East Africa Oil Group
Coastal East Africa Oil Forum
Central London 28-29 November 2017 - By invitation onlyFIRST ANNOUNCEMENT
Despite the widespread occurrence of oil seeps, tar sands and oil-prone source rocks in coastal basins of East
Africa there is only one oil field in commercial production after more than a century of exploration
With insights gained from over fifty years of combined experience exploring this margin, we do not believe this reflects the true oil potential of this region and to support our more optimistic view we are organizing a two day forum to explore where opportunities for commercial oil discoveries remain, onshore and the offshore shelf and slope.
Until the Liassic Period East Africa was part of Gonwanda – the early break up folowed the dvelopment of source rocks and separated the earlier source systems.
This forum will integrate plate tectonic constrained source facies distributions, oil biomarkers and structural history to examine oil expulsion, charge, retention and dispersal through time with the objective of defining petroleum systems more rigorously and identifying both underexplored and new oil plays along the margin.
The team have reviewed the entire western Indian Ocean margin from Cambay to Outeniqua via Seychelles, Ambilobe, Majunga, Morondava, Comoros, Durban, Limpopo, Zambezi, Ruvuma, Rufiji, Lamu, Somalia, Yemen and Oman; the basins, the oils, the source rocks, and the missed opportunities, and we will present our findings over a 2-day Forum to interested exploration companies.
Some 222 oils have been analysed, basin reconstructions revisited by recourse to the geology and potential fields data, and oil prone areas ranked.
The core presentation team comprises:
Chris Matchette-Downes, formerly with Exlog, BG, BGS, PGS/ERC, JEBCO and EAX. Chris has carried out extensive research on the geochemistry of oil and associated oil prone source facies encountered in the region over many years. This basic research provides the critical framework underpinning this forum.
Well data, seeps, shows and tar strandings have all been analysed and compared using stable isotope data, aromatic hydrocarbon data, Nickel, Vanadium and Sulphur concentrations and biomarker assemblages.
A project overview is planned for the 29thof June, in London please see below.
Mike Pereira-Rego, formerly Exploration Director of AMINEX PLC, now of Triton Petroleum Pte. Ltd., has presented widely on East African oil occurrences and regional hydrocarbon play fairways, and was directly responsible for the Aminex-led discovery of the onshore Ntorya gas field in Tanzania in 2012, and the offshore Kiliwani North #1 gas discovery in 2007.
David Boote,formerly with Occidental IEPC and now a consultant with a continuing interest in East African petroleum systems.
Andrew Long, a potential fields specialist formerly with PGS Reservoir and now a consultant providing geophysical and geological interpretations harnessing state-of-the-art technology.
With additional contributions from: Dr Colin Reeves of Earthworks, architect of dynamic global plate reconstructions and evolution of Gondwana.
Dr Andrew Carr of Advanced Geochemical Systems Ltd., formerly with BG is a highly experienced geochemist with unique expertise in maturity modelling and petroleum systems analysis on and offshore Tanzania and northern Mozambique.
FORUM OUTLINE
Over the course of the two day forum, we will focus upon the entrapment and retention history of the extinct, preserved and active petroleum systems found along the East African coastal margin and assess the importance of both local and regional de-pressuring in controlling late gas charge. The following topics will be presented and discussed:
Introduction and Overview
Learnings from the past
Tectonostratigraphic Evolution of the East African Coastal Margin
(1) Plate tectonic modelling – breakup and dispersal of Gondwana(2) Basin Definition – potential fields analysis
(3) Regional stratigraphic evolution
Oil geochemistry, candidate source facies and oil (gas) family- source facies correlation
Lower Mesozoic derived oil – tar stranding
(1) Overview – identification & regional distribution of petroleum systems
(2) Petroleum Systems Analysis (by source horizon)
(3) Burial history modelling of the Rovuma Basin
Future Prospectivity
Remaining (oil) potential and untested play concepts
A new approach to oil exploration
New technologies and old technologies used in different ways.
Play Analysis Workshop
Group discussion and risk assessment of high-graded play concepts.
Lower Mesozoic derived oil – tar stranding
The common occurrence of oil shows, seeps and tar sands testifies to the existence of once very prolific oil prone petroleum systems along the margin, dispersed by late uplift, tilting and un-roofing. It is only by understanding the relationship between trapping geometry, seal integrity, charge timing and post-charge events, and early exploration history that it is possible to demonstrate the true prospectivity of areas previously downgraded by lack of early exploration success. We believe this forum will provide a robust framework necessary to reveal the full potential of coastal East Africa.
DISCLAIMER
Any use of or reliance or action taken upon the Presentations prepared by the East Africa Oil Group shall be at the sole risk of the users of the supplied material and the Presenters accept no liability for any losses resulting from such use, reliance or action, for which (i) Presenters expressly deny any responsibility and (ii) the users of the Presentations hereby forever release the Presenters therefrom. Neither do the Presenters make any representation or warranty, express or implied, concerning the Presentations or its contents, other than that the Presentations were prepared with the best efforts of the authors thereof. The East Africa Oil Group reserve the right not to proceed with the forum should there be insufficient interest. Chris Matchette-Downes, for and on behalf of East Africa Oil Group (EAOG)
APPENDIX I: EAOG PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Selected contributions on East Africa written and/or presented by the East Africa Oil Group over the last two decades:
Boote, D.R.D., Matchette-Downes, C. & Sorkhabi, R.B., 2016. Active and Extinct Petroleum Systems of the East African coastal basins. East Africa – from Research to Reserves Conference, Geological Society, London 13-15thApril (oral presentation)
Boote, D.R.D., 2013, The 'Austrian Event' of the Afro-Arabian Plate and its influence upon Cretaceous Petroleum Systems. AAPG European Regional Conference & Exhibition, Barcelona, 8th-10thApril (oral presentation)
Boote, D.R.D, 2012, Beydoun revisited: tectonostratigraphic evolution and petroleum systems of Southern Arabia & Northern Somalia. East Africa: Petroleum Province of the
21stCentury Conference, Geological Society, London, 24th-26thOctober (oral
presentation)
Boote, D.R.D & Matchette-Downes, C., 2009, Extinct, near extinct and active petroleum systems of the East African coastal basins, 8thPESGB-HGS Conference: New concepts for the oldest continent, September 2009, London (oral presentation)
Burke K., Macgregor D. and Cameron, N., 2003. Africa's Petroleum Systems: Four Tectonic Aces in the Past 600 Million Years. In: Arthur T.J., D.S. Macgregor and N. R. Cameron (editors). Petroleum Geology of Africa – New Themes and Developing Technologies. Geological Society Special Publication 207, p. 21-60
Cameron N.R. and Brumbaugh, W.D., 2004. The eastern margins of continents are less prospective than their western counterparts: is this statement valid for East Africa? PESGB-HGS Conference, "Africa: the continent of challenge and opportunity", London,
7-8 September 2004 (poster abstract)
Cameron N. R. and Matchette-Downes C., 2004. The Petroleum Geology of East Africa: New Understanding, New Opportunities. Global Pacific and Partners, "Africa Petroleum Forum", London, 2-3 March 2004
Matchette-Downes C. and Cameron, N. R., 2005. Why Mozambique and the surrounding region will lead Africa in exploration success. 9thAfrica Oil and Gas, Trade
& Finance Conference, 2006. 3th June, Maputo, Mozambique
Matchette-Downes C., Cameron N.R. and Brumbaugh, W.D., 2004. East Africa comes of age. 9thPETEX, 23-25 November (oral presentation)
Matchette-Downes C., 2011. East Africa ten years on, SPE Conference, June 2011, London
Lower Mesozoic bitumen in northern
Madagascar well
Matchette-Downes C., 2009. The Seychelles and their place in the break-up of Gondwana by recourse to oils geochemistry and source rock analysis. PESGB/HGS Conference, 9-10thSeptember 2009, London
Matchette-Downes C., 2009. Exploration Highlights East Africa & Western Indian Ocean. Africa Upstream 27thMay 2009
Matchette-Downes C., 2009. The Greater East African and Western Indian Ocean Petroleum Systems by recourse to biomarker and stable isotope data within the geological framework. EAPC09 Petroleum Potential & Investment Opportunities in East Africa March 11thto 13th2009, Mombasa
Matchette-Downes C., 2007. Seychelles: Central and northern plateaux area. 12thPROSPEX Conference, December 2007, London
Matchette-Downes C., 2007. Exploring Mesozoic Gondwana Break-up Basins: Petroleum Systems of the Successful East & West African Rift margins (by recourse to oils geochemistry) Geological Society Conference - South Atlantic Petroleum Systems, 6th & 7th November 2007, London
Matchette-Downes C., 2007. Hydrocarbon Systems of the East African Continental Margins. EAPC, 7thto 9thMarch 2007, Arusha
Matchette-Downes C., 2006. Seychelles and the Western Indian Ocean Palaeo-Reconstruction by Recourse to Biomarker Assemblages from Significant Oil Accumulations and Shows in the Present Day Indian Ocean Margin, AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, November 5-8, 2006 Perth, West Australia. Search and Discovery Article #90061 Posted December 15, 2006
Matchette-Downes C., 2006. Morondava Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators and geochemical seabed coring. OMNIS & TGS NOPEC 1stLicensing Round Presentation, May 23rd& 25th2006, London & Houston
Matchette-Downes C., 2005. The petroleum Potential of the Seychelles. Global Pacific, 11thAfrica Upstream Conference, November 2005, Cape Town
Matchette-Downes C., 2005. Why Mozambique and the surrounding region will lead Africa in exploration success. 9th UNCTAD African Oil
& Gas, Trade and Finance Conference, 31stMay to 3rdJune 2005,
Maputo
Matchette-Downes C., 2005. East Africa – an exploration hotspot. 2ndEast Africa Conference, 4thMarch 2005, Entebbe (talk by invitation from the Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan Governments)
Matchette-Downes C., 2004. Tanzania petroleum geochemistry.
Tanzania 3rdRound Presentation, November 2004, London
Break up margin play
Matchette-Downes C. & Rego M.C., 2004. The greater East Africa oil prone system: Results from recent wells. 3rd
PESGB/HGS Conference on African E&P, 7 – 8thSeptember 2004, London
Matchette-Downes C., 2004. Tanzania oil story: New data new insights. Global Pacific African Forum, 2-3rdMarch 2004, London
Matchette-Downes C., 2003. Evidence for multiple oil prone source horizons in coastal Tanzania. 2ndPESGB/HGS Conference on African E&P, 3 – 4thSeptember 2003, London (poster presentation) updated for presentation at Global Pacific Africa Upstream Forum, October 2003, Cape Town
Matchette-Downes C., 2002. A new Play, the Durban basin, east coast South Africa, Global Pacific Africa Upstream Forum, October 2002, Cape Town (poster presentation.)
Matchette-Downes C., 2002. A new play: The Tugela Cone of the Durban Basin, East Coast South Africa. 1stPESGB/HGS Conference on African E&P September 2002 (poster presentation)
Matchette-Downes C., 2002. A fresh Start for East African Hydrocarbons. Commonwealth Mozambique Investment
Conference, 25-27thFebruary 2002, Maputo (oral presentation)
Milsom, J., N. R., Cameron, A. Carr & Matchette-Downes C., 2003. The continental margin of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and northernmost South Africa: delivering the understanding required to unlock new opportunities. Prepared by Dr. John Milsom (Gladestry Associates) and Nick Cameron Global Exploration Services Limited (GES) with contributions by Dr. Andy Carr and Chris Matchette-Downes (JEBCO), February 2003
Pereira-Rego M. C., Carr A.D. and Cameron, N.R., 2013. Why have there been no oil discoveries so far in Tanzania? - How advanced basin modeling may progress their discovery. Africa: Success in Rift, Sag and Passive Margin Settings , 12th PESGB/HGS Conference on African E&P, 11-12 September 2013, page 38 and an extended abstract (NRC presented)
Pereira-Rego M. C., Carr A.D. Cameron N.R., 2013. Finding big oil fields in East Africa...onshore, yes*, but are there any offshore? Understanding the Source Rock Story? Finding Petroleum. The Geological Society London, 9thApril 2013
Pereira-Rego M. Arusha, Tanzania: Invited by the Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan governments to speak at the 6th East Africa conference, 6-8th February 2013: 'The Ntorya-1 gas discovery, and implications for the forward exploration programme within the Ruvuma PSA, southern Tanzania'
Pereira-Rego M.C., A.D. Carr, N.R. Cameron, 2012. Exploration success along the East African margin: with all the evidence for oil generation, why has only gas been found? East Africa: Petroleum Province of the 21st Century Conference, AAPG, Search and Discover online, accepted March 2013.
Pereira-Rego M.C., A.D. Carr, N.R. Cameron, 2012. Exploration success along the East African margin: with all the evidence for oil generation, why has only gas been found? East Africa: Petroleum Province of the 21st Century Conference, the Geological Society, 24-26 October 2012.
Pereira-Rego M. Cape Town: Global Pacific, 8th African Independents Forum. 1st November 2011: 'East African exploration success'.
Pereira-Rego M. Mombasa, Kenya: Invited by the Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan governments to speak at the 4th East
Africa conference, 11-13th March 2009: 'Getting to grips with the hydrocarbon potential of the East African margin'.
Pereira-Rego M. London: APPEX 2007: East Africa: portfolio expansion opportunities in Tanzania & Madagascar for the smaller company. 20th-22nd March 2007.
Pereira-Rego M. Arusha, Tanzania: Invited by the Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan governments to speak at the 3rd East Africa conference, 7-9th March 2007: 'Insights from the geochemistry of the East African margin since the drilling of the Nyuni well'.
Pereira-Rego M. and N. Cameron, 2006. New exploration understanding from the Ruvuma Block (Tanzania) and its regional significance. 2006 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Perth, November 5-8 2006, p. 107 (poster abstract).
Pereira-Rego M., 2006. Beyond Nyuni: Development of an upstream portfolio on the East African margin. 3rd Annual
African Petroleum Forum, London, 25th & 26th April 2006.
Pereira-Rego M. Cape Town: Global Pacific, 11th Africa Upstream. October 2004: 'Aminex: frontier East Africa'.
Roach P. (Approach Geophysics Ltd), Milsom J. (Gladestry Associates), Toland C. (Oolithica Geoscience Ltd), Matchette- Downes C. (MDOIL Limited); Budden C. (Bahari Resources Limited), Riaroh D. (Bahari Resources Limited) and Houmadi N. (Bureau Geologique des Comores), 2017. New Evidence Supports Presence of Continental Crust beneath the Comoros. HGS-PESGB 16thAfrican Conference, "New Thinking, New Technologies, New Hydrocarbons", 31stAugust-1stSeptember
2017.
Singh V., D. van der Spuy & Cameron N.R., 2003. The South African East Coast: evidence for an active Petroleum System within the Tugela Fan, Durban Basin. AAPG International Conference, Barcelona, September 21-24 2003 (poster abstract).
Singh V., D. van der Spuy & Cameron N.R., 2003. The South African East Coast: evidence form an active Petroleum System within the Tugela Fan, Durban Basin. 2ndHGS-PESGB Conference, "Africa: New Plays - New Perspectives" 3-4 September
2003 (poster presentation).
Permo-Triassic sourced oil seep
APPENDIX II: PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Tuesday November 28th, 2017
09.00 Registration and Coffee
09.30 Introduction and Overview
10.00 Learnings from the past
Current and past activities Past technological limitations Historical evolution of play concepts How and why acreage was acquired Hydrocarbon occurrences Implications for future exploration
11.00 Plate tectonic modelling – breakup and dispersal of
Gondwana
Phase 1: Carboniferous to Triassic rifting Phase 2: Jurassic to Cretaceous drifting and Madagascar 'refit'.
Phase 3: Late Cretaceous rifting and separation of
India and the Seychelles.
Phase 4: Tertiary rifting and uplift & un-roofing.
12.00 Basin Definition – potential fields analysis
Crustal type distribution and the continent-ocean boundary
Definition of coastal basins and primary depo-centres
13.00 Buffet lunch
14.00 Regional tectono-stratigraphic evolution
Permo-Triassic rifting and 'Karroo' depositional systems
Lower Jurassic rifting and syn-rift depositional systems
Following break up, mid-Jurassic onwards open ocean conditions persisted – erosin of the breakup margins then on allowed resrvoir development but did not allow furthe source develoemnt
Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous post-rift carbonate and clastic systems & Upper Jurassic rifting and syn-rift depositional systems in Yemen/North Somalia Mid-Cretaceous (mid-Aptian) Event
Late Cretaceous passive margin depositional systems & separation of India/Seychelles Cainozoic passive margin depositional systems, continental margin uplift and un-roofing events, delta outbuilding, Gulf of Aden rifting and associated depositional systems
16.00 Oil geochemistry and candidate source facies
Infra-Cambrian (Huqf) oil families and source facies
'Karoo' coal /carbonaceous shale gas source
Permo-Trias Sakamena lacustrine oil family
Permo-Trias Sakamena lacustrine-restricted marine oil family Heterogeneous Lower Jurassic clastic/evaporitic syn-rift oil families Post-rift Middle Jurassic carbonate sourced oils and source rocks
Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian) intra-platform source rocks and oils
Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) syn-rift source facies and associated oils Early Cretaceous (circum Antarctic) deep marine source facies Oligocene syn-rift sourced oils, Gulf of Aden
Review of Cretaceous and lower Tertiary source rock candidates: pro and cons
17.30 Discussion
Cocktail reception
Wednesday November 29th, 2017
09:00 Coffee
09.30 Oil geochemistry and candidate source facies (continued)
10.30 Regional Petroleum Systems Analysis (extinct, remnant and active)
Permo-Triassic sourced systems
(Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Seychelles and Madagascar)
Syn-rift Lower Jurassic sourced systems
(Seychelles, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique)
Post-rift Middle Jurassic carbonate sourced systems
(Madagascar, Tanzania and South Africa)
Syn-rift Upper Jurassic sourced systems
(Yemen and northern Somalia, South Africa)
Cretaceous-Early Tertiary sourced systems: evidence pro and con (Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa) Cainozoic sourced systems
(Yemen-North Somalia, Seychelles and NW India)
12.00 Basin Modelling
Rovuma Basin gas and the Lower Mesozoic Oil Window
13.00 Lunch
Seychelles: the dual Seychelles play Madagascar (Majunga and Morondava basins) Somalia and Ethiopia (Ogaden and Somali basins)
Kenya (Lower Anza and Mandera and Lamu basins): Karroo 'tar' / light oil/condensate play
Tanzania (Ruvu, Rufjj, Mandawa and Rovuma basins): the Pemba / South
Lamu oil play
Tanzania offshore: Coastal strip vs the deep-water plays & updip canyons play
Mozambique (Rovuma, Zambezi and Mozambique basins)
South Africa (Zululand and Durban basins): Durban Basin play
Area ranking and exploration risks
15.00 Play Analysis Workshop
Play assessment and risking by participants
16.00 New approaches to oil exploration, East Africa
16.30 Play Analysis Summary17:00 Close