Print this pageExploration of the Tano Basin and Discovery of the Jubilee Field, Ghana: A New Deepwater Hydrocarbon Play in the Transform Margin of West Africa
The Tano Basin forms the eastern extension of the Deep Ivorian Basin which resulted from Albian trans-tension associated with opening of the Atlantic between the St. Paul and Romanche fracture zones. The basin was the focus for deposition of a thick Upper Cretaceous, deepwater clastic sequence which, in combination with a modest Tertiary section, provided sufficient thickness to mature an early to mid Cretaceous source rock in the central part of the Tano basin. This well defined reservoir and charge fairway forms the play which, when draped over a large plunging nose (the South Tano high) resulted in the formation of combination trapping geometries that constitute the Jubilee and Odum accumulations, and along which a number of other prospects are located. The West Cape Three Points partnership tested this play concept in June 2007 with the Mahogany 1 well, which discovered over 90m of high quality oil pay in a large structural/ stratigraphic trap. An additional 3 wells have now been drilled into this field, confirming it is a very large accumulation with considerable upside potential. This discovery has opened up a significant new deep water oil province in the transform margin. Accelerated appraisal and development should result in the start up of oil production in mid-late 2010.
AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90090©2009 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, June 7-10, 2009