Map Compilations and Synthesis of Africa's Petroleum Basins and Systems
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Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on October 1, 2021 Map compilations and synthesis of Africa's petroleum basins and systems E. G. PURDY1 & D. S. MACGREGOR2 1Foxbourne, Hamm Court, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8YA, UK (e-mail: [email protected]) 2Sasol Petroleum International, 93 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1HJ, UK (e-mail: duncan. mac g re g or @ sasol. com) Abstract: The purpose of this short contribution is to provide an overview of our current state of knowledge of Africa's petroleum systems as an introduction to the detailed volume accounts that follow. Toward that end we introduce a set of maps on a supplementary CD compiled by Purdy as part of a confidential report provided to industry subscribers some ten years ago. The maps include subsurface as well as surface structural information but, because of their vintage, have not taken account of more recent information. Nonetheless, the regional geological frame- work apparent on the maps has not changed and, in that sense, the maps are as relevant today as when they were first compiled. Moreover the maps serve as a useful building block on which more recently acquired exploration data can be readily added by others using facilitating com- puter programs. Map compilations basement and below the first age-diagnostic fos- sils. Two map compilations are provided on the sup- The map's basin classification follows the ter- plementary CD (Purdy 2003). The first is entitled minology of Kingston et al. (1983) with two major Exploration Fabric of Africa and includes not only modifications. The first is the designation of delta conventional outcrop geology but also pertinent sag (DS) for large basins that are dominated by subsurface structural trends, including the depths delta fill. The second is the addition of a W and bottom-hole formations of shallow onshore subscript for those basins in which the structural boreholes that have exploration significance (e.g. style has been markedly affected by subsequent wrench-fault movements. Some of these may turn in Botswana, Sudan and Nigeria). Bathymetry is out to be expressions of a single divergent wrench also shown along with the location, bottom-hole couple rather than separate phases of interior frac- formations and thickness of section penetrated by turing and wrenching. Also indicated is the gen- the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth eralized stratigraphic age of each stage of basin Sampling (JOIDES) and Deep Sea Drilling Project evolution. For example the Niger Grabens desig- (DSDP) holes prior to 1989. nation of IF/IS (KL-Tp/TN) translates as an Early The second compilation map is entitled Sedi- Cretaceous to Paleogene Interior Fracture Basin mentary Basins of Africa and illustrates the areal succeeded by an Interior Sag Basin during the Neo- extent and distribution of basins within the general gene. This classification is important in providing evolutionary framework of Africa described by an indication of the type of structures generally Burke et al. (2003) The basins are classified by present and, in some instances, provides some indi- name and age of principal hydrocarbon-bearing cation of the size of structures that may be present reservoir play, illustrated against an outcrop back- by comparison to structural sizes known to be gen- ground of Precambrian basement, infra-Cambrian erally associated with specific structural styles. It sediment, volcanics (mainly Mesozoic and should be noted that the seaward extent of the Tertiary) and important subsurface trends. The mapped basins was arbitrarily limited to the delineation of infra-Cambrian sediments is viewed 1000m water-depth contour. In many West as particularly important because there are several African marginal sag basins, however, recent basins in Africa that are underlain by significant exploration in deeper waters has demonstrated the thicknesses of unmetamorphosed, unfossiliferous occurrence of Tertiary reservoir intervals that are sediments lying above Precambrian crystalline demonstrably more important than the older Cre- From: ARTHUR, T. J., MACGREGOR, D. S. & CAMERON, N. R. (eds) Petroleum Geology of Africa: New Themes and Developing Technologies. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 207, 1-8. 0305-8719/037$ 15 © The Geological Society of London 2003. Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on October 1, 2021 2 E. G. PURDY & D. S. MACGREGOR taceous reservoir plays identified on the map. uplift and erosion of the infra-Cambrian interval. These major required revisions are detailed in the With these difficulties in mind, the prospectivity of following discussion. the infra-Cambrian section is considered to be less than encouraging. Main African reservoir plays There follows a summary of each of the main res- Palaeozoic within North African interior sag ervoir plays identified on the map. These are sum- basins marized with respect to age and basin type and are based on innumerable references and personal The North African Palaeozoic play is presented in communications with industry workers, with only this volume by Coward & Ries (2003) and in an the key sources listed as references. For each of earlier publication by Boote et al. (1998). Reser- the identified reservoir plays, a brief assessment is voirs ranging in age from Cambrian to Early Car- made both of the proven petroleum provinces dis- boniferous in the Ghadames (Grand Erg), Illizi, cussed by Hemsted (2003) and of frontier basins Hamra, Murzuk and Ahnet basins contain around that may be analogous to these. A view is also 18.5 billion barrels oil equivalent (BBOE), consti- taken of the critical exploration factors and techno- tuting 8% of Africa's petroleum resource. Over logies applicable to each category. Finally, obser- half of these reserves are oil in the Cambrian Hassi vations made on key reservoir and petroleum sys- Messaoud Field. Hydrocarbons were generated tems are simplified into a number of themes that from Silurian and Devonian source rocks predomi- characterize current hydrocarbon exploration on nantly during Mesozoic reburial, pre-Hercynian the continent. For further details of the cited generation having been largely ineffective, reserves, please refer to the tables and references although the Ahnet Basin gas reserves could, as in the following paper by Burke et al. (2003) Coward & Ries (2003) point out, be exceptions to this general rule. The impact of the secondary Devonian source rocks has been significant for the Infra-Cambrian reservoirs within interior most recent discoveries and these are described in sag and fracture basins this volume by Liming et al. (2003) Technologies that are contributing and will continue to contribute Widespread areas of interior central and southern to the discovery of more petroleum in these Palaeo- Africa are characterized by the occurrence of thick zoic systems include improved seismic imaging in sequences of unfossiliferous sediments overlying areas of unfavourable surface conditions, such as Precambrian basement and conformably underly- shifting sand dunes (Drummond et al. 2003)), and ing the earliest fossiliferous beds, which are typi- shallow carbonate occurrences. Improved petro- cally of Silurian age. The largest of these include physical and engineering practices in some of the the Zaire Interior Basin, the Barotse Basin of Ang- tighter reservoirs, particularly the Ordovician flu- ola, the Etosha Basin of Angola and Namibia, the vioglacial sands, will undoubtedly contribute to Kalahari Basin of Botswana and the Volta Basin increased recovery of in situ hydrocarbons. of Ghana. The Silurian source rock is widespread across These beds are typically referred to as 'infra- most of the frontier basins in this class (Macgregor Cambrian' and are assigned a Vendian-Ordovician 1996; Boote et al 1998), parts of the Kufra Basin age. Such strata are productive on the Arabian plate being an exception. Consequently, the critical fac- of southern Oman, where the petroleum system tors for frontier areas in this basin category are bur- benefits from a thick Mesozoic overburden, but ial history and preservation. The absence of a sig- there have been no infra-Cambrian discoveries in nificant Mesozoic burial phase in most of the Africa. This might reflect a lack of drilling as there frontier basins seems to be a key difference are no more than a handful of true exploration between these and the productive basins. wells in the basins concerned and, within this sequence, a number of good source rocks have been mentioned in the literature. However, these Karroo megasequence within interior are frequently assessed as being overmature. More- fracture and foreland basins over, burial history relative to phases of trap forma- tion, uplift and potential flushing is difficult to The 'Karroo' is a broad lithostratigraphic term assess. These problems are manifested in the best- applied to sediments extending from the Late Car- documented basin of Zaire (Daly et al. 1992). boniferous 'Dwkya' glacial section up to the Here, Lawrence & Makazu (1988) have struggled Triassic-Liassic 'Stormberg' volcanics. These infill to find source levels in outcrop which are not over- interior fracture and foreland basins developed dur- mature and additionally could have undergone a ing or following Permo-Carboniferous tectonism. Mesozoic reburial phase that post-dated major Despite fairly significant exploration in sediment Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on October 1, 2021 COMPILATION OF AFRICA'S PETROLEUM BASINS 3 of this age in Madagascar and South Africa, sig- Jurassic-Early Cretaceous in interior nificant hydrocarbon occurrences are limited to the fracture/marginal sag basins near-outcropping Bemolanga tar sands of Madaga- scar, with a reported resource of 22 billion barrels Reservoir plays of this age are developed along in-place. This oil occurrence is tied to thick Per- oceanic margins that rifted during the Jurassic, mian shallow marine or lacustrine shales that have namely the northwestern African margin, the east- not as yet been recorded outside of Madagascar ern Mediterranean margin and the East African (Raveloson et al. 1991) and which seem to be lim- margin.