--> Abstract: Hydrocarbon Prospectivity in Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic Rift Basins in Central/Northern Kenya, by Jean-Jacques Tiercelin, Peter P. Thuo, Thierry Nalpas, and Jean-Luc Potdevin; #90082 (2008)

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Hydrocarbon Prospectivity in Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic Rift Basins in Central/Northern Kenya

Jean-Jacques Tiercelin1, Peter P. Thuo2, Thierry Nalpas1, and Jean-Luc Potdevin3
1University of Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6118 Géosciences Rennes, Rennes, France
2National Oil Corporation of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
3University of Lille 1, UMR "PBDS", Lille, France

Because they offer the oldest and longest-lived sedimentary basins and they are a cross-over area between Cenozoic and Cretaceous rifts, the Northern (NKR) and Central (CKR) Kenya Rifts are among the most important areas of the East African Rift for hydrocarbon prospect. The NKR comprises 3 strings of N-S oriented half-grabens, the oldest known basins being of Paleogene-middle Miocene age. Crossing at the north end of the NKR are the NW-oriented Anza-Sudanese Rifts that both are Cretaceous to Paleogene. The CKR shows two N-S half-grabens, the Baringo Basin (Paleogene-Present) and the Kerio Basin (Paleogene-upper Miocene). All basins are filled by up to 8-km thick sediments/volcanics of Cretaceous-Neogene age.
New studies have focussed on reservoir/source rock quality and structural link between reservoir/source rock/seal. Both questions relate to the sequence of deformation events between the Anza-Sudanese (Cretaceous-Paleogene deformation) and Kenya (Neogene-Recent) rifts. Geophysical/field geology results confirm continuity in terms of deformation events between the Anza-Sudanese and NK Rifts. In terms of hydrocarbon prospect, arkosic sandstones in CKR/NKR demonstrate a good reservoir quality with porosity up to 25 %. Strong changes in terms of diagenetic alteration relate to deformation events (burial/uplift) or change in sediment source. High quality source rocks relate to freshwater lake environments under tropical climate. Such environments have been identified during Paleogene in the NKR and lower Neogene in the CKR and can be suspected in basins of same age that have not been yet prospected. Relations between reservoir/source rock/seal are connected to Neogene deformation and have been investigated by magneto-telluric methods and high-resolution seismic stratigraphy.

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