Africa Exploration - Why Does It Continue to Deliver?

Abstract

A look at the last ten years shows Africa has delivered 60 % of the top ten global discoveries including three new mega plays and 4 large new plays. The new plays range from carbonates to clastics and from deepwater to onshore rifts and from Saharan to Sub- saharan Africa. A closer look at African exploration shows many common themes amongst the basins/ plays. In addition a look at the top explorers also shows a number of similar characteristics which separate the most successful or top tier explorers from the rest of the pack. A look at the map of Africa shows there is still running room in both old established basins and frontier areas. And in conventional plays as well as “tight rock” plays. Africa's exploration future remains bright. This talk will look at the past 10 years of drilling and what it took to be sucessful and extraplotate that to what the future decade might bear and what the drivers are both above and below ground.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90291 ©2017 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, April 2-5, 2017