Control of compression-shearing and strike-slipping on deep-water carbonate reservoir reconstruction: A case study of the west tip of Sinjar Uplift

Through analyzing the relationship between the structural characteristics and oil reservoir distribution of Eocene Jaddala and Oligocene Chilou formations in the western tip of the Sinjar uplift, this paper documents that compression-shearing and strike-slipping transformed the deep-water tight carbonate rocks into favorable reservoirs. The reconstruction was in two aspects: (1) Strike-slip shearing made the tight carbonate rocks into fractured reservoirs; and (2) local uplifts and folds generated by the compression components of a twisting couple during early tectonic inversion stages were elevated near or above the sea level, so that the tight carbonate rocks were leached by a mix of sea water and rain, which generated porous reservoirs. This case showed that the deep-water tight carbonate rocks altered by tectonic activity had exploration potential, and similar local structures provide potential prospects during the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas.