Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas

Resources of the Mozambique Coastal

Province, East Africa

By Michael E. Brownfield

ME
ATLANTIC DIT
ERR
ANEA
OCEAN N SEA

INDIAN OCEAN

Mozambique
Coastal
SOUTH
ATLANTIC
OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

Click here to return to

Volume Title Page

Chapter 10 of
Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Hydrocarbon Resources
of Sub-Saharan Africa
Compiled by Michael E. Brownfield

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_cover.ai

Digital Data Series 69–GG

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior
SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living
resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS.
For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications,
visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the
U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials
as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.

Suggested citation:
Brownfield, M.E., 2016, Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East
Africa, in Brownfield, M.E., compiler, Geologic assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources of Sub-Saharan
Africa: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 69–GG, chap.10, 13 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds69GG.

ISSN 2327-638X (online)

 iii

Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................................1
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1
Tectonic History and Geology of Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa.....................................4
Petroleum Occurrence in Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa.................................................4
Source Rocks.........................................................................................................................................4
Reservoirs, Traps, and Seals................................................................................................................7
Exploration.......................................................................................................................................................9
Geologic Model.............................................................................................................................................11
Resource Summary......................................................................................................................................11
For Additional Information...........................................................................................................................12
Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................................12
References.....................................................................................................................................................12

Figures
1. Map showing Mozambique Coastal Province, Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs
Assessment Unit, Mozambique Channel area, and the Ruvuma Delta along the
central coast of East Africa.........................................................................................................2
2. Map showing generalized geology of East Africa...................................................................3
3. Map showing reconstruction of the early breakup of Gondwana during the
Early Jurassic.................................................................................................................................5
4. Generalized stratigraphic columns of Coastal Mozambique, Mozambique
Channel, and Coastal Tanzania, Coastal Morondava Basin, and the Seychelles...............6
5. Schematic cross section of the Rovuma River delta, northern Mozambique.....................7
6. Stratigraphic column for the onshore and projected offshore parts of the
Rovuma Basin, northern Mozambique.......................................................................................8
7. Cross section across the Mozambique Channel and the Morondava Basin
showing the top of the oil and gas windows.............................................................................9
8. Schematic cross section of the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique.............................................10
9. Events chart for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Petroleum System (734301) and the
Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment Unit (73430101)..............................................11

Table
1. Mozambique Coastal Province assessment results for undiscovered,
technically recoverable oil, gas, and natural gas liquids.....................................................12
iv

Abbreviations Used in This Report

km2 square kilometer
AU assessment unit
TOC total organic carbon
TPS total petroleum system
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa
By Michael E. Brownfield
Abstract
The main objective of the U.S. Geological Survey’s
National and Global Petroleum Assessment Project is to assess
the potential for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and
natural gas resources of the United States and the world. As
part of this project, the U.S. Geological Survey completed an
assessment of the Mozambique Province in 2011, an area of
approximately 648,650 square kilometers. The Mozambique
Province contains rift, rift-sag, passive-margin, and drift rocks
of Paleozoic to Holocene age. This assessment was based
on data from oil and gas exploration wells and published
geologic reports.
The Mozambique Province is a priority province for
the World Petroleum Assessment and was assessed in 2011
because of increased exploratory activity and increased
interest in its future oil and gas resource potential. The
assessment was geology based and used the total petroleum
system concept. The geologic elements of a total petroleum
system consist of hydrocarbon source rocks (source-rock
maturation and hydrocarbon generation and migration),
reservoir rocks (quality and distribution), and traps for
hydrocarbon accumulation. Using these geologic criteria,
the U.S. Geological Survey defined the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
Composite Total Petroleum System with one assessment unit,
the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment Unit, an area
of approximately 464,420 square kilometers. At the time of
the assessment, the Mozambique Coastal Province contained
only two gas accumulations exceeding the minimum size of
30 billion cubic feet of gas; the province is considered to be
underexplored on the basis of its exploration history.
Oil and gas were generated from Permian to Paleogene
source rocks. Jurassic Karoo-age lacustrine and continental
rocks source rocks average 4.0 to 5.0 weight percent total
organic carbon. Lower to Middle Jurassic restricted marine
rocks contain as much as 9 weight percent organic carbon, and
Cretaceous Type II source rocks contain as much as 12 weight
percent organic carbon. Hydrocarbon generation of syn-rift
Karoo-age sources began in the Middle Jurassic, whereas the
generation from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous syn-rift
sources began in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous.
Generation of hydrocarbons from drift and post-rift sources
began in the Late Cretaceous and, in parts of the offshore,
continues today. Hydrocarbons migrated into Cretaceous and
Paleogene reservoirs and traps. Traps are mostly structural
within the syn-rift section and are both structural and
stratigraphic in the post-rift rock units. The primary seals are
Mesozoic and Cenozoic mudstone and shale. Rifted passive
margin analog was used for assessment sizes and numbers
because of similar source, reservoirs, and traps.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes
of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil
and gas resources for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs
Assessment Unit in the Mozambique Coastal Province. The
mean volumes are estimated at 11,682 million barrels of oil,
182,349 billion cubic feet of gas, and 5,645 million barrels of
natural gas liquids. The estimated mean size of the largest oil
field that is expected to be discovered is 1,041 million barrels
of oil and the estimated mean size of the expected largest gas
field is 7,976 billion cubic feet of gas. For this assessment,
a minimum undiscovered field size of 5 million barrels of
oil equivalent was used. No attempt was made to estimate
economically recoverable reserves.
Introduction
The main objective of the U.S. Geological Survey’s
(USGS) National and Global Petroleum Assessment Project is
to assess the potential for undiscovered, technically recover-
able oil and natural gas resources of the United States and the
world (U.S. Geological Survey World Conventional Resources
Assessment Team, 2012). As part of this program, the USGS
completed an assessment of the Mozambique Coastal Province
in 2011 (fig. 1), an area of approximately 648,650 square
kilometers (km2). The Mozambique Province contains rift,
rift-sag, passive-margin, and drift rocks of Paleozoic to
Holocene age. This assessment was based on data from oil and
gas exploration wells, discovered and producing fields (IHS
Energy, 2009), and published geologic reports. Generalized
geology of east Africa is shown in figure 2.
 2   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa

30°E 34°E 38°E 42°E 46°E 50°E 54°E 58°E 62°E 66°E 70°E

KENYA
2°S RWANDA

BURUNDI SEYCHELLES

6°S TANZANIA

Rovuma
Delta
10°S
ZAMBIA
COMOROS
MOZAMBIQUE Mayotte
14°S MALAWI INDIAN OCEAN

18°S MADAGASCAR
ZIMBABWE
MAURITIUS

Réunion
22°S

SWAZILAND
26°S
SOUTH
AFRICA
Mozambique Coastal
30°S 7343
LESOTHO

34°S

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 2002 0 150 300 KILOMETERS
World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84)
Prime Meridian, Greenwich, 0° 0 150 300 MILES

EXPLANATION AFRICA
Mozambique Coastal Province boundary
Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment
Unit boundary
Gas field

Mozambique
INDEX MAP Coastal
7343

Figure 1.  Locations of the Mozambique Coastal Province, Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment Unit, Mozambique Channel
area, and the Ruvuma Delta along the central coast of East Africa. (Stratigraphic columns for the Mozambique Channel and Rovuma
Delta are shown in figures 4 and 6.)

CMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure01.ai
 Introduction  3

Ogaden
Basin

As
wa
MOGADISHU

Sh
e
ar
Zo
Continent-oceanic

ne
boundary
(COB)
Congo
Basin
Mombasa Somali Oceanic
Basin
Cu TANZANIA
pa
Fa
ult
Dar es Salaam Mandawa
Zo Basin
ne
Rovuma
Delta

Majunga INDIAN OCEAN

Basin
MOZAMBIQUE

l
ne

o
an

ld ror

R
Fie simi
Ch

SCA
T
ue

Davie Fra

Beira
biq

GA
1,000
am

DA
oz

MA
M

cture Zon

Mozambique
Basin

Kalahari
e

Basin MAPUTO Continent-oceanic

boundary
Morondava
(COB)
Basin
Karroo
Basin
0 200 400 600 KILOMETERS

0 200 400 600 MILES

EXPLANATION

Tertiary—Volcanic province Continental crust—Palo fill

Post Early Jurassic—Passive Contact

margin basin Fault or fault zone—Dashed where
approximate. Arrows show relative
Permian-Triassic–Early motion
Jurassic—Karoo-age rock Graben—Teeth on downthrown side
Phanerozoic—Intracratonic Bathymetric contour, 1,000 meter
basin line—Location approximate
Undifferentiated—Precambrian
basement
Figure 2.  Generalized geology of East Africa. Modified from Ophir Energy Company (2011).
4   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa
The Mozambique Province, which was a priority
province for the World Petroleum Assessment, was assessed
in 2011 because of increased energy exploration activity
and increased interest in its future oil and gas resource
potential. The assessment was geology based and used the
total petroleum system concept. The geologic elements of
a total petroleum system include hydrocarbon source rocks
(source-rock maturation and hydrocarbon generation and
migration), reservoir rocks (quality and distribution), and
traps for hydrocarbon accumulation. Using these geologic
criteria, the USGS defined the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite
Total Petroleum System (TPS) with one assessment unit,
the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment Unit
(AU) (fig. 1), an area of approximately 464,420 km2. The
total petroleum system was defined to include Mesozoic
to Paleogene lacustrine and marine source rocks and
conventional reservoirs.
Tectonic History and Geology
of Mozambique Coastal Province,
East Africa
The Mozambique Coastal Province is directly related to
the breakup of Gondwana (fig. 3) in the late Paleozoic and
Mesozoic (Coster and others, 1989; Reeves and others, 2002;
Rusk, Bertagne & Associates, 2003). The province developed
in four phases: (1) a pre-rift stage that started during the
Carboniferous during which a mantle plume caused uplift,
extension, microplate formation, rifting, and volcanism;
(2) a syn-rift phase that started during the Permo-Triassic
and continued into the Jurassic, which formed grabens and
half-grabens and the deposition of possible lacustrine and
continental source rocks; (3) a syn-rift–drift phase that began
in the Middle Jurassic and continued into the Paleogene,
depositing sediments of marine clastic rocks and carbonate
and, during periods of restricted-marine conditions, depositing
sediments of marine source rocks; and (4) a passive-margin
phase that began in the late Paleogene and continues to the
present (Envoi—Energy Venture Opportunities International,
2011). The stratigraphic section present in Mozambique
Coastal Province is generally the same as the section present
in the coastal Morandava Basin, coastal Tanzania, and the
Seychelles (figs. 2, 4) (Rusk, Bertagne & Associates, 2003).
The opening of the Indian Ocean began in the
Permian and continued into the Jurassic during the syn-rift
stage (Reeves and others, 2002). In the Middle Jurassic,
Madagascar, India, and north Mozambique separated
from Africa (fig. 3) and formed a passive margin and a
carbonate platform that was later covered by Upper Jurassic
to Cretaceous marine deposits (figs. 4, 5). During the
mid-Cretaceous the passive margin basin again became the
site for deposition of open-marine sediments.
A stratigraphic column for the offshore and onshore
parts of the Rovuma Basin and Delta along the northern
part of Mozambique is shown in figure 6. Since 2006 and
the 2011 assessment, several new hydrocarbon discoveries
have been found in the offshore part of the delta (Law, 2001;
IHS Energy, 2009; IHS Energy, 2012). Three generalized
seismic cross sections drawn from onshore to offshore are
shown in figures 5, 7, 8. These seismic profiles have imaged
potential source rock units and prospects in the offshore
parts of northern Mozambique (Law, 2001; Ophir Energy
Company, 2011).
Petroleum Occurrence in Mozambique
Coastal Province, East Africa
Source Rocks
The Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum
System was defined to include Mesozoic to Paleocene
source rocks and conventional reservoirs (fig. 4). The
Permian to Triassic section contains fluvial and lacustrine
source rocks averaging 5 to 6 weight percent total organic
carbon (TOC); some samples have as much as 17.4 weight
percent TOC (Envoi—Energy Venture Opportunities
International, 2011). The Lower to Middle Jurassic contains
restricted marine Type II kerogen source rocks, marginal
marine and deltaic Types II and III kerogen source rocks,
and Type I lacustrine source rock (Cope, 2000; Rusk,
Bertagne & Associates, 2003). The offshore part of Ruvuma
Delta contains Early to Middle Jurassic restricted marine
Type II source rocks with TOC contents as much as 12 weight
percent (Cope, 2000). Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous
marlstone contains Type II and Type III kerogen with as
much as 5 weight percent TOC (Envoi—Energy Venture
Opportunities International, 2011). Ophir Energy Company
(2007) reports that Aptian shale with TOC contents as much
as 9 weight percent. Upper Cretaceous marine sources
contain Type II and Type III kerogen with TOC contents
as much as 7.4 weight percent and Eocene sources contain
Type II and Type III kerogen with TOC contents as much as
12.1 weight percent (Cope, 2000). These source rocks have
been found in the Ruvuma Delta in northern Mozambique and
southern Tanzania.
 Petroleum Occurrence in Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa   5

HORN OF AFRICA

KENYA

An
t
Rif

za
y

Rif
Saurastra m ba

t
Ca

R INDIA
A
A SC
TANZANIA G SEYCHELLES
A DA
M

Na
rm
ad
a-
So
ift

n
me R

INDIA
Miku

Selous
Basin
UE
ZA RTH
IQ
MB

SRI LANKA
MO NO

EAST ANTARCTICA

0 100 200 KILOMETERS

0 100 200 MILES

EXPLANATION

Precambrian crustal fragment

Rift-related rock
Line of latitude or longitude—
Oriented as on modern map

Figure 3.  Reconstruction of the early breakup of Gondwana during the Early Jurassic (200 Ma). Modified
from Reeves and others (2002).
 6   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa

Age Coastal Mozambique Channel Coastal Tectonic Tectonic

Seychelles
Mozambique and Coastal Tanzania Morandava Basin events events
W Lithology E Envir. Lithology W Lithology E Envir. East Africa W Lithology E Envir. Seychelles
Fluvial Deltaic to
Neogene

Deltaic cont.

taic
Del rine Shallow
a marine
TERTIARY

M R

Marginal sag and passive margin

Drift
Shallow marine and open marine

Seychelles-India
Paleogene

breakup
R
Restricted marine, open marine,

Rift
Marine
and marginal marine

Marginal sag and drift

Upper

R
CRETACEOUS

Shallow marine
to continental
R
Lower

Restricted marine, shallow

marine, and open marine
Zones of reservoir potential

breakup from Africa

Rift and marginal sag

breakup from Africa

Seychelles-India
Rift, marginal sag
Seychelles-India

Madagascar-
Madagascar-

and drift
Marine
Upper

? R
JURASSIC

Continental with minor marginal marine

Shallow marine

marginal sag
continental
lagoonal to

Rifting and
Lower

? R

Continental with minor marginal marine

Recurrent rifting and uplift

L M Upper
TRIASSIC

Recurrent rifting
Continental with minor

and uplift
marginal marine

? R
?
?
IFEROUS PERMIAN

?
U

? ?
R
Middle- L
PRECAM- CARBON-

Upper

?
BRIAN

Basement

EXPLANATION
Sandstone Limestone Reservoir rock, East Africa R Potential reservoir
Oil field
Sandstone and conglomerate Salt Contact—Dashed where location
approximate Gas field
Shale Igneous rock—Extrusive
Unconformity
Sandy shale Igneous rock—Oceanic crust Extent uncertain
Source rock
Calcareous shaley marlstone Basement

Figure 4.  Generalized stratigraphic columns of Coastal Mozambique, Mozambique Channel and Coastal Tanzania, Coastal
Morondava Basin, and the Seychelles along the east coast of Africa (fig. 1). W, west; E, east; Envir., environment; cont., continental;
L, Lower; M, Middle; U, Upper. Modified from Rusk, Bertagne & Associates (2003) and PetroSeychelles (2013).

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure04.ai
 Petroleum Occurrence in Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa   7

Rovuma onshore Rovuma offshore

WEST EAST

Mecupa Caravel Ironclad Windjammer

Tertiary

INDIAN OCEAN

Cretaceous

Jurassic

NOT TO SCALE

EXPLANATION
Sandstone reservoir rock—Turbidite sandstone unit,
deep water fan, and growth-fault-related sand
Carbonate

Basement
Contact
Fault—Growth fault, normal fault, and thrust fault
Fault
Caravel
Drill hole and identifier—Approximate depth to
target depth

Figure 5.  Schematic cross section of the Rovuma River delta, northern Mozambique. Modified from Law (2011). Not to scale.

Oil and gas generation most likely began in the Early
Cretaceous for the Upper Jurassic syn-rift sources in the
province (Coster and others, 1989). Oil and gas generation
began in the Late Cretaceous for the Barremian to Aptian
post-rift sources and in the offshore parts of the province the
Late Cretaceous post-rift sources began oil and gas generation
began in the early Paleogene and is most likely continu-
ing today (Coster and others, 1989; Envoi—Energy Venture
Opportunities International, 2011). Oil- and gas-generation
windows are shown in figure 7 for the Mozambique
Channel and the Morondava Basin (Envoi—Energy Venture
Opportunities International, 2011).
Reservoirs, Traps, and Seals
The Mozambique Coastal Province and the
\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure05.ai
Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment Unit (fig. 1) contain
Mesozoic and Cenozoic clastic reservoirs (Coster and others,
1989; Nairn and others, 1991; Cope, 2000; Rusk, Bertagne
& Associates, 2003; Law, 2011). Triassic to Middle Jurassic
syn-rift rocks contain possible alluvial fans, fan deltas, fluvial
deltas, and lacustrine sandstones reservoirs. The Late Jurassic
post-rift rocks contain reef and platform carbonate rocks that
are potential reservoirs. The post-rift Cretaceous rocks contain
regressive and transgressive marine sandstone, slope-turbidite
sandstone and basin-floor fan sandstone reservoirs (Coster and
others, 1989). Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic passive-margin
rocks contain possible carbonate reservoirs and Maastrichtian
and Paleocene turbidite and basin-floor fan reservoirs (Cope,
2000). Volcanic rocks found within the Karoo age rocks and
Cretaceous section may have degraded some of the reservoirs.
The Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment
Unit (fig. 1) contains sandstone reservoirs that mostly are
associated with growth-fault-related structures such as rotated
fault blocks within the continental shelf, deep water fans,
Mesozoic- turbidite sandstone units, and slope truncations along the
present-day shelf and paleoshelf edge (Cope, 2000; Rusk,
Bertagne & Associates, 2003; Law, 2011). For example, the
Rovuma River delta (fig. 5) contains turbidite sandstone units,
 8   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa

Period Epoch Stage West Onshore Offshore East

Quaternary Pleistocene Calabrian
Piacenzian
Pliocene Zanclian ?
Messinian Chinda
Neogene

Tortonian Formation
Mikindani Formation Rovuma Delta Complex
Miocene Serravallian
Langhian
Burdigalian
Aquitanian
C enoz oi c

Chattian
Oligocene
Rupelian
Priabonian
P al eogene

Bartonian
Quissanga Formation
Eocene Lutetian

Ypresian
Thanetian Alto Jingone Formation
Paleocene Selandian
Danian
Maastrichtian

Campanian
Late
Mifume Formation
Santonian
Coniacian
Turonian
Cretaceous

Cenomanian

Albian
Macomia Formation
Aptian
M e so zo i c

Early Barremian

Hauterivian Pemba Formation

Valanginian
Berriasian
Tithonian
Late Kimmeridgian
Oxfordian
J u r a ssi c

Callovian
Bathonian
Middle
Bajocian
Aalenian

EXPLANATION

Sandstone Continental Marine shale, siltstone, Contact

clastic rock and sandstone
Unconformity
Conglomerate Marl Present coastline
Paralic clastic rock Calcareous sandstone
Marine sandstone Shelf carbonate

Figure 6.  Stratigraphic column for the onshore and projected offshore parts of the Rovuma Basin, northern Mozambique. Middle
and Lower Jurassic units shown in figure 4, such as the Lower Jurassic salt, are not shown. Modified from Key and others (2008).

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure06.ai
 Exploration  9

Île Juan de Nova

Exclusive Economic Zone
FRENCH SOUTHERN AND
MOZAMBIQUE ANTARCTIC LANDS MADAGASCAR
Ironclad
Mnazi Discovery
Bay Field (Offset to
(Offset to North) Windjammer Tsimiroro
WEST-NORTHWEST South) Discovery Heavy Oil EAST-SOUTHEAST
(Offset to Field
X North) Juan de
Manambolo
Gas Field
Bemolanga
Tar Sands
X'
KILOMETERS Nova Island
SEA LEVEL
Mozambique Channel
2
Top of Oil Window
4
Top of Gas Window
6

8
Davie Fracture Zone Morondava Basin
10

EXPLANATION
Rovuma
Delta
Tertiary Contact
MALAWI in
Fault as
aB

l
Cenozoic g

ne
X jun

an
Ironclad

E
a

Ch
Discovery Oil field and M

AR
Upper Cretaceous X'

BI
identifier

ue

SC
asin
ZA

biq

GA
O
Lower Cretaceous

am

dava B
M
Mnazi

DA
oz
Bay Field Gas field and

MA
Jurassic identifier

Moron
INDIAN
Triassic to Permian OCEAN
Line of section
Shallow and
Basement rock deepwater
prospect
Volcanic INDEX MAP

Figure 7.  Cross section across the Mozambique Channel and the Morondava Basin (line of section on index map) showing the top of
the oil- and gas-generation windows. Cross section is approximately 420 kilometers long, not to scale. Modified after Envoi—Energy
Venture Opportunities International (2011).

deep-water fan, and growth-fault-related sandstone reservoirs found in Karoo-age grabens and Mesozoic half-grabens,
(Law, 2011). A seismic profile reported by Walford and others faulted drape anticlines, and inversion-related anticlines
(2005) interpreted the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic section (Cope, 2000; Rusk, Bertagne & Associates, 2003).
showing the Domo Sandstone, a potential reservoir and
clinoform packages, channeling, slumping, and growth faults
in the offshore part of the Zambezi Delta (fig. 8).
Triassic to Jurassic syn-rift rocks contains structural traps Exploration
related to graben and half grabens. Lower Cretaceous post-rift
rocks (drift and passive-margin) contain stratigraphic traps At the time of the 2011 assessment, the Mozambique
such as transgressive and regressive sandstones and structural Province contained five gas fields and no oil fields
\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure07.ai
traps including salt structures, drape anticlines, and flower (IHS Energy, 2009) and is considered to be underexplored
structures (Rusk, Bertagne & Associates, 2003; Law, 2011). on the basis of its limited exploration activity. Recent
Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene post-rift rocks (drift and hydrocarbon shows are limited to the Cretaceous-Tertiary
passive-margin) contain both structural and stratigraphic traps offshore drift and passive-margin section (Law, 2011).
in growth-fault-related structures, rotated fault blocks within Hydrocarbon shows in exploration wells on the
the continental shelf, deep-water fans, turbidite units, and slope continental shelf and upper slope provide evidence for the
truncations along the present day shelf and paleoshelf edge. existence of an active petroleum system containing Mesozoic
The primary reservoir seals are Mesozoic and Cenozoic source rocks and for the migration of the hydrocarbons into
drift and marginal-marine mudstone and shale (Nairn and Cretaceous and Cenozoic reservoirs, most likely since the
others, 1991; Cope, 2000). Secondary fault-related seals are Late Cretaceous.
 10   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa

TWO WAY A A'

TIME IN
INDIAN
SECONDS Well A Well B
OCEAN
0
Sea
f lo o
Top r
Top P lio
1 Mi M i oce cene
d d le ne
M io c
Top O e ne
Top Eoce li g o ce n e
n e
2
Top Cre
Domo t aceo slumping
S an d s u s
t one
3 channeling

0 5 10 KILOMETERS
Za
mb
0 5 10 MILES ezi
Ri
ve
r
EXPLANATION MOZAMBIQUE

Tertiary
A INDIAN OCEAN
Cretaceous Beira
A'
Jurassic
Line of section
Seismic reflector
Contact
Fault INDEX MAP

Well A
Well and identifier

Figure 8.  Schematic cross section of the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique. Modified from Walford and others (2005).

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure08.ai
 Resource Summary  11

Geologic Model PETROLEUM

IO N
SYSTEM EVENTS

A T IO NM IG R A T IO NC C U M U L A T
OVERBURDEN ROCKS
The geologic model developed for the assessment of

RESERVOIR ROCKS
conventional oil and gas in the Mozambique Coastal Province

TRAP FORMATION
-
and the Coastal Plain and Offshore Assessment Unit is as follows:

PRESERVATIO N
SOURCE ROCKS
ROCK UNITS

SEAL ROCKS
1. Oil and gas was generated from Permian to Jurassic
Karoo-age lacustrine and continental rocks (rift stage).

-
The lacustrine rocks contain TOC values averaging 4.0 to
5.0 weight percent. Early to Middle and Jurassic restricted

GENER
Age in million years (Ma)
marine rocks contain as much as 9 weight percent TOC,
and Cretaceous marine rocks contain Type II kerogen 0
Plio

ic
lta
with as much as 12 weight percent TOC. Generation of Neogene

De
Mio
hydrocarbons in syn-rift Karoo-age source rocks most
23

c
ltai
likely began in the Middle Jurassic, whereas generation

De
Olig
of hydrocarbons in Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous
syn-rift source rocks began in the Late Jurassic to Early Paleogene Eoc
Cretaceous. Generation of early post-rift sources most 50

Open and marginal marine

likely began in the Late Cretaceous. The drift and post-rift Pal
65
source rocks most likely began generating hydrocarbons
in the Late Cretaceous. Hydrocarbon generation most
L
likely continues today in the offshore parts of the
assessment unit. Cretaceous
100
2. Generated hydrocarbons migrated into mostly Cretaceous
and Paleogene sandstone reservoirs.
E
3. Hydrocarbon traps are structural within the syn-rift rock
units and are both structural and stratigraphic in the post-
rift rock units.
146 Marine
4. The primary reservoir seals are Mesozoic and Cenozoic 150 L
Restricted and
open marine
mudstone and shale.
5. The rifted passive margin analog (Charpentier and M
Jurassic
others, 2007) was used for assessment sizes and numbers
Continental

because of similar source, reservoirs, and traps.

E
An events chart (fig. 9) for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic 200 200
Composite TPS and the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs AU
summarizes the age of the source, seal, and reservoir rocks
and the timing of trap development, generation, and migration. L
Triassic

M Rift

Resource Summary 250 251

At the time of this 2011 assessment, the Mozambique
Coastal Province contained only five gas accumulations
exceeding the minimum size of 30 billion cubic feet of gas;
this province is considered to be underexplored on the basis
of its level of exploration activity. Using a geology-based
assessment, the USGS estimated mean volumes of undiscov-
ered, technically recoverable conventional oil and gas
resources for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment
Unit in the Mozambique Coastal Province (table 1). The
mean volumes are estimated at 11,682 million barrels of oil,
182,349 billion cubic feet of gas, and 5,645 million barrels of
natural gas liquids. The estimated mean size of the largest oil
E
L
Permian
E
Figure 9. Events chart for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Total Petroleum
System (734301) and the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs Assessment
Unit (73430101) in the Mozambique Coastal Province, South Africa.
Gray, rock units present; yellow, age range of reservoir rocks; green,
age ranges of source and overburden rocks, timing of trap formation,
and generation, migration, and preservation of hydrocarbons; wavy
line, unconformity. Divisions of geologic time conform to dates in
U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee (2010). Ma,
thousands of years ago; Plio, Pliocene; Mio, Miocene; Olig, Oligocene;
Eoc, Eocene; Pal, Paleocene; L, Late; E, Early; M, Middle; ?, uncertain.

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_figure09.ai
12   Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mozambique Coastal Province, East Africa

Table 1.  Mozambique Coastal Province assessment results for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, gas, and natural gas liquids.
[Largest expected mean field size, in million barrels of oil and billion cubic feet of gas; MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas;
MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas accumulations, all liquids are included as natural gas liquids
(NGL). Undiscovered gas resources are the sum of nonassociated and associated gas. F95 represents a 95-percent chance of at least the amount tabulated; other
fractiles are defined similarly. Fractiles are additive under assumption of perfect positive correlation. AU, assessment unit; AU probability is the chance of at
least one accumulation of minimum size within the AU. TPS, total petroleum system. Gray shading indicates not applicable]
Largest Total undiscovered resources
Total Petroleum Systems (TPS) Field expected Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)
and Assessment Units (AU) type mean
F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean
field size
Mozambique Coastal-Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite TPS
Oil 1,041 6,268 11,174 18,857 11,682 8,423 15,615 27,238 16,425 225 421 744 444
Mesozoic-Cenozoic Reservoirs AU
Gas 7,976 93,486 158,654 263,301 165,924 2,915 4,978 8,270 5,201
Total Conventional Resources 6,268 11,174 18,857 11,682 101,909 174,269 290,539 182,349 3,140 5,399 9,014 5,645

field that is expected to be discovered is 1,041 million barrels
of oil and the estimated mean size of the expected largest gas
field is 7,976 billion cubic feet of gas. For this assessment,
a minimum undiscovered field size of 5 million barrels of
oil equivalent was used. No attempt was made to estimate
economically recoverable reserves.
For Additional Information
Assessment results are available at the USGS
Central Energy Resources Science Center website:
http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga/ or contact Michael E.
Brownfield, the assessing geologist (mbrownfield@usgs.gov).
Acknowledgments
The author wishes to thank Mary-Margaret Coates,
Jennifer Eoff, Christopher Schenk, and David Scott for their
suggestions, comments, and editorial reviews, which greatly
improved the manuscript. The author thanks Wayne Husband
for his numerous hours drafting many of the figures used
in this manuscript, and Chris Anderson, who supplied the
Geographic Information System files for this assessment.
References
Charpentier, R.R., Klett, T.R., and Attanasi, E.D., 2007,
Database for assessment unit-scale analogs (exclusive of the
United States) Version 1.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-
File Report 2007–1404, 36 p., CD–ROM.
Cope, M., 2000, Tanzania’s Mafia deepwater basin indicates
potential on new seismic data: Oil and Gas Journal, v. 98,
issue 33, 6 p., http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-98/
issue-33/exploration-development/tanzanias-mafia-
deepwater-basin-indicates-potential-on-new-seismic-
data.html. Last accessed February 28, 2013.
Coster, P.W., Lawrence, S.R., and Fortes, G., 1989,
Mozambique—A new geological framework for hydro-
carbons exploration: Journal of Petroleum Geology v. 12,
no. 2, p. 205–230.
Envoi—Energy Venture Opportunities International, 2011,
Mozambique Channel (offshore S.E. Africa), Juan de Nova
Est Permit, Morondava Basin: Envoi Limited, London,
http://envoi.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/P191
WessexSEAfricaJuanDeNovaSynopsis.pdf. Accessed
March 20, 2013.
IHS Energy, 2009, International petroleum exploration and
production database [current through December 2009]:
Available from IHS Energy, 15 Inverness Way East,
Englewood, Colo. 80112 USA.
IHS Energy, 2012, International petroleum exploration and
production database [current through December 2009]:
Available from IHS Energy, 15 Inverness Way East,
Englewood, Colo.
Key, R.M., Smith, R.A., Smelror, M., Saether, O.M.,
Thorsnes, T., Powell, J.H., Njange, F., and Andamela, E.B.,
2008, Revised lithostratigraphy of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic
succession of the onshore Rovuma Basin, northern coastal
Mozambique: South African Journal of Geology, v. 111,
no. 1, p. 89–108.
Law, Carol, 2011, Northern Mozambique—True “wild-
cat” exploration in east Africa: American Association
of Petroleum Geologists Search and Discovery article
110157(2011), 39 p.
Nairn, A.E.M., Lerche, I., and Iliffe, J., 1991, Geology, basin
analysis, and hydrocarbon potential of Mozambique and
the Mozambique Channel: Earth-Science Reviews, v. 30,
no. 1–2, p. 81–124.
PetroSeychelles, 2013, The Seychelles licensing initia-
tives: NAPE, February 5–8, Houston, Texas, 46 p.,
http://www.internationalpavilion.com/NAPE%202013%20
Presentations/Seychelles.pdf.
Ophir Energy Company, 2007, Hydrocarbon Prospectively
of Deepwater Southern Tanzania—East African Petroleum
Conference: Arusha, Tanzania, March 7–9, 2007, 26 p.
 References  13

Ophir Energy Company, 2011, Exploration in Tanzania and U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee, 2010,
Madagascar—Evolution Securities East Africa Conference: Divisions of geologic time: U.S. Geological Survey Fact
London, January 13, 2011, 27 p. Sheet 2010−3059, 2 p.
Reeves, C.V., Sahu, B.K., and de Wit, M., 2002, A re-examina- U.S. Geological Survey World Conventional Resources
tion of the paleo-position of Africa’s eastern neighbours in Assessment Team, 2012, An estimate of undiscovered
Gondwana: Journal of African Earth Sciences, v. 34, no. 1, conventional oil and gas resources of the world, 2012:
p. 101–108. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2012–3042, 6 p.
Available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3042/
Rusk, Bertagne & Associates, 2003, Petroleum geology and
geophysics of the Mozambique Channel, executive sum- Walford, H.L., White, N.J., and Sydow, J.C., 2005, Solid sedi-
mary: 20 p., http://www.petrocommunicators.com/moz/ ment load history of the Zambezi Delta: Earth and Planetary
index.htm. Last accessed March 6, 2012. Science Letters, v. 238, no. 1–2, p. 49–63.
ME
ATLANTIC DIT
ERR
ANEA
OCEAN N SEA

INDIAN OCEAN

Mozambique
Coastal
SOUTH
ATLANTIC
OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

Click here to return to

Volume Title Page

\\IGSKAHCMVSFS002\Pubs_Common\Jeff\den13_cmrm00_0129_ds_brownfield\dds_69_gg_ch10_figures\ch10_figures\ch10_cover.ai