scholarly journals Sedimentation, depositional environments, and hydrocarbon potential of the Maastrichtian-Paleocene Araromi Formation, eastern Dahomey (Benin) Basin, southwestern Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3917-3934
Author(s):  
Oladotun Afolabi Oluwajana ◽  
Abraham Olatunji Opatola ◽  
Olajide Jonathan Adamolekun ◽  
Otobong Sunday Ndukwe ◽  
Gabriel Toluwalope Olawuyi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Cretaceous sediments in southwestern Nigeria are host to one of the largest bitumen deposits in the world. In the current paper, an integrated study on sedimentology, palynology, and applied petroleum geochemistry of the Maastrichtian-Paleocene Araromi Formation was used to determine the depositional environments and hydrocarbon potentials of the formation on the eastern Dahomey Basin. Four sedimentary lithofacies were identified from core samples, namely, lower limestone (F1); medium to coarse-grained sandstone (F2); lower loosely consolidated sandstone (F3); and shale and siltstone (F4). Sedimentation in the eastern Dahomey Basin occurred mainly in fluvial and shallow-marine (shelf) environments. The palynological assemblages of the Araromi Formation reflect deposition in coastal through brackish water to shallow shelf environment with periods of localized wind-induced storms. The shale and siltstone samples of the Araromi Formation are characterized by total organic carbon (TOC) values of up to 2.50 wt % and S2 (hydrocarbon-generating potential) values ranging from 0.26 to 0.70 mgHC/g rock, indicating poor source rocks. Shales show poor quality and thermally immature organic matter at shallow depth and could neither have generated liquid hydrocarbon nor contributed to the heavy oil occurrence on the bitumen and tar-sand belt of eastern Dahomey (Benin) Basin.

Author(s):  
O. C. Adeigbe ◽  
C. B. Oyekola

Selected composited samples from Lewumeji (0-111m) and Idogun (0- 54m) wells,  from Abeokuta Group, Eastern Dahomey Basin, Nigeria, were subjected to detailed lithologic and palynological studies. The studies aimed at determining the lithological sequence, relative age, palynological zone and paleoenvironments of deposition. The core samples were subjected to lithological description and palynological analysis using standard procedure in order to determine palynomorphs contents such as pollen, spore and dinoflagellates. The lithologies from both wells consist of reddish to brown clay, reddish to brown colour, rounded to sub rounded sandstone, dark grey shale denoting  possibly fluvial, brackish, lagoonal and marine environments. A total of 31 well preserved low to moderate diverse palynomorphs were recovered from the studied area. The palynomorphs frequency percentage distribution shows that both wells have a higher ratio of land-derived pollen and spores to the marine dinoflagellates; (75%, 25% and 61%, 39%) for Lewumeji and Idogun wells respectively. The microfloral assemblages include abundant Cyathidites sp., Cyathidites minor, Tubistephanocolpites cylindricus, Proteacidites sp., Trilete spore, Foveotriletes margaritae, Monocolpites marginatus, Monoporites annulatus, Pteris sp, Distaverrusporites simplex and Laevigatosporites sp. The dinoflagellates recovered were characterized by the likes of Leiosphaeridia sp., Senegalinium sp., Oligosphaeridinium sp., Paleocytodinium sp., Cerodinium sp. and Subtilisphaera sp.  The wells fall within Cyathidites Minor zone, characterized by the diagnostic occurrence of Cyathidites minor, Cyathidites sp. and Monocolpites marginatus dated Upper Maastrichtian to early Paleocene. Paleoenvironmental interpretations based on the abundance of freshwater swamps pollen and Spores, diagnostic dinoflagellates cyst and the Palynomorphs Marine Index (PMI) are suggestive of environmental settings that vary from continental to brackish water and shallow marine.


Author(s):  
Richard O. Fakolade ◽  
Philip R. Ikhane ◽  
Qiuyue Zhao ◽  
Qingzhen Hao ◽  
Helena Alexanderson ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (23) ◽  
pp. 2885-2891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinhua Geng ◽  
Ansong Geng ◽  
Yongqiang Xiong ◽  
Jinzhong Liu ◽  
Haizu Zhang ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousif M. Makeen ◽  
Xuanlong Shan ◽  
Habeeb A. Ayinla ◽  
Ekundayo Joseph Adepehin ◽  
Ndip Edwin Ayuk ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Zarga and Ghazal formations constitute important reservoirs across the Muglad Basin, Sudan. Nevertheless, the sedimentology and diagenesis of these reservoir intervals have hitherto received insignificant research attention. Detailed understanding of sedimentary facies and diagenesis could enhance geological and geophysical data for better exploration and production and minimize risks. In this study, subsurface reservoir cores representing the Zarga formation (1114.70–1118.50 m and 1118.50–1125.30 m), and the Ghazal formation (91,403.30–1406.83 m) were subjected to sedimentological (lithofacies and grain size), petrographic/mineralogic (thin section, XRD, SEM), and petrophysical (porosity and permeability) analyses to describe their reservoir quality, provenance, and depositional environments. Eight (8) different lithofacies, texturally characterized as moderately to well-sorted, and medium to coarse-grained, sub-feldspathic to feldspathic arenite were distinguished in the cored intervals. Mono-crystalline quartz (19.3–26.2%) predominated over polycrystalline quartz (2.6–13.8%), feldspar (6.6–10.3%), and mica (1.4–7.6%) being the most prominent constituent of the reservoir rocks. Provenance plot indicated the sediments were from a transitional continental provenance setting. The overall vertical sequence, composition, and internal sedimentary structures of the lithofacies suggest a fluvial-to-deltaic depositional environment for the Ghazal formation, while the Zarga formation indicated a dominant deltaic setting. Kaolinite occurs mainly as authigenic mineral, while carbonates quantitatively fluctuate with an insignificant amount of quartz overgrowths in most of the analyzed cores. Integration of XRD, SEM, and thin section analysis highlights that kaolinite, chlorite, illite, and smectite are present as authigenic minerals. Pore-destroying diagenetic processes (e.g. precipitation, cementation, and compaction etc.) generally prevailed over pore-enhancing processes (e.g. dissolution). Point-counted datasets indicate a better reservoir quality for the Ghazal formation (ɸ = 27.7% to 30.7%; K = 9.65 mD to 1196.71 mD) than the Zarga formation (17.9% to 24.5%; K = 1051.09 mD to 1090.45 mD).


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 910-941
Author(s):  
Jian Song ◽  
Zhidong Bao ◽  
Xingmin Zhao ◽  
Yinshan Gao ◽  
Xinmin Song ◽  
...  

Studies have found that the Permian is another important stratum for petroleum exploration except the Jurassic coal measures within Turpan–Hami Basin recently. However, the knowledge of the depositional environments and its petroleum geological significances during the Middle–Late Permian is still limited. Based on the analysis about the sedimentological features of the outcrop and the geochemical characteristics of mudstones from the Middle Permian Taerlang Formation and Upper Permian Quanzijie Formation in the Taoshuyuanzi profile, northwest Turpan–Hami Basin, this paper makes a detailed discussion on the Middle–Late Permian paleoenvironment and its petroleum geological significances. The Middle–Upper Permian delta–lacustrine depositional system was characterized by complex vertical lithofacies assemblages, which were primarily influenced by tectonism and frequent lake-level variations in this area. The Taerlang Formation showed a significant lake transgression trend, whereas the regressive trend of the Quanzijie Formation was relatively weaker. The provenance of Taerlang and Quanzijie Formations was derived from the rift shoulder (Bogda Mountain area now) to the north and might be composed of a mixture of andesite and felsic volcanic source rocks. The Lower Taerlang Formation was deposited in a relatively hot–dry climate, whereas the Upper Taerlang and Quanzijie Formations were deposited in a relatively humid climate. During the Middle–Late Permian, this area belonged to an overall semi-saline water depositional environment. The paleosalinity values showed stepwise decreases from the Lower Taerlang Formation to the Upper Quanzijie Formation, which was influenced by the changes of paleoclimate in this region. During the Middle–Late Permian, the study area was in an overall anoxic depositional environment. The paleoenvironment with humid climate, lower paleosalinity, anoxic condition, and semi-deep to deep water during the deposition of the Upper Taerlang Formation was suitable for the accumulation of mudstones with higher TOC values.


Geofluids ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Xiao ◽  
Xuanjun Yuan ◽  
Dawei Cheng ◽  
Songtao Wu ◽  
Zhenglin Cao ◽  
...  

Feldspar dissolution is a common feature in clastic rock reservoirs of petroliferous basins and has an important influence on reservoir quality. However, the effect of feldspar dissolution on reservoir quality varies under different depositional environments and diagenetic systems. The study area in this paper is located in the Baikouquan Formation in the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin, which is significantly influenced by feldspar dissolution. Based on the analyses of core and thin section observations, QEMSEM, XRD, SEM, CL, fluorescence, and image analysis software combined with logging and physical property data, this study shows that feldspar dissolution in the subaqueous distributary channel of a fan delta plain, which has good original physical properties and low mud contents, significantly improves the properties of the reservoir. The main reasons for this are as follows: (1) the sedimentary facies with good original properties and low mud content is a relatively open system in the burial stage. The acidic fluids needed for feldspar dissolution are mostly derived from organic acids associated with the source rocks and migrate to the good-permeability area of the reservoir; (2) the by-products of feldspar dissolution, such as authigenic clay minerals and authigenic quartz, are transported by pore water in a relatively open diagenetic system and then precipitated in a relatively closed diagenetic system; and (3) the clay minerals produced by feldspar dissolution in different diagenetic environments and diagenetic stages have different effects on the reservoir. When the kaolinite content is less than 3%, the illite content is less than 4%, and the chlorite content is less than 12%, the clay minerals have a positive effect on the porosity. These clay minerals can reduce porosity and block pore throats when their contents are larger than these values.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikhane P. R. ◽  
Akintola A. I. ◽  
Bankole S. I. ◽  
Ajibade O. M. ◽  
Edward O. O.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 971-985
Author(s):  
Qingqiang Meng ◽  
Jiajun Jing ◽  
Jingzhou Li ◽  
Dongya Zhu ◽  
Ande Zou ◽  
...  

There are two kinds of relationships between magmatism and the generation of hydrocarbons from source rocks in petroliferous basins, namely: (1) simultaneous magmatism and hydrocarbon generation, and (2) magmatism that occurs after hydrocarbon generation. Although the influence of magmatism on hydrocarbon source rocks has been extensively studied, there has not been a systematic comparison between these two relationships and their influences on hydrocarbon generation. Here, we present an overview of the influence of magmatism on hydrocarbon generation based on the results of simulation experiments. These experiments indicate that the two relationships outlined above have different influences on the generation of hydrocarbons. Magmatism that occurred after hydrocarbon generation contributed deeply sourced hydrogen gas that improved liquid hydrocarbon productivity between the mature and overmature stages of maturation, increasing liquid hydrocarbon productivity to as much as 451.59% in the case of simulation temperatures of up to 450°C during modelling where no hydrogen gas was added. This relationship also increased the gaseous hydrocarbon generation ratio at temperatures up to 450°C, owing to the cracking of initially generated liquid hydrocarbons and the cracking of kerogen. Our simulation experiments suggest that gaseous hydrocarbons dominate total hydrocarbon generation ratios for overmature source rocks, resulting in a change in petroleum accumulation processes. This in turn suggests that different exploration strategies are warranted for the different relationships outlined above. For example, simultaneous magmatism and hydrocarbon generation in an area means that exploration should focus on targets likely to host large oilfields, whereas in areas with magmatism that post-dates hydrocarbon generation the exploration should focus on both oil and gas fields. In addition, exploration strategies in igneous petroliferous basins should focus on identifying high-quality reservoirs as well as determining the relationship between magmatism and initial hydrocarbon generation.


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