Possible Bornu Basin Hydrocarbon Habitat—A Review

Abstract

An attempt is made in this article to examine and assess the possible petroleum habitat in the Bornu Basin, which is the Nigerian portion of the Mega-Chad Basin that has been found to host oil and gas in commercial quantities in Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The presence of three of the fundamental geological factors (source rock, reservoir rock and seal/trap) for commercial hydrocarbon accumulation was assessed in the light of existing information. Available geochemical information reveals that the shales of the Bima, Gongila and Fika Formations in the Bornu Basin contain sufficient organic matter for hydrocarbon generation. Limited existing geochemical data suggest that the quantity and quality of the organic matter in the shales vary widely with the TOC of most samples ranging from 0.54 wt%-1.25 wt% and the HI from 11-173.80 mg/g in intervals with Tmax in the range of 365˚C-519˚C. In addition, the kerogen type is predominantly type III with minor type II, thus suggesting a predominant gas prone basin. Possible reservoir rocks occur as sand/sandstone beds within the Bima, Gombe, and Kerri-Kerri, as well the Gongila Formation which also contains much shale and limestone. Both stratigraphic and structural trapping conditions exist in the Bornu Basin. The structural traps were presumably formed during the widespread Santonian tectonic inversion that affected the entire Mega-Chad Basin. It is suggested that deeper drilling into the sands and sandstone of the untested Bima Formation that could host hydrocarbon of commercial quantities, as evidenced by the discoveries at deeper depths in the neighbouring Termit Basin, was desirable.

Source Rock Evaluation in The Lake Chad Area of the Bornu Basin, Nigeria

“…Previous workers, notably, Olugbemiro, Obaje, Moumouni and Alalade and Tyson [2][3][4][5] have evaluated potential source rocks in some parts of the basin, although the selection of materials for the analysis appears haphazard. These works have been reviewed in Adekoya [6] suggesting that the basin contain sufficient hydrocarbon generation elements. In the present study, source rock evaluation is focused on the north-eastern portion of the Bornu Basin where a thick sedimentary cover, possibly the thickest in the basin, is speculated on the basis of magnetic and gravity data interpretation and well log information [7,8].…”

Source Rock Evaluation of the Shale Beds Penetrated by Kinasar-1 Well, Se Bornu Basin, Nigeria

“…In this study, source rock evaluation concentrate on selected shale beds of Fika Formation considered viable as source rock. The section shallower than interval focus in this study contains predominantly clay, sands and clayey sands of Maastrichtian/Tertiary sequences [12].…”

“…Extensive source rock assessments in the Bornu Basin have been carried out [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]. Based on these studies, source rock availability in the Bornu Basin was reviewed by Adekoya et al [12]. More recent works include [13].…”

Determination of hydrocarbon potentials in Masu area northeastern Nigeria using forward and inverse modeling of aeromagnetic and aerogravity data

“…These are mostly explored in Niger Delta area; hence the fear that soon or later the economic reserve of the country may have a hitch, as the hydrocarbon potentials and mineral deposits of the Niger Delta may be exhaustibly harnessed. Therefore, there is need to investigate the economic mineral and hydrocarbon potentials of other geologic provinces, such as the Nigerian sector of Chad Basin, which is presumed to have high prospect for hydrocarbon and mineral deposits [1]. This is as a result of the discovery of large quantity of petroleum, gas and minerals in the neighboring countries, which have similar geological structural setting as that of the Nigerian Chad Basin.…”

“…Masu is an area with favorable features, which encourage accumulation of hydrocarbon potentials and mineral deposits [1]. Hence, there is need for its subsurface geophysical investigations.…”