Hydrocarbon generation in the Essaouira basin of western Morocco

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5699706

Broughton, P ^[1]; Trepanier, A ^[2]

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1. Broughton Associated Ltd., Calgary, Alberta (Canada)
2. ONAREP, Rabat-Agdal (Morocco)

The Essaouira basin is an important onshore hydrocarbon-generating basin in western Morocco. There are seven producing or shut-in oil and gas fields. Six produce from Jurassic and one from Triassic reservoirs. Basin modeling and geochemical evidence suggest that hydrocarbon generation occurred from at least two source rocks: (I) Jurassic (Oxfordian) shale accumulated within the Neknafa syncline, and (2) deeply buried Carboniferous coals underlying the eastern basin area. The Oxfordian shale was sufficiently buried in western Essaouira to generate voluminous gas and condensate liquids, and to expel them into structurally closed jurassic reservoirs (Toukimt field) or offset horst-block Triassic reservoirs (Meskala field). Geochemical evidence suggests that the Jurassic-age reservoirs across the eastern Essaouira basin host commingled gases sourced from Jurassic and Carboniferous strata. Coal methane, generated from a deeply buried Carboniferous interval, may have been the main source for the eastern Essaouira basin. Traps developed as structures draping salt domes at junctions of offset transtensive faults. 7 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 5699706
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 77:6; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
AFRICA
ARAB COUNTRIES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMISTRY
COAL
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MOROCCO
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS FIELDS
OIL FIELDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOURCE ROCKS
SURVEYS