Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon Prospectivity

Africa Session, Forum 21 poster

Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon

Prospectivity
Mohamed Messaoudi, Sonatrach

Abstract:
Northern Algeria is a foreland fold and thrust belt zone of Alpine deformation.
It is located in north Africa within a geologically complex area between a stable
autochthonous (Saharan platform in the south) and a neo-formed oceanic domain (west
Mediterranean basin in the north).
It is an under explored petroleum province, a significant oil and gas shows have been
encountered, and oil seeps are well known in most parts of the area. Oil has been collected
from surface seeps since 1875 in Cheliff basin. The first commercial oil discovery in Algeria
was registered in Oued Gueterini field in the Tellian nappe in 1948. This field is producing
until present time from allochtonous formations (Eocene reservoirs).
Mitigated exploration success ratio registered so far is mainly due to seismic control of
mapped prospects as well as depth of targeted reservoirs.
This area exhibits similar geodynamic and structural framework as the Apennines (Italy), the
Zagros (Iran), Alberta (Canada) and south America where important hydrocarbon reserves
have been discovered.
Main plays are related to Miocene, Cretaceous and Jurassic deposits (sandstone and
limestone reservoirs).
The petroleum system is proved in the shallow plays (Miocene & Cretaceous) and the new
concepts consider that the Jurassic could be an important deeper target.
The main potential areas are: the western Mediterranean basin in the north, Tellian Atlas in
the central part and the Constantine basin in the east part of saharan atlas.

INTRODUCTION
The northern Algeria is a zone of Alpine deformation, and it is situated in a geologically
complex area, encompassing offshore Mediterranean basin, Tellian atlas and Saharan atlas.
Northern Algeria is an under explored petroleum province. Significant oil and gas shows have
been encountered and a number of small discoveries were made over 50 years ago (Oued
Gueterini, Djebel Foua and Djebel Onk). Most recently oil was discovered in the south east
part (Constantine basin).
Crude oil has been extracted for centuries from dug tunnels and collected from surface seeps.
The first commercial oil discovery in Algeria has been made in the Hodna basin (Oued
Gueterini Field).

The success rate for exploration is relatively poor due to some wells were drilled on surface
structure without understanding the shifting nature in the subsurface, and without seismic
control, whereas others, were not drilled deep to reach the deepest target.
Four main basins are developed, offshore western Mediterranean basin, Cheliff & Hodna
basins in the Tellian atlas and Constantine basins in the east part of Saharan atlas.
Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon Prospectivity
Africa Session, Forum 21 poster

ALGERIAN OFFSHORE
Represents the main part of the south side of the western Mediterranean basin. It is a
Neocene basin, constituted by Algero-provençal basin on the east (included sub-baleares
basin) and Alboran basin on the west.

The Algerian Offshore is still a frontier zone related to deep water play where the shelf is
much narrower and plunges steeply into the abyssal plain. The coast lies over, 1200 km from
east to west and is characterised by several bays where the shelf is relatively larger (35km).

The offshore area is great extended (110 000sq, km) with only three wells drilled in the
western part between 1974 and 1977 (HBB-1 well and two core drills: ALG-1, ARZ-1). HBB-1
has reached 4496 m under 923 m water depth.
New seismic as a Multiclient study (9500km) has been acquired on 2000 & 2002 by
WesternGeco.
The sedimentary section (5000-6000m) is constituted by clastic, carbonate and evaporates
deposits of mio-pliocene age. It can be subdivided into three sequences:
-Pliocene and quaternary unit (shales, marls sands and probably turbidite deposits).
-Late and middle Miocene unit (evaporates, shales, sandstones and carbonates).
-Lower Miocene (sandstones, shales and marls).

The western part of algerian offshore is situated adjacent to the petroliferous onshore cheliff
basin where two small oil fields have been discovered from shallow Miocene reservoir sands.

The extrapolation with the stratigraphic and structural interpretation has facilitated the
definition of its petroleum potential and it should be noted that similar facies of Miocene age
are prolific reservoirs in the offshore basin.
The same analogy existed in the adjacent offshore area as the south part of Sicily in Italia and
the golf of valence in Spain where oil production has been noted from the Miocene and the
cretaceous reservoirs.

The Algerian Offshore potential is related to the Miocene play which is defined by the
occurrence of sand stone and carbonate reservoirs sealed by the interbeded shales and
marls intervals of serravalian, tortonian, messinian. The cretaceous could be potential play
unknown.

Source rocks and maturation

The HBB-1 well which is the only deep well drilled in the Algerian offshore, has encountered
three levels known to be good source rocks with a TOC more than 1%, for the other intervals,
the total organic content varies between 0.5% and 0.7%. The kerogen is estimated to be of
type ll based on the hydrogen and oxygen index.
The geochemical modelling study indicated oil generation to have started at the end of
messinian (approximately 5.2 ma) and the transformation ratio of organic material at the
present time is 92% corresponding to the end of oil window.
Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon Prospectivity
Africa Session, Forum 21 poster

Reservoirs
The Miocene series constitutes the main reservoirs in the offshore area. It has proved in the
HBB-1 well porosity values of 10 to 15% and sometimes 20% at measured depth from
2000m.
In this well two mains sand intervals with 34m thickness each have been encountered. The
palegeography study shows that HBB-1 well is situated on bad position for sands developing.
The upper cretaceous sediments were probably deposited and could be a potential reservoir
as in the Italian offshore.

Trapping styles
The main plays concept of exploration in the offshore area is associated to the anticlines,
faulted blocks, Horsts, stratigraphic, slope fan and reef. These types of traps are illustrated on
the new seismic acquired on 200 and 2002.

CHELIFF BASIN
The Cheliff basin is situatedin the West part of North Algeria. It is an intra-mountainous
Neocene basin type, enclosed by the Dahara mountains to the north; Ouarsenis, Beni
Chougrane and Tessala mountains to the south.
The sedimentary section is represented by paleozoïc to quaternary formation. The paleozoïc
and mesozoïc are not penetrated by the wells but they are on outcrop in some few area of the
basin.
The Cheliff basin constitutes a potential area regarding the significant oil seeps as well as the
two small oil discoveries made o, 1892 in shallow depth (Ain Zeft and Tliouanet Fields).
The main play is related to the Miocene sands reservoirs which hydrocarbons have proved.
The new concepts consider that the cretaceous could be an important target for oil.

Source rock and maturation

The hydrocarbons and oil seeps proved in the Cheliff basin could be supported by shales and
marls within the Miocene and upper cretaceous.
The geochemical analysis of the Miocene sediments shows a good enrichment in organic
matter with TOC values ranging from 0.5 to 3.25%, while the upper cretaceous which is under
explored, the TOC is up to 1% in only one well where the cretaceous is reached. The quality
of source rock could be better in the central part of the basin.
Some oil / source rock correlation show that the oil are generated from messinian marls
(neogene) for the Aïn Zeff field and from the cretaceous marls (Cenomanian) for the Tliounet
field.
Geochemical modelling shows that the source rock has generated oil from the senonian at
1300m measured depth. In some area of the basin, the sources rock enters the oil window
until Miocene.

Reservoirs
The Miocene sands are a primary reservoir target in the Cheliff basin. It is encountered in the
area with excellent petrophysical characteristics, 9 to 20% porosity and up to
50mdpermeability.
The upper cretaceous reservoirs are related to the carbonates and sandstones. These deeper
reservoirs are not explored; to compare with the other basins (Hodna and Constantine), it
could be a high potential. The porosity of 15% has been measured in the Hodna basin. For
Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon Prospectivity
Africa Session, Forum 21 poster

the carbonate reservoirs, the permeability can be significantly enhanced by natural fractures
related to the tectonic and fracturing.

Trapping styles
The basin displays a variety of trapping styles: conventional trap anticlines, combined
(structural-stratigraphic), stratigraphic and diapiric (flank or cap rock). A number of leads and
prospects are mapped by the old seismic, but a detailed structural work based on adequate
new seismic id needed to define and explore traps.

HODNA BASIN & TELLIAN NAPPE

The Hodna is a fore deep basin situated in the central part of tellian atlas and it is enclosed by
the tellian nappe zone to the north and saharan atlas to the south.
The main plays are related to the Miocene, Eocene and Cretaceous. At the present time, the
oil production is proved in Oued Gueterini field from the Miocene sands and Erocene
carbonates and sands.

Source rocks
Three potential source rocks could be in the Hodna basin. The Miocene and Eocene are the
most prolific reservoirs facies, oil production from this reservoir is noted in the Oued Gueterini
field.
The Miocene reservoir is represented by marine sandstone facies with porosity range from 10
to 15% and 300 to 400 md permeability. The Eocene reservoirs are constituted by
sandstones and carbonates. The quality reservoir for the carbonates is related to the
presence of fractures.
The cretaceous sandstone and carbonate could be a new potential target, the sands occur in
deltaic and shallow marine facies and the carbonate play is likely to require fracturing. The
sandstones are the best quality in terms of porosity and permeability.

Trapping styles
The basin displays a variety of trapping styles: Anticlines, starticgraphic and up dip pinch out.
The Oued Gueterini oil field is producing from and Eocene duplex. The Eocene duplex play is
related to structural complexity and requires a seismic adequate and details structural work.
The effective communication with the cretaceous sources rocks is possible from vertical
migration.

CONCLUSION
The Algerian northern foldbelt and offshore is a promising area for hydrocarbon exploration.

The significant oil and gas shows, and oil seeps encountered over the most part of onshore,
as well as the presence of a number small discoveries confirm and enhance the prospectivity
of the area.

An important hydrocarbone reserves over the world have been discovered in the analogous
north Algerian basins as in Columbia (Crusiana field), Italia (Apennines petroleum province),
Canada (Alberta province)…
Northern Algeria, A General Overview of Hydrocarbon Prospectivity
Africa Session, Forum 21 poster

A detailed structural work based on adequate new seismic acquisition, and a petroleum
modelling studies are needed to provide a new guideline for leading the exploration in north
Algeria, both onshore and offshore.