The Dhahaban Petroleum System of Oman

The Dhahaban petroleum system, from a source rock of Cambrian age, covers some 50,000 km2 and contains 1.6 X 109 m3 of oil and 1000 X 109 m3 of gas in place of which at least, respectively, 0.35 X 109 m3 and 700 X 109 m3 are recoverable. For many years, the origin of the so-called Q oil was enigmatic and defied typing to a source rock. Integration of recent advances in geochemistry and basin modeling has now permitted us to retrace its source areas, model the generation and migration histories, and outline the areal and stratigraphic extent of the petroleum system.