GEOLOGYOFTHEALBERTINEGRABEN

Thethree(3)DomainsoftheAlbertineGrabendepictsvaryingtrends:TheCentralDomain is characterized by Orthogonal extension while the Northern and Southern Domains underwentObliqueExtensions. Thesubbasinsareboundedbysteepborderfaultsthatarecharacterizedbyaseriesofen echelonlinkedfaultswithalternatingpolarityformingaccommodationzones.
STRUCTURAL SETTING therefore have evolved in a strike slip dominated regime similar to the other basins developed in the Central African Rift System (Figure 6).
RED SEA

he Albertine Graben forms the Northern-most extension of the Western arm of the East African Rift System (EARS). The Graben stretches from the border between Uganda and Sudan in the north to Lake Edward in the south, a total distance of over 500km with a variable width of 45 km (Figure 6). The Graben is a Cenozoic rift basin formed and developed on the Precambrian orogenic belts of the African Craton. Rifting was initiated during the late Oligocene/Early Miocene. The Graben has undergone several tectonic episodes of both extensional and compressional regimes. Evidence of stress regimes oblique and perpendicular to the boundary faults is seen through the geometry and orientation of the fault systems defining the basins in the Graben. The Albertine Graben terminates at a known sinistral strike slip shear zone, the Aswa shear zone. Other shear zones can be interpreted in the south of the Graben, around Kivu and Rukwa areas in the Tanzania part of the East African Rift. The Albertine Graben could

Structurally, the Albertine Graben can be divided into three domains: the northern domain that trends in a NNESSW direction and encompasses the
Lake Turkana

AFRICA
Z CAS

The Albertine Graben

Lake Albert

As wa S

he ar Zo n

UGANDA
Lake Victiria

The Gregory Rift

N BRANCH

KENYA

RWANDA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

BURUNDI

Lake Tanganyika

TANZANIA

EAST ER

WE RN ST E BR AN CH

INDIAN OCEAN

Lake Rukwa

250 km

LEGEND
Volcanics Rift Sediments Normal Faults Cenozoic Strike slip Faults Location of the Albertine Graben East African rift Surviv ed Mesozoic Basin Mesozoic Strike Slip Fault

ZAMBIA

La ke Ma law i

MALAWI

MOZAMBIQUE

CASZ

Central African Shear Zone

ZIMBABWE

Figure 6: The Albertine Graben and the East African Rift System

PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

GEOLOGY OF THE ALBERTINE GRABEN

FT

BUTIABA WAKI

WELL TD 4058' BASEMENT

PLAYS, PRODUCTION AND SHOWS

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OIL AND POSSIBLE GAS

O 0 0 O O

E A R L Y P L E IS T O C E N E

100
500

0 0

0
0 0

O 0
0

QUATERNARY

200

0 O

0 O

O
0 0

K A IS O F O R M A T IO N

0 O

SEEPS ARE KNOWN ON LACUSTRINE SANDS AND CONGLOMERATES THE SURFACE. THE OIL SEEPS MAY BE OF TWO KINDS. -THE SUDANESE HIGH WAX, HIGH POUR POINT. SOURCED FROM LACUSTRINE SHALES. - A MORE PARAFFINIC SEEP? SOURCED FROM MORE MARINE SHALES.

0 0 O

0 O

300

0
O

0 O

O 0 O

O
O

1000

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

400
0 O

0 0
0

1500

O
0

O O

O
0

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

500

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

1720'

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L O W E R M IO C E N E T O P L IO C E N E

K IS E G I F O R M A T IO N
0 0

600

2000

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

FLUVIO LACUSTRINE SANDS AND SHALES WITH SOME BITUMINOUS SHALES

T E R T IA R Y

700
2500

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

800

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

BITUMINOUS SHALE

900
3000

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

1000
O

O
0 O

0 O

0 O

O 0

O OO
O

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

JU R A S S IC

1100

3500

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

F O R M A T IO N

3320'
BITUMINOUS SHALE
FLUVIO LACUSTRINE CLASTICS POSSIBLY EQUIVALENT TO UPPER JURASSIC STANLEYVILLE FORMATION OF THE CUVETTE CONGOLAISE.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

IN THE WELL AT 3850' A SAND WITH ASPHALTIC OIL WAS

FOUND, NO TEST.

1200

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

4000

OO

W AKI

4008' BASEMENT

Figure 7: A Section through the Waki-1B well demonstrating the stratigraphy of the Albertine Graben

Rhino Camp and Pakwach basins, the central domain in a NE-SW direction where the Lake Albert (ButiabaWanseko and Kaiso-Tonya areas) and Semliki basins are located and the southern domain in a NNE-SSW direction where the Lakes EdwardGeorge basin is found (Annex-3). The Graben trends in a NE-SW direction through most of its length, probably following the pre-existing basement fabric.

A number of workers including Wayland (1925), Bishop (1965) and Pickford (1993) have given varying descriptions of the stratigraphy. Studies by PEPD and the oil companies operating in the country are currently underway in an attempt to harmonise these descriptions and produce a unified stratigraphy for the Graben. Generally, the oldest units, the Proterozoic is well exposed on the rift flanks and shoulders of the Albertine Graben. It is composed predominantly of high-grade metamorphosed and igneous rocks of Pre-Cambrian age. Seismic data points to a Pre-Cenozoic rift sedimentary section in some parts of the Graben, mainly restricted to the Lake Albert depocentres. The syn-rift section of the Albertine Graben was first recorded in the WakiPETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT

1B well, which was drilled in 1938. A section of this well is shown in Figure 7. This well penetrated both the Mid and Upper Cenozoic syn-rift sections which are characterized by conglomerates and sandstones. The well went through the Mesozoic prerift section before reaching basement. The Kisegi and Kaiso formations of the Cenozoic are also quite well exposed in the Graben, consisting mainly of intercalation of conglomerates and sandstones deposited in fluvial and shallow lacustrine environments. The Kisegi Formation in some cases overlies the meta-quartzite Basement. Although the Lower Cenozoic may overlie the crystalline basement in many parts of the Graben, there is a possibility that it overlies a Mesozoic section (Karoo) in some parts of the Graben.
7

STRATIGRAPHY he stratigraphy of the Albertine Graben dominantly comprises of fluvial-deltaic and lacustrine deposits. The stratigraphy of the area has been greatly influenced by tectonism coupled with climate and Lake level fluctuations.