Sequence stratigraphy of Gadvan Formation (Barremian-Aptian) in the Persian Gulf, Iran

The Gadvan Formation of Barremian to Aptian age, is considered as a subordinate oil reservoir with proven oil-bearing intervals, in some well-known field structures, in the Persian Gulf. However, this formation has received limited geoscientific attention, with relatively few studies and data available so far. In the offshore area, regional geological and stratigraphic understanding has primarily been based on reports from drilled wells and limited industrial subsurface data, along with correlations to outcrop exposures. In this study, we investigate the Gadvan Formation using multiple stratigraphic approaches, including biostratigraphy, and both sample-based and log-based sequence stratigraphy. Our analysis reveals that the formation can be consistently interpreted to consist of two 3rd-order sequences, in the studied locations. By correlating data, we provide generalized sequence stratigraphic interpretations that can help predict the distribution of key reservoir layers, in inter-well areas in this region. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Gadvan Formation stratigraphy, in the Persian Gulf.