Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa

Salt basins along the passive continental margin of West Africa are becoming one of the most attractive areas for hydrocarbon exploration. The oil and gas discovered recently are related to salt structures. The salt structures are widespread in Anglo-Cameroon, the thickness of salt is up to 1 500 m...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zuodong Liu, Jianghai Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2011-04-01
Series:Petroleum Exploration and Development
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876380411600256
_version_ 1818970427463041024
author Zuodong Liu
Jianghai Li
author_facet Zuodong Liu
Jianghai Li
author_sort Zuodong Liu
collection DOAJ
description Salt basins along the passive continental margin of West Africa are becoming one of the most attractive areas for hydrocarbon exploration. The oil and gas discovered recently are related to salt structures. The salt structures are widespread in Anglo-Cameroon, the thickness of salt is up to 1 500 m and the average width is 300 km. These basins can be divided into two parts in horizontal direction: extensional zone and compressional zone, which extend 100–150 km and 100–200 km respectively. The extensional zone includes sealed titled zone, growth fault zone and diapir zone, and is characterized by tilted block, rollover structure and turtle structure anticline. The compressional zone is characterized by salt sheet, salt tongue, thrust fault and small folds. Oil and gas are distributed in both zones, oil and gas reserves in the extensional zone are a little larger than reserves in the compressional zone. Several types of salt related traps can be recognized, such as salt anticline, salt diapir and fault related trap, unconformity and structural-lithologic traps. Salt anticlines are the most potential exploration targets. Key words: West Africa, passive continental margin, salt structure, extensional zone, compressional zone
first_indexed 2024-12-20T14:36:18Z
format Article
id doaj.art-8159f5d7093c477e98f8b1a2e7458e12
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1876-3804
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T14:36:18Z
publishDate 2011-04-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Petroleum Exploration and Development
spelling doaj.art-8159f5d7093c477e98f8b1a2e7458e122022-12-21T19:37:26ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Petroleum Exploration and Development1876-38042011-04-01382196202Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West AfricaZuodong Liu0Jianghai Li1PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing 100083, China; School of Earth and Space Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Corresponding authorSchool of Earth and Space Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaSalt basins along the passive continental margin of West Africa are becoming one of the most attractive areas for hydrocarbon exploration. The oil and gas discovered recently are related to salt structures. The salt structures are widespread in Anglo-Cameroon, the thickness of salt is up to 1 500 m and the average width is 300 km. These basins can be divided into two parts in horizontal direction: extensional zone and compressional zone, which extend 100–150 km and 100–200 km respectively. The extensional zone includes sealed titled zone, growth fault zone and diapir zone, and is characterized by tilted block, rollover structure and turtle structure anticline. The compressional zone is characterized by salt sheet, salt tongue, thrust fault and small folds. Oil and gas are distributed in both zones, oil and gas reserves in the extensional zone are a little larger than reserves in the compressional zone. Several types of salt related traps can be recognized, such as salt anticline, salt diapir and fault related trap, unconformity and structural-lithologic traps. Salt anticlines are the most potential exploration targets. Key words: West Africa, passive continental margin, salt structure, extensional zone, compressional zonehttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876380411600256
spellingShingle Zuodong Liu
Jianghai Li
Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
Petroleum Exploration and Development
title Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
title_full Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
title_fullStr Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
title_full_unstemmed Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
title_short Control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of West Africa
title_sort control of salt structures on hydrocarbons in the passive continental margin of west africa
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876380411600256
work_keys_str_mv AT zuodongliu controlofsaltstructuresonhydrocarbonsinthepassivecontinentalmarginofwestafrica
AT jianghaili controlofsaltstructuresonhydrocarbonsinthepassivecontinentalmarginofwestafrica