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Basement structure of southern Tunisia as determined from the analysis of

gravity data: implications for petroleum exploration

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DOI: 10.1144/1354-079311-050

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Petroleum Geoscience

Basement structure of southern Tunisia as determined from the analysis

of gravity data: implications for petroleum exploration
Hakim Gabtni, Chokri Jallouli, Kevin L. Mickus, Mohamed Dhaoui, Mohamed Moncef
Turki, Mohammed Jaffal and Pierre Keating

Petroleum Geoscience 2012, v.18; p143-152.

doi: 10.1144/1354-079311-050

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© The Geological Society of London 2012

research-articlearticle18X10.1144/1354-079311-050H. GabtniBasement structure of southern Tunisia
2012

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Basement structure of southern tunisia as determined from the

analysis of gravity data: implications for petroleum exploration
Hakim Gabtni1, chokri Jallouli2, kevin l. Mickus3*, Mohamed dhaoui1,
Mohamed Moncef turki2, Mohammed Jaffal4 and Pierre keating5
1Laboratoitre
de Géoressources, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux (CERTE),
BP 273, Soliman 8020, Tunisia
2Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar,

2092 Manar II, Tunisia

3Department of Geosciences, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
4Laboratoire de Géoressources, Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Marrakech,

BP 549, Avenue Abdelkarim El Khattabi, Marrakech, Morocco

5Geological Survey of Canada, 601, Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada

*Corresponding author (e-mail: kevinmickus@missouristate.edu)

aBStract: Gravity data were analysed in the Ghadames Basin and surround-
ing regions in southern Tunisia in order to determine the basement structure
of the region and its relationship to petroleum exploration in relatively unex-
plored basins. The analysis included the construction of regional Bouguer grav-
ity anomaly and horizontal gravity gradient maps. These maps indicate that the
Ghadames Basin is not a simple sag basin but consists of a series of sub-basins
and uplifts. The northern boundary of the basin which we call the Telemzan–
Ghadames transition zone is marked by a NE-trending high amplitude grav-
ity gradient anomaly which decreases in amplitude toward the east and breaks
into a series of north–south- and east–west-trending anomalies implying a more
structurally complex region. When the known petroleum fields are overlain on
to the gravity gradient anomaly maps, the fields mostly occur along or next to
linear alignments of horizontal gravity gradient maxima. We interpret the cor-
relation of the petroleum fields and horizontal gravity gradient maxima to indi-
cate that the basement was involved in forming the petroleum traps. This study
illustrates that a regional gravity analysis can be useful in determining where
additional exploration can be applied in relatively unexplored basins.

IntroductIon 1992; Lyatsky 2000). To illustrate the use of gravity data in

The structural configuration of basement rocks has been shown
to be an important component in the evolution of sedimentary
basins and determining the location of many petroleum
resources (e.g. Brito Neves et al. 1984; Bernecker & Moore
2003). Thus, the determination of the basement configuration
under sedimentary basins is an integral part of any regional
geological study, including hydrocarbon evaluations of the
basin. In most cases, the basement is completely covered by a
younger sedimentary sequence which makes determining the
location and nature of basement structures difficult. In these
cases, the basement configuration is most commonly deter-
mined by structural contour maps constructed from drill holes
penetrating basement and seismic reflection profiles (e.g.
Blundell 1983; Ross & Eaton 1999). Such maps aid in identify-
ing critical structural trends that might be related to the loca-
tion of potential hydrocarbon accumulations. One potential
difficulty is that especially in new frontier regions, drill hole
and seismic reflection data might not be available. In such
cases, the analysis of gravity and/or magnetic data are used to
determine the structure on and within the basement (e.g. Edgell
determining the basement configuration of a potential petro-
leum province, we will use the Ghadames Basin of southern
Tunisia, northeastern Algeria and northwestern Libya.
Specifically, we will analyse the Ghadames Basin of southern
Tunisia which contains relatively few deep drill holes penetrat-
ing basement and seismic reflection profiles.
The Ghadames Basin is a large intracratonic sag basin
encompassing more than 350 000 km2 (Fig. 1) (Echikh 1998;
Klett 2000; Holt et al. 2010) and it is one in a series of cratonic
basins that occur within the Saharan platform, an early
Palaeozoic passive margin that stretches for over 1600 km from
Morocco to Egypt (Boote et al. 1998). In this paper, we show
how an analysis of gravity data aided by sparse deep drills and
widely scattered seismic reflection profiles can be used to deter-
mine the basement structure.
GeoloGIcal SettInG and BackGround
The current surface structural configuration of Tunisia has been
largely influenced by post-Palaeozoic tectonic events ranging

Petroleum Geoscience, Vol. 18, 2012, pp. 143–152 1354-0793/12/$15.00 © 2012 EAGE/Geological Society of London
DOI: 10.1144/1354-079311-050.
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144 H. Gabtni et al.
from the break-up of Pangaea (Permian to early Triassic), the
Cretaceous convergence of Africa and Eurasia and alternating
periods of extension and convergence during the Cenozoic
(Bouaziz et al. 2002; Holt et al. 2010). From these events,
Palaeozoic convergent tectonic events have been important in
shaping the present structural configuration of the Ghadames
Basin (Underdown & Redfern 2007a; Holt et al. 2010). The part
of the basin found in southern Tunisia is characterized by a
Precambrian metamorphic basement overlain by a thick, gently
folded Palaeozoic sedimentary sequence (Jallouli & Mickus
2000). The geological boundary between northern (Cenozoic
deformation within the Atlas Mountains) and southern Tunisia
(the Sahara Craton [part of the North African Craton] and the
Ghadames cratonic basin) is associated with a failed Palaeozoic–
Mesozoic rift, the trace of which coincides with the North
Saharan Flexure (Gabtni et al. 2005). In southern Tunisia, the
Sahara Craton can be broken into two broad regions: the thick
sedimentary cover of the intracratonic Ghadames Basin in the
south and the thin sedimentary cover of the Telemzan–
Bounemcha High to the north (Fig. 1). The two regions are sep-
arated by the Telemzan High–Ghadames Basin transition (TGT)
which is a regional-scale feature that may represent a basement
discontinuity that has controlled the tectonic setting in the region
since Palaeozoic time (Gabtni et al. 2006) (Fig. 1).
The Ghadames Basin is one of a series of large sedimentary
sag basins (including the Grand Erg and Illizi Basin) within the
North African craton. This basin, which contains up to 6 km of
Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sediments, has undergone a complex
and polyphase structural history since Ordovician time (Acheche
et al. 2001). The effect of several tectonic phases on the
Ghadames Basin has been the formation of a series of fault-
bounded structural highs surrounding a central depression (Fig.
1). Backstripping modelling by Holt et al. (2010) has shown that
the basin may have formed by lithospheric cooling and thicken-
ing beneath a thin accretionary mantle lithosphere. Their model-
ling showed that the highest rates of subsidence occurred during
the Palaeozoic, with little or no tectonic subsidence in the
Mesozoic or Cenozoic. To a lesser degree, however, the final
structural configuration of the basin continued to be influenced
Fig. 1. (a) Schematic structural map of
Tunisia and adjacent regions (adapted after
Acheche et al. 2001). Solid lines show
the main structural features; (+) represents
the Precambrian lithologies of the Hoggar
region; TGT, Telemzan–Ghadames
transition zone. (b) Location of the study
area (a). Solid line A–B shows the location
of the regional cross-section (Fig. 2).
by tectonic events in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The main tec-
tonic elements bounding the basin are:
1. the Telemzan High (Tunisia), the Touggourt High (Algeria)
and the Nafousah High (Libya) to the north;
2. the Gargaf High and the Tihemboka arch (Libya), and the
Ahara High (Algeria) to the south;
3. the Hassi Massouad High to the west;
4. and the western flank of the younger Sirte Basin and the
Hon Graben to the east.
Additionally, the Ghadames Basin is separated from the neigh-
bouring Illizi Basin on the south by a series of low relief uplifts
(e.g. Ahara High), which have experienced a complex tectonic
history involving structural inversion (Alem et al. 1998; Echikh
1998; Klett 2000). The structural features (1–4 listed above)
have undergone a long tectonic history, beginning with the Late
Precambrian Pan African orogeny, and continuing throughout
Phanerozoic time with repeated reactivation of older structures.
The current architecture of the Ghadames Basin is the result of
the successive effects of several episodes of major tectonism
related to the Caledonian (Devonian), Hercynian (Carboniferous),
Austrian (Early Cretaceous) and Alpine (Late Cretaceous–Early
Eocene) phases (Gabtni et al. 2006). Overall the evolution of the
basin can be summarized in three main stages.
1. Prior to the Hercynian orogeny, the North African craton was
the site of a large subsiding depositional basin formed during
the Pan African and Caledonian orogenies, displaying little
regional differentiation, and formed through the reactivation of
Pan African fault systems (Van de Weerd & Ware 1994).
2. During the Hercynian orogeny the basin experienced uplift
and erosion which resulted in large parts of the earlier Pal-
aeozoic section being removed in most areas.
3. Lastly, the Alpine orogeny produced regional NW tilting of
the sedimentary sequence, resulting in the superposition of
a Mesozoic extensional basin on the eroded remains of the
Palaeozoic basin (Van de Weerd & Ware 1994; Echikh 1998;
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Basement structure of southern Tunisia
Underdown & Redfern 2008). The Alpine orogeny affected
the basin with less intensity than the Atlas Mountains to the
north, where Hercynian normal faults were locally inverted
(Echikh 1998).
The long and varied tectonic history of the basin has resulted
in a wide variety of structural styles, including simple anti-
clines of Palaeozoic age, reverse-faulted structures related to
compressional tectonics during the Cretaceous and Tertiary,
and fault blocks of Liassic age related to rifting during the
opening of the Tethyan Ocean (Bouaziz et al. 2002; Bracene &
Frizon de Lamotte 2002).
PetroleuM GeoloGy oF
SoutHern tunISIa
The Ghadames Basin has produced hydrocarbons since the
1950s, with the majority of production being from the Libyan
portions of the basin until the 1990s when improved seismic
reflection acquisition and processing methods found large
reserves in Algeria (Dardour 2004; Underdown & Redfern
2007a, b). Even though most production has been in Algeria
and Libya, there has been scattered exploration and production
in Tunisia, especially from the northern sections of the basin
(Echikh 1998).
Figure 2 shows a north–south regional cross-section of the
major sedimentary units in southern Tunisia. Also shown is the
organic content and petroleum potential of the regional Silurian
and Devonian source rocks. Mesozoic sediments unconformably
overlie the Palaeozoic strata from which they are separated by
the Hercynian unconformity (Permian–Carboniferous age). This
unconformity is a regional feature of the Saharan platform,
reflecting uplift and erosion associated with the collisional event
between Gondwana and Laurasia (Acheche et al. 2001).
The principal hydrocarbon source rocks are the shales
of the Lower Silurian Tannezuft and Middle–Upper Aouet
145
Fig. 2. Regional cross-section from the
Telemzan High to the Precambrian Hoggar
region (modified from Echikh 1998 and
Acheche et al. 2001), showing the major
sedimentary units within the Ghadames
Basin. Also shown are the principal source
formations and the petroleum potential of
these formations.
Ouenine formations, whose values of total organic carbon
(TOC), hydrocarbon potentials and maximum temperatures
suggest that these formations are marginally mature to
mature with respect to petroleum production (Fig. 2).
Additionally, recent work by Akrout et al. (2011) indicates
that Lower Triassic units have fair to good hydrocarbon gen-
eration potential. Any petroleum resources formed in the
above source rocks may have migrated into the Palaeozoic
reservoir rocks, including the sandstones of the Lower
Devonian Tadrart and Ouan Kasa, and Upper Silurian Acacus
formations (Ghenima 1993; Acheche et al. 2001; Underdown
& Redfern 2008) and the fractured quartzites of the Upper
Ordovician Bir Ben Tartar unit. Unlike Algeria and Libya,
the potential Triassic and Jurassic reservoir rocks in southern
Tunisia (Dardour 2004; Underdown & Redfern 2008) have
not been exploited; however, geochemical analyses of the
Triassic Argilo Greseux Inferieur Formation indicate a simi-
lar production potential to its counterparts in Algeria and
Libya (Acheche et al. 2001).
The petroleum fields in southern Tunisia are mainly found
in structural (mainly anticlinal and some fault-bounded) traps
and have produced hydrocarbons since the 1950s (Gabtni et al.
2006). Despite being a region of known hydrocarbon accumu-
lation, the area is still considered relatively unexplored due to
older geological interpretations that focused on the Palaeozoic
reservoirs (Acheche et al. 2001). Several authors (Montgomery
1994; Acheche et al. 2001; Bédir et al. 2001; ETAP 2003;
Akrout et al. 2011) have indicated that the Ghadames Basin
has the potential for the discovery of new petroleum deposits
especially in the relatively unexplored Triassic units.
The peak of petroleum exploration in southern Tunisia
occurred between 1960 and 1980 (Ferjani et al. 1990). More
recently, widely spaced seismic reflection investigations, includ-
ing 2D and 3D seismic surveys, have shown sedimentary and
structural features that may be petroliferous (Burollet et al.
1991; ETAP 2003). Because of the vastness and inaccessibility
of most of southern Tunisia, surface and subsurface geological
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146 H. Gabtni et al.
mapping using in situ data collection methods can be expensive
and, for this reason, available data are usually localized in small
isolated regions (Pena & Abdelsalam 2006).
Oil and gas exploration in such regions is a challenging
task. Source, reservoir and basement rocks throughout the
Sahara Desert are neither exposed nor buried by a thin veneer
of eolian sand (Peña & Abdelsalam 2006). In these cases,
qualitative regional potential field studies can be an effec-
tive technique in aiding petroleum exploration by providing a
cost-effective approach for the identification of subsurface
structures associated with oil and gas structural traps (Peña &
Abdelsalam 2006).
GravIty data
The Ghadames Basin in southern Tunisia has a relatively even
distribution of gravity data with an average spacing between 3
and 4 km (Fig. 3b). These gravity data were obtained from
the Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP) and the
United States National Geospatial and Imaging Agency. All the
data were merged and reduced using the 1967 International
Gravity Formula (Morelli 1976). Free air and Bouguer gravity
corrections were made using sea-level as a datum and 2.67 g
cm–3 as a reduction density (Jallouli & Mickus 2000). The ele-
vation data used to make the free-air corrections were provided
by ETAP but how the data were obtained (e.g. global position-
ing system, barometers, surveying) was not given. The Bouguer
gravity anomaly data were gridded at 2 km spacing and con-
toured to produce a Bouguer gravity anomaly map (Fig. 3a).
Even though the Bouguer gravity anomaly map shows anomalies
Fig. 3. (a) Bouguer gravity anomaly map
of southern Tunisia. Contour interval is 2
mGal. (b) Location of the gravity stations
(+). TGT, Telemzan–Ghadames transition;
TH, Telemzan High; GB, Ghadames High;
H1–H5, gravity highs; L1–L7, gravity
lows; solid lines show the axes of the main
gravity anomalies.
only from Tunisia, data from Libya and Algeria were used in
constructing the Bouguer gravity anomaly map.
data analySIS
Bouguer gravity anomalies
A casual glance at the Bouguer gravity anomaly map (Fig. 3a)
shows that the gravity field can be broken into two main
regions separated by a high magnitude NE–SW- (TGT1) to
east–west- (TGT2) trending gravity gradient (labelled TGT on
Fig. 3a). Still, the overall Bouguer gravity anomaly values
decrease toward the south. The cause of this gradual decrease
is mainly the thickening of the Phanerozoic sediments (up to
6 km) within the Ghadames Basin on top of the Late Ordovician
sediments (Echikh 1998), with some contribution from crustal
thickening southward from approximately 40 to 42 km (Buness
et al. 1989; Jallouli & Mickus 2000). However, in southern
Tunisia, the Bouguer gravity anomaly map shows that the
Ghadames Basin is not a simple sag basin, as indicated by
structural contour maps (Echikh 1998; Klett 2000), but has a
relatively complicated structural configuration as evidenced by
a series of regional gravity maxima and minima (Fig. 3a). There
are at least five gravity minima representing possible sub-basins
(labelled L1–L5, Fig. 3a) (Gabtni et al. 2006) and two large
amplitude gravity maxima (H1 and H2) in the central and
western sections of the Ghadames Basin. These maxima are
interpreted to be caused by sediment thinning, occurring over
basement uplift (Gabtni et al. 2006); however, we cannot rule
out that these anomalies may be caused by lithological varia-
tions within the Precambrian basement.
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Basement structure of southern Tunisia 147

Fig. 4. Regional north–south two-dimensional seismic reflection profile across the TGT and Ghadames Basin (TGT, Telemzan–Ghadames transition),
which shows a basement stepped down by relatively low-displacement faulting (modified after Woller et al. 2003).

The northern part of the Ghadames Basin consists of a series
of inferred deep-seated, NE–SW-trending faults that have pro-
duced a general subsidence of the basin probably in a staircase
(en escaliers faults) fashion (Acheche et al. 2001). This region
(TGT, Fig. 3a) on the Bouguer gravity anomaly map is charac-
terized by a high amplitude gravity gradient with the eastern
section of this gradient corresponding to several known mapped
features, including the Bounemcha and Dahar uplifts (Echikh
1998; Klett 2000). This correspondence between the gradients
and the uplifts raises the possibility that new structural elements
may be found by gravity analysis. To the north of the TGT lies
the Telemzan High, characterized by a series of NE–SW-
trending gravity maxima (H3, H4 and H5) which are caused by
differential basement uplift formed during the Hercynian orogen
(Acheche et al. 2001). There are also two large amplitude grav-
ity minima (L6 and L7) in NW and NE sections of the Telemzan
High that indicate the latter may not be a continuous feature.
The gravity minima are probably caused by either less dense
lithologies within the basement or thickness variations within the
sedimentary sequence. Thicker sediments (i.e. less basement
uplift) may explain the short wavelength gravity minima at L6
and L7.
A regional seismic reflection profile (Fig. 4) that trends north–
south and which includes both the Ghadames Basin and the
Telemzan High shows that the depth to basement is controlled by
a stepping down of relatively south-dipping, low-displacement
faults. This profile indicates clearly the thickening Palaeozoic sed-
imentary cover within the Ghadames Basin which confirms the
part of the source of the Bouguer gravity anomaly minimum (L3)
seen in Figure 3. The high amplitude, narrow gravity gradient
especially evident along the western part of the TGT implies that
this abrupt boundary may be controlled by a few steeply dipping
density boundaries. However, the gradual increase in the depth to
basement toward the south seen on the seismic reflection profile
 Downloaded from http://pg.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 24, 2012
148 H. Gabtni et al.
shows that the transition from the Telemzan High to Ghadames
Basin is progressive and not an abrupt boundary.
Horizontal gravity gradients
Since the early 1970s, a variety of automatic and semi-auto-
matic techniques, based on the use of the horizontal and/or ver-
tical gradients (derivatives) of potential field anomalies, have
been developed to delineate density/magnetic susceptibility
boundaries that might be related to the edges of geological fea-
tures, such as contacts and faults (Cordell 1979; Hsu et al.
1996). To aid in locating subsurface density contrasts, we used
the horizontal gravity gradient (HGG) method (Cordell 1979;
Cordell & Grauch 1985) where the maximum gradient is usu-
ally located, in the absence of other anomalous masses, over
the edge of vertical density contrasts. The gradient can be use-
ful to locate gravity anomalies and trends that are not obvious
by just analysing the Bouguer gravity anomaly map; however,
it is a low resolution technique when applied without geological
or other geophysical constraints. The method does provide a
first-order estimate of the extent of density contrast and these
boundaries can be used for more detailed 2- and 3-dimensional
modelling.
Figure 5 shows the amplitude of the HGG of the Bouguer
gravity field with the location of the Ghadames Basin,
Telemzan High and TGT. The HGG map includes a number of
linear maxima with the most obvious anomaly being the linear
anomalies related to the TGT. A closer examination shows that
this linear anomaly can be divided into two regions: (1) a
NE-trending anomaly (TGT1) along the western part of TGT;
and (2) a lower amplitude region (TGT2) corresponding to the
Fig. 5. Horizontal gravity gradient map of
southern Tunisia. Contour interval is 0.2
mGal km–1. Solid lines show two principal
directions related to the TGT zone: (1)
NE–SW (TGT1) and east–west (TGT2).
TGT, Telemzan–Ghadames transition;
TH, Telemzan High; GB, Ghadames High.
eastern part of TGT that roughly trends east to west. In fact,
TGT2 is not one simple anomaly but contains several small
amplitude anomalies that trend in a variety of directions,
including north–south and NE–SW. This simple analysis indi-
cates that the TGT2 region is more structurally complex than
can be determined by analysing only the Bouguer gravity
anomaly map (Fig. 3). The more structurally complex inter-
pretation agrees with other studies (e.g. Saadi et al. 2011).
Since the HGG has maximum values along the edges of
density contrasts, the HGG maxima reinforce the location of
the TGT as a NE- to east–west-trending feature, located south
of 31.6°N.
One problem with the HGG method is that it is sensitive to
noise within the gravity data. Therefore, it is common to
smooth the original data. One common method is upward con-
tinuation where the original Bouguer gravity data are continued
to a certain height above the original datum height. This
method produces smoother versions of the gravity field as the
height increases. Additionally, if the Bouguer gravity field is
continued to different heights, the location of the maximum
gradient of a dipping density contrast changes in the direction
of the dip (Blakely 1996). The use of the maximum gradient
and upward continuation assumes the density contrast between
the two bodies is constant. Therefore, variable density contrasts
may produce a similar effect and any dip direction obtained by
the above method must be used with caution. By superimpos-
ing the HGG maxima of the Bouguer gravity anomaly and
from its upward continuation at different heights (1000 m, 2500
m, 5000 m, 7500 m) a number of linear alignments with max-
ima from higher continuations offset those maxima of the origi-
nal Bouguer gravity data (Fig. 6). When all the maxima are
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Basement structure of southern Tunisia 149

Fig. 6. Map showing the location of the maxima of horizontal gravity gradients (HGG) in southern Tunisia and the known petroleum fields. The
location of the maxima of the HGG of the Bouguer gravity anomalies (1) and the upward continuation of the Bouguer gravity anomalies (2, 1000 m;
3, 2500 m; 4, 5000 m; 5, 7500 m) is shown by different colours. F1–F5 are HGG-derived lineaments (6) within TGT1 and TGT2 (7, strike and dip of
these lineaments). H1–H5, gravity highs; L1–L7, gravity lows.

superimposed, a large number of linear features – when com-
pared to the HGG of the Bouguer gravity data (Fig. 5) – disap-
pear. The remaining linear features may correspond to deeper
faults and show two principal directions of maxima within the
TGT zone: (1) NE–SW (TGT1 associated with anomalies F4
and F5 (Fig. 6)) and (2) east–west (TGT2 associated with
anomalies F1, F2, and F3 (Fig. 6)).
dIScuSSIon
The analysis of the Bouguer gravity field indicates that the
Ghadames Basin and its boundaries are more structurally
complex than a simple sag basin (Holt et al. 2010). The
Ghadames Basin in southern Tunisia is composed of several
sub-basins and uplifts, with the deepest sections of the basin
being in the SW portion of the basin. However, our research
objective was to correlate the locations of the petroleum fields
with the regional structural basement characteristics. Thereby,
we seek to demonstrate that knowledge of the regional basement
structure as determined by gravity analysis can be a useful eval-
uation tool. Simply stated, the position of petroleum fields can
be a vital parameter in predicting the viability of future explora-
tion sites when the correlation between producing and projected
sites can be identified.
 Downloaded from http://pg.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 24, 2012
150 H. Gabtni et al.
The analysis of the HGG of the Bouguer gravity field within
southern Tunisia indicates that there are several regional edges
of density contrasts that are possibly dipping in a variety of
directions (Fig. 6). Figure 6 shows the implied dip directions of
these density contrasts. From a gravity analysis alone, we cannot
determine if these edges are caused by structural or petrological
sources. Additionally, the possible dip directions may not be real
given that we used only gravity data and the apparent dips may
be caused by density contrasts other than those due to dipping
contacts. Since the sediments within the Ghadames Basin
(mainly sandstones, mudstones, shales and some carbonates;
Underdown & Redfern 2008) do not have density contrasts large
enough to produce the anomaly amplitudes seen within the basin
(Figs 3, 6), the sources of the anomalies are probably basement
related. To use this information for petroleum exploration, the
location of the petroleum fields are plotted on the HGG maxima
map (Fig. 6). It is obvious that a majority of the lineaments are
roughly correlated with the known petroleum fields in southern
Tunisia (Fig. 6). A majority of these trends are concentrated
along the transition zone (TGT1 and TGT2) between the
Telemzan High (gravity high) and Ghadames Basin (gravity
low). This region is known to contain numerous large-scale
faults (Echikh 1998; Klett 2000) and the probable cause of the
HGG anomalies is likely to be fault related. The HGG gravity
enhancement analysis, even without the dip analysis, shows that
the petroleum fields are mostly located near regions of exten-
sional block faulting (Echikh 1998) associated with the crystal-
line Precambrian basement, as shown by the seismic reflection
profile (Fig. 4) along the predominantly TGT structural zone.
Based on the above gravity analysis of the Ghadames Basin
and surrounding structural features, the Telemzan High contains
focal points for migrating petroleum, with the regional structural
lows being the source regions. The gravity and HGG analysis
showed that the Telemzan High is not one continuous structural
Fig. 7. Petroleum migration model of the
Ghadames Basin suggesting that source
rocks could have charged traps along the
TGT province, along the southern flank
of the Telemzan High (modified from
Acheche et al. 2001).
high but a series of highs and lows, as shown by the HGG max-
ima on Figure 6. Even though the Telemzan High is a regional
Bouguer gravity maximum (Fig. 3), the HGG maxima mark the
edges of density contrasts which we interpret as being caused by
variations in the depth to the basement. In most cases, regional
basin structural features (as shown by the accumulation of petro-
leum deposits) overlie or are next to basement structures as
determined by the HGG analysis. In most basins, petroleum
deposits are concentrated within specific areas of the basin and
in our study the majority of producing petroleum fields are
linked to the TGT zone. These findings are compatible with
studies for other productive basins on a world-wide scale (IGC
2000). Historically, regional structurally low areas that became
the sites for increased sediment deposition may contain source
beds. Regional structural highs are often the sites for reservoir
development, especially on the flanks of regional highs where
sand units pinch out against existing topographic and structural
highs, or faults are common.
An interpretation of how petroleum migrates within the
Ghadames Basin based on the above gravity analysis is shown
in Figure 7. This model shows that structurally low regions are
the locations of the source rock systems. The petroleum migrates
out of these regions and could have charged structurally higher
traps within the TGT province, mainly along the southern flank
of the Telemzan High (Acheche et al. 2001).
To apply our gravity analysis method to locate potential
basement-related petroleum fields, a schematic diagram was cre-
ated (Fig. 8). Figures 8a, b show the theoretical gravity and
gravity gradient anomalies, respectively, due to a sedimentary
basin and adjacent basement uplift. Of importance, is the gravity
gradient maximum that occurs along the transition between the
basin and the uplift. Figures 8c, d show the gravity and gravity
gradient profiles across the basin and the uplift, and the location
of petroleum fields as found in southern Tunisia. One notices
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Basement structure of southern Tunisia 151

Fig. 8. Compilation of the different gravity analysis procedures and steps used to correlate gravity anomalies, basement structural fields and known
petroleum fields. (a) Bouguer gravity anomaly analysis; (b) horizontal gravity gradient (HGG) analysis; (c) cross-section as determined by gravity
modelling across the basin with the corresponding Bouguer gravity and horizontal gravity gradient anomalies; (d) synthetic model showing the
relationship between the gravity signature, basin configuration and petroleum concentrations. G H, gravity high; G L, gravity low; G G, horizontal
gravity gradient; Max G G, maximum of the horizontal gravity gradient; Min G G, minimum of the horizontal gravity gradient.

that most of the petroleum fields occur in regions with gravity
gradient maxima (Fig. 8c). This type of analysis may not apply
in all situations but it is simple to perform and can aid in locat-
ing potential exploration targets, especially in relatively unex-
plored regions.
concluSIonS
The gravity field of the Ghadames Basin and surrounding
regions in southern Tunisia was interpreted to determine if
there is a relationship between known petroleum fields in a
relatively unexplored basin and gravity-inferred basement
structures. The regional Bouguer gravity anomalies indicate
that the Ghadames Basin is not a simple sag basin but is com-
posed of a series of sub-basins and uplifts. However, because
gravity data alone cannot determine if the gravity minima and
maxima are caused by structural lows and uplifts or petrologi-
cal differences within the basement lithologies, seismic data
were also consulted. The Ghadames Basin is bounded on the
north by a roughly NE–SW- to east–west-trending high ampli-
tude gravity gradient that corresponds to a series of structural
elements which we named the Telemzan–Ghadames transition
zone (TGT). An additional gravity analysis, using horizontal
gravity gradients (HGG) and upward continuation techniques,
showed that the TGT is marked by a high amplitude HGG
anomaly that trends NE–SW along the western sections, while
the HGG in the eastern section of the TGT has a lower ampli-
tude but trends in a variety of directions. This implies that the
eastern section of the TGT is more structurally complex, agree-
ing with structural studies in NW Libya (Saadi et al. 2009;
Saheel et al. 2010). The HGG of the Bouguer gravity field,
after being continued to four different elevations, shows that
the maxima are basically linear in several regions within the
basin. The most prominent lineaments are within the TGT and,
when the known petroleum fields are superimposed on these
lineaments, most of the fields are located on or are adjacent to
these lineaments. This finding implies that the majority of
petroleum fields are likely related to basement structures and
this type of gravity analysis provides a first exploration tool in
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152 H. Gabtni et al.
under-explored basins. The regional gravity analysis using
HGG will provide locations that can be explored using more
expensive seismic reflection surveys.
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