Lusitanian

Commentary

Harsh exploration conditions and its frontier status has meant that it has been often overlooked in favour of easier to access basins. This has been compounded by a lack of clarity over the willingness of successive governments to attract new participants.

Updated

June 18, 2024

Location

Description

The Lusitanian Basin results from the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean due to Mesozoic extension. Rifting was initiated between Newfoundland and Iberia and occurred primarily in four phases: (i) Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic rifting and faulting, characterised by symmetrical grabens and half-grabens in the central areas of the basin; (ii) Early Jurassic salt movements, characterised by minor salt movements along the major regional faults, south of the Nazare fault; (iii) Late Jurassic onlapping of the Oxfordian succession on salt pillows that formed in association with fault activity; and (iv) Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, salt movement and the development of salt structures.

Summary

The Lusitanian Basin is located on both mainland and continental shelf of the west-central coast of Portugal. It covers a 20,000sq km and extends from south of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, to Porto.