Petroleum geological aspects of the Niger Delta

Abstract

The Niger Delta is a large, arcuate delta of the destructive, wave-dominated type. A sequence of under-compacted marine clays, overlain by paralic deposits, in turn covered by continental sands, is present throughout, built-up by the imbricated super-position of numerous offlap cycles. Basement faulting affected delta development and thus sediment thickness distribution. In the paralic interval, growth fault associated rollover structures trapped hydrocarbons. Faults in general play an important role in the hydrocarbon distribution. Growth faults may even function as hydrocarbon migration paths from the overpressured marine clays. Depositional environments of reservoir sands strongly influence well productivity as well as recovery efficiency.