Infracambrian source rock distribution and characteristics in North Africa

Dr. Markus Geiger

Funded by the Maghreb Petroleum Research Group (MPRG), sponsored by ENI, Italy


Infracambrian (Late Neoproterozoic-Early Cambrian) strata contain proven petroleum systems in Russia, Oman, Australia and other parts of the world. In Africa the Infracambrian source rock potential is unclear, although previous and recent exploration studies in the Taoudenni Basin outline promising perspectives.
The project aims for to understand the source rock facies of stromatolitic limestones and its regional distribution in the analogue model of the Anti-Atlas, Morocco. For control of the analogue model, a dataset from the Mauritanian Taoudenni Basin delivered TOC and pyrolysis data, which were compared with the outcrop data.