Sedimentary age and paleoenvironment restoration of paleogene and cretaceous oil and gas reservoirs in the Termit Basin, Niger

Abstract

The Termit Basin is a typical rift basin of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic era and is considered the most promising area for hydrocarbon exploration in the West African Rift System. This region's Paleozoic and Upper Cretaceous Formations have relatively complete source-reservoir-cap assemblages. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the excellent environmental conditions and background that are conducive to the preservation of hydrocarbons in the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous Formations. The study aims to explore various aspects of the sedimentary age, depositional environment, source direction, and hydrodynamic conditions in the area.In this study, zircon dating, geochemical characterization, and particle size analysis were performed on samples collected from two high-quality exploration areas, the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous Formations. The Sokor-2 Formation of the Paleocene and the Madama and Yogou Formations of the Upper Cretaceous were the principal strata under investigation. The zircon dating results show that the primary rocks of detrital zircons experienced the Garidonian movement, with primary peaks in the Cambrian period. Geochemical characterization reveals that the sedimentary environment in the area was oxygen-rich, low-salinity, and warm. Particle size analysis helps identify the direction of material sources and hydrodynamic conditions in the palaeoenvironment.The experimental results indicate that the Paleogene and Upper Cretaceous Formations are high-quality exploration layers for oil and gas. These findings provide valuable data support for future hydrocarbon discoveries in the region.