Hindering important petroleum projects in Kuwait by the parliament under the pretext of preventing the violation of the oil ownership concepts included in the constitution is almost turning into a phenomenon. According to the Kuwaiti constitution, the natural resources are owned by the state, and consequently foreign oil ownership of national reserves is prohibited (Article 21 of the constitution). In addition, exploiting the national natural resources by other party than the state, though it is legally possibly, is restricted by several conditions (Article 152 of the constitution). The national petroleum project concerns the re-involvement of the international oil companies (IOCs) to develop production capacity from Kuwait’s northern oil fields, which is commonly known as the ‘Kuwait Project’, has met a considerable opposition by the parliament, and consequently has not been yet signed, in spite of the completion of its technical, financial and legal framework. The reason for opposing this project is that it, arguably, may include provisions contradicting with the constitutional framework for the exploitation of petroleum in Kuwait. Whether or not Kuwait’s oil ownership concepts stand as an obstacle to developing Kuwait’s oil production capacity requires examining the application of these concepts to the ‘Kuwait Project’. Such analysis will lead to accurately determine the effectiveness of these concepts when applied in practice and to identify aspects of possible incapability in addressing related issues.

The Palaeocene and Eocene Forth Field is located in Quad. 9, Block 23/b, adjacent to the East Shetland Platform. The Fourth reservoir consists of a series of massive well sorted, medium to fine grained, turbidite sands which contain biodegraded oil and gas. The textural homogeneity of the Forth sands suggests that sedimentary facies was not a major diagenetic control. The timing of oil migration and the periodicity of oil leakage controlled the relative paragenesis in different sand units. Pervasive ferroan and non ferroan calcite cemented sand horizons dominate the Forth paragenetic sequence. Bitumen filled inclusions within these cements indicate oil emplacement and carbonate cementation occurred simultaneously. Calcite oxygen isotope results suggest East Shetland Platform meteoric water, flushed the reservoir, biodegrading the migrated oil and displacing the original seawater. Biodegradation of oil took place at the palaeo-oil water contact, producing a laterally extensive cementation zone. Frequent oil leakage may have produced a series of different palaeo-oil water contacts which became preferential cementation sites. The Palaeocene Balmoral Field is located approximately 100kms to the south of Forth in Quad. 16, Block 21. To a large extent, the distribution of non-carbonate diagenetic phases in the Balmoral Field is controlled by lithoclast composition and the relative abundance of interbedded shales. Non ferroan and ferroan calcite concretions preferentially precipitated where there were localised accumulations of organic matter. The concretions precipitated at < 500m burial depth, sourced by bacterial oxidation and sulphate reduction of organic matter in meteoric pore fluids. Meteoric water is thought to have been derived from the East Shetland Platform to the north of Balmoral. Oil migrated into Balmoral during the Oligocene, post-dating meteoric flushing. Laterally extensive carbonate cements, formed in association with oil biodegradation, have the potential to compartmentalise a reservoir. The distribution of these cements within Tertiary reservoirs adjacent to the East Shetland Platform is likely to be controlled by the relative timing of meteoric flushing and oil migration.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 149-159.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 149-159.

Thesis (M.S.)--Baylor University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-188).

No description available.

No description available.

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Although reservoirs formed from ephemeral-fluvial sandstones have previously been considered relatively simple, unresolved problems of sandbody correlation and production anomalies demonstrate the need for improved understanding of their internal complexity. Ephemeral flows occur in direct response to precipitation, receiving little or no water from springs or other long-continued sources. They consequently predominate in dryland regions where precipitation is high in intensity, short lived and of limited areal extent. Resulting flow is high energy, relatively shallow and also restricted in duration and areal coverage. High transmission losses, abundant loose material and sparse vegetation result in highly concentrated flows which dissipate rapidly, causing a downstream decrease in flow discharge. Sediments deposited from these flows include parallel laminated sands, massive sands, scour-fill sands, transitional lower to upper flow regime dunes, and commonly contain numerous erosional discontinuities, scattered mudclasts, rapid grain size changes and deformational features. Large quantities of rainfall falling over longer periods produces steady flows dominated by well sorted, lower flow regime bedforms which have moderately well developed fining-up sequences. High intensity rainfall falling for shorter periods produces unsteady flows which are characterised by more poorly sorted, upper flow regime bedforms and an absence of fining-up sequences. Outcropping ephemeral-fluvial systems have been studied in order to determine the main features and processes occurring in sand-rich ephemeral systems and to identify which features will be of importance in a hydrocarbon reservoir. The Lower Jurassic Upper Moenave and Kayenta Formations of south-eastern Utah and northern Arizona comprise complex series of stacked, sand-dominated sheet-like palaeochannels suggestive of low sinuosity, braided systems.

Petroleum migration pathways through a basin are determined by the three-dimensional distribution of discontinuous sealing surfaces, which are usually parallel to bedding. The petroleum migrates below the sealing surface taking the structurally most advantageous route. The three-dimensional distribution of migration pathways within the petroleum system can be modelled on a personal computer using a program based on the parameters developed during the research summarised in this thesis. Application of the model to the Paris, Williston, West of Shetlands and Wessex Basins demonstrates that a good correlation can be made between predicted pathways and discovered accumulations using simple models. Migration pathways form a dense network overlying hydrocarbon generating areas in the central parts of basins. Towards the basin margins they commonly become increasingly focused into discrete pathways by the sealing-surface morphologies. The Paris and Williston Basin research showed how relatively minor structuring of geological strata can result in a significant focusing of pathways. Eventually these pathways may reach the surface as shown by seepages. Research in the Wessex Basin revealed that reverse modelling of pathways from seeps assists in the prediction of the location of leaking accumulations. Deflection of the pathways from the structurally most advantageous route below the sealing surface may be caused by lateral sealing barriers due to facies variation in the carrier rock below the seal, fault juxtaposition, or cross-formational seals such as salt intrusions. Deflection of pathways also occurs where there are hydrodynamic conditions in response to topography-driven groundwater flow.