Stratigraphy and Petroleum

potential of Murzuq Basin

.Prepared by
Fathi zaid

2024
Contains
• INTRODUCTION
• Location Map Of Murzuq Basin
• Principal Tectonic Elements of Murzuq Basin
• Stratigraphy of Murzuq Basin
– Cambro- ordovician sequence
– Silurian to Devonian sequences
– Carboniferous sequence
– Mesosic sequences.
 Petroleum potential of Murzuq Basin
Location Map Of Murzuq Basin
INTRODUCTION
• Murzuq Basin is considered as a large intracratonic basin
• covering of over 350,000 km2
• Consists nearly 3500 m thick of sedimentary sequences
( Echikh et al.,2000
• The stratigraphy of the basin is comprised mostly
Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sediments .
• Extends southwards in to Niger where it is known as the
Jadu Basin .
• And surrounded by uplifts:, Al –qarqaf Arch to the north,
Tihemboka uplift to the west, Jadu plateau to the south and
the northwest Tibisti Ridge to the East
• The present –day structure of the Murzuq basin can only be
determined by subsurface Methods since the entire basin
center is covered by the Murzuq Sand Sea was presented
by Echikh –sola.
Principal Tectonic Elements of
Murzuq Basin
Principal Tectonic Elements of
Murzuq Basin
• Echikh & Sola showed seven (7) principal Tectonic elements from
West to East these are ,

1. The Tihemboka Arch.

2. Alawynat Trough.
3. Tiririne High.
4. Awbari Trough.
5. Idhan Depression.
6. Brak Bin Ghanimah uplift.
7. Dur al Qussah Trough.

 The Basin is a cratonic sag Basin which developed during the

palaeozoic , was severely affected by mid –Devonian tectonism
and subsequently by the Hercynian Orogeny during which the
AlQarqaf Arch was formed and by further subsidence during the
Mesozoic, Cainozoic.
Stratigraphy of Murzuq Basin
• The stratigraphy column of the murzuq
basin , reneges from the precambrian to
the quaternary in age.
• The sedimentary sequence can be divided
into four major sedimentary units.
• Cambro- ordovician squence.
• Silurian to Devconian sequences.
• Carboniferous sequence.
• Mesosoic sequence.
Stratigraphy Sequence
 Cambro- ordovician squence
– Hasawnah Formation
– Ash shabiyat formation
– Hawaz formation
– Melaz shuqran formation
– Mamuniyat formation
 Silurian to Devonian sequences .
– Tanezzuft formation
– Akakus formation
– Tadrart and Ouan kasa Formations
– Awaynat- Wanin Formation
 Carboniferous sequence.
– Marar Formation
– Assedjefar Formation
– Dembaba Formation
 Mesosoic Sequences
– Zarzaitine Formation
– Taouratine Formation
– Messak formation
Stratigraphic column
Cambro- ordovician squence.

• Hasawnah Formation .

 The type section of the hasawnah formation is in the western part

of AL –Qargaf Arch jabal Hasawna ( massa and collombo 1960 )
 First sediments deposited throughout the basin .
 The formation overlies unconformably the infracambrian crystalline
basement .
 it is a fine sandstone to occasional conglomerate , cross-bedded
and stacked fining upward sequence .
 There are several depositional models have been suggested for
the hasawnah formation .

. Hasawnah Formation
.Cambro- ordovician squence
 Environmentally( collomb,1962 ) interpreted the formation
as representeing marine deposits,
While ( klitzsch 1970,1981 ) and (cepek,1980 ) suggested a
fluvial deposits .

 The hasawnah formation has moderate to poor reservoir

quality , due to the diagenetic growth of clay material but
the abundant fractures in the core indicate enhanced
reservoir potential as a result of fracturing ( Aziz ,2000)

 - Aziz ( 2000) reported that no age or environmentally

distinctive fossils have yet been identified , apart from trace
fossils generally referred to as Tigillites ( klizsch ,1966) ,.
Ash shabiyat formation
• The early ordovician ash shabiyat formation unconformably
overlines the Hasawnah formation .

• The type section of the formation is located in the western part of al-
qargaf arch .

• The lithology of the formation is sandston, similar to the hasawnah

formation but with abundant trace fossils ( Abugares et al .,1993 ).

• The depositional environment of the formation is shallow marine

with a relatively low rate of sedimentation as suggested by the
skolithos – rich beds , it is comprised of a transgressive facies ,
deposited in an intertidal to shelf environment fossils ( Abogares et
al ., 1993 ) .
Hawaz formation
• hawaz formation is an uncomformity separates the ach shabiyat
formation from the overlying middle ordovician hawaz formation .

• The type section of the hawaz formation on the al –qargaf uplift .

• Consists of fine to medium grained sandstone, with subordinate

siltstone and shale ,

• (vos,1981 ) , suggested that the sediments were deposited in a fan

delta complex

• The quality of the formation as a reservoir rock varies from poor to

good, ( Aziz, 2000)
Melaz shuqran formation
• The Melaz shuqran formation immediately overlie the hawaz formation .

• The formation is absent in many areas due to post –depositional erosion .

• The formation outcrops to the northwest of Ghat and there over 15 m

thick , consisting of grey –greenish to reddish compact shales with silty
interbeds .

• This formation represents the high stand of the marine transgression

initiated during deposition of the hawaz formation .

• It consists of grey silty shales with drop stones ( McDougall & Martin,
2000) .
• Generally the Melaz shuqran formation considered to poor source
potential ( Aziz,2000) .
Mamuniyat formation
• The Mamuniyat formation forms the primary
reservoir rocks in the basin .
• The type section is in jabal al Mamuniyat in the
western Al –Qarqaf Arch ( Massa and Collomb
1960 ) .
• Regionally the mamuniyat sandstones seem to
be present throughout the whole murzuq basin .
• This formation is characterized by rapid
thickness variation ranging between 50 and 150
m ( Echikh and sola 2000 )
•
Mamuniyat formation
. Silurian to Devonian sequences
• Tanezzuft formation;

• The silurian began with transgression which

spread from the north , across much of North
Africa margin by melting of the ice led to eustatic
sea level rise, and deposition of the tanezzuft
shales .

• An unconformity separates the Mamuniyat

Formation from the overlying shale of the silurian
Tanezzuft Formation .
Tanezzuft formation
Silurian to Devonian sequences
• The tanezzuft formation consists of dark gray claystone
usually with shaly lamination , very compact ,frequently
micaceous and pyretic , sometimes with silty and sandy
interlaminae and beds (Aziz,2000)

• The formation is very rich in graptolites and there are

indicate an Early to Middle Linandovery age .

• The tanezzuft formation is up to 475 m thick in outcrop in

the southwestern murzuq basin .

• While subsurface thickness in some oil well varies between

117 – 368 m ( Aziz , 2000)
Silurian to Devonian sequences
• The tanezzuft shale is generally regarded as the
main source in the Murzuq basin( Meister et
al .,1991) .
• The geochemical results indicate that the hot
shale in the Murzuq basin has generated huge
quantities of hydrocarbon,

• Giving the potential for approximat amounts of

hydrocarbone in the murzuq basin of around 40
billion barrels ( Aziz.,2000)
Silurian to Devonian sequences
• Akakus formation;

• A fall in relative sea level in the upper –Silurian le to the deposition

the silts and sandstone of Akakus formation .( bellini& massa ,1980 )

• klitzsch (1969 )described the 345m thick type section of this

formation on the southwestern margins of Murzuq basin.

• The base of Akakus Formation is gradational to the Tanezzuft

shales. While the top is marked by the sharp and erosive contact to
the fluvial sandston of the Tadrart Formation.

• The hydrocarbon potential of the Akakus Formation is excellent .

Akakus formation
Silurian to Devonian sequences
• Tadrart and Ouan kasa Formations;
• The lower devonian has been assigned to the tadrart and Ouan
Kasa formations.
• These formations outcrop largely on the western flanks of the
murzuq basin .
• These formations overlie unconformable the Akakus Formation .
• The typesection of tadrart and ouan kasa formation are in jabal
tadrart and wadi wan kasa in western outcrop near Ghat town
( Burollet, 1960) .
• The Tadrart formation is mainly sandstone , fine to coarse –
grained with more interbedded shale upward , burrowing is
common ( youssef et al , 2000)

•
Tadrart
Awaynat-Wanin formation
• Awaynat-Wanin formation;

• The middle to late Devonian Awaynat-wanin

Formation overlies Unconformably the Tadrart
Formation .
• The type section of this formation is in Al
Awaynat - Wanin area on the NW flank of
Qarquaf Arch .
• The formation is mainly shale , with siltstone ,
and highly burrowed sandstone (Youssef et al ,
2000) .
Carboniferous sequence
• Marar formation;

• The type section of the formation are in the NW flank of the Al-qarqaf Arch .

• The formation unconformably overlies Devonian deposits and is represented by rhythmic

alternations of marine shales and sandstone .

• The shales are frequently silty, micaceous and pyretic, compact, dark gray to blackish in
color , while the sandstone is light gray, fine to very fine-grained, and poorly consolidated
by siliceous, clay or sometimes carbonate cement( Aziz,2000).

• The Marar Formation consists of fluvially dominated deltaic successions with tidal
influence .

• Three coarsening –upward shelf cycles have been observed in the Marar formation.

• The formation is rich in fossils .as taxa typical of the early carboniferous Visean stage
( Aziz 2000).

• The sandstone facies of the marar formation can be classified as having poor to good
reservoir potential .

• Geochemeicl studies show the shale facies to have high TOC and may be more attractive
as a potential source rock in the center of the basin (Aziz,2000) .
•
Carboniferous sequence
• Assedjefar formation;

• The formation was name was introduced by leiubre ( 1952 ) and

type section to the north of the Awbari sand sea was described by
collomb ( 1962).

• The formation is characterized by alternations of siltston, shale and

sandstone , rich with fossils, with a thickness of a bout 120 m in its
type area, increasing to the north towards the Ghadames Basin .

• The subsurface thickness within NC-115 ranges between 25 and

136 (Aziz 2000) .
•
Carboniferous sequence
 Dembaba formation;
• the type section was described by collomb (1962).
• These represent the youngest carboniferous marine
deposits in the basin.
• Composed mainly of carbonates,but with common shale
interbeds.
• The formation is approximately 60m thick in its type
area.
• Within NC-115 the formation shows an alternation of
shales and limestone with minor fine –grained sandstone
and siltstone .
• The formation ranges in thickness between 10 and 65 m.
Mesozoic sequence
• Zarzaitine formation;
• It outcrops over many parts of the murzuq basin .
• Unconformable overlying the Dembaba formation across
the Hercynian major unconformity.
• Reddish brown clays and siltstones alternate with
continental cross –bedded sandstones .
• These alternations becoming more frequent upwards ,
where gypsum horizons also occur(Aziz,2000) ,
jakovlijevic (1984) dated it purely to the Triassic
Mesozoic sequence
• Taouratine formation;
• This formation is unconformably overlies the
zarzaitine formation, the formation consists of
pale red quartzitic conglomerates, with
alternating interbeds of sandstone, siltstone and
claystone ,deposited in a braided river system
(Aziz,2000) .
• This formation is the main fresh water source for
agricultural and human use in the area
(Aziz,2000).
Mesozoic sequence
• Messak Formation;
• The messak formation forms a prominent
escarpment.
• The formation is late jurassic to early cretaceous
in age .
• And usually divided into a lower jarah member
and upper Awbari Member .
• Both consisting of continental clastics deposited
in a predominatly braided stream environment .
• But interbedded lake and swamp deposits
(Aziz,2000) .