Screening for Oil-prone Deepwater Mesozoic Clastic Plays in the Sub-Saharan African Offshore

Exploration in Sub-Saharan Africa has had a long history of success, particularly for oil. However, many recent discoveries on both the western and eastern margins have been more gas-rich than expected. By integrating datasets across a range of disciplines, areas having higher potential for future oil discovery were assessed throughout offshore Africa.

This study focused on source rocks of the margins because they are key to understanding potential hydrocarbon phases. By integrating the geodynamic and climate history of the continental margins with an understanding of the key source rock drivers, operator understanding of the likely distribution and character of Mesozoic source rocks was enhanced. This was combined with a detailed assessment of maturity using regional depth grids, geothermal gradient maps, published data, and recent discovery phases to provide a fuller picture of potential oil source rock distribution. An assessment of likely reservoir distribution and quality for deepwater Cretaceous Clastic plays was performed based on gross depositional environment maps, published data, regional depths grids, and hinterland geology. Integrating these datasets allowed a more comprehensive view of these petroleum systems, and helped to high-grade areas that might be of future exploration interest.