Abstract: Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis of the Douala Basin

Wornardt, Walter W., Jr.; Jory Pach - Micro-Strat Inc.; Marcel Batupe - National Hydrocarbons Corp. Cameroon

The Douala Basin is a divergent basin along the West African Coast which developed by rifting between Africa and South America during break-up of Gondwanaland. This rifting resulted in formation of a break-up unconformity near the beginning of Albian time. Biostratigraphic analysis of the Kribi R-1, Kribi N-1 and Campo R-1 wells indicates that the breakup unconformity developed at approximately 107.5 million years ago. Although the break-up unconformity developed by tectonic processes, erosion along it was increased by sea-level fall. Wells which penetrate this unconformity exhibit thick Sequences of nonmarine sands. Production in the Sanaga Sud Field occurs in these strata.. Seismic interpretation was mostly in Upper Cretaceous though Pliocene strata. Upper Cretaceous strata are relatively thick in the central and northern portion of the Basin and thin near structural highs in the vicinity of the Kribi R-1, Kribi N-1, and Kribi B-1 wells and the Campo R-1 and D-1 wells. Seismic data indicates that strata thicken to the north. The Upper Cretaceous Sequences identified are the 98.0 Ma, 94.0 Ma, 90.0 Ma, 80.0 Ma, 77.5 Ma, 75.0 Ma, 71.0 Ma and 68.0 Ma Boundaries. Deposition occurred in outer neritic water depths over much of the basin including near the Kribi R-1, and the Campo R-1 wells. The onshore Kwa-Kwa and offshore Yassoukou Marine are slope deposition. This indicates that the basin extended for some, distance into onshore Cameroon along an embayment separated from offshore Niger Delta by the Cameroon Volcanic Line.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90933©1998 ABGP/AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil