Sedimentological and isotopic heterogeneities within a Jurassic carbonate ramp (UAE) and implications for reservoirs in the Middle East

Carbonate rocks are major hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Middle East and across the world. Capturing the spatial distribution and dimensions of carbonate sedimentary facies is thus of interest for reservoir modelling and for the understanding of process sedimentology. Here we present data from a Middle Jurassic carbonate ramp outcropping on the Musandam Peninsula (Wadi Naqab, Northern United Arab Emirate of Ras-Al-Khaima), which serves as an analogue for the hydrocarbon bearing units in the subsurface of the Middle East with respect to stratigraphic age, lithofacies types, vertical stacking patterns and palaeogeographical setting. Seven closely spaced sections were logged across a 1900 × 1200 × 120 m fault-bounded outcrop offering a pseudo-3D view of the stratigraphy. Sections were correlated bed-by-bed by walking key surfaces and/or by using photopanels, to produce a detailed lithofacies map …