Hydrocarbon potential of Morocco

Conference · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · AAPG Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5694110

Achnin, H; Nairn, A E.M.

Morocco lies at the junction of the African and Eurasian plates and carries a record of their movements since the end of the Precambrian. Four structural regions with basins and troughs can be identified: Saharan (Tarfaya-Ayoun and Tindouf basins); Anti-Atlas (Souss and Ouarzazate troughs and Boudnib basin); the Essaouria, Doukkala, Tadla, Missour, High Plateau, and Guercif basins; and Meseta and Rif (Rharb and Pre-Rif basins). The targets in the Tindouf basin are Paleozoic, Cambrian, Ordovician (clastics), Devonian (limestones), and Carboniferous reservoirs sourced primarily by Silurian shales. In the remaining basins, excluding the Rharb, the reservoirs are Triassic detritals, limestones at the base of the Lias and Dogger, Malm detritals, and sandy horizons in the Cretaceous. In addition to the Silurian, potential source rocks include the Carboniferous and Permo-Carboniferous shales and clays; Jurassic shales, marls, and carbonates; and Cretaceous clays. In the Rharb basin, the objectives are sand lenses within the Miocene marls. The maturation level of the organic matter generally corresponds to oil and gas. The traps are stratigraphic (lenses and reefs) and structural (horsts and folds). The seals in the pre-Jurassic rocks are shales and evaporites; in the younger rocks, shales and marl. Hydrocarbon accumulations have been found in Paleozoic, Triassic, Liassic, Malm, and Miocene rocks.

• Research Organization: ONAREP, Rabat (Morocco)
• OSTI ID: 5694110
• Report Number(s): CONF-8809346-
• Journal Information: AAPG Bull.; (United States), Vol. 72:8; Conference: Mediterranean Basins conference and exhibition, Nice, France, 25-28 Sep 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
MOROCCO
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
CARBONATE ROCKS
CLAYS
DEVONIAN PERIOD
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
JURASSIC PERIOD
LIMESTONE
MATURATION
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
PLATE TECTONICS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
AFRICA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
PALEOZOIC ERA
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TECTONICS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration