Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol.15, No.4, pp. 379-396, 1992

©Copyright 2000 Scientific Press, Ltd.

THERMAL MATURITYAND HYDROCARBON GENERATION IN ROCKS FROM THE SEDIMENTARY BASINS OF MADAGASCAR

L. Ramanampisoa* and M. Radke**

* Hydrocarbon Department at the Office Militaire National pour les Industries Stratégiques (OMNIS), 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Present address: Laboratoire de Géochimie Organique, Université d'Orléans, B.P 6759, 45067 Orléans Cedex 2, France.

** Institute of Petroleum and Organic Geochemistry at the Research Centre Jülich (KFA), D-5170 Jülich, Germany.

Abstract

Oil exploration in Madagascar has been concentrated on the Morondava Basin in the SW of the island, which is well-known for its large deposits of tar sand and heavy oil at Bemolanga a n d Tsimiroro. Petroleum shows have frequently been encountered in exploration wells, but source-rock identification has remained inconclusive. Thus, the present study of a wildcat was originally related mostly to geochemical prospect appraisal. Due to the uniform organic matter type and wide range of thermal evolution stages sampled, the case history has more general implications, however, as regards relationships between thermal maturation and hydrocarbon generation.