Navarro-Comet, J; Bartrina, T; Alaminos, A; Rossi, C; (2006): Carboniferous Petroleum System in the

RKF field (Berkine Basin, Algeria). In W. Martínez del Olmo (ed): Asociación de Geólogos y Geofísicos
del Petróleo, XXV aniversario. p. 287-290.
M. Esteban, S. Torrescusa, P. Lukito, C. Solla, C. De Viguera, C. Riaza, L. M. Lara y S. Soriano 287

21. Carboniferous
�������������� Petroleum
���������� System
������� in
��� the
���� RKF
���� field
������
(Berkine Basin, Algeria)
J. Navarro Comet1, T. Bartrina1, A. Alaminos1 and C. Rossi2
1
CEPSA EP, Madrid, Spain
2
Dpt. Petrología y Geoquímica, Instituto de Geología Económica (CSIC-UCM), Univ. Complutense, Madrid, Spain

In 1992 the Sonatrach/CEPSA Association discovered
the Rhourde El Krouf (RKF) oil field, located in the
Berkine Basin of eastern Algeria, in the Erg Oriental
region (fig. 1). The RKF-1 exploration well, drilled to a
total depth of 5,081 m tested a combined rate of 5,000
BOPD from two separate siliciclastic reservoirs: TA-
GI (Trias Argilo-Gréseux Inférieur) and Carboniferous.
The RKF structure was identified on a wide spaced
grid of 2D seismic lines shot during the 70s and 80s.
The RKF-1 discovery well had a great impact for
the exploration strategy in the Berkine Basin. It con-
firmed the extension to the southwest of the proli-
fic TAGI oil trend from El Borma field (AGIP, 1964)
at the Tunisian-Algerian border, encouraging other
companies to continue their exploration efforts in the
region.
On top of that, the RKF-1 was the first well to test
hydrocarbons in the Carboniferous section of the
Berkine Basin, revealing the presence of a new pe-
troleum system. Although the TAGI sandstones are
currently ranked as the prime commercial reservoir
unit in the Basin, the Carboniferous petroleum sys-
tem must be also considered as an important hydro-
carbon resource.

Figure 1. RKF field location map. The field is located in the Berkine Basin of eastern Algeria. The RKF discovery confirmed the TAGI oil
trend extension from El Borma (Algeria-Tunisia border) to the southwest.

AGGEP-XXV
Asociación deAniversario
Geólogos y Geofísicos Españoles del Petróleo.
(ed) AGGEP. W. Martínez del Olmo, 287-290, 2005
288 Carboniferous Petroleum System in the RKF field (Berkine Basin, Algeria)
The RKF field was brought on stream in 1996, in a
record time for a remote area with no infrastructure.
A 112-km oil pipeline, a blacktop road and the ear-
ly production facilities had been rapidly construct-
ed. In 1997 the field was placed on full production.
The field structure at the TAGI and Carboniferous
levels is a four way dip subtle trap, with no
significant faulting. The field recovery mechanism
is a peripheral, miscible gas injection into the TAGI
and primary depletion of the Carboniferous. Cur- ����
rently, 10 years after first production, RKF is pro-
ducing on average 20,200 BOPD and 51 MMSCFG-
PD associated gas from both TAGI and Carbonifer-
ous reservoirs with a total of 19 wells drilled in the
field area. ��
A ��������������������������������������
3D seismic was acquired on early 2005
for a better structural definition and optimization of
future wells location.
The TAGI reservoir consists of stacked fluvial de-
posits, including porous sandstone units interbedded
with claystones, resting unconformably over Carbo-
niferous rocks. The TAGI was deposited over a relati-
vely stable continental surface closely related with the
regional Hercynian Unconformity. The combination
of well logs and core description allows the 150-m
TAGI section to be divided into three well-
constrained stratigraphic sequences with exce-
llent lateral continuity: Upper, Middle and Lower.
The production comes primarily from the Upper TA-
GI sequence that accounts for 70% of cumulative RKF
oil production.
Figure 2. Schematic cross section showing the two petroleum systems in the RKF field: TAGI and Carboniferous
Dynamic and static pressure data from the TAGI
indicates good lateral and vertical communication.
Regional data suggests the TAGI oil is sourced from
the Frasnian black shales, which are found subcrop-
ping the Hercynian Unconformity some 50 km west
of RKF field. Oil migration should be across the TAGI,
an excellent and continuous carrier bed, acting the
Triassic salt as top regional seal (fig. 2).
The Carboniferous reservoir in RKF field, infor-
mally known in the Berkine Basin as the RKF For-
mation, consists of stacked sequences of fine to very
fine sandstones beds interbedded with silty-shale in-
tervals containing thin organic-rich shales and coal
beds. Gamma ray profiles and core descriptions dis-
play a vertical stacking pattern of some 10-meter thick
units coarsening upward (fig. 3). Thickness of the en-
tire reservoir sequence is from 200 to 250 meters de-
creasing to the northwest. Core data indicate a shal-
low marine depositional setting, probably formed by
progradation of fluvio-deltaic sandstones into an es-
tuarine to tidally dominated shoreline.
New wells drilled, dynamic production data
accumulated during field development, petrographic
and geochemical data has revealed a greater
complexity for the Carboniferous reservoir. The ��������
Car-
boniferous section in RKF produces light oil (50ºAPI)
and gas-condensate from different reservoir units.
The RKF-1 discovery well tested high gravity oil at
the uppermost sands of the Carboniferous reservoir
section. Development drilling in 1998 tested a gas-
AGGEP-XXV Aniversario

condensate reservoir, just below the RKF-1 produc-
ing sands. In 2002, well testing confirmed the hydro-
carbon presence in chlorite-rich sands from the lower
section of the Carboniferous.
Well logs over the lower Carboniferous reservo-
ir section exhibits some clean sandstones beds with
high porosity (10 to 20%) but low resistivity (1 ohm-
m). Neutron/Density logs shows gas effects and log
analysis display hydrocarbon bearing beds with high
water saturation, but probably irreducible water. Pe-
trographic analysis over the entire Carboniferous re-
servoir helped to resolve the uncertainty about those
possible pay sands. The study concluded that reser-
voir characteristics depend critically on the distribu-
tion of grain-coating chlorite and that the continuity,
thickness and crystal size of the grain coating-chlo-
rite increase significantly in the Lower Carboniferous
reservoir section (fig. 4). Chlorite distribution is op-
posite to that of quartz cement. Presence of chlorite
on grain surfaces strongly inhibits quartz overgrowth
and creates micro-porosity. The micro-porosity pro-
motes high volumes of irreducible water, which may
be responsible for the measured low resistivity.
The chlorite could be formed by transformation
of a Fe-rich precursor clay mineral, stable at surface
conditions, such as berthierine. Berthierine typically
forms in shallow-marine deltaic settings in tropical
latitudes, near river mouths, where discharged fresh
water carries abundant colloidal Fe derived from wea-
thering and organic matter. Most chlorite-rich grains
AGGEP-XXV Aniversario
J. Navarro Comet, T. Bartrina, A. Alaminos and C. Rossi 289
Figure 3. Schematic well
correlation showing the en-
tire RKF Carboniferous For-
mation. The Carboniferous
section in RKF produces gas,
light oil and gas-conden-
sate from different reservoir
units.
show evidence of some transport contemporaneous
with their formation (ooidal envelopes, expanded mi-
cas with rounded edges), and thus probably formed
at the sea floor. This supports a syndepositional ori-
gin also for grain-coating chlorite, or rather its Fe-ri-
ch precursor clay. Thus the perceptible increase do-
wn-hole over the Carboniferous section in chlorite
content might be related to a change in depositional
environment.
Pressure data points and crude oil analysis su-
ggests the Carboniferous petroleum system can be
described as a multi-layer system, where sand se-
quences may constitute vertically isolated reservo-
ir units with different hydrocarbon composition and
hydrocarbon / water contacts.
An intra-Carboniferous source rock is postulat-
ed as the most likely source for the Carboniferous oil
and gas-condensate. Rock samples from black shales
and coal beds interbedded within reservoir sand-
stones were taken from RKF Carboniferous cores for
geochemical analysis. Total organic content (TOC) is
commonly higher than 1%, with Rock - Eval Hydro-
gen Index overgrowth and creates micro-porosity. The
white arrow indicates coats and pellets. The black arrow
shows quartz overgrowth that is only locally present.va-
lues up to 275 HC/g TOC. Vitrinite reflectance values
(mostly 0.65 to 0.85%) indicate the shales are ther-
mally mature enough to generate hydrocarbons. Al-
though these organic-rich beds are very thin (0.3 m
thick or less) and cannot be identified or traced on the
290 Carboniferous Petroleum System in the RKF field (Berkine Basin, Algeria)

Figure 4. Thin section showing

the presence of chlorite on
grain surfaces. Chlorite strongly
inhibits quartz

basis of conventional log data, available data support tential hydrocarbon zones that might be still over-
that sufficient organic material exists for Carbonife- looked.
rous oil and condensate to be derived locally from
source beds within the Carboniferous section.
Understanding of the Carboniferous petroleum References
system and the low resistivity pay opens new explo-
ration horizons in the Berkine Basin looking for po- Cepsa-Sonatrach. Internal report

AGGEP-XXV Aniversario