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Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana

Received: 5 May 2014    Accepted: 15 May 2014    Published: 30 May 2014
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Abstract

This research characterized the potential source rock of 3 exploratory wells from the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. Ten (10) samples each of the drilled cuttings from the three key exploratory wells were geochemically characterized for total organic carbon contents (TOC), rock-eval pyrolysis techniques and vitrinite reflectance measurements (Ro). The results revealed that they have fair to good total organic carbon (TOC) contents, suggesting that there might exist conditions in the Saltpond Basin that favour organic matter production and preservation. The rock-eval results showed that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells contain predominantly types II and III kerogen with a capacity to generate gas-oil and gas respectively. They have good generation potential. Results of the vitrinite reflectance measurement also reveal that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells have poor to low source-rock grade. The Saltpond Basin can be regarded as having fair petroleum source rocks and could be part of a petroleum system if sufficient burial and maturation have occurred.

Published in International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering (Volume 2, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12
Page(s) 19-27
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Central (Saltpond) Basin, Core Samples, Total Organic Carbon Content, Rock-Eval, Vitrinite Reflectance

References
[1] IHS (2010) IHS Energy Group, 2003 [includes data current as of Decem¬ber 2003], International petroleum exploration and produc¬tion database: IHS Energy Group; database available from IHS Energy Group, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, CO 80112 U.S.A.
[2] Asiedu, D.K., E. Hegner, A. Rocholl, and D. Atta-Peters, (2005) Provenance of late Ordovician to early Creta-ceous sedimentary rocks from Southern Ghana as inferred from Nd isotopes and trace elements: J. African Earth Sci., v. 41, p. 318-319.
[3] Clifford, A.C. (1986) African oil—Past, present, and future, in Halbouty, M.T., ed., Future petroleum provinces of the world, Proceedings of the Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Con¬ference, Phoenix, December 1984: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 40,
[4] Kjemperud, A., Agbesinyale, W., Agdestein, T., Gustafsson, C., and Yükler, A. (1992) Tectono-stratigraphic history of the Keta Basin, Ghana with emphasis on late erosional epi¬sodes, in R. Cumelle, (ed.), Geologie Africaine -1st Coloque de stratigraphie et de paleogeographie des basins sedimentaires ou est-Africans, 2nd Colloque Africain de Micropaleontologie, Libreville, Gabon, May 6 – 8, 1991: Elf Aquitaine Memoir 13, p. 55-69.
[5] Seewald, J. S. (2003) Organic-inorganic interaction in petroleum-producing sedimentary basins. Nature 426, 327–333.
[6] Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (2007) Hydrocarbon potential report of the Central (Saltpond) Sedimentary Basin, vol. 2, Saltpond Project Unit, Te-ma-Greater-Accra. Web accessed November 11, 2013. http://www.gnpcghana.com
[7] Acres International Limited, unpublished report
[8] Taylor, G. H., Teichmüller, M., Davis, A. (1998) Organic petrology: Berlin, Borntraeger, 704 pp.
[9] Ghoria, K. A. R. (1998) Petroleum Source-Rock Potential and Thermal Maturity of the Officer Basin [J]. Geological Survey of Western Australia. 1, pp. 52-53.
[10] Walters, C. C. (2006) The Origin of Petroleum, in Practical Advances in Petroleum Processing, Volume 1, Springer Science and Business Media Inc, New York, pp. 79-97
[11] Hunt, J. M. (1996) Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology, W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 743pp.
[12] Tissot, B.P. and Welte D. H. (1984) Petroleum Formation and Occurrence [M]. Springer Verlag, New York, ISBN 9783642878152, 702pp.
[13] Barker, C. (1996) Thermal Modelling of Petroleum Generation: Theory and Applications [M] Elsevier, New York, 1996, 512pp.
[14] Peters, K. E. (1986) Guidelines for evaluating petroleum source rock using programmed analysis [J] The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. 70, pp. 318-329.
[15] Dow, W. G. (1977) Kerogen studies and geological interpretations: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 7, p. 77– 99, doi:10.1016/0375-6742(77)90077-2.
[16] Waples, D. W., H. Kamata, and M. Suizu. (1992) The art of maturity modeling: Part 1. Finding a satisfactory geological model: AAPG Bulletin, v. 76, p. 31–46.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    S. Bansah, E. K. Nyantakyi, L. A. Awuni, J. K. Borkloe, Gong Qin. (2014). Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering, 2(2), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12

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    ACS Style

    S. Bansah; E. K. Nyantakyi; L. A. Awuni; J. K. Borkloe; Gong Qin. Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. Int. J. Oil Gas Coal Eng. 2014, 2(2), 19-27. doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12

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    AMA Style

    S. Bansah, E. K. Nyantakyi, L. A. Awuni, J. K. Borkloe, Gong Qin. Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. Int J Oil Gas Coal Eng. 2014;2(2):19-27. doi: 10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12,
      author = {S. Bansah and E. K. Nyantakyi and L. A. Awuni and J. K. Borkloe and Gong Qin},
      title = {Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana},
      journal = {International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering},
      volume = {2},
      number = {2},
      pages = {19-27},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ogce.20140202.12},
      abstract = {This research characterized the potential source rock of 3 exploratory wells from the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. Ten (10) samples each of the drilled cuttings from the three key exploratory wells were geochemically characterized for total organic carbon contents (TOC), rock-eval pyrolysis techniques and vitrinite reflectance measurements (Ro). The results revealed that they have fair to good total organic carbon (TOC) contents, suggesting that there might exist conditions in the Saltpond Basin that favour organic matter production and preservation. The rock-eval results showed that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells contain predominantly types II and III kerogen with a capacity to generate gas-oil and gas respectively. They have good generation potential. Results of the vitrinite reflectance measurement also reveal that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells have poor to low source-rock grade. The Saltpond Basin can be regarded as having fair petroleum source rocks and could be part of a petroleum system if sufficient burial and maturation have occurred.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Geochemical Characterization of Potential Source Rock of the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana
    AU  - S. Bansah
    AU  - E. K. Nyantakyi
    AU  - L. A. Awuni
    AU  - J. K. Borkloe
    AU  - Gong Qin
    Y1  - 2014/05/30
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12
    T2  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    JF  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    JO  - International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Engineering
    SP  - 19
    EP  - 27
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2376-7677
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ogce.20140202.12
    AB  - This research characterized the potential source rock of 3 exploratory wells from the Central (Saltpond) Basin, Ghana. Ten (10) samples each of the drilled cuttings from the three key exploratory wells were geochemically characterized for total organic carbon contents (TOC), rock-eval pyrolysis techniques and vitrinite reflectance measurements (Ro). The results revealed that they have fair to good total organic carbon (TOC) contents, suggesting that there might exist conditions in the Saltpond Basin that favour organic matter production and preservation. The rock-eval results showed that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells contain predominantly types II and III kerogen with a capacity to generate gas-oil and gas respectively. They have good generation potential. Results of the vitrinite reflectance measurement also reveal that all the samples from the 3 exploratory wells have poor to low source-rock grade. The Saltpond Basin can be regarded as having fair petroleum source rocks and could be part of a petroleum system if sufficient burial and maturation have occurred.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 240 Wallace Building, Winnipeg, Canada, MB R3T 2N2

  • School of Earth Sciences, Yangtze University, Caidian Wuhan, 430100, Hubei, China

  • Geological Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi-Ghana, 03220

  • School of Earth Sciences, Yangtze University, Caidian Wuhan, 430100, Hubei, China

  • School of Earth Sciences, Yangtze University, Caidian Wuhan, 430100, Hubei, China

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