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OF 2006-1253: Online Version of CD-ROM
Assessment of Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Conventional Petroleum Resources of Northern Afghanistan
By T.R. Klett, G.F. Ulmishek, C.J. Wandrey, Warren F. Agena, and the U.S. Geological Survey-Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industry Joint Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Team Geographic Information Systems, spatial data management, and petroleum-generation modeling by Douglas Steinshouer
The U.S. Geological Survey-Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industry Joint Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Team includes T.R. Klett1 (Team Leader; tklett@usgs.gov), Gregory F. Ulmishek1 , C.J. Wandrey1 (Project Chief, cwandrey@usgs.gov), Warren F. Agena1 , David J. Taylor1 , Ronald Hill1 , Michael Pribil1 , J. David King1 , Mark J. Pawlewicz1 , Charles E. Barker1 , Thomas S. Ahlbrandt1 , Ronald R. Charpentier1 , Richard M. Pollastro1 , Christopher J. Schenk1
1. U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046, Denver Federal Center, MS 939, Denver, CO 80225 U.S.A.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - USGS Fact Sheet 2006-3031
ASSESSMENT FIGURES AND APPENDICES
ASSESSMENT RESULT (Table 1.)
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.
viii
INTRODUCTION..
1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
2
TRANSLITERATION..
2
REGIONAL GEOLOGY
Basin History.
5
Principal Present-Day Structural Elements.
9
Amu Darya Basin.
10
North Afghan High.
12
Repetek zone.
13
Kushka depression and Kushka zone.
13
Parapamiz-Bande Turkestan range.
14
Harrirud fault zone.
15
Southwest Gissar Meganticline and Spur
15
Alburz-Marmul fault
16
Afghan-Tajik Basin.
16
Tectonic Development
21
Paleozoic.
22
Triassic.
22
Jurassic.
23
Cretaceous.
39
Paleogene.
44
Neogene.
52
Quaternary.
56
Stratigraphy7
TOTAL PETROLEUM SYSTEMS.
91
Geochemistry.
93
AMU DARYA BASIN..
105
Amu Darya Jurassic-Cretaceous Total Petroleum System (115401)
105
Discovery History:
105
Petroleum Occurrence:
109
Source Rocks:
114
Maturation:
118
Reservoir Rocks:
121
Traps:
122
Seals:
124
Assessment Units:
125
KALAIMOR-KAISAR BASIN..
129
Kalaimor-Kaisar Jurassic Total Petroleum System (115402)
129
Discovery History:
129
Petroleum Occurrence:
130
Source Rocks:
130
Maturation:
131
Reservoir Rocks:
131
Traps:
132
Seals:
132
Assessment Units:
132
NORTH AFGHAN HIGH..
133
AFGHAN-TAJIK BASIN..
134
Afghan-Tajik Jurassic Total Petroleum System (115601)
135
Discovery History:
135
Petroleum Occurrence:
136
Source Rocks:
137
Maturation:
138
Reservoir Rocks:
139
Traps:
139
Seals:
140
Assessment Units
141
Afghan-Tajik Paleogene Total Petroleum System (115602)
142
Discovery History:
142
Petroleum Occurrence:
143
Source Rocks:
143
Reservoir Rocks:
146
Traps:
146
Seals:
147
Assessment Units:
147
Conclusions.
153
References Cited.
154
List of tables.
183
List of figures.
184
Appendicies
1. Assessment input forms
2. Assessment results reports
3. Description of assessment methodology
4. One page geologic summaries
5. Seismic survey report
Introduction
Crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids/condensate (collectively called “petroleum”) resources are important for the redevelopment of Afghanistan’s infrastructure. One of the results of more than two decades of strife in Afghanistan is a shortage or absence of energy required to improve living conditions. Food, clothing, shelter, heat, sanitation, and industry, in general, depend on the availability of energy. The presence of petroleum resources has long been known in Afghanistan but these resources were exploited only to a limited extent. Improved living and economic conditions in Afghanistan require increasing the availability of energy, particularly by exploitation of Afghanistan’s petroleum resources.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperated with the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Industry to assess the potentially undiscovered technically recoverable conventional petroleum resources of Afghanistan. Funding for this effort was provided by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
The assessment is based on the geologic elements of a total petroleum system, which include (1) source-rock presence, maturation, petroleum generation, and migration; (2) distribution and quality of reservoir rocks; and (3) character of traps and time of formation with respect to petroleum migration. Data from detailed studies of geochemistry, petroleum geology, geophysics, and tectonics combined with historical exploration and production analyses were used to aid in the estimation of the number and sizes of undiscovered petroleum accumulations.
Much of the petroleum resource potential of Afghanistan and all of the known crude oil and natural gas reserves are in northern Afghanistan, located in parts of two petroliferous geologic basins—the Amu Darya Basin to the west and the Afghan-Tajik Basin to the east (fig. 1). In addition to previous exploration, this study shows that potential still exists for additional crude oil and natural gas discoveries in northern Afghanistan.
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