Rudist reef associated limestones comprising the Cretaceous Mishrif Formation are the major reservoirs in Fateh field, a giant oil field in offshore Dubai. In this study, Mishrif cores from four wells on the western flank of the field were examined to gain insights into the depositional, diagenetic, thermal, and maturation histories of the Mishrif Formation in this area.

The wells lowest on the west flank contain relatively deep-water, lower fore-reef facies bounded by two erosional unconformities. The upper unconformity marks the Laffan-Mishrif contact and extends over Fateh field throughout the region. In Fateh field, the lower intra-Mishrif unconformity has been identified only on the western flank, but is probably present in other locations low on the Fateh structure. The identification of the lower unconformity indicates two cycles of Mishrif sedimentation. The cycles are related to deep-seated salt movement and epeiric sea level changes.

Fluid inclusion data, maturation calculations, and burial history modeling indicate that the timing of cementation by blocky calcite spar and oil migration were approximately synchronous and occurred during the Oligocene to Miocene.