Seismic interpretation and attribute analysis of the Herodotus and the Levantine Basin, offshore Cyprus and Lebanon

Giant gas discoveries in the vicinity have sparked increased interest in the petroleum potential of the Eastern Mediterranean. However, a lack of well data from the area means that a number of crucial unknowns about the region remain. Many of these unknowns relate to uncertainties regarding the sedimentary infill of the main basins, including the sediment provenance areas and elastic properties.

The petroleum potential of this region has been investigated through the acquisition and analysis of multiple 2D and 3D seismic surveys offshore Cyprus and Lebanon and a thorough review of available literature regarding the regional geology. An amplitude extraction study indicates sourcing of probable clastic sediments from the NE, from present-day Syria. In addition evidence of conduits coming off onshore Lebanon can be seen in the seismic data. Use of released data from one of the closest wells penetrating the same stratigraphy as the new discoveries enabled us to build a synthetic model over one of these discoveries (Tamar discovery) and to perform a fluid-substitution over this model. Comparison of these results with characteristics of identified leads and prospects in the northern, undrilled part of the Levantine Basin may improve our understanding of the rock properties in this area as similarities in between these may also indicate similarities in the elastic properties.