Geology and hydrocarbon potential of Tunisia basins

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

OSTI ID:5750294

Ben Ferjani, A; Chine, A

In Tunisia, hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered in most sedimentary rocks dating from the Paleozoic to the Tertiary. Geologically, Tunisia is subdivided in two main areas: (1) the south, with the stable Saharan platform, where Paleozoic and Triassic sandstones constitute the main petroleum objectives, and (2) the north, which includes the Tertiary and Mesozoic mobile sedimentary basins affected by tectonic movements. In the north, the stratigraphic column shows many potential reservoirs in the Tertiary and Mesozoic. Examples of those reservoirs are found in the nummulitic limestone of the Ypresian, which produces at Ashtart and Sidi El Itayem. The Miocene sandstone is currently producing at the Tazerka field, and has proven reserves in other discoveries. The Cretaceous rocks contain many producing formations represented by the Aptian carbonate, the Barremian sandstone, the Cenomanian dolomite, and the Turonian carbonates in central Tunisia. The authors can find other rocks having reservoir potential equal to that of the Jurassic. These rocks have similar carbonate and sandy facies to those in the Jurassic where some discoveries were made. The Tunisian stratigraphic column shows many levels of source rock having a geochemical potential. From the Paleozoic to the Tertiary, the main source rocks in this area are (1) Silurian shale, well-known in the entire Sahara, (2) the Albian shale and Turonian limestone, and (3) the Globigerina limestone of the Ypresian. The authors also can identify other levels in the Jurassic, Devonian, and Ordovician having source rock potential.

• Research Organization: ETAP, Tunis (Tunisia)
• OSTI ID: 5750294
• 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
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
TUNISIA
EXPLORATION
JURASSIC PERIOD
LIMESTONE
MIOCENE EPOCH
SANDSTONES
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
TECTONICS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
AFRICA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CENOZOIC ERA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration