An opportunity to re-evaluate the petroleum potential of the Douala/Kribi-Campo Basin, Cameroon

Loule, Jean-Pierre; Jifon, Francis; Bioule, Serge Edouard Angoua; Nguema, Ponce; Spofforth, David J.A.; Carruthers, Daniel; Watkins, Carl; Johnston, Joe

doi:10.3997/1365-2397.n0078

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…These deposits were penetrated in Kribi-Campo offshore sub-basin throughout the Kribi Marine-1 (Nguene et al, 1992;Pauken, 1992;Lawrence et al, 2002;Meyers et al, 1996). Moreover, other salt units have been recognized on the continental-shelf in the study area using seismic data (Loule et al, 2018;Mienlam et al, 2021). During the postrift stage, a major regional drift unconformity developed across the Douala Basin in the early Senonian, marking the complete cessation of lithospheric extension and the onset of the continental divergence with the development of the passive margin (Meyer et al, 1996;Rosendahl, 1999;Sterling, 2010;Mvondo, 2010;Le, 2012).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The post-rift sequence in the study area is characterized by sand-rich turbidity channel belts and basin floor to toe-of-slope fans (Wornardt, 1999;Sterling, 2010;Le, 2012;Iboum et al, 2016;Loule et al, 2018;Yugye et al, 2021) (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These seismic horizons were tied to the well W1 using the checkshot data and the interval of interest was divided into two main seismic units based on the recognition of reflection termination patterns such as onlap, erosional truncations, seismic facies/configuration, and vertical stacking patterns (Mitchum et al, 1977). In the present study, submarine channel systems and submarine fans were identified based on seismic criteria and 3D geomorphology (e.g., Posamentier and Kolla, 2003;Loule et al, 2018).…”

Section: Seismic Stratigraphymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydrocarbon reservoirs (e.g., Okume, Oveng, Ebano and Ceiba oil fields) in similar settings have been found in the Santonian-Maastrichtian turbidite sediments in the offshore of Equatorial Guinea (Dailly, 2002;Sterling, 2010). Also, along the Cameroonian margin, various Miocene channels, and fan system across the Douala/Kribi-Campo Basin are hydrocarbon-rich (SPT, 1995;Loule et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Kribi/Campo sub-basin, which is a component of the northern Douala/Kribi-Campo Basin, hosts the South Sanaga and Kribi oil fields in deep-water turbidite sediments (Pauken et al, 1991;Pauken, 1992;Nguene et al, 1992;Ackerman et al, 1993;Tamfu et al, 1995;Brownfield and Charpentier, 2006;Ndonwie, 2007). However, in contrast to the well-studied submarine channels and their implications for hydrocarbon exploration in the West African basins (e.g., Niger Delta, Congo, and Gabon), those in the Kribi/Campo subbasin are poorly understood in terms of their architectural elements, morphological variations and factors controlling the distribution of sands (see Iboum et al 2016;Loule et al, 2018;Yugye et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seismic Geomorphology of a Late Cretaceous Turbidite Channel system in Deepwater Kribi/Campo sub-basin, offshore Cameroon

GOUOTT¹,

Yem²,

Atangana³

et al. 2022

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In this study, a seismic reflection dataset and well-log data were integrated to investigate the geometry and internal configuration of a turbidite channel system within the Late Cretaceous interval of the deep-water Kribi-Campo sub-basin, offshore Cameroon. This interval is characterized by a well-developed submarine channel system consisting of an early and a late-stage channel. Morphologically, the submarine channel system has a northeast-southwest trend and is U-shaped in cross-section with a length of 56 km within the study area. The early-stage channel has a relatively straight morphology and varies in width and depth from 3 to 5 km and 89 to 197 m, respectively. However, the late stage of the channel is characterized by a narrower (1 to 3 km) and shallower (41 to 103 m) incision, with sinuous morphology carved into the early channel infill. The changing interaction of differential tectonic subsidence, relative sea level, source sediment supply and slope gradient change are considered to be the major control on the geometry and internal characteristics of the submarine channel system. Sag subsidence during the Campanian led to basin deepening and the widespread development of basinal sediments as submarine fans and promotion of submarine channel system development. The filling of the channel system occurred during a long-term Maastrichtian relative sea level rise, punctuated by falls in relative sea level. Sand appears to have been fed to the channel system by the palaeo-Sanaga and palaeo-Nyong Rivers, with sand rich aprons developed were these rivers debouched into the study area. The early stage of the submarine channel is dominated by coarse-grained sediments in the southwest and fine-grained sediments in the northeast, while the late-stage channel is mainly filled with fine-grained sediments. The presence of coarse-grained sediments occur within the submarine channel axis downstream represents a potential for hydrocarbon reservoirs with enhanced petrophysical qualities due to a low depositional gradient. The geomorphological analysis of this ancient submarine channel system along the western African margin, as presented in this study, has broad implications in the understanding of the distribution of deep-water sediments with potential for hydrocarbon exploration in the region.

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