Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Introduction to the Arabian Plate and Regional Tectonics

• Understand the geological evolution of the Arabian Plate.
• Identify major plate boundaries (convergent, divergent, transform) and their influence on basin development.
• Examine key tectonic events from the Precambrian to the present.

2. Structural Framework and Plate Boundaries

• Analyze major structural provinces of the Arabian Plate, including:
• Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt (collision boundary).
• Red Sea Rift (divergent boundary).
• Dead Sea Transform Fault (strike-slip boundary).
• Makran Subduction Zone (convergent boundary).
• Understand the role of basement structures, faults, and salt tectonics in basin evolution.

3. Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basin Evolution

• Explore major sedimentary sequences from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic.
• Identify key lithostratigraphic units associated with hydrocarbon systems.
• Recognize regional sequence stratigraphy and depositional environments.

4. Petroleum Systems of the Arabian Plate Basins

• Identify source rocks, reservoir rocks, traps, and seals in key petroleum systems.
• Compare carbonate vs. clastic reservoirs in Arabian basins.
• Analyze the thermal maturation and hydrocarbon generation history.

5. Major Sedimentary Basins of the Arabian Plate

• Study the tectonic and stratigraphic evolution of:
• Rub’ al Khali Basin (Great Arabian Desert Basin).
• Zagros Foreland Basin.
• Mesopotamian Basin.
• Red Sea Rift Basin.
• Sirhan-Turayf Basin.
• Eastern Arabian Platform Basins (Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman).

6. Tectono-Stratigraphic Controls on Hydrocarbon Accumulation

• Examine how tectonics influence stratigraphic traps and reservoir quality.
• Evaluate the impact of salt tectonics, basement highs, and inversion structures.
• Interpret seismic and well log data for basin analysis.

7. Exploration Strategies and Basin Modeling

• Utilize plate reconstruction models for hydrocarbon prospectivity.
• Apply sequence stratigraphy to predict reservoir and source rock distribution.
• Integrate seismic interpretation, geochemical modeling, and well data for play analysis.

8. Case Studies and Practical Applications

• Analyze major discoveries and hydrocarbon trends in Arabian basins.
• Participate in hands-on exercises using seismic and stratigraphic datasets.
• Develop a tectono-stratigraphic framework for basin assessment.

Target Audience

• Petroleum geologists and structural geologists
• Exploration and basin modeling geoscientists
• Geophysicists and seismic interpreters
• Reservoir and petroleum engineers
• Research professionals in petroleum geology