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Updatesonfieldstudies.ExtensiveloggingandsamplingofsectionsintheAgadirandTarfayaBasins

Conferences

PresentationsmadeatEAGE,IAS,AAPG,PESG/HGSAfricaConference.Publicationupdate.

IntegratedregionalstudiesfocussedontheNorthAtlanticmargin11 PhDs, supported by leading academic staff at Manchester, TuDelft and collaborating institutions

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• NARGcontinuestoexpandtheNorthAtlanticstudy,with11PhDsin2016workingonintegratedprojectsalongtheMoroccanmargin.

• WearerefiningthebiostratigraphyoftheEarlyCretaceousandJurassictodeveloptypesectionsandpaleoenvironmentalmodels.

• SeismicandwelldatasuppliedbyONHYMallowsextensionoffshorewiththeaimofdevelopingafullyintegratedsourcetosinkstudy.ThisincludesmodellingthecomplexsalttectonicsandevaluatingtheevolutionoftheCretaceousbasins.

• NewPhDprojectswillcommencethisyeartoextendthereconnaissanceworkbydefiningtheprovenanceoftheEarly

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CretaceousclasticsandextendingtheJurassicstudytoincludethediagenesis,akeyfactorindeterminingreservoircharacterisation.

• TheCenomanian-TuroniansourcerockstudyaimstobetterunderstandcontrolsonTOCrichnesscomparingAtlanticmarginandTethyanrealms.

• ResearchhasbeenpresentedatrecentconferencesattheEAGE,IASandAAPG.

• Wecontinuetostrengthenourcapability,buildinglinkswithLucBulotatMarseilleandnowinvolvingMikeSimmons(Halliburton)toaddbiostratigraphiccapacity.

NewStartPhDs

NawwarAl-SinawijoinedinApril,toworkondiagenesisofJurassic.NewProvenancePhDtostartinSept.

English,K.L.,Redfern,J.,Bertotti,G.,English,J.,andYahiCherif,R.,2016,Intraplateuplift:newconstraintsontheHoggardomefromtheIllizibasin(Algeria):BasinResearch,p.1-17.

NewpapersonIlliziBasin

NewsletterJune2016

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AptianReferenceSectionfortheAgadir-EssaouiraBasinFurtherworkcarriedoutinMarch2015withDrLucBulot(Cerege-Aix-MarseilleUniversity) targetedtheammonitebiostratigraphyofkeyE.Cretaceoussectionslocatedintheregion.Thefaunascollectedin2015and2016representthelargestbedbybedcollectionmadeinthenorthernpartoftheEssaouirabasinfortheLateBarremiantobasalAlbianpartofthesuccession.Thefirstpaper,beingpreparednow,willformallydescribenewammonitespecies/generaandestablishabiostratigraphicreferencetoallowrefinedcorrelationsatbasinscale.High-resolutionsamplingwillintegrateammonite,planktonicforamandnannoplanktondatingwithTOCandC13isotopes(bulkrock)datatoproduceareferencesectionandgreatlyimprovethechronostratigraphicframeworkfortheAptianoftheEssaouiraBasin.ThisworkalsoinvolvescollaborationwithDr.MikeSimmons(Halliburton)-planktonicforaminifera,DrJasonJeremiah(Shell)nanoplankton,andourcolleague(previouslywithNARGinManchester)Dr.StephaneBodin(AarhusUniversity)forcarbon/oxygenisotopicanalysis.

EarlyCretaceousSourcetoSinkStudyManchesterstudentsAngelAranteguiandTimLuberhavecompletedfieldseasonssupportedbyateamoffieldassistantsandstaff.Thisisbeingintegratedwithanalysisofthehinterlanduplift/subsidencehistorybyRemiChartonatTuDelft,supervisedbyProfGiovanniBertottiandProfJoepStormsandoffshoresubsurfacestudiesbyLeonardoMuniz-PichelandTuAnhNguyen.TheoutcropworkformsthecrucialshelfalcontrolontimingandpalaeofaciesdistributionfortheSource-to-Sinkstudy,yieldingvaluableinformationondrainagesize,locationandsedimentdischarge.

DefiningLateBarremiantoAptianRegressivePackagesTimLubercompleteda6-weekfieldseasonfocusedonimproveddatingandchasingthecoarseclasticsintervalobservedintheAssakaandTamrioutcropsregionallyacrosstheCapGhir/Agadir/Taghazoutregion.Themainfluvialsystemswereidentifiedinland,associatedwiththedeltaicandshorefacesuccessions.Inlandvaluablenewdatapointsshowtheextentofchannelsandincisedvalleys,whichwillbeinputintoaregionalsequencestratigraphicmodel.Outputwillberegionalcorrelations,sequentialGDEmapsandarevisedbiostratigraphy.

TimLuber(3rdyearPhD)andDr.LucBulot(Cerege-Aix-MarseilleUniversity)discussingammonitescollectedinthefieldduringthisyearsbiostratigraphyfieldseason.

Barrageoutcrop,eastofTamri.ProminentincisionintoearlyBarremianlimestonesfilledwithfluvialsandstone–IncisedValley?.

8June2016 TimLuber-UniversityofManchester 7

DeepSink ShallowSink Source

SourcetoSink

BlueAptianmarlsoutcroppingatTiskatine,theproposedlocationforanewtypesectionintheEssaouiraAgadirBasin(top).

AptianProchelonicerassp.ammonitesfromTiskatine(bottom).

EssaouiraAgadirBasin

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TarfayaStudyArea

AngelAranteguiundertookfiveweeksoffieldworkduringAprilandMay2016,supportedbyDrRhodriJerrettandfieldassistants.Themainfocuswaslogginga25km-longtransectalongOuedDraa,whichrecordstheEarlyCretaceouscontinentaltomarinetransition,andrunsparalleltotheexistingtransectloggedalongOuedChebeikaabout50kmtotheSW.Theaimistoestablishanoutcrop-basedcorrelationandsuiteoffaciesmodelsfortheEarlyCretaceoussuccession.

Resamplingwasundertakentoimprovethebiostratigraphicdatingthroughmacro-andmicrofossilsandpalynology.Currentworkincludesmicrofaciescharacterizationofthere-datedJurassicmixedsiliciclastic-carbonatemarinesuccessionintheIfniarea,workingincollaborationwithMikeSimmonsandLucBulot,inordertomorepreciselydatethissectionanddocumenttheriftandpost-riftevolutionofthispartoftheTarfayaBasin.Futureworkwillfocusoninterpretingandintegratingalltheoutcropandoffshoresubsurfacedata:

• Rifttopost-riftevolutionandsedimentationofthenorthernpartoftheTarfayaBasin• EarlyCretaceoussequencestratigraphicframework-TarfayaBasin

aargh….thepathisclosed…..DrRhodriJerrettatrushhourinTarfaya

PanoramashowingtheEarlyCretaceouscontinentalsuccessioninOuedDraaunconformablyoverlainbyCenozoic.

AptiantoAlbianshorefacecross-beddedsandstonesinOuedChebeika

IntenselybioturbatedfloodplaindepositsinOuedChebeika.

IAS32ndMeetingofSedimentology(Marrakech,May2016)TemporalandspatialevolutionofMesozoicdrainagesystemsfeedingthedeepwaterAtlanticpassivemarginofMorocco:TarfayaBasinAngelArantegui,Luber,T,ChartonR,SimmonsM,BertottiG,RedfernJ

CompletedandOngoingstudiesinNARG

Completed Studies Early Carboniferous

Marar FmLaurent

Petitpierre JR/SB

Nummidian Flysch

Myron Thomas

Late Triassic Rift FillIvan Fabuel Perez

Carboniferous Reservoir Characterisation Libya

Dr Sebastian Frohlich

Palaeozoic Sequence Stratigraphy

Dr Ian Carr, Stefan Lubeseder

Ghadames Basin ModellingRuth Underdown

Cret Nubian Volcanics Sirt

BasinMustafa Karer

Source Rock HunterEocene Bou Dabbous Fm

Tunisia Dr Alvaro Beracosso

Silurian Shale Gas Tadla Basin

EOG Consultancy Project

Ordovician Glacials

Murzuk BasinGregg Pyke

Late Triassic StructureDr Catherine Baudon Late Cretaceous

Clastic systems Dr Stefan BodinJonathan Wood

Late Triassic ReservoirsClimate / Tectonic Control

Nadine Mader

Nile DeltaGianluca BadaliniDorthe HansenVicky Catterall

Dolomitisation processes / Late

Cretaceous Carbonate Reservoirs

Richard Newport (PhD)

Ongoing StudiesBurial and 

diagenetic history of the Illizi basin, Algeria

Kara English (PhD)

Cretaceous Depositional SystemsMoroccan Atlantic Margin

Tim Luber (PhD)Angel Arantegui (PhD)

Remi Charton (PhD – TuDelft)Tu Anh Nguyen (PhD)

Leonardo Muniz Pichel (PhD)Jianpeng Wang (PhD)

New start 2016 Provenance

Characterising the carbonate reservoir systems and controls on further propsectivity in the Kotla

Graben, Sirte Basin LibyaMohamed Salem

(Libya Gov Funded

Tertiary Deepwater Systems

North African MarginStart Oct 2015

Jurassic carbonate systems along the N

Atlantic MarginAude Duval-ArnouldNawwar Al-Sinawi

Habid Awatif (Mres)

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ConstraininghinterlanddynamicsQuantificationofMesozoicverticalmovementsTheaimofthisworkbeingundertakenbyRemiChartonatTuDelftistoprovideratesofdenudationandsubsidencefortheexhumingandsubsidingparts,respectively.Theserates,whenextendedtosurfaces,willprovidequalitativeestimatesoferodedanddepositedvolumesofsedimentsfortimeperiods,andcanbecomparedinordertotestdifferentscenarios(identificationofcomponentsandcomparisonoforderofmagnitude).Thescenariostobetestedare:a)differentextentsoftheareasbeingexhumed(byvaryingthesurface);forinstancebyincludingornottheTindoufbasinintheexhumingpart,ordiminishingtheerodedsurfaceoftheMeseta;b)differenttimingoferosion(bychangingthetime-temperatureresultsusedfordenudationratecalculation);withforinstancethecompletehinterland(Meseta,Anti-Atlas,andReguibat)beingexhumedduringtheEarlyCretaceousoronlytheMesetaandtheReguibatShield(cf.outcomeof

RecentPresentationsAAPG/SEGInternationalConferenceandExhibition(ICE)2016,Barcelona,April(3-6)2016–Oralpresentation:Post-VariscanthermalhistoriesinMorocco:ImplicationsforMesozoicsource-to-sinksystems(RémiCharton,GBertotti,JStorms,MGouiza,AArantegui,TLuber,ADuvalArnould,andJRedfern).NAC2016,13thNederlandsAardwetenschappelijkCongres,Veldhoven,April(7-8)2016–Posterpresentation:Post-VariscanverticalmovementsinMorocco:ImplicationsforMesozoicsource-to-sinksystems(RémiCharton,GBertotti,JStorms,MGouiza,AArantegui,TLuber,ADuvalArnould,andJRedfern).

Paleogeographicreconstructionsa.VariscanOrogeny,b.EarlyJurassicSynrift,c.EarlyCretaceouspostrift,d.Neogenetopresent:Gouizaetal.,2016

TheAnti-AtlasbeltofMoroccoextendsENE–WSW,overmorethan600km,fromtheAtlanticmargininthewesttotheinterioroftheAfricanplateintheeast.ItexhibitsPrecambrianrocksoutcroppingasbasementinliersandsurroundedbymarineEdiacaran–Cambriansequencesaroundtheaxisofthemountainrange.Thebelt,whichhasforalongtimebeeninterpretedasofVariscanage,isnowrevealedtohaveexperiencedmajorverticalmovementsthroughMesozoicandCenozoictimes.TheAnti-Atlasdomainappearstobeaffectedbytwoepisodesofexhumationseparatedbyanepisodeofsubsidence.TheinitialepisodeoccurredintheLateTriassicandledtotheexhumationof7.5–10.5kmofcrustalrocksbytheendoftheMiddleJurassic(ca.160–150Ma).Thefollowingphaseresultedin1–3kmofbasementsubsidenceandoccurredduringtheLateJurassicandmostoftheEarlyCretaceous.Thebasementrockswerethenslowlybroughttothesurfaceafterexperiencing2–3.5kmofexhumationthroughouttheLateCretaceousandtheCenozoic.ThetimingoftheseepisodesofexhumationandsubsidencecoincideswithmajortectonicandthermaleventsinrelationwiththeevolutionoftheAtlanticandTethysOceans,indicatingthattheeffectsoftheirriftinganddriftingextendedbeyondtheirpresumedmargins.2016

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Integratedoffshorestudies,supportedbyONHYMwithaccesstowellandseismicdata

SALTTECTONICSOFFSHOREMOROCCO:INSIGHTSFROMSEISMICINTERPRETATIONANDDISCRETE-ELEMENTMODELLINGLeonardoMunizPichel,MadsHuuse,EmmaFinch,JonathanRedfern

Salt-relateddeformationplaysanimportantroleinthegeologicalevolutionandstructuralstyleoftheMoroccancontinentalmarginandisacriticalfactorcontrollingreservoirdistribution,migrationpathwaysandtrapformation.ThemajorityofhydrocarbonplaysoffshoreMoroccoaresalt-related(Tari&Jabour,2013).Thisstudyevaluateshowthesaltstructuresevolvedandtheeffectondepositionalstyleandoverburdenarchitecture.Leonardohaspresentedhis initialresultsattheAAPG/SEG InternationalBarcelona, IAS 32nd Meeting of Sedimentology (Marrakesh) and 78thEAGE Conference and Exhibitionworkshop in Vienna. His first paper iscurrentlyinpreparation.

Leonardo’sresearchusesaninteractiveseismicstratigraphicandforwardmodellingapproach,withDiscrete-ElementTechniquesutilisingin-housesoftwareandcodedevelopedbyDrEmmaFinch,tocharacterizesalt-relateddeformationandmodelthesalttectonicsandassociatedsedimentation.Integrationoninterpretationofextensive2DseismicgridandwelldatasuppliedbyONHYMwithforwardmodellingofsaltdeformationaffordsbetterconstraintsonback-strippingthemarginevolutionandallowsformoreconfidentinputintopetroleumsystemsmodels,allowingaspatialandtemporalreconstructionoffluidexpulsion,migrationandaccumulation.

Numericalmodelling showing rejuvenation ofaburieddiaper,assumes20%ofcompressionwithsyn-kinematicsedimentation(5M.yr.).

EarlyCretaceousBasinConfigurationTuAnhNguyen(SchlumbergerScholar)ismappingtheextensive2DseismicdatasetprovidedbyONHYMandfocussingontheevolutionoftheEarlyCretaceousoffshorebasin.Thisintervalisthemostprospectiveforpotentialclasticreservoirs,basedonouronshorestudies.Timingofsaltmovement,structuralcontrolsandsedimentinputpointsallcontrolaccommodationandwilleffectdispersalofEarlyCretaceoussedimentsintothebasin.Ouraimistoassesstheseprocessesandaddressuncertaintyinlocatingpotentialsitesforpondingofdeepwatersandstones.

GISDatabaseAprogrammeisongoing,withapilotstudyinitiatedbyCarmenFiedlerandKofiOwusutodevelopaGISdatabasethatwillincorporatetheextensivefielddata(samplesandanalyticalresults)acquiredbyNARG,integratedwithpublisheddataacrosstheregion.

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BuildingastratigraphicandsedimentologicalframeworkFieldworkbyAudeDuval–Arnould(2ndyrPhD)inMarchfocusedontheMiddleandUpperJurassic(Oxfordian).Detailedloggingofsectionsprovidingevidenceofthecontinental/marine/continentaltransition.TheUpperOxfordian,Iggui-El-BeharFormationshowsevidenceofgypsumandstormdeposits.CoralreefshavebeenexaminedbetweenCapGhirandTizgui/ImouzzerandontheNElimboftheImouzzerAnticline.SubsurfaceanalysisofwelldataisalsobeingundertakenbyAwatifHafid,(ONHYM)aspartofherMResatManchester,andwillbeintegratedintothestudy.Recentconferencepresentations:

PESGB-AfricaConference2015(Sept):Controlsonstratigraphicdevelopmentandreservoirdistributionofshelfmargincarbonates:JurassicAtlanticmargin-westernMorocco.Duval-Arnould,A.,Habid,A.,Schröder,S.,Redfern,J.IAS-IMS2016(May):EvolutionandfaciesvariationofshelfmargincarbonatesoftheAgadir-EssaouiraBasin:MiddletoUpperJurassicAtlanticmargin-westernMorocco.Duval-Arnould,A.,Schröder,S.,Redfern,J.

JurassicStudy

Unlockingthedepositionalstyle,evolutionanddiagenetichistoryofAtlanticMarginCarbonates

Extendingthestudy:NawwarAl-Sinawi,(supervisors:Hollis,Schroeder,Redfern)startedaPhDinApril2016workingondolomiteformationintheJurassicoftheWesternHighAtlas.DolomitizationplaysakeyroleinsubsurfacereservoirdevelopmentoffshoreMoroccoandtheconjugatemargininCanada,yettheexactoriginsandprocessesfordolomitizationarenotunderstood,norhastheimpactofdolomitizationonsubsurfacereservoirdevelopmentbeenexplored.

Christian Kluge from TU Delft working with Aude near Immouzer

CalloviananOxfordianplatformandreefsAkeyaimistocharacterisetheOuanamaneFormation,whichcomprisesveryfossiliferousbedsofwackstonetorudstonealternatingwithmoremarlyunits.Hardgroundshavebeenidentifiedthatcanbewidelymapped,suggestingapossibleusefulcorrelationtool.Atransitionaltransgressiveunitcomprisesmarlswithrarebelemnites,nautiloidsandammonites.TheoverlyingTidiliFormationhasbeenloggedindetailtocharacterisethedistributionofreefalandassociatedfacies.FieldloggingaroundtheImouzzerAnticline,togetherwiththinsectionanalysis,isallowingidentificationofthegeometryandextensionofthebuild-ups.ThisisbeingextendedtotheCapGhirareaandabiostratigraphicplanformulatedtobetterdatethesesections,inconjunctionwithLucBulotandMikeSimmons.Differentgenerationsofreefshavebeenidentified,withspecificcoralassociationslinkedtothesizeofthebuild-upsandtheprevailingenvironmentalconditions.

ImouzzerAnticline-lookingsouth

ClinoformsbuildoutfromOxfordianreef

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SourceRockHunter-ControlsonCenomanian-Turoniansourcefaciesdevelopment

PhDJianpengWangisundertakingaregionalevaluationoftheOAE2intervalthatspanstheCenomanian-Turoniantoexaminedepositionalcontrolsonsourcerockdevelopment,comparingthedevelopmentalongtheTethyanandAtlanticmargins.

PhDsandPostdocsfromManchesterandLeeds(NARG/STRATGroups)examininglateCretaceouskarstsurfaceandOAE2inAzazoul.Morocco.

HowcantheformationofMesozoicanticlinesintheWesternHighAtlas(WHA)belinkedtoverticalmovementsintheMoroccanpassivemarginanddidtheirevolutionintheJurassic(priortoAlpineshortening)influencedsedimentdistributionintheoffshore?Wassaltdrivingforceinthefoldingprocessand,iffoldingoccurredduringpre-orogenicstages,whatwasitsimpactonfoldingprocessesduringtheAtlassicorogeny.Two3Dstructuralmodels(Amsittene&Imouzzeranticline)havebeencreatedfromremotesensingdatatoobtainthethicknessdistributionofsedimentsintheanticlines.Possibledepocenterswereevaluatedandpre-Alpinefoldorientationsidentifiedthatmightvaryfromthepresentdaystrike.Thetopofsalthorizonwasmodelledtounderstandrelativepositionsofsaltdomes.2DrestorationwasperformedinordertorevealtectonicsignalswithintheJurassicandfinallyathe3Dmodelwasanalysedtoassessthehigheststrainwithinafold.Thelargescalemodellingresultshavebeencomparedtosmallscalefieldobservations(fromworkbyAudeDuval–Arnould,Manchester).TheresultsshowthatfoldingprocessesmighthavealreadybeenactiveduringEarlytoMiddleJurassic.Saltdiapirismisseentobeakeyfactorinpre-orogenicfoldgrowth,possiblycreatingatopographyalreadyintheEarlytoMiddleJurassic.FoldsintheWHAarethereforeseentohavecontrolledthedistributionofsedimentscomingfromthehinterlandandmayeffectsubmarinefandepositionoffshore.Still,theirimpactontheformationofminibasinsmaynotbeassignificantcomparedtothepresentdayoffshorefoldscausedbylater,muchstrongerandmorecontinuoussaltdiapirism.LinkingverticalmovementstoJurassicfoldingprocessesisstilldifficult,sincenoclearevidenceforN-SstrikingfoldsduetotheexhumationintheEastandsubsidenceintheWest,havebeenfound.However,pre-existingsaltdiapirspresumablycontrolledtheAlpinefoldingprocess,byconnectingpre-existingsaltstructurescausingavarietyofstrikeorientationsofAlpinefoldsintheWHA(fromE-WtoNE-SW).

N

salt dome

salt mine

high

low

overturned limbs

elev

atio

n

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Amsittene surface model top of salt horizon

Trias

Lias

Dogger

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Call. to Oxf. overturned limbs

Lias Dogger Callovian

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strain (%)

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Lias J1Dogger J2Callovian J3Oxfordian J4-5Kimmeridgian J6Tithonian J7

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102030405060

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/Myr

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Tithonian J7Kimmeridgian J6Oxfordian J4-5Callovian J3Dogger J2Lias J1

A B C

A B C

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ETW-mudstones layers

6 4

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Blackshales(weatheringlighttan)fromTuronianofErachidia.

TheprojectisundertakenincollaborationwithONHYM,throughDirecteurdel'ExplorationPétrolièreM.MohamedNahimandChakorAlami,ChefdelaDivisiondesLaboratoiresPétrole.InAprilZakariaYousfifromOnhymaccompaniedJianpenginthefield.Sectionsloggedandsampledtoassessdepositionalvariabilityandcontrols,anddetermineatypesectionfortheOAE2Cen-Tursection.

ControlsonStructuraldevelopment:ChristianKluge–TuDelftMastersProject

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DiagenesisandthermalhistoryoftheIlliziBasinduringtheOrdovician,Algeria.

KaraEnglish(FinalYear)hasworkedonthesouthernIllizibasininAlgeria,whereasubstantialnewdatasethasbeenacquiredbyPetrocelticInternationalaspartoftherecentappraisaloftheAinTsilagas-condensatediscovery.AnumberofcomplementarymethodshavebeenusedtoconstrainthethermalandburialhistoryoftheOrdovicianreservoirsintheAinTsilafield.

Techniquesemployedinclude:estimatesofmissingstratigraphybasedonregionalobservationsandcross-sections,estimatesofthemagnitudeofexhumationbasedonsonicvelocity'over-compaction'ofregionallyhomogeneousshaleandsandstonepackages,estimatesofpeakburialtemperatureandpaleo-geothermalgradientsbasedonvitrinitereflectancedata,andconstraintsonthermalhistoryprovidedbyapatitefissiontrack(AFT)data.Theresultingburialhistorymodelscombineallavailablefluidinclusionandsourcerockdatatogenerateamodelofthetimingofhydrocarbongenerationandmigrationfromtheprimarysourcerockswithinthebasin.Thesemodelsallowpredictionofthetimingofapotentialearly-oilfillwithintheOrdovicianreservoirsintheAinTsilafield,andalsothetimingofthemaingas-condensatecharge.TheburialhistorymodelsareutilizedinordertoconstructsomeconceptualsandstonediagenesismodelsusingTouchstone™software,andtodeterminethe(spatialandvertical)variationofreservoirqualityacrosstheAinTsilafield,withsignificantimplicationsforexplorationacrossthebasin.Seepublicationssectionforlistofpapers.

SubsurfacestudiescontinueacrosstheNorthAfricanregion

Controlsoncarbonatereservoirdevelopment,KotlaGraben,SirtBasin,Libya.MohammedSalem(Finalyear)LibyanGovernmentfunded,datasuppliedbyAGOCO:

TheevolutionoftheWesternSirtBasinintheregionoftheDahraPlatform,AminHighandKotlaGrabenisbeingevaluated,integrating2D/3Dseismicanddatafrom36wells.Threetectonicstylesidentifiedincluderegionalpre-riftintra-continentalsag,complexmulti-stageriftingandmodificationbywrenching.Amajorhorst-grabensystemconfigurationhasbeendelineated,whichallowsmappingfaultdistributionandtimingthroughoutthearea.Thesemapsarebeingusedtointerpretthetectonicstyleandevolutionanditscontrolonaccommodation,thicknessandfaciesdistributionofreservoirsthroughouttheDahraPlatformandKotlaGrabenarea.

Figure 7: Schematic structural section across the Hoggar Massif from the Berkine Basin in the north to the Iullemmeden Basin in the south (see transect in Fig. 1). Note that the Hoggar had an earlier history of uplift with significant erosion of the Paleozoic sequence during the Hercynian orogeny. Preserved thicknesses are

taken from well data (Illizi-Berkine), geology maps and published cross sections (Iullemmeden Basin, Zanguina et al., 1998; Genik, 1993; Dautria & Lesquer, 1989). The eroded stratigraphy of the Tim Mersoï,

Hoggar and Illizi regions is projected above the present day surface and calibrated to ~ 1 km of exhumation in Well A, ~ 0.9-1.6 km exhumation in the Serouenout area, and peak burial depths of ~ 1.7-2.3 km for the Visean projected from the Arlit area. Note that the actual magnitude of exhumation in Arlit/Arouta (on the flank of Aïr; Fig. 1) is higher than where it is projected on this section (Carboniferous at surface). Regional data suggests portions of the Central Hoggar may have been inundated with > 1 km of Upper Cretaceous – lower Paleogene sediment. Cenozoic rock uplift across the Hoggar occurred over a distance of >1,500 km

from north to south, as indicated by the tilted Cenozoic stratigraphy in the Berkine and Iullemmeden basins. The magnitude of rock uplift, as opposed to exhumation, reaches in excess of 2 km within the core of the

Hoggar Massif. Deposition of Upper Eocene-Pliocene sediments (the “Continental Terminal”) across Saharan Africa (Kilian, 1931) may represent the onset of clastic sedimentation derived from the growing intracratonic

swells.

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SchematicstructuralsectionacrosstheHoggarMassiffromtheBerkineBasininthenorthtotheIullemmedenBasininthesouth:fromEnglishetal2016

Interpretedgeologicalmodelintegratingwellsand3Dseismictoidentifythechronostratigraphicsequences.Sealevelchangecurve,showstheregressive-transgressivecyclesandobservedseismicreflectionpatterns.

Thecurrentpolitical/securitysituationispreventingfieldworkacrossmuchofNorthAfrica,withtheexceptionofMorocco,howeversubsurfacestudiescontinue,andfurtherintegratedprojectsarebeingplanned,bothonshoreandoffshore.

Plansunderwayfor2016-7

PlanningisunderwayforanewintegratedprojectinMauritaniaandalongthewestAfricaAtlanticmargin.FurtherprojectsonshoreMoroccoareanticipated,lookingatthedevelopmentoftheNummidianFlyschacrosstheAlboranBasinandonshoreNEMorocco,incollaborationwithTangiersUniversity.

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RecentPublicationsandUpcomingConferencePresentations

Published:English,K.L.,Redfern,J.,Bertotti,G.,English,J.,andYahiCherif,R.,2016,Intraplateuplift:newconstraintsontheHoggardomefromtheIllizibasin(Algeria):BasinResearch,p.1-17.English,K.L.,Redfern,J.,Corcoran,D.V.English,J.,andYahiCherif,R.,2016,Constrainingburialhistoryandpetroleumchargeinexhumedbasins:NewinsightsfromtheIlliziBasin,Algeria.AAPGBulletin,v.100,No.4(April),p.623-655.Gouiza,M.,Charton,R,BertottoG,AndriessenPandStormsJ.E.A2015Post-VariscanevolutionoftheAnti-AtlasbeltofMoroccoconstrainedfromlow-temperaturegeochronology.IntJEarthSci(GeolRundsch)

Submitted:English,K.E.,English,J.M.,Bonnell,L.,Lander,R.H.,Hollis,C.,Redfern,J.,Guirdham.,C.,Garnham.,J.,YahiaCherif,R.,Controlsonreservoirqualityinanexhumedbasin(Ordoviciansandstones,Illizibasin,Algeria).MarineandPetroleumGeology.English,K.E.,English,J.M.,Hollis,C.,Redfern,J.,Corcoran,D.,Oxtoby,N.,YahiaCherif,R.,RemobilizationofDeepBasinBrineduringExhumationoftheIlliziBasin,Algeria.MarineandPetroleumGeology.

English,K.E.,English,J.M.,Hollis,C.,Redfern,J.,Corcoran,D.,Oxtoby,N.,YahiaCherif,R.,RemobilizationofDeepBasinBrineduringExhumationoftheIlliziBasin,Algeria.MarineandPetroleumGeology.

Newfor2016:ProvenancestudyoftheEarlyCretaceous

depositionalsystems,AgadirandTarfayaBasinThisprojectwasapprovedinJanuarytocommenceinSeptember2016.Itwillapplyanarrayoftechniques,includingheavymineralanalyses,zircon,andfeldspartoassessthepossibleprovenancelocationsandcontributionhistoryfortheEarlyCretaceousdepositionalsystems,linkingexistingworkbeingundertakeonthesedimentologyonthemarginandFissionTackmodellingofpotentialsourceareas.TobeconductedincollaborationwithDrShaneTyrell,UCD/GalwayUniversity,Eire.

Upcomingpresentations:

PESGB-HGSAfricaConference:HoustonSept2016:Predictingthedevelopmentofsourcerocksincarbonate-dominatedsettings–AcasestudyfromtheEoceneBouDabbousFormation(northandcentralTunisia)JiménezBerrocoso(RepsolServicesCompany,USA),J.D.Wood(Shell,Netherlands),M.Soussi(UniversitédeTunis,Tunisia),H.Belayouni(UniversitédeTunis,Tunisia),andJ.Redfern(UniversityofManchester,UK).AAPG:CalgaryJune2016:MitigatingEarlyCretaceousreservoirriskalongtheoffshoreMoroccopassivemarginthroughanalysisofthecoastaldeliverysystemsexposedintheAgadir-EssaouiraBasin.TimLuber,RedfernJ,BulotL,AranteguiA,ChartonR,Bertotti

MoroccoFieldWorkshopThelastNARGfieldworkshopin2015wasattendedbyCairn,Chevron,Hess,Repsol,KosmosandONHYM,examiningtheevolutionoftheNorthAtlanticmargin.Theentiresequenceis

exposed,fromPreHercynianthroughtoTriassicriftinfill,JurassicpassivemargincarbonatedevelopmentandEarly

Cretaceousdeepwatersystems/sourcetosink.Afurthercourseisplannedforlate2016-early2017,Opentoallcompanies,contactJonathanRedfern

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Manchester:Staff:ProfJonathanRedfernDrStefanSchroederDrCathyHollisProfMadsHuuseProfKevinTaylorDrDavidHodgettsDrRhodriJerrett

PhDs:TimLuberAngelAranteguiMohamedSalem(LibyanGov.Sponsors)TuAnhNguyen(*SchlumbergerScholarship)AudeDuval–Arnould(Manchester)JianpangWang(ChineseGov.Scholarship)LeonardoMuniz-Pichel(BrazilianGov)KaraEnglish(Manchester)NawwarAl-SinawiMResHabidAwatif(OnhymScholarship)

TuDelftStaff:ProfGiovanniBerottiDrJoepStormsPhD:RemiChartonMScChristianKluge

CollaborativeresearchlinkingleadingUniversities,industryandin-countryorganisations.Workingcloselywithsponsorstodelivertimelyresultsandknowledgeexchangethroughfieldcourses,workshopsandin-housereviews

ActiveResearchTeamandAssociates:

Groundbreakingresearch-deliveringresults

www.narg.org.ukNewsponsorswelcome

North Africa Research Group University of Manchester School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Basin Analysis and Petroleum Geoscience Williamson Building Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)161 275 3773 (Direct) Tel: +44 (0)161 306 9379 (Administrator) Email: jonathan.redfern@manchester.ac.uk

ResearchAssociates/Collaborations:DrLucBulot(Cerege-Aix-MarseilleUniversity)DrMikeSimmons(Halliburton)DrStephaneBodin(AarhusUniversity)DrDorrikStow(HeriotWattUniversity)DrJasonJeremiah(Shell)DrShaneTyrell(UCD/GalwayUniversity)

)