Best International Student Paper, AAPG 2008 - SA Lihle Madyibi, UCT
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Inkaba student, Lihle Madyibi, an MSc. Geology Candidate - Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town was awarded a Carlos Walter M.Campos Memorial Award for the Best International Student Paper at the AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Cape Town 2008. The award also meant his free ticket to the next AAPG International Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2009. The topic of his talk entitled: Evidence of Petroleum System Evolution of the Southern Bredasdorp Basin, South Africa: A Multi-dimensional Approach. For IES Schlumberger, and GFZ Germany, this also acknowledges their efforts and time dedicated for mentoring Lihle during his research visits to Aaechen and Potsdam.
Evidence of petroleum system evolution of the southern Bredasdorp Basin, South Africa: A multi-dimensional approach
Lihle Madyibi1, Rolando di Primio2, George C. Smith1, Gesa Kuhlman2, Zahie Anka2
1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
2Department 4 Chemistry of the Earth, Section 4.3 Organic Geochemistry, GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, D-14473, Germany
The southernmost Bredasdorp Basin, offshore South Africa, remains only partially understood with respect to petroleum systems evolution when compared to the northern and central flanks of the basin. The southern flank of the basin has been unsuccessful for hydrocarbons with most of the wells drilled to date yielding insignificant oil and gas shows. Incomplete integration of data in the southern area is a possible reason for the oil and gas search being hitherto unsuccessful. In this study, we apply a two-dimensional, later up-scaled to a three-dimensional, modeling approach in order to advance our understanding of the petroleum systems evolution in the southern flank of the Bredasdorp Basin.
The model is based on the interpretation of 64490 m two-dimensional seismic-reflection profile, as well as the analyses of well logs and cores that constrain the sedimentary facies distribution and the units’ age. Three main source rock intervals (Barremian, Aptian and Turonian) were modeled for maturity and hydrocarbon generation.
Different scenarios of erosion and heat flow histories were considered for model calibration. The best calibration with vitrinite reflectance data is achieved when an erosive event, removing up to 1000 m of Maastrichtian to early Paleogene sediments, is accounted for in the model. Maturity predictions suggest that the Barremian and Aptian source rocks are currently mature and started generating hydrocarbons at about 80 Ma, whereas the Turonian source rock is immature. Present-day modeled transformation ratios for both mature source rocks are higher than 50%. Nevertheless, petroleum generation seems to be halted at about 69 Ma due to uplift end erosion.
Lihle Madyibi1, Rolando di Primio2, George C. Smith1, Gesa Kuhlman2, Zahie Anka2
1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
2Department 4 Chemistry of the Earth, Section 4.3 Organic Geochemistry, GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, D-14473, Germany
The southernmost Bredasdorp Basin, offshore South Africa, remains only partially understood with respect to petroleum systems evolution when compared to the northern and central flanks of the basin. The southern flank of the basin has been unsuccessful for hydrocarbons with most of the wells drilled to date yielding insignificant oil and gas shows. Incomplete integration of data in the southern area is a possible reason for the oil and gas search being hitherto unsuccessful. In this study, we apply a two-dimensional, later up-scaled to a three-dimensional, modeling approach in order to advance our understanding of the petroleum systems evolution in the southern flank of the Bredasdorp Basin.
The model is based on the interpretation of 64490 m two-dimensional seismic-reflection profile, as well as the analyses of well logs and cores that constrain the sedimentary facies distribution and the units’ age. Three main source rock intervals (Barremian, Aptian and Turonian) were modeled for maturity and hydrocarbon generation.
Different scenarios of erosion and heat flow histories were considered for model calibration. The best calibration with vitrinite reflectance data is achieved when an erosive event, removing up to 1000 m of Maastrichtian to early Paleogene sediments, is accounted for in the model. Maturity predictions suggest that the Barremian and Aptian source rocks are currently mature and started generating hydrocarbons at about 80 Ma, whereas the Turonian source rock is immature. Present-day modeled transformation ratios for both mature source rocks are higher than 50%. Nevertheless, petroleum generation seems to be halted at about 69 Ma due to uplift end erosion.
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