Depositional Controls and Post-Depositional Changes on the Reservoir Quality of the Hawaz Formation, NC186 concession, Murzuq Basin, Libya: A Review Paper

Clastic reservoirs within the petroleum systems of the Murzuq Basin in southwestern Libya are examined. This review explores the combined effects of depositional processes and diagenetic alterations on reservoir quality in the J and H oil fields within Block NC186. The Hawaz succession records a complex shallow-marine depositional history dominated by tidal processes and includes multiple transgressive and highstand systems tracts developed above a regional erosional surface. High-energy tidal currents created extensively laterally quartz-rich sandstone bodies that serve as the primary reservoir intervals. By integrating facies distribution, sequence stratigraphic framework, and diagenetic mineral assemblages, this study assesses the spatial variability of porosity and permeability within the formation. The findings suggest that reservoir quality is mainly influenced by the interaction between depositional facies architecture, bioturbation intensity, and post-depositional mineral precipitation, particularly quartz overgrowths and authigenic illite formation. Understanding these factors offers valuable insights for reservoir prediction and hydrocarbon exploration in the Murzuq Basin and other Paleozoic reservoirs of North Africa.