『(Abstract)
The Arabian plate region (roughly the Arabian Peninsula, the
Fertile Crescent and SE Turkey and SW Iran south of the Taurus/Zagros
Mountains) contains 66.4% and 33.9% of the world's recoverable
oil and gas reserves as of the start of 1998. Over 98% of these
reserves are located along the NE Arabian shelf margin stretching
from Iraq to Oman. The reasons behind this richness in hydrocarbons
are examined. Some of the factors responsible for such richness
include the presence of many petroleum systems over geological
time including repeated and extensive source rock beds, excellent
carbonate and some sandstone reservoirs in good juxtaposition,
excellent regional seals, huge anticlinal traps and a long history
of almost uninterrupted sedimentation. The critical factor, however,
is the areal extent of the NE margin shelf reaching 2000 km in
width and nearly 3000 km in length, for which there is no modern
analogue. A plea is made for an immediate input of R and D funds
to establish a commercially viable energy alternative(s) to this
finite valuable resource (feedstock for the petrochemical industries
and a huge source of synthetic proteins) which is due to run out
in about 43 years at the present day rate of consumption.』
Introduction
Arabian plate hydrocarbon systems
Arabian plate historical geology: The reason behind its hydrocarbon
richness
Arabian plate geological evolution
Concluding remarks
Acknowledgements
References