West African Coastal

Commentary

The continued opening up of host country E&P sectors continues to strengthen the Outlook for the basin, but it has been somewhat overshadowed by the Niger and West-Central basins more recently.

Updated

June 18, 2024

Location

Description

The West African Coastal Basin (WACB) was dominated by continental sedimentation during the late Paleozoic Hercynian event until rifting began in Late Jurassic time, developing in two phases: (i) the syn-rift phase, which initiated during the Early Cretaceous, resulting in the formation of deep grabens and half-grabens; and (ii) the passive margin–transform phase, which began in the late Albian and continues to the present. The Paleogene to Neogene is dominated by passive-margin sedimentation consisting of channel-fed fans and turbidites. Three major transform fault systems divide the offshore of the province into subbasins along the coast of Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The total thickness of the Mesozoic to Cenozoic section is about 5,000 m on the outermost part of the continental shelf and thickens to as much as 10,000 m in the basin depocenters.

Summary

Globally, the WACB remains underexplored, although it has enjoyed more focus recently. However, discoveries have been world-class, and optimism of an increasingly open regulatory structure means that the outlook remains Positive.