Algeria Tunisia Libya PDF

Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames
Province, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya—The

Tanezzuft-Oued Mya, Tanezzuft-Melrhir, and
Tanezzuft-Ghadames
By T.R. Klett
U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2202-C
U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary
U.S. Geological Survey

Charles G. Groat, Director
This report is only available online at:

http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/bulletins/b2202-c/
Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication

is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government
Published in the Central Region, Denver, Colorado

Manuscript approved for publication August 9, 2000
Graphics by the author
Photocomposition by Norma J. Maes
Edited by Lorna Carter
Contents
Foreword................................................................................................................................................ 1
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 2
Province Geology ................................................................................................................................. 4
Tectonic History .......................................................................................................................... 4
Stratigraphy.................................................................................................................................. 8
Petroleum Occurrence .............................................................................................................. 12
Regional Exploration History .............................................................................................................. 12
The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System (205401)......................................................... 13
Source Rocks............................................................................................................................... 13
Overburden Rocks....................................................................................................................... 13
Reservoir Rocks .......................................................................................................................... 13
Seal Rocks ................................................................................................................................... 13
Trap Types in Oil and Gas Fields............................................................................................... 13
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum by Assessment Unit ........................................... 15
The Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System (205402).............................................................. 15
Source Rocks............................................................................................................................... 15
Reservoir Rocks .......................................................................................................................... 17
Seal Rocks ................................................................................................................................... 17
The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System (205403)........................................................ 17
Source Rocks............................................................................................................................... 18
Reservoir Rocks .......................................................................................................................... 18
Seal Rocks ................................................................................................................................... 18
Summary................................................................................................................................................ 20
References Cited.................................................................................................................................. 21
Appendices
1. Exploration-activity and discovery-history plots for the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Structural/Stratigraphic
Assessment Unit
2. Exploration-activity and discovery-history plots for the Tanezzuft-Ghadames Structural/Stratigraphic
Assessment Unit
Figures
1–3. Maps showing approximate locations of:
1. USGS-defined geologic provinces and major structures in north-
central Africa............................................................................................................... 3
2. Areal extent of total petroleum systems and Silurian source rocks
(Tanezzuft Formation), and locations of stratigraphic cross
sections, north-central Africa .................................................................................. 5
3. Areal extent of assessment units within Trias/Ghadames Province ................ 6
4. Stratigraphic cross sections through Trias/Ghadames and neighboring
provinces .............................................................................................................................. 7
5. Columnar section and stratigraphic nomenclature for Illizi, Triassic, and
Ghadames (Berkine) Basins.............................................................................................. 9
III
6–8. Events charts for:
6. Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System ...................................................... 14
7. Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System ........................................................... 16
8. Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System ..................................................... 19
Tables
[Tables and Appendices follow References Cited]
1. Abbreviations, names, ages, and lithology of formations used in the total petroleum system
events chart
2. Reservoir properties of discovered accumulations for each assessment unit through 1995
3. Number and sizes of discovered fields for each assessment unit through 1995
4. Estimated sizes, number, and coproduct ratios of undiscovered oil and gas fields for each
assessment unit
5. Estimated undiscovered conventional oil, gas, and natural gas liquids volumes for oil and
gas fields for each assessment unit
IV
Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames Province,
Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya—The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya,
Tanezzuft-Melrhir, and Tanezzuft-Ghadames
By T.R. Klett
Foreword provinces and plays in which similarities of rocks are

emphasized.
This report was prepared as part of the U.S. Geological Sur- The total petroleum system includes all genetically related
vey World Petroleum Assessment 2000. The primary objective petroleum that occurs in shows and accumulations (discovered
of World Petroleum Assessment 2000 is to assess the quantities and undiscovered) generated by a pod or by closely related pods
of conventional oil, gas, and natural gas liquids outside the of mature source rock. Total petroleum systems exist within a
United States that have the potential to be added to reserves in limited mappable geologic space, together with the essential
the next 30 years. Parts of these assessed volumes reside in mappable geologic elements (source, reservoir, seal, and over-
undiscovered fields whose sizes exceed the stated minimum- burden rocks). These essential geologic elements control the
field-size cutoff value for the assessment unit, which is variable fundamental processes of generation, expulsion, migration,
but must be at least 1 million barrels of oil equivalent. Another entrapment, and preservation of petroleum within the total petro-
part of these assessed volumes occurs as reserve growth of fields leum system.
already discovered. However, the contribution from reserve An assessment unit is a mappable part of a total petroleum
growth of discovered fields to resources is not covered for the system in which discovered and undiscovered oil and gas fields
areas treated in this report. constitute a single relatively homogeneous population such that
In order to organize, evaluate, and delineate areas to assess, the methodology of resource assessment based on estimation of
the Assessment Methodology Team of World Petroleum Assess- the number and sizes of undiscovered fields is applicable. A
ment 2000 developed a hierarchical scheme of geographic and total petroleum system might equate to a single assessment unit.
geologic units. This scheme consists of regions, geologic prov- If necessary, a total petroleum system may be subdivided into
inces, total petroleum systems, and assessment units. For World two or more assessment units such that each assessment unit is
Petroleum Assessment 2000, regions serve as organizational sufficiently homogeneous in terms of geology, exploration con-
units and geologic provinces are used as prioritization tools. siderations, and risk to assess individually. Differences in the
Assessment of undiscovered resources was done at the level of distributions of accumulation density, trap styles, reservoirs, and
the total petroleum system or assessment unit. exploration concepts within an assessment unit were recognized
The world was divided into 8 regions and 937 geologic and not assumed to extend homogeneously across an entire
provinces. These provinces have been ranked according to the assessment unit.
discovered known oil and gas volumes (Klett and others, 1997). A numeric code identifies each region, province, total petro-
Then, 76 “priority” provinces (exclusive of the United States and leum system, and assessment unit. The criteria for assigning
chosen for their high ranking) and 26 “boutique” provinces codes are uniform throughout the project and throughout all pub-
(exclusive of the United States) were selected for appraisal of oil lications of the project. The numeric codes used in this study are:
and gas resources. Boutique provinces were chosen for their
Unit Name Code
anticipated petroleum richness or special regional economic or Region Middle East and North Africa 2
strategic importance. Province Trias/Ghadames 2054
A geologic province is an area having characteristic dimen- Total Petroleum Tanezzuft-Oued Mya 205401
sions of hundreds of kilometers that encompasses a natural geo- Systems Tanezzuft-Melrhir 205402
logic entity (for example, a sedimentary basin, thrust belt, or Tanezzuft-Ghadames 205403
accreted terrane) or some combination of contiguous geologic Assessment Units Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Structural/ 20540101
entities. Each geologic province is a spatial entity with common Stratigraphic
geologic attributes. Province boundaries were drawn as logi- Tanezzuft-Melrhir Structural/ 20540201
cally as possible along natural geologic boundaries, although in Stratigraphic
some places they were located arbitrarily (for example, along Tanezzuft-Ghadames Structural/ 205403 01
specific water-depth contours in the open oceans). Stratigraphic
Total petroleum systems and assessment units were delin- A graphical depiction that places the elements of the total
eated for each geologic province considered for assessment. It is petroleum system into the context of geologic time is provided
not necessary for the boundaries of total petroleum systems and in the form of an events chart. Items on the events chart
assessment units to be entirely contained within a geologic prov- include (1) the major rock-unit names; (2) the temporal extent
ince. Particular emphasis is placed on the similarities of of source-rock deposition, reservoir-rock deposition, seal-rock
petroleum fluids within total petroleum systems, unlike geologic deposition, overburden-rock deposition, trap formation,
1
generation-migration-accumulation of petroleum, and preserva- The province and its total petroleum systems generally coincide
tion of petroleum; and (3) the critical moment, which is defined with the Triassic Basin. The province includes the Oued Mya
as the time that best depicts the generation-migration-accumu- Basin, Melrhir Basin, and Ghadames (Berkine) Basin. Although
lation of hydrocarbons in a petroleum system (Magoon and several total petroleum systems may exist within each of these
Dow, 1994). The events chart serves only as a timeline and basins, only three “composite” total petroleum systems were
does not necessarily represent spatial relations. identified. Each total petroleum system occurs in a separate
Probabilities of occurrence of adequate charge, rocks, and basin, and each comprises a single assessment unit.
timing were assigned to each assessment unit. Additionally, an The main source rocks are the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation
access probability was assigned for necessary petroleum-related (or lateral equivalents) and Middle to Upper Devonian mud-
activity within the assessment unit. All four probabilities, or stone. Maturation history and the major migration pathways
risking elements, are similar in application and address the ques- from source to reservoir are unique to each basin. The total
tion of whether at least one undiscovered field of minimum size petroleum systems were named after the oldest major source
has the potential to be added to reserves in the next 30 years rock and the basin in which it resides.
somewhere in the assessment unit. Each risking element thus The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional
applies to the entire assessment unit and does not equate to the petroleum volumes in total petroleum systems of the Trias/Gha-
percentage of the assessment unit that might be unfavorable in dames Province are as follows:
terms of charge, rocks, timing, or access.
Estimated total recoverable oil and gas volumes (cumula- [MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; MMBNGL, mil-
tive production plus remaining reserves, called “known” vol- lion barrels of natural gas liquids]
umes hereafter) quoted in this report are derived from Total Petroleum System MMBO BCFG MMBNGL
Petroconsultants, Inc., 1996 Petroleum Exploration and Produc-
tion database (Petroconsultants, 1996a). To address the fact that Tanezzuft-Oued Mya 830 2,341 110
increases in reported known volumes through time are com- Tanezzuft-Melrhir 1,875 4,887 269
monly observed, the U.S. Geological Survey (Schmoker and Tanezzuft-Ghadames 4,461 12,035 908
Crovelli, 1998) and the Minerals Management Service (Lore and
others, 1996) created a set of analytical “growth” functions that
are used to estimate future reserve growth (called “grown” vol-
umes hereafter). The set of functions was originally created for Acknowledgments
geologic regions of the United States, but it is assumed that these
regions can serve as analogs for the world. This study applied I thank Philip Farfan and Francois Gauthier of Anadarko
the Federal offshore Gulf of Mexico growth function (developed Algeria Corporation, Rob Hoar and Randie Grantham of Oryx
by the U.S. Minerals Management Service) to known oil and gas Energy Company, and David Boote and Marc Traut of Occiden-
volumes, which in turn were plotted to aid in estimating undis- tal Oil and Gas Corporation for their suggestions, which greatly
covered petroleum volumes. These estimates of undiscovered improved the text. I also thank Katharine Varnes, Richard Mast,
petroleum volumes therefore take into account reserve growth of and Michele Tuttle for their editorial review.
fields yet to be discovered.
Estimates of the minimum, median, and maximum number,
sizes, and coproduct ratios of undiscovered fields were made Introduction
based on geologic knowledge of the assessment unit, exploration
and discovery history, analogs, and, if available, prospect maps. Undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources were
Probabilistic distributions were applied to these estimates and assessed within total petroleum systems of the Trias/Ghadames
combined by Monte Carlo simulation to calculate undiscovered Province (2054) as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
resources. World Petroleum Assessment 2000. This study documents the
Illustrations in this report that show boundaries of the total geology, undiscovered oil and gas volumes, exploration activity,
petroleum systems, assessment units, and extent of source rocks and discovery history of the Trias/Ghadames Province.
were compiled using geographic information system (GIS) soft- The Trias/Ghadames Province is a geologic province delin-
ware. The political boundaries shown are not politically defini- eated by the USGS; it is located in eastern Algeria, southern
tive and are displayed for general reference only. Oil and gas Tunisia, and westernmost Libya (fig. 1). The province area
field center points were provided by, and reproduced with per- encompasses approximately 390,000 km2 (square kilometers)
mission from, Petroconsultants (1996a and 1996b). and generally coincides with the Triassic Basin. It contains the
Melrhir, the Ghadames or Berkine (called Ghadames (Berkine)
hereafter), and part of the Oued Mya Basins. Neighboring geo-
Abstract logic provinces, delineated by the USGS, include the Pelagian
Basin (2048), Hamra Basin (2047), Illizi Basin (2056), Grand
Undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources were Erg/Ahnet Basin (2058), and Atlas Uplift (2053).
assessed within total petroleum systems of the Trias/Ghadames More than one total petroleum system may exist within
Province (2054) as part of the U.S. Geological Survey World each of the basins in the Trias/Ghadames Province (Boote and
Petroleum Assessment 2000. The Trias/Ghadames Province is others, 1998). Data available for this study are insufficient to
in eastern Algeria, southern Tunisia, and westernmost Libya. adequately determine the relative contribution of each total
2 Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames Province, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya
o o o o o
5W 0 5E 10 E 15 E
Mediterranean Sea
TUNISIA
Saharan Flexure Pelagian

Atlas Mountains Basin Pelagian
o Province 2048
35 N Trias/Ghadames
MOROCCO Ain Rich Province 2054
Melrhir
High
h Basin
mt Arc
Tilrhe Mediterranean
Talemzane - Gefara Arch Sea
Antiatlas Range Benoud Trough Triassic
f sa te
ge oud
Basin
lim oxima
lt
M ssi-
Rid essa
a
it o
Ha El G
pr
Zousfana
Maharez
Ap
Saddle
Ap
Oued Mya
pr
Dome Oued Namous
ssi
Bechar/
ox
Dome Allal High Basin
im
Abadla Ghadames
at
Basins
e
(Berkine)
Beni Abbes
Hamra
lim
Saddle
Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin

it
Basin
of
Province 2058
sa
o
lt
30 N Edjeleh
Idjer
Ougarta Range Timimoun
si Touareg
Anticline
Basin
ane-
Axis
Illizi
Tihemboka Arch
Azzene High
Mouydir
M'Za
Basin
Structural
Structural
Amguid-Has
Gargaf Arch
b Str
Terrace
Sbaa Djoua Saddle Illizi
uctu
Basin
Mouydir Province 2056 LIBYA
ral A
Ahnet Basin
x
Basin
is
Ha
ss
iA
tsh
o
an
25 N
Ar
ch
Hoggar Massif
ALGERIA
Country boundary
Province boundary
Province of interest
o
20 N 0 500 KILOMETERS Structural axis (crest)
Saharan flexure
Figure 1 . North-central Africa, showing USGS-defined geologic provinces and major structures (modified from Aliev and others, 1971; Burollet and
others, 1978; Montgomery, 1994; Petroconsultants, 1996b; Persits and others, 1997).
Introduction 3
petroleum system to individual accumulations and therefore pre- into the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin, south of the Talemzane-
clude further subdivision. Consequently only “composite” total Gefara Arch. A secondary structure called the El Gass-Hassi
petroleum systems are described in this report, each of which Messaoud Ridge lies parallel to part of the Amguid-Hassi
contains one or multiple total petroleum systems. These com- Touareg structural axis.
posite total petroleum systems are called the Tanezzuft-Oued The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System coin-
Mya, Tanezzuft-Melrhir, and Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petro- cides with the Oued Mya Basin and is bounded on the north by
leum Systems (fig. 2). The Tanezzuft-Melrhir and Tanezzuft- the Tilrhemt Arch, on the east by the Amguid-Hassi Touareg
Ghadames Total Petroleum Systems are located almost entirely structural axis, on the south by the Mouydir Structural Terrace,
within the Trias/Ghadames Province. The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya and on the west by the Idjerane-M'Zab structural axis. Most of
Total Petroleum System extends into the neighboring Grand Erg/ the Oued Mya Basin lies within the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province,
Ahnet Province. Tanezzuft refers to the Silurian Tanezzuft For- west of the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis. However,
mation, which is the oldest major source rock in the total petro- most of the oil and gas accumulations in this basin had been dis-
leum system; in the total petroleum system name, “Tanezzuft” is covered in the crux of the two westernmost “legs” of the T-
then followed by the basin name in which the total petroleum shaped anticlinorium (figs. 1 and 2), which had been assigned to
system exists. Due to scarcity of data, province and total petro- the Trias/Ghadames Province. The Mouydir Structural Terrace
leum system boundaries can only be approximately delineated is a break or hingeline in the slope of the basement rocks that
and therefore are subject to future modification. separates the Oued Mya Basin from the perched Mouydir Basin.
One assessment unit was defined for each total petroleum The Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System coincides
system; the assessment units coincide with the total petroleum with the Melrhir Basin (or Trough), bounded on the north by the
systems (fig. 3). The assessment units are named after the total Saharan Flexure, and on the south by the Tilrhemt and Talem-
petroleum system with a suffix of “Structural/Stratigraphic.” zane-Gefara Arches (figs. 1 and 2). The Melrhir Basin is a shal-
This suffix refers to the progression from a structural and combi- low foredeep.
nation trap exploration strategy to a stratigraphic (subtle) trap The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System coin-
exploration strategy. cides with the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin and is bounded on the
The Trias/Ghadames Province contains more than 16,000 north by the Talemzane-Gefara Arch, on the east by the Hamra
million barrels (MMB) of known (estimated total recoverable, Basin, on the south by the Illizi Basin, and on the west by the
that is, cumulative production plus remaining reserves) petro- Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis. The boundary between
leum liquids (approximately 15,000 million barrels of oil, the Ghadames (Berkine) and the Illizi Basins is delineated by a
MMBO, and 1,000 million barrels of natural gas liquids, MMB- break or hingeline in the slope of the basement. This hingeline
NGL) and approximately 25,000 billion cubic feet of known was responsible for separating much of the petroleum genera-
natural gas (109 CFG or BCFG) (Petroconsultants, 1996a). The tion, migration, and accumulation between two basins (fig. 4A).
Trias/Ghadames Province contains the giant Hassi Messaoud oil The eastern and southern boundaries approximate the extent of
field, in the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System. the superimposed Triassic Basin.
A portion of another total petroleum system within Creta-
ceous rocks is present in the Trias/Ghadames Province. It is an
Province Geology extension of a total petroleum system from within the Atlas
Uplift Province (2053) to the north. This total petroleum system
The southern and southwestern boundaries of the Trias/ includes three fields located near the northern province boundary
Ghadames Province represent the approximate extent of Triassic close to the Saharan Flexure but is not described in this study.
and Jurassic evaporites that were deposited within the Mesozoic-
aged Triassic Basin. The neighboring Hamra Basin is somewhat
continuous with the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin, but was sepa- Tectonic History
rated for this study.
A T-shaped anticlinorium, the major structural feature The regional stratigraphy is continuous across North Africa,
within the Trias/Ghadames Province, divides the province into but petroleum generation, migration, and entrapment within
the three total petroleum systems (figs.1 and 2). It consists of each total petroleum system have been controlled by the tectonic
truncated Paleozoic structures beneath a major unconformity history of individual basins. Deformational events in the region,
(the Hercynian unconformity). The anticlinorium can be most of them minor, are recorded by unconformities reflecting
observed on pre-Hercynian unconformity subcrop maps and is basin tilting, uplift, and erosion of intracratonic structural axes at
delineated by the absence of middle and upper Paleozoic rocks. various times throughout the Phanerozoic. The main structural
A west-to-east- trending arch is located in the northern part of axes are shown in figures 1 and 4. The main deformational
the province and consists of the Tilrhemt and the Talemzane- events occurred in the Precambrian to Early Cambrian (Pan Afri-
Gefara Arches. A southwest-to-northeast-trending structure can event), Late Silurian to Early Devonian, Late Devonian
called the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis intersects the (Frasnian event), Carboniferous to Permian (Hercynian event),
west-to-east-trending Tilrhemt and Talemzane-Gefara Arches Early Jurassic, Early Cretaceous (Aptian, Austrian event), Late
(van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). The Amguid-Hassi Touareg Cretaceous, and Tertiary (Eocene to Oligocene, Pyrenean event)
structural axis is a system of faults and large horst structures (Aliev and others, 1971; Peterson, 1985; Boudjema, 1987; van
(Aliev and others, 1971). This fault system deviates eastward de Weerd and Ware, 1994).
o o o o o
5W 0 5E 10 E 15 E
TUNISIA
o Tanezzuft-Melrhir
35 N TPS
MOROCCO
B
T-Shaped Anticlinorium A
Tanezzuft-Benoud
TPS
Tanezzuft-
Bechar/Abadla
TPS Tanezzuft-Oued Tanezzuft-Ghadames
Mya TPS B' TPS
o Tanezzuft-Timimoun
30 N TPS
Tanezzuft-Sbaa
TPS A'
Tanezzuft-Mouydir LIBYA
TPS
Tanezzuft-Illizi
TPS
Tanezzuft-Ahnet
TPS
o
25 N
ALGERIA
Country boundary
Total petroleum system boundary
o
20 N
0 500 KILOMETERS Total petroleum systems of interest
Silurian source rock boundary
Oil field
Gas field
Figure 2. North-central Africa, showing the areal extent of total petroleum systems and Silurian source rocks (Tanezzuft Formation), and locations of
stratigraphic cross sections (modified from Petroconsultants, 1996b; Persits and others, 1997; Boote and others, 1998).
Province Geology 5
o o
5E 10 E
o
35 N
Tanezzuft-Melrhir Mediterranean
Sea
Structural/Stratigraphic
ALGERIA
TUNISIA
Hassi
Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin Messaoud
Tanezzuft-Oued Mya
Structural/Stratigraphic
o Tanezzuft-Ghadames
30 N Structural/Stratigraphic
LIBYA
Country boundary
Total petroleum system boundary
Geologic province boundary
Silurian source rock boundary
Oil field
Gas field 200 KILOMETERS
Figure 3. Areal extent of assessment units within the Trias/Ghadames Province (modified from Petroconsultants, 1996b; Persits
and others, 1997).
NORTH Tanezzuft-Illizi SOUTH
Tanezzuft-Ghadames
TPS (205403) TPS (205601)
A A'
TALEMZANE-GEFARA GHADAMES (BERKINE) B-B' ILLIZI BASIN
ARCH BASIN
0 TERTIARY CARBONIFEROUS
UPPER CRETACEOUS
DEVONIAN
1
LOWER CRETACEOUS
SILURIAN
2
JURASSIC
BASEMENT
3 SALIFEROUS UNITS
UPPER TRIASSIC
4
DEVONIAN
5
SILURIAN
6 EXPLANATION
ORDOVICIAN Fault
Regional seal
CAMBRIAN Sections containing source rocks Unconformity
7 0 100 KILOMETERS
KM Sections containing reservoir rocks
A
Figure 4. Stratigraphic cross sections through Trias/Ghadames and Illizi Provinces. A, North-to-south stratigraphic cross section
through the Ghadames (Berkine) and Illizi Basins (modified from van de Weerd and Ware, 1994, after Aliev and others, 1971).
WEST Tanezzuft-Ghadames EAST

Tanezzuft-Oued Mya
TPS (205403)
B TPS (205401)
B'
AMGUID-HASSI TOUAREG GHADAMES (BERKINE)
TILRHEMT ARCH OUED MYA BASIN STRUCTURAL AXIS BASIN A-A'
TERTIARY
0
UPPER CRETACEOUS
1
LOWER CRETACEOUS
2
JURASSIC
TR
IAS
IAN
SIC SALIFEROUS UNITS

3 CARBONIFEROUS
R
MB
TRIASSIC
DEV
CA
BASEMENT ONI
ORDOVICIAN AN
4 SILU
RIA
N
ORD
OVI
5 C IAN
CAM
EXPLANATION BRI
AN
6 Regional seal Fault
0 100 KILOMETERS Sections containing source rocks Unconformity
7
Sections containing reservoir rocks
KM
B
Figure 4—Continued. Stratigraphic cross sections. B, West-to-east stratigraphic cross section through the Oued Mya and
Ghadames (Berkine) Basins (modified from van de Weerd and Ware, 1994, after Aliev and others, 1971).
Province Geology 7
Throughout most of the Paleozoic, North Africa was a sin- others, 1971; Boudjema, 1987). Sediment deposition gradually
gle depositional basin on the northern shelf of the African craton diminished in the Tertiary (Aliev and others, 1971; Peterson,
(Aliev and others, 1971; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). The 1985; Boudjema, 1987).
basin generally deepened northward where deposition and Transpressional movements (wrenching) during Austrian
marine influence were greater (Daniels and Emme, 1995). Some deformation reactivated older structures such as those along the
gentle but large structures existed in this area throughout the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis, causing local uplift and
Paleozoic and affected the thickness of the sedimentary cover erosion (Claret and Tempere, 1967; Aliev and others, 1971).
(Aliev and others, 1971; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). There Uplift of the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis as well as the
was a general conformity of structure throughout most of the Tilrhemt and Talemzane-Gefara Arches of the T-shaped anticli-
Paleozoic until the Hercynian event. In the Late Silurian and norium further separated the three total petroleum systems
Early Devonian, Laurasia separated from Gondwana resulting in within the Trias/Ghadames Province.
minor deformation, uplift, and local erosion (Aliev and others, The initial stages of the Africa-Arabia and Eurasia colli-
1971; Boote and others, 1998). Many of the basins and uplifts sion during Late Cretaceous to middle Tertiary caused compres-
preserved today were initially developed during this event from sional movements and uplift (Peterson, 1985; Guiraud, 1998).
earlier structures (Peterson, 1985). Later, in the Middle to Late These movements tilted the Triassic Basin to its present
Devonian, the initial collision of Laurasia and Gondwana began configuration (Aliev and others, 1971; Boote and others, 1998).
resulting in erosion and further modification of preexisting struc- Basins that existed where the present-day Atlas Mountains exist
tures (Boote and others, 1998). were inverted (Aliev and others, 1971). Inversion and tilting
Minor deformation occurred in the Late Silurian through resulted in the development of the shallow Melrhir and Benoud
the Devonian, resulting in uplift and local erosion (Aliev and foreland basins (Boote and others, 1998).
others, 1971; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994; Boote and others, Petroleum was generated within the Triassic Basin depo-
1998). Within the Trias/Ghadames Province, uplift and erosion center throughout the Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary, but
occurred on and near the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis. some spillage or secondary migration subsequently occurred
The Hercynian event marks the collision between Laurasia (Boote and others, 1998; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). Many
and Gondwana and caused regional uplift, folding, and erosion structural traps formed by vertical movements of the basement
(Aliev and others, 1971; Boote and others, 1998). Paleozoic during Mesozoic and Tertiary deformational events (Echikh,
basins that were delineated by earlier tectonic events were modi- 1998).
fied, resulting in the development of several intracratonic sag
and foreland basins (Aliev and others, 1971; van de Weerd and
Ware, 1994; Boote and others, 1998). Structures that constitute Stratigraphy
the T- shaped anticlinorium were truncated.
Several transgressive-regressive cycles occurrred through- The regional stratigraphy of lower Paleozoic sections is
out the Paleozoic. Two major flooding events, one in the Sil- generally continuous, but the Devonian and overlying sections
urian and the other in the Late Devonian, were responsible for show more localized depositional systems. Stratigraphic
the deposition of source rocks (Aliev and others, 1971; Boud- nomenclature varies among the Saharan basins and countries.
jema, 1987). Many of the prograding fluvial, estuarine, deltaic, This study primarily uses nomenclature given in Boudjema
and shallow marine sands that were deposited during these (1987), Montgomery (1993), and Echikh (1998). Columnar sec-
cycles are now reservoirs (Aliev and others, 1971). tions, stratigraphic nomenclature, and correlations are shown in
Petroleum was generated during the Carboniferous Period figure 5.
within deeper portions of the basins, but uplift caused generation Principal source rocks are the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation
to cease (Tissot and others, 1973; Daniels and Emme, 1995; and Middle to Upper Devonian mudstone (Givetian to Famen-
Makhous and others, 1997). Subsequent erosion may have nian) (Tissot and others, 1973; Daniels and Emme, 1995). Other
removed or dispersed petroleum that had accumulated in some minor or relatively unimportant source rocks are also present but
areas (Boote and others, 1998). contributed significantly less petroleum than did the Silurian or
During the early Mesozoic, extensional movements caused Middle to Upper Devonian mudstone (Daniels and Emme, 1995;
by the opening of the Tethys and Atlantic oceans developed a Boote and others, 1998). Reservoir rocks include sandstone of
cratonic sag basin called the Triassic Basin. The depocenter was Cambrian-Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and
superimposed on some of the Paleozoic basins (Aliev and others, Triassic age. Triassic to Jurassic evaporites, mudstone, and
1971; Boudjema, 1987). Triassic fluvial sands followed by a
thick Triassic to Jurassic evaporite section were deposited within
the sag basin (Aliev and others, 1971; Boudjema, 1987). Sand-
stones resulting from the fluvial deposition are major reservoirs,
and the evaporites provide a regional seal for these fluvial reser- Figure 5 (next two pages). Columnar section and stratigraphic nomen-
voirs as well as Paleozoic reservoirs (Aliev and others, 1971). clature for Illizi, Triassic, and Ghadames (Berkine) Basins (modified from
Clastic then carbonate deposition occurred throughout the Boudjema, 1987). Major reservoir rocks are shown in yellow, source
remainder of the Mesozoic over much of the area (Aliev and rocks in gray, and seals in red.
Illizi Basin Ghadames General
System
Stage (van de Weerd Triassic Basin (Berkine) and lithology Description

(Boudjema, Hamra Basins
(Boudjema, 1987)
and Ware, (Montgomery, (Boudjema,
1987)
1994) 1994; Echikh, 1998) 1987)
Hercynian Unconformity
Stephanian Tiguentourine Mudstone, limestone, and gypsum
Dembaba
Westphalian F El Adeb Larache Limestone, gypsum, and mudstone
E Oubarakat Limestone and sandstone

Namurian Assed Jeffar
Carboniferous
D
Assekaifaf Limestone and sandstone with concretions
C
Mudstone and sandstone
Visean
Mrar
Issendjel
Tournaisian A (Sbaa) Limestone and mudstone

Strunian F2 Gara Mas Melouki Tahara (Shatti) Sandstone
Famen. -Frasnian Mudstone Frasnian Unconformity
Tin Meras Aouinet Ouenine
Givetian - F3 Sandstone
Devonian
Eifelian Ouan Kasa Mudstone and limestone

Emsian F4-5 Orsine Mudstone and sandstone
Siegenian -
F6 Hassi Tabankort Tadrart Sandstone
Gedinnian
Late Silurian-Early Devonian Unconformity
Zone de Passage Acacus Sandstone and mudstone
Silurian
"Argileux" Oued Imirhou Tanezzuft Black mudstone with graptolites
Gres de Remada Sandstone

Gara Louki Argile Microcgl. Bir Tlacsin Microconglomeratic mudstone Glacial Unconformity
Cardocian Gres d'Oued Saret Memouniat Limestone, sandstone, and mudstone
M'Kratta Complex
Llandeilian - Edjeleh Argiles d'Azzel Melez Chograne Silty black mudstone

Llanvirnian
Arenigian Gres de Ouargla Sandstone

Ordovician
Hamra Haouaz
Quartzites De
Sandstone
Hamra
Gres d'El Atchane Sandstone and mudstone

Tremadocian In Kraf
Argile d'El Gassi Achebyat Mudstone
Cambrian-Ordovician Zone des Alternances Sandstone and mudstone

Ri
Hassi Messaoud
Ro
Sandstone
R2
Cambrian
Hassaouna
Hassi Leila
and
Mourizidie
R3 Sandstone and conglomerate
Pan-African Unconformity
Cambrian
Infra-
Infra Tassilian/
Socle Metamorphic and magmatic rocks
Mourizidie
Province Geology 9
General
System
Illizi Basin Triassic, Ghadames (Berkine),

Stage lithology Description
(Chaouchi and and Hamra Basins
(Boudjema, (Boudjema, 1987)
others, 1998) (Montgomery, 1994)
1987)
Conglomerate
Pliocene
Marl, gypsum, and sandstone
Neogene
Gypsum, marl, limestone, sandstone,

Miocene and conglomerate
Sandstone and marl Pyrenean Unconformity

Oligocene
Paleog. Eocene Limestone and marl
Paleocene
Calcaire
Marnes
Senonian Anhydrite, limestone, dolostone, marl,
Calcaire Al Hamra Group
and mudstone
Argile Gypse
Turonian Limestone and dolostone

Serie
Cretaceous
Cenomanian D'In Akamil Anhydrite, dolostone, and marl

Nefousa Group
Albian Sandstone, mudstone, and dolostone
Aptian Austrian Unconformity
Continental
Barremian Sandstone and mudstone
Intercalaire
Serie
de Taouratine
Neocomian Cabao Sandstone and dolomitic mudstone
Scesciuch Anhydrite, limestone, dolostone, marl,

Malm
(Shakshuk) and sandstone
Zarzaitine Mudstone, sandstone, limestone,

Dogger Tigi
Superieur and anhydrite
Jurassic
Lias Saliferous Salt, anhydrite, and mudstone

Units
Zarzaitine
Moyen
Argilo-Greseux
Superieur
(Gassi Touil)
Triassic
Zarzaitine Argilo-Carbonate Sandstone, mudstone, salt,

Inferieur (Oulad Nsir) and volcanic rocks
Argilo-Greseux
Inferieur
(Nezla)
Hercynian Unconformity
carbonate rocks provide a regional seal for reservoirs. Other seal Formation. These formations consist of sandstone and mudstone
rocks include intraformational Paleozoic marine mudstone and representing marine to marginal marine depositional environ-
Triassic volcanic rocks. ments. Erosion during Late Silurian to Early Devonian deforma-
During the late Precambrian and Early Cambrian, erosion tion truncated these rocks on surrounding arches. The Acacus
of a preexisting craton to the south occurred due to uplift during sandstone is the predominant oil and gas reservoir in the Libyan
the Pan African deformational event. Eroded sediments were and Tunisian portion of the province (Petroconsultants, 1996a),
deposited northward as alluvial and fluvial deposits and make up but it may be an important reservoir elsewhere in the province
the thick Cambrian sandstone of the Mourizidie and Hassaouna where it has not been removed by erosion.
Formations. The Hassaouna Formation is laterally equivalent to Devonian rocks unconformably overlie the Upper Silurian
the Hassi Messaoud and Hassi Leila Formations, which are sediments. Devonian rocks consist of interbedded marine and
major oil and gas reservoirs (van de Weerd and Ware, 1994, Pet- deltaic sandstone and mudstone. The Devonian section includes
rocosultants, 1996a). the Tadrart, Hassi Tabankort, Ouan Kasa Formation, Orsine,
The Lower Ordovician Achebyat and Haouaz Formations Aouinet Ouenine, Tin Meras, Gara Mas Melouki, and part of the
unconformably overlie the Hassaouna Formation. The Achebyat Tahara Formations. Sandstone members are each given a code,
Formation is laterally equivalent to Argile d'El Gassi and Gres F2 to F6, with F6 being the oldest and F2 the youngest (fig. 5).
d'El Atchane. The overlying Haouaz Formation is laterally The F6 sandstone (Tadrart Formation) and the Ouan Kasa For-
equivalent to the Hamra Formation and Gres de Ouargla. The mation are important oil and gas reservoirs (Petroconsultants,
uppermost beds of the Hassi Messaoud and Hassi Leila Forma- 1996a; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994).
tions contain the marine trace fossil Tigillites (also called Middle to Upper Devonian mudstone is another major
Scolites), which is characteristic of a change from fluvial to shal- source rock, particularly the Frasnian-aged mudstone, which is
low marine deposition (van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). The the richest in this interval (Daniels and Emme, 1995). This mud-
Haouaz Formation contains quartz-rich sandstone and mudstone stone, like the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation, was deposited dur-
that were deposited in marine and marginal marine environments ing a major regional flooding event and contains mostly
and are major oil and gas producing reservoirs (Montgomery, sapropelic and mixed (type I and II) kerogen (Daniels and
1993; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). The Argile d'El Gassi and Emme, 1995; Makhous and others, 1997). The present-day TOC
equivalents may be locally minor source rocks (Makhous and content generally ranges from about 2 to 4 percent but can be as
others, 1997; Malla and others, 1997). much as 14 percent (Daniels and Emme, 1995). The thickness
Above the Haouaz sandstone are Middle Ordovician marine of Middle to Upper Devonian mudstone exceeds 800 m in the
mudstone and fine-grained sandstone of the Melez Chograne central Ghadames (Berkine) Basin (Daniels and Emme, 1995).
Formation. The Melez Chograne Formation is laterally equiva- Lower Devonian (Emsian) mudstone (laterally equivalent to the
lent to the Argiles d'Azzel and Bir Ben Tartar Formation sand- Ouan Kasa or Orsine Formation) may be a locally minor source
stone. The Argiles d'Azzel and other mudstone equivalents may rock (Makhous and others, 1997).
be locally minor source rocks (Makhous and others, 1997; Malla Caboniferous formations include part of the Tahara Forma-
and others, 1997). tion, the Mrar Formation (laterally equivalent to the Issendjel
Upper Ordovician to Lower Silurian marine and glacial and the lower part of the Assekaifaf Formations), Assed Jefar
mudstone and fine-grained sandstone include the Memouniat (laterally equivalent to the upper part of the Assekaifaf Forma-
Formation, the Gres de Remada, the Argile Microconglomerate, tion and the Oubarakat Formation), and the Dembaba Formation
and the Gres d'Oued Saret. The Ordovician to Silurian M'Kratta (laterally equivalent to the El Adeb Larache and Tiguentourine
Complex includes these rocks as well as the underlying Melez Formations). The Lower to Middle Carboniferous rocks consist
Chograne and Haouaz Formations. of cycles of limestone or mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, and
Overlying the Ordovician sediments is the organic-rich, conglomerate representing deltaic and shallow-marine deposi-
graptolitic, marine mudstone of the Silurian Tanezzuft Forma- tion. Lower Carboniferous mudstone may be locally minor
tion. The Tanezzuft Formation, a principal source rock, was source rocks (Makhous and others, 1997). Middle to Upper Car-
deposited during a major regional flooding event and contains boniferous rocks consist of limestones, marls, dolostones, and
mostly sapropelic and mixed (type I and II) kerogen (Daniels gypsiferous mudstone that were deposited in evaporitic shallow-
and Emme, 1995; Makhous and others, 1997). The present-day marine and tidal environments. Hercynian deformation started
total organic carbon (TOC) content ranges from about 2 percent in Late Carboniferous and lasted through Early Permian. Ero-
to greater than 17 percent across the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin, sion during this event removed most of the Paleozoic section
but may be reduced by as much as one-half due to increased along structural highs.
thermal maturity (Daniels and Emme, 1995). The TOC content Permian rocks are only present in the eastern portion of the
is greatest at the base of the section (Daniels and Emme, 1995). province. These rocks include Lower Permian pelagic limestone
The thickness of the Tanezzuft Formation before Hercynian ero- and mudstone, and Upper Permian bioherms, carbonate, and
sion varies from about 200 m to greater than 550 m (Daniels and clastic rocks (Rigo, 1995). The Upper Permian Bir Jaja mud-
Emme, 1995). The thickness, richness, and kerogen type of this stone serves as a seal where present (Boote and others, 1998).
source rock are regionally variable and dependent on paleogeog- Due to the limited extent, Permian stratigraphy is not shown in
raphy (Daniels and Emme, 1995). figure 5.
The Tanezzuft Formation grades upward into the Upper Sil- Triassic rocks include a lower clastic unit (Middle to Upper
urian Zone de Passage, or its lateral equivalent, the Acacus Triassic) and an upper evaporite unit that grades into the
Province Geology 11
Jurassic section. The clastic unit is subdivided into the Trias Petroleum Occurrence
Argilo-Greseux Inferieur (includes the Nezla Formation, Ouled
Chebbi Formation, and Ras Hamia Formation, and Kirchaou Most of the oil and gas fields found by the end of 1995 in
Sandstone), Trias Argilo-Carbonate, and Trias Argilo-Greseux the Trias/Ghadames Province are located on subtle, low-relief
Superieur (includes the Gassi Touil Formation and Zarzaitine structures within the central and northeast portions of the Gha-
Sandstone). Sandstone within this clastic unit is a major oil and dames (Berkine) Basin; on low-relief structures along the flank
gas reservoir. The lowermost Triassic rocks were deposited as of the Tilrhemt Arch in the Oued Mya Basin; and on high-relief
continental (fluvial) sandstone and mudstone (Boudjema, 1987;
structures along the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis (fig.
Echikh, 1998). Because these beds were deposited over a dis-
1). Most of these accumulations are within anticlines, faulted
sected erosional surface of the Hercynian unconformity, thick-
anticlines, or fault blocks developed during Hercynian and Aus-
ness is variable (Bishop, 1975). The lowermost beds, Trias
trian deformation (Boote and others, 1998; Petroconsultants,
Argilo-Greseux Inferieur, were deposited as transgressive flu-
1996a). Accumulations in combination traps, those containing
vial sandstone (Ford and Scott, 1997). These lower beds grade
both structural and stratigraphic components, are common.
upward into dolostone, dolomitic mudstone, and anhydrite beds
of the Trias Argilo-Carbonate (Boudjema, 1987; Montgomery,
1993). Rocks of the Trias Argilo-Greseux Superieur consist of
alluvial mudstone, siltstone, and fine- to medium-grained sand-
Regional Exploration History
stone (Boudjema, 1987; Montgomery, 1993). The Triassic clas-
tic interval is thickest to the northeast (approximately 500 m) Exploration activity was not consistent through time in
and thins to the south and west (Bishop, 1975). This clastic Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Exploration activity in Algeria
interval may grade into Jurassic sandstone by backstepping fluctuated due to its war for independence from 1954 to 1962,
along the southern margins of the Ghadames and Oued Mya nationalization of the oil industry from 1963 to 1971, political
Basins (Boote and others, 1998). Some volcanic rocks (spilite, and economic problems into the 1980’s, and more favorable con-
basalt, and andesite) are present throughout the Triassic section tractual terms in the late 1980’s (Traut and others, 1998; Mont-
(reaching 150 m in some places) (Hamouda, 1980; Boudjema, gomery, 1994). Tunisia and Libya also experienced fluctuations
1987). and discontinuities in exploration activity. Between 1963 and
Overlying the Triassic clastic unit is an Upper Triassic and the late 1980’s, both Algeria and Tunisia had legislation regard-
Lower Jurassic cyclic sequence of interbedded salt, anhydrite, ing concession contracts and royalties that discouraged explora-
gypsum, dolostone, and mudstone, called the Saliferous Units tion by foreign companies (Montgomery, 1994). Since the late
(fig. 5) (Bishop, 1975). These rocks form a regional seal for 1980’s, however, Algeria and Tunisia revised their legislation,
many oil and gas reservoirs (van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). The encouraging foreign companies to explore and develop oil and
sequence is thickest near the Saharan Flexure in the north and gas resources (Davies and Bel Haiza, 1990; SONATRACH, c.
thins southward. The combined maximum thickness (Triassic 1992; Montgomery, 1994; Traut and others, 1998).
and Jurassic sections) exceeds 2,000 m. The southern limit of Not all areas in Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya were accessible
these rocks roughly coincides with the Trias/Ghadames Province for exploration. Shifting sand of Saharan Africa deserts presents
boundary (fig. 1). technical difficulties in exploration and hazards in production
Above the evaporite interval are Middle to Upper Jurassic operations (Echikh, 1998). Since the 1980’s, some of these tech-
clastic and carbonate rocks. Within the Trias/Ghadames Prov- nical difficulties in exploration have been resolved. Recent
ince, these rocks include the Tigi and Scesciuch Formations, advances in gathering, processing, and reprocessing of seismic
which were deposited in a shallow-marine environment (Bishop, data allow exploration beneath sand-sea environments such as
1975; Montgomery, 1993). the Algerian Grand Erg Oriental where the Ghadames (Berkine)
Lower Cretaceous rocks are represented by nonmarine and and Illizi Basins lie (van de Weerd and Ware, 1994; Macgregor,
paralic sandstone. Included in this interval are the Cabao For- 1998).
mation and Continental Intercalaire. The top of the Continental New discoveries can be easily brought on line without con-
Intercalaire is marked by the Austrian unconformity (Aptian) struction of major pipelines because a basic infrastructure has
(Boudjema, 1987; van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). A thin and been established (SONATRACH, c. 1992). Algeria has an
uniform bed of dolostone was deposited during the transgression extensive pipeline network that connects most of the major pro-
that followed the erosional event (Bishop, 1975). Continental ducing areas to port cities in Algeria and Tunisia (Pennwell,
and shallow-marine sandstone and mudstone (Albian) overlay 1996). The pipelines allow transportation of oil, gas, and natu-
the dolostone. Upper Cretaceous to lower Tertiary rocks are ral gas liquids. In Libya, an oil pipeline connects fields of the
shallow-marine carbonate rocks and evaporites, which were Ghadames (Berkine) and Hamra Basins to the port city of Az
deposited on a north-dipping ramp. This interval includes the Zawiyah. An extension of this pipeline was completed in 1996
Nefousa and Al Hamra Groups.
that connects producing areas within the Murzuk Basin with the
Much of the Upper Cretaceous to Oligocene section was coast (Traut and others, 1998; Pennwell, 1996), and another
eroded during Pyrenean deformation. Miocene to Pliocene non- pipeline is planned to connect the Libyan portion of the Trias/
marine clastic rocks and gypsum, and Quaternary sediments rep- Ghadames Province to the coast (Arab Petroleum Research
resent the Cenozoic section. Center, 1996).
The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System migrated laterally into adjacent or juxtaposed migration conduits
and reservoirs. Some vertical migration may have occurred
(205401) along faults or fractures in structurally deformed areas (Boote
and others, 1998).
The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System is an
important total petroleum system with respect to known oil vol-
umes, containing about 70 percent of the discovered oil in the Overburden Rocks
province. This total petroleum system extends into the neigh-
boring Grand Erg/Ahnet Province (figs. 1 and 2). An events Overburden rocks are variable across the area mainly due to
chart (fig. 6) summarizes the timing of sources, reservoirs, seals, nondeposition and erosion during the Hercynian, Austrian, and
trap development, and generation and migration of petroleum. Pyrenean deformational events (fig. 4B). Large portions of Pale-
Table 1 shows the formation names, ages, and lithology for ozoic section were removed by erosion during Hercynian defor-
abbreviations used in the events chart. mation, as much as 2,200 m of Silurian and Devonian sediments
(Makhous and others, 1997). Mesozoic rocks comprise most of
the overburden and unconformably overlie the Paleozoic section
Source Rocks throughout the total petroleum system. Only small sections of
Mesozoic rocks were removed by erosion. Both Paleozoic and
The principal source rock in the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Mesozoic rocks are thickest in the central part of the basin
Petroleum System is the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation (or lateral between the Tilrhemt Arch and the Amguid-Hassi Touareg
equivalents) (Boote and others, 1998). Middle to Upper Devo- structural axis (fig. 4B) (Boudjema, 1987; van de Weerd and
nian mudstone may provide another source of petroleum but is Ware, 1994). A thin Cenozoic section is present over part of the
not present over most of the basin (Makhous and others, 1997; total petroleum system.
Boote and others, 1998). Devonian source rocks were truncated
by erosion during Hercynian deformation and are present only in
the southwestern part of the total petroleum system. Reservoir Rocks
In the Oued Mya Basin, the present-day TOC content of
Silurian (and Lower Devonian) rocks ranges from 1 to 10 per- Known reservoir rocks in the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total
cent, but content of the Silurian rocks can reach 16 percent Petroleum System are predominately Cambrian-Ordovician and
(Makhous and others, 1997). Middle to Upper Devonian and Triassic sandstone (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Cambrian-Ordov-
Carboniferous rocks contain from 0.5 to 2.5 percent TOC (Mak- ician reservoirs include fluvial to marine sandstone of the Cam-
hous and others, 1997). In the Takhoukht area west of and adja- brian Hassi Messaoud and Ordovician Gres d'El Atchane (van de
cent to Hassi Messaoud field (fig. 3), equivalent vitrinite Weerd and Ware, 1994; Petroconsultants, 1996a). The Triassic
reflectance value of Silurian source rocks is 0.7 percent Ro (cal- reservoirs include fluvial sandstone of the Trias Argilo-Greseux
culated, Makhous and others, 1997). Silurian source rocks are Inferieur and Trias Argilo-Greseux Carbonate (Petroconsultants,
more mature in western and southern portions of the Oued Mya 1996a). Other reservoirs include fluvial, deltaic, and marine
Basin (Daniels and Emme, 1995; Makhous and others, 1997). In sandstone within the Ordovician to Silurian M'Kratta Complex.
the southern portion of the basin, equivalent vitrinite reflectance Names of laterally equivalent rock units are shown in figure 5,
values of Silurian source rocks range from 1.3 to 1.7 percent Ro and known reservoir properties are given in table 2.
(calculated, Makhous and others, 1997). Equivalent vitrinite
reflectance values of the Middle to Upper Devonian and the Car- Seal Rocks
boniferous range from 0.7 to 1.5 percent Ro (calculated, Mak-
hous and others, 1997). As much as 2,000 m of Triassic to Jurassic evaporites, mud-
Minor amounts of petroleum may have been generated in stone, and carbonate rocks (Saliferous Units, fig. 5) provides a
the southern portion of the Oued Mya Basin during the Carbon- regional top seal for reservoirs in most of the Tanezzuft-Oued
iferous when the Paleozoic section was thickest, but generation Mya Total Petroleum System. The Triassic to Jurassic seal
was halted during Hercynian deformation (Makhous and others, extends from the Saharan Flexure in the north where the thickest
1997; Boote and others, 1998). The main phase of oil generation section is present to approximately the southern boundary of the
occurred after Hercynian deformation with the development of Trias/Ghadames Province (fig. 1). Triassic volcanic rocks pro-
the new Triassic Basin depocenter, superimposed on the north- vide the primary seal for some reservoirs, and intraformational
ern part of the Oued Mya Basin. Oil generation and migration Paleozoic marine mudstone provides secondary, lateral seals
most likely started no earlier than Late Triassic and peaked in when in conjunction with the regional top seal (Boote and oth-
Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary (Makhous and others, 1997; ers, 1998).
Boote and others, 1998). Oil generated in the Oued Mya Total
Petroleum System also charged the Hassi R'Mel area on the Til-
rhemt Arch. (The Hassi R'Mel area was either simultaneously or Trap Types in Oil and Gas Fields
subsequently charged with gas from the north and west and is
therefore included in another total petroleum system.) Pyrenean Most of the accumulations discovered prior to 1996 are
uplift and erosion terminated petroleum generation in the Oued within anticlines and faulted anticlines (Boote and others, 1998;
Mya Basin (Boote and others, 1998). Petroleum most likely Petroconsultants, 1996a, van de Weerd and Ware, 1994). Some
The Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System (205401) 13
14
Province Name: Trias/Ghadames Basin (2054) TPS Name: Tanezzuft-Oued Mya (205401)
Author(s): Timothy R. Klett Date: 3-23-99
600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 GEOLOGIC 0
PALEOZOIC MESOZOIC CEN. TIME
SCALE
PreC CAM ORD SIL DEV CARB P TR JUR CRET TERT
PETROLEUM
E. M. L. E. M. L. E. L. E. M. L. E. L. E. L. L. E. M. L. E. L. E OM SYSTEM EVENTS
secondary or possible occurrences.

AZ
TZ
EA
HS
EG
SU
AO
MK
TAG
MR
ROCK UNIT
SOURCE ROCK
RESERVOIR ROCK
SEAL ROCK
OVERBURDEN ROCK
TRAP FORMATION
N- - N
R A T IOIG R A T IO N C U M U L A T IO
GENE M AC
PRESERVA TION
CRITICAL MOMENT
abbreviations used in rock unit column are given in table 1. Gray boxes indicate
Figure 6. Events chart for Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System. Names for
Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames Province, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya
Late Silurian-
Austrian Event
Frasnian Event
Pyrenean Event
Hercynian Event
Pan-African Event
Early Devonian Event
Late Cretaceous Event
TECTONIC EVENTS
accumulations within combination traps are present (Petrocon- recently may yet be discovered. Discoveries of large fields, sim-
sultants, 1996a). ilar in size to those found early in the discovery history, are not
The typical trapping style is structures directly overlain by likely. Oil will most likely be found along the anticlinorium,
or capped with Triassic to Jurassic evaporite sequence. Other whereas gas would only be present in the southern and western
proven and potential traps include (1) stratigraphic traps against portions of the total petroleum system. Adequate traps may not
volcanic rocks (Hamouda, 1980); (2) lateral sealing of reservoir exist beyond the flanks of the anticlinorium.
rocks by impermeable formations due to lithofacies change, par- Until recently, only structural traps had been explored for
ticularly Paleozoic reservoirs, or juxtaposed in fault blocks; and oil and gas. Before 1996, no discoveries have been made
(3) incised valley fills associated with the Hercynian Unconfor- beyond the regional seal in the southern and western portions of
mity. the total petroleum system.
All of the discovered petroleum accumulations in the Continued exploration of structural and combination traps
Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System are oil and are is expected for the next 30 years, and many more smaller oil
located in three groups along the flanks of the T-shaped anticli- fields could potentially be discovered along the flanks of the
norium (fig. 3). In the northwestern portion of the total petro- anticlinorium. New exploration concepts could include the
leum system, along the Tilrhemt Arch, a cluster of several small search for both structural and stratigraphic traps in the south-
oil accumulations is present in low-relief structures. These accu- ern portion of the total petroleum system, where perhaps some
mulations are more gas rich than others within the total petro- pre-Hercynian-generated petroleum, probably as gas, may be
leum system (Boote and others, 1998). In the northeast portion preserved.
of the total petroleum system, where the Tilrhemt Arch intersects This study estimates that about one-third of the total num-
the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis in the area surround- ber of fields (discovered and undiscovered) of at least the mini-
ing the town of Ouargla, a cluster of larger, linearly oriented mum size has been discovered. Only a small number of
accumulations is present. The linear arrangement of these accu- undiscovered gas fields containing small volumes of gas was
mulations reflects the orientation of structural highs (Boote and estimated. The estimated median size and number of undiscov-
others, 1998). The third group of accumulations is aligned on ered oil fields are 16 MMBO and 34 fields; the same values for
top of the Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis and includes the undiscovered gas fields are 100 BCFG and 10 fields. The ranges
giant Hassi Messaoud oil field. Presumably, spillage from Hassi of number, size, and coproduct-ratio estimates for undiscovered
Messaoud charged other fields southwest along the structure fields are given in table 4.
(Boote and others, 1998). The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional
petroleum volumes are 830 MMBO, 2,341 BCFG, and 110
MMBNGL (table 5). In addition, the mean size of the largest
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum by anticipated undiscovered oil field is 114 MMBO and gas field,
Assessment Unit 405 BCFG.
One assessment unit was identified for the Tanezzuft-Oued

Mya Total Petroleum System, called Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Struc- The Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System
tural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit (fig. 3). As of 1996, it con- (205402)
tained 36 fields. Of these discovered fields, 34 are oil fields, and
2 fields are not classified because they contain less than 1 million
As of 1996, the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System
barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) (based on USGS oil and gas
was not a major oil and gas producing entity, although it was
field definitions). Combined, these fields contain 10,843
immature in terms of exploration. An events chart (fig. 7) sum-
MMBO and 8,973 BCFG, as known volumes (table 3) (Petro-
marizes the timing of sources, reservoirs, seals, trap develop-
consultants, 1996a). No gas fields have yet been discovered, and
ment, and generation and migration of petroleum. Table 1
no natural gas liquids (NGL) volumes were reported. Minimum
shows the formation names, ages, and lithology for abbrevia-
field sizes of 10 MMBO and 60 BCFG were chosen for this
tions used in the events chart.
assessment unit based on the field-size distribution of discovered
fields.
The exploration density as of 1996 was approximately Source Rocks
seven new-field wildcat wells per 10,000 km2. The overall suc-
cess rate as of 1996 was approximately 24 discoveries per 100 The principal source rock in the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total
new-field wildcat wells (or about one discovery per four new- Petroleum System is the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation (or lateral
field wildcat wells). Plots showing exploration activity and dis- equivalents). The extent and continuity of this source rock in the
covery history are presented in Appendix 1. Melrhir Basin are not well defined (D. Boote, oral commun.,
Exploration activity was not consistent through time: peaks 1999). The present-day TOC content of the Silurian source
in activity occurred during the early 1960’s and mid- to late rocks in the Melrhir Basin ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 percent
1970’s. The first major discovery was the giant Hassi Messaoud (Cunningham, 1988; Hammill and Robinson, 1992). Oil may
field in 1956. The sizes of oil fields discovered have generally have generated as early as Carboniferous or Permian time due to
decreased through time and with respect to exploration activity. a thick wedge of Carboniferous to Permian sediments that was
Nevertheless, exploration appears to be relatively immature deposited in the northeastern portion of the Melrhir Basin (D.
across much of the area. Fields equivalent in size to those found Boote, oral commun., 1999). The main phase of oil generation
The Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System (205402) 15
16
Province Name: Trias/Ghadames Basin (2054) TPS Name: Tanezzuft-Melrhir (205402)
600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 GEOLOGIC 0
SCALE
PETROLEUM
secondary or possible occurrences.

TZ
SU
HM
TAG
ROCK UNIT
SOURCE ROCK
RESERVOIR ROCK
SEAL ROCK
OVERBURDEN ROCK
TRAP FORMATION
N- - N
GENE M AC
PRESERVA TION
abbreviations used in rock unit column are given in table 1. Gray boxes indicate
CRITICAL MOMENT
Figure 7. Events chart for Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System. Names for
Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames Province, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya
Late Silurian-
Austrian Event
Frasnian Event
Pyrenean Event
Hercynian Event
Pan-African Event
TECTONIC EVENTS
probably began in the Cretaceous and continued into the Tertiary Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum by
(Rigo, 1996). The geochemistry of oils and source rocks of the Assessment Unit
Melrhir Basin is not well documented in literature available to
the public. Petroleum most likely migrated laterally into adja- One assessment unit was identified for the Tanezzuft-Mel-
cent or juxtaposed migration conduits and reservoirs. Some ver- rhir Total Petroleum System, called Tanezzuft-Melrhir Struc-
tical migration may have occurred along faults or fractures tural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit (fig. 3). As of 1996, it
(Boote and others, 1998). contained a total of four fields, two oil fields and two gas fields
(based on USGS oil and gas field definitions). Combined, these
fields contain 6 MMBO, 125 BCFG, and 9 MMBNGL, as
Overburden Rocks
known volumes (table 3) (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Minimum
Overburden rocks are variable across the area mainly due to field sizes of 1 MMBO and 6 BCFG were chosen for this assess-
nondeposition and erosion during the Hercynian, Austrian, and ment unit due to the relatively small sizes of discovered fields.
Pyrenean deformational events. The largest portions of Paleo- The exploration density as of 1996 was approximately four
zoic section were removed by erosion during Hercynian defor- new-field wildcat wells per 10,000 km2. The overall success rate
mation. Paleozoic rocks are thickest to the north and thin to the as of 1996 was four discoveries with 47 new-field wildcat wells
south over the T-shaped anticlinorium. Mesozoic rocks com- (or about one discovery per 12 new-field wildcat wells).
prise most of the overburden and unconformably overlie the Exploration activity was sparse and not consistent through
Paleozoic section throughout the province. Only small sections time. Exploration is immature across the area. As more areas
of Mesozoic rocks were removed by erosion. A thin Cenozoic are explored, field sizes equivalent to those found recently may
section is present over some parts of the area. Approximately be discovered. Discoveries of large fields, similar in size to
4,000 to more than 6,000 m of Mesozoic and Cenozoic overbur- those found early in the discovery history, are likely, but ade-
den is present over the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum Sys- quate traps may not exist beyond the flanks of the anticlinorium.
tem (Cunningham, 1988; Hammil and Robinson, 1992; Rigo, Until recently, only structural traps had been explored for
1996). oil and gas. Continued exploration of structural and perhaps
combination traps is expected for the next 30 years, and more
discoveries could be made along the flanks of the Tilrhemt and
Reservoir Rocks Talemzane-Gefara Arches. Permian-aged reefs containing Sil-
urian-sourced petroleum accumulations may exist in the eastern
Known reservoir rocks in the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total
part of this total petroleum system, in Tunisia (Rigo, 1995), but
Petroleum System are predominately fluvial to marine sandstone
many of these reefs have been tested with little or no success (D.
of the Ordovician Hamra Formation and fluvial sandstone of the
Boote, oral commun., 1999).
Triassic Kirchaou Formation, the lateral equivalent of the Trias
This study estimates that only a very small fraction of the
Argilo-Greseux (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Names of other lat-
total number of fields (discovered and undiscovered) of at least
erally equivalent rock units are given in figure 5. Known reser-
the minimum size has been discovered. The estimated median
voir properties for the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum
size and number of undiscovered oil fields are 16 MMBO and 31
System are not shown in table 2 due to insufficient data.
fields; the same values for undiscovered gas fields are 70 BCFG
and 15 fields. The ranges of number, size, and coproduct-ratio
Seal Rocks estimates for undiscovered fields are given in table 4.
The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional
Triassic to Jurassic evaporites, mudstone, and carbonate petroleum volumes are 1,875 MMBO, 4,887 BCFG, and 269
rocks (Saliferous Units, fig. 5) provide a regional top seal, and MMBNGL (table 5). In addition, the mean of the largest antici-
the Tanezzuft mudstone provides a secondary lateral seal when pated undiscovered oil field is 550 MMBO and undiscovered gas
in conjunction with the top seal (Hammill and Robinson, 1992). field, 686 BCFG.
Trap Types in Oil and Gas Fields The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum
Accumulations in three of the four fields discovered prior to System (205403)
1996 are within tilted fault blocks, and in the fourth, within an
arched stratigraphic trap (Hammill and Robinson, 1992; Rigo, The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System is an
1996). The typical trapping style is structures directly overlain important total petroleum system with respect to known oil and
by or capped with Triassic to Jurassic evaporite sequence. Addi- gas volumes, containing about 30 percent of the discovered oil
tional tilted fault blocks or other structures containing and 60 percent of the discovered gas in the province. A small
accumulations may exist along the Tilrhemt and Talemzane- portion of this total petroleum system extends into the neighbor-
Gefara Arches. ing Illizi, Hamra, and Pelagian Provinces. Although Middle to
The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System (205403) 17

Upper Devonian-aged mudstone may be the primary source Overburden Rocks
rock, the naming convention requires that the oldest source rock,
Tanezzuft, must be used in the total petroleum system name. An Overburden rocks are variable across the area mainly due to
events chart (fig. 8) summarizes the timing of sources, reser- nondeposition and erosion during the Hercynian, Austrian, and
voirs, seals, trap development, and generation and migration of Pyrenean deformational events (fig. 4A and B). Large portions
petroleum. Table 1 shows the formation names, ages, and lithol- of Paleozoic section were removed by erosion during Hercynian
ogy for abbreviations used in the events chart. deformation, between 380 and 3,000 m of sediments, or more,
were eroded during Hercynian deformation (Malla and others,
Source Rocks 1997). Paleozoic rocks are thickest to the southeast (approxi-
mately 2,300 m) and thin to the west and north over the T-shaped
Two major source rocks generated petroleum in the Tanez- anticlinorium. Mesozoic rocks comprise most of the overburden
zuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System, the Silurian Tanezzuft and overlie the Paleozoic section above the Hercynian Unconfor-
Formation (or lateral equivalents) and Middle to Upper Devo- mity throughout the province. Only small sections of Mesozoic
nian mudstone (Tissot and others, 1973; Daniels and Emme, rocks were removed by erosion. Mesozoic rocks are thickest to
1995). Based on regional stratigraphic architecture of the Gha- the north and west and thin to the southeast (fig. 4A and B)
dames (Berkine) Basin and geochemical analysis, Daniels and (Bishop, 1975; Chiarelli, 1978; Boudjema, 1987; Montgomery,
Emme (1995) indicated that the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) 1993). A thin Cenozoic section is present over part of the area.
mudstone may be the primary source rock.
In the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin, mean present-day TOC
content of Silurian source rocks ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 percent
Reservoir Rocks
(individual values as high as 17 percent), and that of Middle to
Upper Devonian source rocks ranges from 2.0 to 8.0 percent The known major reservoir rocks in the Tanezzuft-Gha-
(individual values as high as 14 percent) (Daniels and Emme, dames Total Petroleum System are fluvial to marine sandstone
1995; Makhous and others, 1997). Equivalent vitrinite reflec- of the Cambrian-Ordovician and fluvial sandstone of the Triassic
tance of Silurian source rocks ranges from 1.1 to 2.0 percent Ro (Trias Argilo-Greseux). Cambrian-Ordovician reservoirs
and Upper Devonian, from 1.1 to 1.3 percent Ro (Daniels and include the Cambrian Hassi Messaoud Formation, Hassi Leila
Emme, 1995). Source rock maturity is variable across the total Formation, and Quartzites de Hamra (laterally equivalent to the
petroleum system. In the northern part of the total petroleum Haouaz Formation) (Petroconsultants, 1996a; van de Weerd and
system, Silurian source rocks are presently in the peak to late oil Ware, 1994). The Triassic lower clastic unit reservoirs include
generation phase, whereas Middle to Upper Devonian source sandstone of the Trias Argilo-Greseux Inferieur (Nezla Forma-
rocks are presently in the early to peak oil generation window tion, Ouled Chebbi Formation, and Ras Hamia Formation) as
(Daniels and Emme, 1995). In the central part, Silurian rocks well as sandstone of the Trias Argilo-Greseux Superieur (Gassi
are presently in the wet to dry gas generation phase, whereas Touil Formation and Zarzaitine Sandstone), the Kirchaou Sand-
Middle to Upper Devonian source rocks are presently in the late stone, and the Tartrat Sandstone (Petroconsultants, 1996a).
oil to early wet gas generation phase (Daniels and Emme, 1995). The marginal marine to marine sandstone of the Upper Sil-
Petroleum generation in the Ghadames (Berkine) Basin urian Acacus Formation is a predominant reservoir in the eastern
may have taken place in two pulses, the first occurring in the portion of the Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System
Carboniferous before Hercynian deformation and the second (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Other reservoir rocks in the Tanez-
occurring after Hercynian deformation and the development of zuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System include glacial and
the Triassic Basin (Daniels and Emme, 1995; Makhous and oth- marine sandstone of the Ordovician to Silurian M'Kratta Com-
ers, 1997). Peak oil generation from Silurian source rocks began plex; the paralic to marine Lower Devonian F6 sandstone
in the middle Cretaceous in the northern portion of the total (Tadrart Formation) and Upper Devonian Ouan Kasa Formation;
petroleum system (Daniels and Emme, 1995). In the central por- and the deltaic and marine Lower Carboniferous Tahara Forma-
tion, peak oil generation from Silurian source rocks began as tion (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Names of some laterally equiva-
early as the Carboniferous, was interrupted by the Hercynian lent rock units are shown in figure 5, and known reservoir
event, then resumed until Late Jurassic (Daniels and Emme, properties are given in table 2.
1995). Oil generation from Middle to Upper Devonian source
rocks peaked in early Tertiary in the northern portion of the total
petroleum system and peaked in Early Cretaceous in the central Seal Rocks
portion (Daniels and Emme, 1995). Petroleum most likely
migrated laterally into adjacent or juxtaposed migration conduits Triassic to Jurassic evaporites, mudstone, and carbonate
and reservoirs. Some vertical migration may have occurred rocks (Saliferous Units, fig. 5) provide a regional top seal.
along faults or fractures in structurally deformed areas (Boote Intraformational Paleozoic marine mudstone is the primary seal
and others, 1998). for some reservoirs (Boote and others, 1998).
Province Name: Trias/Ghadames Basin (2054) TPS Name: Tanezzuft-Ghadames (205403)
600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 GEOLOGIC 0
SCALE
PETROLEUM
F6
AZ
TZ
TS
HS
EG
SU
AC
OK
MK
AO
TAG
HM
MR
ROCK UNIT
SOURCE ROCK
RESERVOIR ROCK
SEAL ROCK
OVERBURDEN ROCK
TRAP FORMATION
N- - N
Gray boxes indicate secondary or possible occurrences.

GENE M AC
PRESERVA TION
CRITICAL MOMENT
Names for abbreviations used in rock unit column are given in table 1.
Figure 8. Events chart for Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System.
Late Silurian-
Austrian Event
Frasnian Event
Pyrenean Event
Hercynian Event
Pan-African Event
Glacial Unconformity
TECTONIC EVENTS
The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System (205403)

19
Trap Types in Oil and Gas Fields Until recently, only structural traps had been explored
for oil and gas. Continued exploration of structural and
Most of the accumulations discovered prior to 1996 are combination traps is expected for the next 30 years, and
within anticlines, faulted anticlines, or fault blocks (Echikh, many more fields, both oil and gas, could be discovered,
1998; Boote and others, 1998; Petroconsultants, 1996a, van de especially in deeper sections within the center of the Gha-
Weerd and Ware, 1994). A few accumulations within combina- dames (Berkine) Basin (Macgregor, 1998). New exploration
tion traps are present (Echikh, 1998). concepts could include the search for both structural and
The typical trapping style is structures directly overlain by stratigraphic traps. Additionally, pinchouts within the Sil-
or capped with Triassic to Jurassic evaporite sequence. Other urian Acacus sandstone have some potential, but seals are
proven or potential traps include combination traps in associa- lacking in much of the total petroleum system due to ero-
tion with intraformational mudstone or volcanic rocks, if sional truncation (Echikh, 1998). Potential for discoveries
present, and incised valley fills associated with the Hercynian exists in stratigraphic traps, due to the abundance of clastic
Unconformity. reservoirs and unconformities (Macgregor, 1998) and in pos-
The discovered petroleum accumulations in the Tanezzuft- sible tilted fault block traps along the Talemzane-Gefara Arch
Ghadames Total Petroleum System exist in low-relief structures (similar to those in the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum
in the central and northeast portions of the total petroleum sys- System).
tem and in high-relief structures along the Amguid-Hassi This study estimates that about one-half of the total number
Touareg structural axis (fig. 1). Three accumulations along the of fields (discovered and undiscovered) of at least the minimum
Amguid-Hassi Touareg structural axis are more gas rich than size has been discovered. The estimated median size and num-
others within the total petroleum system (fig. 1). Several small ber of undiscovered oil fields are 16 MMBO and 73 fields; the
fields are producing from Silurian Acacus reservoirs in low- same values for undiscovered gas fields are 70 BCFG and 38
relief structures in the extreme eastern part of the total petroleum fields. The ranges of number, size, and coproduct-ratio esti-
system (in Libya and Tunisia) (fig. 2). In the northern part of the mates for undiscovered fields are given in table 4.
total petroleum system, along the Talemzane-Gefara Arch, some The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional
undiscovered accumulations might be present in tilted fault petroleum volumes are 4,461 MMBO, 12,035 BCFG, and 908
blocks that mirror those across the arch in the Tanezzuft-Melrhir MMBNGL (table 5). In addition, the mean size of the largest
Total Petroleum System. anticipated undiscovered oil and gas fields are 817 MMBO and
1,014 BCFG, respectively.
Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum by

Assessment Unit Summary
One assessment unit was identified for the Tanezzuft-Gha- Three “composite” total petroleum systems were identified,
dames Total Petroleum System, called Tanezzuft-Ghadames each coinciding with a separate basin and each comprising a sin-
Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit (fig. 3). As of 1996, gle assessment unit. These total petroleum systems are called
it contained 93 fields. Of these discovered fields, 66 are oil the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya, Tanezzuft-Melrhir, and Tanezzuft-
fields, 21 are gas fields, and 6 fields are not classified because Ghadames.
they contain less than 1 MMBOE. Combined, these fields con- The main source rocks are the Silurian Tanezzuft Formation
tain 4,538 MMBO, 16,484 BCFG, and 1,011 MMBNGL, as (or lateral equivalents) and Middle to Upper Devonian mud-
known volumes (table 3) (Petroconsultants, 1996a). Minimum stone. Petroleum generation and migration may have started as
field sizes of 1 MMBO and 6 BCFG were chosen for this early as the Carboniferous Period but was halted during the Her-
assessment unit based on the field-size distribution of discov- cynian deformational event. Peak generation and migration
ered fields. occurred from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary. The major reser-
The exploration density as of 1996 was approximately 15 voir rocks are Cambrian to Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Car-
new-field wildcat wells per 10,000 km2. The overall success rate boniferous, and Upper Triassic sandstone. Triassic to Jurassic
as of 1996 was approximately 32 discoveries per 100 new-field evaporites, mudstone, carbonate rocks, and volcanic rocks pro-
wildcat wells (or about one discovery per three new-field wildcat vide a regional top seal for most of the accumulations, while
wells). The greatest success in terms of discoveries per number Paleozoic marine mudstone locally provides seals. In the fields
of new-field wildcat wells drilled occurred since the mid-1980’s discovered thus far, traps are primarily structural and associated
through 1995. Plots showing exploration activity and discovery with anticlines and faulted anticlines.
history are presented in Appendix 2. The estimated means of the undiscovered conventional
Exploration activity was not consistent through time: peaks petroleum volumes in the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum
occurred in activity from the early 1960’s to the early 1970’s, System are 830 MMBO, 2,341 BCFG, and 110 MMBNGL; vol-
and again in the 1980’s. The sizes of oil and gas fields discov- umes in the Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System are 1,875
ered have generally decreased through time and with respect to MMBO, 4,887 BCFG, and 269 MMBNGL; and volumes in the
exploration activity, but some large accumulations are still being Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System are 4,461 MMBO,
discovered. Exploration appears to be moderately mature across 12,035 BCFG, and 908 MMBNGL. The combined estimated
much of the area. means of the undiscovered conventional volumes for these total
petroleum systems in the Trias/Ghadames Province are 7,167 Ford, G.W., and Scott, A.J., 1997, A depositional model and sequence
MMBO, 19,262 BCFG, and 1,288 MMBNGL. stratigraphy of the Trias Argilo-Greseux Inferieur (T.A.G.I.) in the
Ghadames Basin, Algeria [abs.]: Dallas, Texas, American Associa-
tion of Petroleum Geologists Midyear Meeting, May 1997.
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Echikh, K., 1998, Geology and hydrocarbon occurrences in the Ghadames 0619].
Basin, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, in Macgregor, D.S., Moody, R.T.J., ———1996b, PetroWorld 21: Houston, Tex., Petroconsultants, Inc.
and Clark-Lowes, D.D., eds., Petroleum geology of North Africa: [database available from Petroconsultants, Inc., P.O. Box 740619,
Geological Society, London, Special Publication 132, p. 109–129. Houston, TX 77274-0619].
References Cited 21
Rigo, F., 1995, Overlooked Tunisia reef play may have giant field potential: (Algeria): 6th International Meeting of Organic Geochemistry,
Oil and Gas Journal, v. 93 (January 2, 1995), p. 56–60. reprinted in Demaison, G., and Murris, R.J., eds., Petroleum
———1996, N. Tunisian Sahara hosts giant Triassic, L. Paleozoic pros- geochemistry and basin evaluation, American Association of Petro-
pects: Oil and Gas Journal, v. 94 (January 15, 1996), p. 52–57. leum Geologists Memoir 25, p. 315–334.
Traut, M.W., Boote, D.R.D., and Clark-Lowes, D.D., 1998, Exploration his-
Schmoker, J.W., and Crovelli, R.A., 1998, A simplified spreadsheet pro-
tory of the Palaeozoic petroleum systems of North Africa, in
gram for estimating future growth of oil and gas reserves: Nonre-
Macgregor, D.S., Moody, R.T.J., and Clark-Lowes, D.D., eds., Petro-
newable Resources, v. 7, no. 2, p. 149–155.
leum geology of North Africa: Geological Society, London, Special
SONATRACH, c. 1992, Exploration in Algeria: Algeria, Sur Presses Spe- Publication 132, p. 69–78.
ciales U.A.F.A., 36 p. van de Weerd, A.A., and Ware, P.L.G., 1994, A review of the East Algerian
Tissot, B., Espitalié, J., Deroo, G., Tempere, C., and Jonathan, D., 1973, Sahara oil and gas province (Triassic, Ghadames and Illizi Basins):
Origin and migration of hydrocarbons in the eastern Sahara First Break, v. 12, no. 7, p. 363–373.
Table 1. Abbreviations, names, ages, and lithology of formations used in the total petroleum sys-
tem events chart.
________________________________________________________________________
Code Formation name Age Lithology

________________________________________________________________________
AC Acacus Upper Silurian Sandstone
AO Aouinet Ouenine Middle to Upper Devonian Mudstone
AZ Argiles D'Azzel Middle Ordovician Mudstone
SU Saliferous Units Lower Jurassic Salt and anhydrite
EA Gres D'El Atchane Lower Ordovician Sandstone
EG Argile D'El Gassi Lower Ordovician Mudstone
F6 F6 Sandstone Member Lower Devonian Sandstone
HM Hamra Lower Ordovician Sandstone
HS Hassaouna Cambrian-Ordovician Sandstone
MK M'Kratta Complex Middle to Upper Sandstone and

Ordovician mudstone
MR Mrar Lower Carboniferous Mudstone and

sandstone
OK Ouan Kasa Middle Devonian Mudstone and

sandstone
TAG Trias Argilo-Greseux Upper Triassic Sandstone
TS Tahara (Shatti) Upper Devonian to Sandstone

Lower Carboniferous
TZ Tanezzuft Silurian Mudstone

________________________________________________________________________
Table 2. Reservoir properties of discovered accumulations for each assessment unit through 1995. [nd, represents either no data or insufficient data.
Data from Petroconsultants (1996a)]
USGS Code Depth Gross thickness Porosity Permeability

(meters) (meters) (percent) (millidarcies)
Minimum Mean Maximum Number Minimum Mean Maximum Number Minimum Mean Maximum Number Minimum Mean Maximum Number
205401 Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Total Petroleum System

20540101 Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit
Triassic 2,500 3,372 3,871 28 10 58 200 18 12 19 20 26 100 505 1,000 26
Silurian 3,503 3,823 4,169 4 8 12 15 4 7 7 7 4 0.2 0.2 0.2 4.0
Cambrian-Ordovician 2,900 3,312 4,000 11 18 80 145 8 10 17 25 9 9 408 1,000 8
205402 Tanezzuft-Melrhir Total Petroleum System

20540201 Tanezzuft-Melrhir Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit
Triassic nd nd nd 1 nd nd nd 1 nd nd nd 1 nd nd nd 1
Cambrian-Ordovician nd nd nd 3 nd nd nd 3 nd nd nd 2 nd nd nd 1
205403 Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System

20540301 Tanezzuft-Ghadames Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit
Triassic 100 2,461 4,188 49 12 85 365 28 9 20 35 47 25 756 1,400 42
Carboniferous 1,829 2,810 3,400 3 30 30 30 1 20 22 25 3 100 200 250 3
Devonian 2,217 3,435 4,000 16 12 95 200 4 15 20 23 4 20 1,039 2,000 4
Silurian 1,219 2,729 3,127 33 15 51 163 33 14 19 30 31 50 118 300 30
Cambrian-Ordovician 152 2,860 4,000 10 14 201 759 7 6 9 12 9 0.2 254 1,000 8
Table 3. Number and sizes of discovered fields for each assessment unit through 1995. The Tanezzuft-Oued
Mya Total Petroleum System contains the greatest volume of discovered oil, whereas the Tanezzuft-
Ghadames Total Petroleum System contains the greatest volume discovered gas and natural gas liquids.
[MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; NGL, natural gas liquids; MMBNGL, million barrels
of NGL. Volumes reported are summed for oil and gas fields (USGS defined). Oil and gas fields containing
known volumes below 1 million barrels of oil or 6 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG) are grouped. Data from
Petroconsultants (1996a)]
Number of
USGS Code fields Known (discovered) volumes
Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)

Oil fields 34 10,842 8,970 0
Gas fields 0 0 0 0
Fields < 1 MMBOE 2 1 3 0
All fields 36 10,843 8,973 0

Oil fields 2 6 0 0
Gas fields 2 0 125 9
All fields 4 6 125 9

Oil fields 66 4,385 5,327 63
Gas fields 21 151 11,154 948
All fields 93 4,538 16,484 1,011
2054 Total
Oil fields 102 15,233 14,297 63
Gas fields 23 151 11,279 957
All fields 133 15,384 25,576 1,020

Table 4. Estimated sizes, number, and coproduct ratios of undiscovered oil and gas fields for each assessment unit. [MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; CFG/BO, cubic feet
of gas per barrel oil, not calculated for gas fields; BNGL/MMCFG or BL/MMCFG, barrels of natural gas liquids or barrels of total liquids per million cubic feet of gas. BNGL/MMCFG was calculated for
USGS-defined oil fields whereas BL/MMCFG was calculated for USGS-defined gas fields. Shifted mean, the mean size of the accumulation within a lognormal distribution of field sizes for which the
origin is the selected minimum field size]
USGS
Code Size of accumulations Number of accumulations Gas-to-oil ratio NGL-to-gas ratio
(MMBO or BCFG) (CFG/BO) (BNGL/MMCFG)
Minimum Median Maximum Mean Shifted mean Minimum Median Maximum Mean Mode Minimum Median Maximum Mean Mode Minimum Median Maximum Mean Mode

Oil fields 10 16 362 14 24 4 34 70 35 31 434 868 1,302 867 868 20 40 60 40 40
Gas fields 60 100 2,000 85 145 1 10 30 11 2 25 50 75 50 50

Oil fields 1 16 2,488 55 56 3 31 81 34 17 686 1,372 2,058 1,372 1,372 20 40 60 40 40
Gas fields 6 70 3,144 136 142 2 15 38 16 9 36 72 108 72 72

Oil fields 1 16 2,488 55 56 14 73 202 80 25 686 1,372 2,058 1,371 1,372 20 40 60 40 40
Gas fields 6 70 3,110 136 142 6 38 105 42 14 56 112 168 112 112
Table 5. Estimated undiscovered conventional oil, gas, and natural gas liquids volumes for oil and gas fields for each assessment unit. [MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG,
billion cubic feet of gas; NGL, natural gas liquids; MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids. Volumes of undiscovered NGL were calculated for oil fields whereas volumes
of total liquids (oil plus NGL) were calculated for USGS-defined gas fields. Largest anticipated undiscovered field is in units of MMBO for oil fields and BCFG for gas fields.
Results shown are estimates that are fully risked with respect to geology and accessibility. Undiscovered volumes in fields smaller than the selected minimum field size are
excluded from the assessment. Means can be summed, but fractiles (F95, F50, and F5) can be summed only if a correlation coefficient of +1.0 is assumed]
USGS
Code MFS Prob. Undiscovered conventional volumes Largest anticipated undiscovered field
(0-1) Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL) (MMBO or BCFG)
F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean

Oil fields 10 1.00 292 802 1,450 830 233 673 1,355 720 9 26 58 29 40 96 255 114
Gas fields 60 1.00 269 1,417 3,640 1,621 13 69 192 81 111 318 1,030 405
All fields 292 802 1,450 830 502 2,090 4,994 2,341 21 95 250 110

Oil fields 1 1.00 348 1,629 4,224 1,875 450 2,175 6,079 2,574 17 84 252 103 96 403 1,557 550
Gas fields 6 1.00 495 2,032 5,060 2,313 33 142 382 166 160 539 1,756 686
All fields 348 1,629 4,224 1,875 945 4,206 11,139 4,887 50 226 635 269

Oil fields 1 1.00 990 3,993 9,520 4,461 1,274 5,292 13,733 6,110 48 206 576 244 197 679 1,939 817
Gas fields 6 1.00 1,403 5,311 12,469 5,925 148 576 1,480 664 299 865 2,285 1,014
All fields 990 3,993 9,520 4,461 2,677 10,603 26,201 12,035 196 782 2,055 908
Table 5. Continued.
USGS
Code MFS Prob. Undiscovered conventional volumes Largest anticipated undiscovered field
(0-1) Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL) (MMBO or BCFG)
F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean
2054 Total
Oil fields 1,630 6,424 15,194 7,167 1,957 8,140 21,166 9,403 74 316 886 376
Gas fields 2,167 8,759 21,168 9,859 194 786 2,054 911
All fields 1,630 6,424 15,194 7,167 4,125 16,899 42,334 19,262 268 1,102 2,940 1,288
APPENDICES
Exploration-activity and discovery-history plots for each of the assessment units. Two sets of
plots and statistics are provided, one set showing known field sizes (cumulative production plus
remaining reserves) and another showing field sizes upon which a reserve-growth function was
applied (labeled grown). Within each set of plots, oil fields and gas fields are treated separately.
The plots include:
• Cumulative Number of New-Field Wildcat Wells vs. Drilling-Completion Year
• Number of New-Field Wildcat Wells vs. Drilling-Completion Year
• Oil- or Gas-Field Size (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Oil- or Gas-Field Rank by Size (With
Respect to Discovery Halves or Thirds)
• Number of Oil or Gas Fields vs. Oil- or Gas-Field Size Classes (MMBO or BCFG) (With
Respect to Discovery Halves or Thirds)
• Volume of Oil or Gas (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Oil- or Gas-Field Size Classes
(MMBO or BCFG)
• Oil- or Gas-Field Size (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Field-Discovery Year
• Oil- or Gas-Field Size (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Cumulative Number of New-Field
Wildcat Wells
• Cumulative Oil or Gas Volume (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Field-Discovery Year
• Cumulative Oil or Gas Volume (MMBO or BCFG) vs. Cumulative Number of New-
Field Wildcat Wells
• Cumulative Number of Oil or Gas Fields vs. Field-Discovery Year

• Cumulative Number of Oil or Gas Fields vs. Cumulative Number of New-Field
Wildcat Wells
• Reservoir Depth, Oil or Gas Fields (m) vs. Field-Discovery Year
• Reservoir Depth, Oil or Gas Fields (m) vs. Cumulative Number of New-Field
Wildcat Wells
• Gas/Oil, Oil Fields (CFG/BO) vs. Mean Reservoir Depth (m)
• NGL/Gas, Oil Fields (BNGL/MMCFG) vs. Mean Reservoir Depth (m)
• Liquids/Gas, Gas Fields (BL/MMCFG) vs. Mean Reservoir Depth (m)
• Number of Reservoirs in Oil Fields vs. API Gravity (Degrees)

Appendix 1. Exploration-activity and discovery-history plots for the Tanezzuft-Oued Mya
Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit.

Tanezzuft-Oued Mya Structural/Stratigraphic, Assessment
Unit 20540101
160
CUM. NEW-FIELD WILDCAT WELLS (No.)
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
DRILLING-COMPLETION YEAR
NEW-FIELD WILDCAT WELLS (No.)
19
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
54
19
56
19
58
19
60
19
62
19
64
19
66
19
68
19
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
Unit 20540101
80
19
82
19
84
19
86
19
88
19
90
19
92
19
94
Unit 20540101
10,000
KNOWN OIL-FIELD SIZE (MMBO)
1,000
First third of fields discovered

100 Second third of fields discovered
Third third of fields discovered
10
1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
OIL-FIELD RANK BY SIZE
OIL FIELDS (No.)
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
to
2 <2
to
4 <4
to
8 <8
to
16 <1
to 6
32 <3
2
64 to <
6
12 to < 4
8 12
25 to < 8
2
51 6 to 56
1, 2 to <51
02 < 2
2, 4 to 1,0
04 < 24
2
4, 8 to ,04
09 < 8
8, 6 4,0
1 to 9
16 92 <8 6
,3 o t ,
< 19
32 84 16 2
, to ,3
65 768 <3 84
, t 2
13 536 o < ,76

1, to 65 8
07 < ,5
2 13 36
to 1
Unit 20540101
<2 ,07
6 2
>= 2 , 1
26 4 4
2,
14
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
VOLUME OF OIL (MMBO)
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
to
<2
2
to
<4
4
to
<8
8
to
<1
16 6
to
<3
32 2
to
64 <6
to 4
12 <1
8 28
to
25 <2
6 56
51 to
2 <5
1, to 12
02 <1
4 ,0
2, to 24
04 <2
8 ,0
4, to 48
09 <4
6 ,0
8, to 96
Unit 20540101
19 <8
2 ,1
16 to 92
,3 <1
84 6,
32 to 38
4
,7 <3
68 2,
65 to 76
,5 <6 8
36
13 to 5,
1, 53
07 <1 6
2 31
to ,0
<2 72
62
>= ,1
44
26
2,
14
4
Unit 20540101
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
FIELD-DISCOVERY YEAR
Unit 20540101
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
14,000
CUM. KNOWN OIL VOLUME (MMBO)
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
40
35
30
CUM. OIL FIELDS (No.)
25
20
15
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
500
RESERVOIR DEPTH, OIL FIELDS (m)
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
6,000
5,000
GAS/OIL, OIL FIELDS (CFG/BO)
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
MEAN RESERVOIR DEPTH (m)
Unit 20540101
25
RESERVOIRS IN OIL FIELDS (No.)
20
15
10
0
0 to <10 10 to 20 to 30 to 40 to 50 to 60 to 70 to 80 to 90 to >=100
<20 <30 <40 <50 <60 <70 <80 <90 <100
API GRAVITY (DEGREES)
Unit 20540101
10,000
GROWN OIL-FIELD SIZE (MMBO)
1,000

10
1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
OIL FIELDS (No.)
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
to
2 <2
to
4 <4
to
8 <8
to
16 <1
to 6
32 <3
2
64 to <
6
12 to < 4
8 12
25 to < 8
2
51 6 to 56
1, 2 to <51
02 < 2
2, 4 to 1,0
04 < 24
2
4, 8 to ,04
09 < 8
8, 6 4,0
1 to 9
16 92 <8 6
,3 o t ,
< 19
32 84 16 2
, to ,3
65 768 <3 84
, t 2
13 536 o < ,76

1, to 65 8
07 < ,5
2 13 36
to 1
Unit 20540101
<2 ,07
6 2
>= 2 , 1
26 4 4
2,
14
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
to
<2
2
to
<4
4
to
<8
8
to
<1
16 6
to
<3
32 2
to
64 <6
to 4
12 <1
8 28
to
25 <2
6 56
51 to
2 <5
1, to 12
02 <1
4 ,0
2, to 24
04 <2
8 ,0
4, to 48
09 <4
6 ,0
8, to 96
Unit 20540101
19 <8
2 ,1
16 to 92
,3 <1
84 6,
32 to 38
4
,7 <3
68 2,
65 to 76
,5 <6 8
36
13 to 5,
1, 53
07 <1 6
2 31
to ,0
<2 72
62
>= ,1
44
26
2,
14
4
Unit 20540101
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
14,000
CUM. GROWN OIL VOLUME (MMBO)
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540101
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Unit 20540101
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540101
25
20
15
10
0
<20 <30 <40 <50 <60 <70 <80 <90 <100
Appendix 2. Exploration-activity and discovery-history plots for the Tanezzuft-Ghadames
Structural/Stratigraphic Assessment Unit.

Tanezzuft-Ghadames Structural/Stratigraphic, Assessment
Unit 20540301
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
NEW-FIELD WILDCAT WELLS (No.)
19
0
5
10
15
20
25
56
19
58
19
60
19
62
19
64
19
66
19
68
19
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
80
Unit 20540301
19
82
19
84
19
86
19
88
19
90
19
92
19
94
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000

10
1
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
OIL FIELDS (No.)
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
to
2 <2
to
4 <4
to
8 <8
to
16 <1
to 6
32 <3
2
64 to <
6
12 to < 4
8 12
25 to < 8
2
51 6 to 56
1, 2 to <51
02 < 2
2, 4 to 1,0
04 < 24
2
4, 8 to ,04
09 < 8
8, 6 4,0
1 to 9
16 92 <8 6
,3 o t ,
< 19
32 84 16 2
, to ,3
65 768 <3 84
, t 2
13 536 o < ,76

1, to 65 8
07 < ,5
2 13 36
to 1
Unit 20540301
<2 ,07
6 2
>= 2 , 1
26 4 4
2,
14
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
to
<2
2
to
<4
4
to
<8
8
to
<1
16 6
to
<3
32 2
to
64 <6
to 4
12 <1
8 28
to
25 <2
6 56
51 to
2 <5
to 12
1, <1
02
4 ,0
to 24
2, <2
04
8 ,0
to 48
4, <4
09
6 ,0
8, to 96
Unit 20540301
19 <8
2 ,1
16 to 92
,3 <1
84 6,
32 to 38
4
,7 <3
68 2,
65 to 76
,5
36 <6 8
13 to 5,
1, 53
07 <1 6
2 31
to ,0
<2 72
62
>= ,1
44
26
2,
14
4
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540301
100
90
NGL/GAS, OIL FIELDS (BNGL/MMCFG)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540301
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
<20 <30 <40 <50 <60 <70 <80 <90 <100
Unit 20540301
10,000
KNOWN GAS-FIELD SIZE (BCFG)
1,000

10
1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
GAS-FIELD RANK BY SIZE
GAS FIELDS (No.)
6
to
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
12 <1
to 2
24 <2
to 4
48 <4
8
96 to <
9
19 to < 6
2 19
38 to < 2
76 4 to 384
1, 8 to <7
53 < 68
3, 6 to 1,5
0 3
6, 72 <3, 6
1 to 0
12 44 <6 72
,2 to ,1
24 88 <12 44
,5 to ,2
49 76 <24 88
, to ,
98 152 <4 576
, 9
19 304 to < ,15
6, to 98 2
39 608 <1 ,30
4
78 3,2 to 96,6
6, 16 3 08 <
43 to 93

2 ,
to <78 216
Unit 20540301
<1 6,
, 4
>= 5 7 2 3 2
1, , 8
57 6 4
2,
86
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
VOLUME OF GAS (BCFG)
6
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
to
<1
12 2
to
<2
24 4
to
<4
48 8
to
96 <9
to 6
19 <1
2 92
to
38 <3
4 84
76 to
8 <7
to 68
1, <1
53
6 ,5
to 36
3, <3
07
2 ,0
6, to 72
14 <6
4 ,1
12 to 44
,2 <1
88 2,
24 to 28
,5 <2 8
76 4,
49 to 57
6
Unit 20540301
,1 <4
52 9,
98 to 15
,3
04 <9 2
19 to 8,
6, 30
4
60 <1
39 8 96
3, to ,6
21 <3 08
78 6 93
6,
43 to ,2
<7 16
2 86
to
<1 ,4
,5 32
72
>= ,8
1, 64
57
2,
86
4
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
16,000
14,000
CUM. KNOWN GAS VOLUME (BCFG)
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
16,000
14,000
CUM. KNOWN GAS VOLUME (BCFG)
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
25
20
CUM. GAS FIELDS (No.)
15
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
25
20
15
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
500
RESERVOIR DEPTH, GAS FIELDS (m)
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
600
LIQUIDS/GAS, GAS FIELDS (BL/MMCFG)
500
400
300
200
100
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000

10
1
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
OIL FIELDS (No.)
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
to
2 <2
to
4 <4
to
8 <8
to
16 <1
to 6
32 <3
2
64 to <
6
12 to < 4
8 12
25 to < 8
2
51 6 to 56
1, 2 to <51
02 < 2
2, 4 to 1,0
04 < 24
2
4, 8 to ,04
09 < 8
8, 6 4,0
1 to 9
16 92 <8 6
,3 o t ,
< 19
32 84 16 2
, to ,3
65 768 <3 84
, t 2
13 536 o < ,76

1, to 65 8
07 < ,5
2 13 36
to 1
Unit 20540301
<2 ,07
6 2
>= 2 , 1
26 4 4
2,
14
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
to
<2
2
to
<4
4
to
<8
8
to
<1
16 6
to
<3
32 2
to
64 <6
to 4
12 <1
8 28
to
25 <2
6 56
51 to
2 <5
to 12
1, <1
02
4 ,0
to 24
2, <2
04
8 ,0
to 48
4, <4
09
6 ,0
8, to 96
Unit 20540301
19 <8
2 ,1
16 to 92
,3 <1
84 6,
32 to 38
4
,7 <3
68 2,
65 to 76
,5
36 <6 8
13 to 5,
1, 53
07 <1 6
2 31
to ,0
<2 72
62
>= ,1
44
26
2,
14
4
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540301
100
90
NGL/GAS, OIL FIELDS (BNGL/MMCFG)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Unit 20540301
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
<20 <30 <40 <50 <60 <70 <80 <90 <100
Unit 20540301
10,000
GROWN GAS-FIELD SIZE (BCFG)
1,000

10
1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
GAS-FIELD RANK BY SIZE
GAS FIELDS (No.)
6
to
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12 <1
to 2
24 <2
to 4
48 <4
8
96 to <
9
19 to < 6
2 19
38 to < 2
76 4 to 384
1, 8 to <7
53 < 68
3, 6 to 1,5
0 3
6, 72 <3, 6
1 to 0
12 44 <6 72
,2 to ,1
24 88 <12 44
,5 to ,2
49 76 <24 88
, to ,
98 152 <4 576
, 9
19 304 to < ,15
6, to 98 2
39 608 <1 ,30
4
78 3,2 to 96,6
6, 16 3 08 <
43 to 93

2 ,
to <78 216
Unit 20540301
<1 6,
, 4
>= 5 7 2 3 2
1, , 8
57 6 4
2,
86
4
fields
fields
of fields
discovered
discovered
discovered
First third of
Second third
Third third of
VOLUME OF GAS (BCFG)
6
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
to
<1
12 2
to
<2
24 4
to
<4
48 8
to
96 <9
to 6
19 <1
2 92
to
38 <3
4 84
76 to
8 <7
to 68
1, <1
53
6 ,5
to 36
3, <3
07
2 ,0
6, to 72
14 <6
4 ,1
12 to 44
,2 <1
88 2,
24 to 28
,5 <2 8
76 4,
49 to 57
6
Unit 20540301
,1 <4
52 9,
98 to 15
,3
04 <9 2
19 to 8,
6, 30
4
60 <1
39 8 96
3, to ,6
21 <3 08
78 6 93
6,
43 to ,2
<7 16
2 86
to
<1 ,4
,5 32
72
>= ,8
1, 64
57
2,
86
4
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
10,000
1,000
100
10
1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
16,000
CUM. GROWN GAS VOLUME (BCFG)
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
16,000
CUM. GROWN GAS VOLUME (BCFG)
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
25
20
15
10
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
25
20
15
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Unit 20540301
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Unit 20540301
600
LIQUIDS/GAS, GAS FIELDS (BL/MMCFG)
500
400
300
200
100
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000

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Total Petroleum Systems of the Trias/Ghadames

Province, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya—The

U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2202-C

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

This report is only available online at:

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication

Published in the Central Region, Denver, Colorado

Foreword provinces and plays in which similarities of rocks are

Saharan Flexure Pelagian

Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin

Ougarta Range Timimoun

WEST Tanezzuft-Ghadames EAST

SIC SALIFEROUS UNITS

Stage (van de Weerd Triassic Basin (Berkine) and lithology Description

E Oubarakat Limestone and sandstone

Tournaisian A (Sbaa) Limestone and mudstone

Eifelian Ouan Kasa Mudstone and limestone

"Argileux" Oued Imirhou Tanezzuft Black mudstone with graptolites

Gres de Remada Sandstone

Llandeilian - Edjeleh Argiles d'Azzel Melez Chograne Silty black mudstone

Arenigian Gres de Ouargla Sandstone

Gres d'El Atchane Sandstone and mudstone

Cambrian-Ordovician Zone des Alternances Sandstone and mudstone

Illizi Basin Triassic, Ghadames (Berkine),

Gypsum, marl, limestone, sandstone,

Sandstone and marl Pyrenean Unconformity

Turonian Limestone and dolostone

Cenomanian D'In Akamil Anhydrite, dolostone, and marl

Neocomian Cabao Sandstone and dolomitic mudstone

Scesciuch Anhydrite, limestone, dolostone, marl,

Zarzaitine Mudstone, sandstone, limestone,

Lias Saliferous Salt, anhydrite, and mudstone

Zarzaitine Argilo-Carbonate Sandstone, mudstone, salt,

Author(s): Timothy R. Klett Date: 3-23-99

secondary or possible occurrences.

One assessment unit was identified for the Tanezzuft-Oued

Author(s): Timothy R. Klett Date: 3-23-99

secondary or possible occurrences.

The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System (205403) 17

Author(s): Timothy R. Klett Date: 3-23-99

Gray boxes indicate secondary or possible occurrences.

The Tanezzuft-Ghadames Total Petroleum System (205403)

Assessment of Undiscovered Petroleum by

Code Formation name Age Lithology

AC Acacus Upper Silurian Sandstone

AO Aouinet Ouenine Middle to Upper Devonian Mudstone

AZ Argiles D'Azzel Middle Ordovician Mudstone

SU Saliferous Units Lower Jurassic Salt and anhydrite

EA Gres D'El Atchane Lower Ordovician Sandstone

EG Argile D'El Gassi Lower Ordovician Mudstone

F6 F6 Sandstone Member Lower Devonian Sandstone

HM Hamra Lower Ordovician Sandstone

HS Hassaouna Cambrian-Ordovician Sandstone

MK M'Kratta Complex Middle to Upper Sandstone and

MR Mrar Lower Carboniferous Mudstone and

OK Ouan Kasa Middle Devonian Mudstone and

TAG Trias Argilo-Greseux Upper Triassic Sandstone

TS Tahara (Shatti) Upper Devonian to Sandstone