Print this pageNew Regards on the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia
BUROLLET, PIERRE F., ZIJLSTRA-BESSAIS MEDIA, MEJRI FATHIA and DEY ZIAD
Thirty years of exploration in the Gulf of Gabes resulted in a large producing oil field, Ashtart, and several suspended oil discoveries. The main reservoir is the Lower Eocene nummulite rich Garia Limestone trending NW-SE. Other reservoirs are Jurassic sands and Cretaceous dolomites and oolitic limestone as in Ezzaouia oil field on land near the southern shore, in the Jarawa and El Biban suspended oil discoveries or in the large producing gas field of Miskar.
The basin has been shaped by E-W and NW-SE trending distension faults corresponding to the early formation of the Tethys (Triassic and Jurassic) and by Late Cretaceous stresses in relation with the general motion of Africa. It resulted in a mosaic of horsts, grabens and tilted blocks.
Thermal subsidence was active during the Cenozoic with maturation of source beds during the Miocene. Many discrete traps remain to be drilled.
Two main areas are underexplored: the East-Center ENE of Jerba Island and the south-western thick Cretaceous depocenter of Ketana.
In the south-eastern part there are many salt structures including domes and salt walls. Their flanks and the associated pinch-outs remain unexplored.