--> Insights from a New Frontier Carbonate Exploration Play in the Deep-water Agc Area, Offshore Senegal-Guinea Bissau

2018 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition

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Insights from a New Frontier Carbonate Exploration Play in the Deep-water Agc Area, Offshore Senegal-Guinea Bissau

Abstract

Recent significant oil and gas discoveries from the MSGB (Mauritania-Senegal-Guinea-Bissau) basin has resulted in a number of new operators entering the province with aspirations of chasing analogous clastic plays that characterize the recent SNE and FAN discoveries. The deep-water AGC Profond area, located in the joint maritime zone between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, has seen little exploration activity since the 2010 exploration well, Kora-1, was found to be unsuccessful when testing an outboard structural closure. Integration of recent 3D & long offset regional 2D seismic datasets has resulted in the definition of a new untested Cretaceous carbonate play in this part of the basin. Emerging prospectivity within this play has been identified through the use of seismic facies analysis and generation of new source rock concepts. Key insights include understanding how underlying rift geometries, transform faults and salt tectonism have influenced the preservation of the carbonate margin facies and allowed for the subsequent generation of large structural traps. This paper will emphasize the value of developing alternative play concepts and provide context to the recent growth in successful frontier carbonate exploration.