A bulk kinetic, burial history and thermal modeling study of the Albian Kazhdumi and the Eocene-Oligocene Pabdeh formations in the Ahvaz anticline, Dezful Embayment, Iran

Abstract The Ahvaz anticline which is located in the middle region of the Dezful Embayment is certainly one of the most important oilfields in Iran. Burial history reconstruction and one-dimensional thermal maturity modeling of the Late Jurassic to Present-day successions have been conducted in the Ahvaz anticline. The petroleum generation bulk kinetic parameters of the Kazhdumi and Pabdeh formations were computed by a non-isothermal open system pyrolysis at different heating rates. Bulk kinetic experiments reveal that a relatively narrow distribution of activation energies, range from 40 to 52 kcal/mol for the Kazhdumi samples and from 42 to 54 kcal/mol for Pabdeh shales, are directly related to the homogeneity in the organic matter. The principal activation energies of 46 kcal/mol and 48 kcal/mol, frequency factors of 4.36×10 +11  s −1 and 1.91×10 +12  s −1 and hydrogen indexes (HI) of 123 and 351 mg/g TOC have been computed for the Kazhdumi and Pabdeh formations, respectively. The lithology composition (percentages of shale, marl, gypsum, limestone and sandstone) of the Late Jurassic-Present formations in the selected wells was determined by using cutting samples and wireline well log data. The computed kinetic parameters and derived lithology composition of strata were applied to thermal maturity modeling. Thermal maturity modeling and burial history reconstruction which is calibrated by vitrinite reflectance data and formation temperature indicate that the palaeo-heat flow ranges from 37 mW/m 2 to 41 mW/m 2 . The Kazhdumi Formation entered the main stage of oil generation during the Late Miocene (6.5 Ma) and the Pabdeh Formation reached early stage of oil window from the Early Pliocene (3.5 Ma). Our results provide the bulk petroleum generation kinetic parameters description of the Kazhdumi and Pabdeh formations and demonstrate the thermal maturation state of source rocks, especially the Albian shales, that has been recognized as most important source rock in the Dezful Embayment.