used in this study for seismic facies characterisation applied for Unit IV.

EAGE/ALNAFT Geoscience Workshop

28 – 29 January 2019, Algiers, Algeria
Sedimentary facies to electrofacies

From the core description and interpretation, fifteen (15) process-based lithofacies and different types
of stratigraphic surfaces (Glacial Erosive Surface (GES); Transgressive Surfaces (TS), Flooding
Surface (FS)) were recognized. Due to their rapid lateral and vertical changes, the lithofacies have
been later grouped, based on their genetic links, into four (4) glaciogenic facies associations and three
(3) postglacial facies associations.

For the synglacial interval, a complex depositional model is proposed, with deposition dominated by
various glaciogenic processes ranging from sub-glacial to pro-glacial, in both marine and continental
conditions with locally superimposed glacio-tectonics, namely:
• Subglacial mostly clean tractionnal and glacio-tectonized sandstones
• Pro-glacial diamictite-prone gravity flows (diamictites +/- clean turbiditic sandstones)
• Pro-glacial sand-prone (clean to slightly argillaceous) outwash fan deposits
• Periglacial shales & heteroliths (shales with dropstones and thin bedded turbidites)

Regarding the postglacial strata, the three (3) defined facies associations are corresponding to:
• Clean shallow marine sandstones of supra- to sub-tidal origin
• Bioturbated shallow-marine heterolithic from subtidal/shoreface/offshore setting
• Anoxic offshore graptolite-bearing black shales

Integration of sedimentological and petrophysical evaluation led to the identification of four (4)
distinctive electrofacies within both the glacial and post-glacial intervals. The discriminative approach
(EASYTRACE®; Figure 2) applied allows the definition of the following electrofacies:
• EF1, clean reservoir sandstones, which encompass subglacial, proglacial outwash & shallow
marine postglacial sandstones facies associations
• EF2, muddy sandstones/heteroliths, which encompass distal counterpart of outwash sandy
facies association, periglacial and post-glacial heteroliths facies
• EF3, diamictites which perfectly matches with proglacial diamictite-prone gravity-flows
• EF4, organic-rich shales (post-glacial anoxic shales) corresponding to post-glacial anoxic
facies association

Resolved stratigraphic architecture

Using the 3D facies partitionning obtained from petro-elastic inversion and the application of
allostratigraphic concepts on syn-glacial strata, two (2) stacked and partly nested glacial depositional
sequences bounded by Glacial Erosive Surfaces (GESs triggered by minor high-frequency ice
advance/retreat cycles) can be traced at scale of the study area (Figure 3).

The resolved stratigraphic architecture indicates two (2) successive distinctive sedimentary
glaciogenic infill patterns (Figure 3):
• a sand-prone signature for the lower sequence (GS1) built with sandy sub-glacial and pro-glacial
outwash fan facies restricted to the glacially-cut topography envelop at the South of the study
area (Figure 3c-d)
• a mud-prone signature made essentially by muddy glaciogenic diamictite deposits for the upper
sequence (GS2) associated with a reduced prospectivy, except for patches of subglacial clean
sandstones blanketting the GES (Figure 3c-d) .

The final deglaciation episode (aged from very Late Ordovician (Late Hirnantian) up to Early Silurian
(Llandovery); Figure1b) is recorded by the development of a transgressive coastal to shallow marine
sedimentary wedge, in which deposit distribution is linked to inherited glacial palaeotopography
(under-filled valleys), isostatic rebound process and coeval eustatic rise. This postglacial transgressive
wedge hosts tidal sandstones and restricted to open marine heteroliths to anoxic organic-rich shales
(e.g. Llandovery “Hot Shales” playing as the main source rock of the Illizi basin).

EAGE/ALNAFT Geoscience Workshop

28 – 29 January 2019, Algiers, Algeria
 Figure 3 a- Seismic cross-section (twt) showing dominant facies. b- Seismo-stratigraphic section
(TWT) dressed-up with facies associations and allostratigraphic subdivision (e.g. Glacial Sequences
(GS1/GS2) and Post-glacial transgressive unit). c- Seismic facies horizon slices for sequences GS1
and GS2. d- Gross-depositional environment maps for sequences GS1 and GS2.

Conclusions

In the particular Late Ordovician glaciogenic context, accurate reservoir prediction and source rock
distribution relies on: (1) preservation of synglacial reservoirs units from secondary glacial incisions;
(2) precise definition of superimposed tunnel valley pathways/networks for sandy reservoir
distribution; (3) spatial distribution on postglacial sediments themselves dependent on inherited
glacial topography.

In the present study, the best potential glaciogenic reservoir have been recognized as relatively thin
subglacial sandstones patches lying scattered on glacial erosive surface and as more voluminous
sand-prone outwash deposits generally limited by glacial valley envelop. These facies presents
important both lateral and vertical heterogeneity with rapid change in facies (clean-sandstone to
diamictites) implying a strong decrease in reservoir prospectivity.

Such presented approach appears as suitable to map, with precision, sedimentary geobodies in an
exploration assessment context.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support given by SONATRACH Exploration Division during project
progress and M. Didjeli and M. Lounes from ALNAFT for their authorization to present these results.

References

Deschamps, R., Eschard, R., Rousse, S. [2013], Architecture of Late Ordovician glacial valleys in the
Tassili N’Ajjer area (Algeria). Sedimentary Geology, 289, 124-147.

Ghienne, J.F., Le Heron, D., Moreau, J., Deynoux, M., [2007]. The Late Ordovician glacial
sedimentary system of the West Gondwana platform. In: Glacial Sedimentary Environments:
Processes and Products. In: Hambrey, M., Cristofferson, P. and Glasser, N. (eds.), International
Association of Sedimentologists Special Publication, 295-319.

EAGE/ALNAFT Geoscience Workshop

28 – 29 January 2019, Algiers, Algeria

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