PAKISTAN

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION PROMOTION

CONFERENCE, 2012

ABBOTTABAD
BLOCK
(3372-25)

Area: 2246.2 sq.km

Prospectivity Zone: I

MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL RESOURCES

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES

Abbotabad Block (3372-25)

INTRODUCTION
Abbottabad Block covering an area 2298 sq km is
located in Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra districts
of Khyber Pukhton Khwa Province (KPK). The block
falls in Prospectivity Zone I.
GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
Tectonically, the Abbottabad Block is bounded by
Main Central Thrust (MCT) in the north, Main
boundary thrust (MBT) in the southeast and Indus
River in the west. This entire zone is part of the Lesser
Himalayas and structures are mainly developed by
compression.

The

northeast-southwest

trending

Khairabad Fault runs across the Abbottabad Block.

Generally NE-SW trending folds are present, which
have been disrupted by dip-slip faults.
STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE
Stratigraphy of the area ranges from Infra-Cambrian to Mio-Pliocene. Precambrian to Eocene strata is
exposed in various parts of the the block area. Northern part of the block is comprised of granite and
metamorphic rocks of Cambrian age. Permian to Eocene sedimentary sequence is present in the southern
portion of the block area.
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
As the area is virgin, the petroleum plays can only be described as analogous to the Kohat-Potwar Basin.
In the block area Permian-Eocene prolific sequence is present which is proven in Kohat Plateau, to have
dynamic petroleum system comprising all the necessary ingredients for the generation and accumulation
of hydrocarbons.
SOURCE
A number of source horizons are present in the area, which includes Infra-Cambrian, Paleozioc, Jurassic
(Datta Formation), Cretaceous (Chichali Formation) and Paleocene (Patala Formation). The geothermal
gradient is 2.75 C/100 m. As the area is virgin, the maturity can be assumed as similar to the Kohat-

Pakistan Exploration Promotion Conference 2012

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES

Abbotabad Block (3372-25)

Potwar Basin. Maturity model of Manzalai-1

located in Kohat Plateau shows that the Base
of Datta Formation (Jurassic) had reached in
oil window at 4000m in Miocene time. The
Patala Formation from Panoba Village is
thermally mature (Tmax 446 C to 448 C)
and is in early oil window. Rock-Eval T max of
the Chichali Formation is 439 C to 446 C
showing that the sediments in the Chichali
Formation are in early oil window in the
Chanda Field.
RESERVOIR
Cambrian Sandstones, Permian Tillites (Tobra
Formation),

Datta

Formation

(Jurassic),

Huangu & Lockhart Formations (Paleocene),

Sakesar & Chorgali Formations (Eocene) are
the proven reservoirs in the Kohat Plateau.
SEAL
The interbedded shales of the Cambrian, Permian, Jurassic (Data Formation), Cretaceous (Chichali
Formation) and Eocene (Kuldana Formation) are proven cap rocks in Potwar area. It is quite possible that
these rocks may act as cap rocks in the Abbottabad area.
TRAPPING MECHANISM
Faulted anticlines may provide trapping
mechanism for the accumulation of
hydrocarbons in the block area.

Pakistan Exploration Promotion Conference 2012