KEYFACT Energy
Highlights
- Geochemical analysis of new outcrop samples of the Permian aged Mkanga formation collected in July indicate strong correlation to 2 oil seep samples on trend in neighbouring Mid Zambezi sub basin in Zimbabwe.
- Analysis of the Triassic aged Alternations Member (Upper Angwa) confirms good source potential for gas and liquids generation
- Geochemical data correlates with other African and West Australian Basins having oil and gas prone source rocks that charge multi billion barrel and multi Tcf discoveries.
Invictus Energy Limited has received the geochemical analysis results from its recent outcrop source rock field sampling program carried out in July 2019 in the Cabora Bassa Basin to the west of SG 4571 permit. The analysis was conducted by GeoMark Research in the USA. A total of 19 samples were obtained for source rock analysis, with 7 of these samples undergoing saturate/aromatic (SARA), biomarker and isotope analysis.
The new program of outcrop sampling and geochemistry analyses has provided the Company with a cohesive RockEval and extract SARA/isotope/biomarker database, and has allowing for source rock facies and maturity interpretation and correlation with equivalent parameters from the existing database; and subsequently has expanded confidence in the source rock presence and quality.
The analysis confirms at least two source rock facies are present in the Cabora Bassa Basin, in the Mkanga Formation (Permian age) which consists of a high-quality oil prone lacustrine source rock interbedded with good quality gas and liquids source rocks; and the Angwa Alternations Member (Triassic age) consisting of good quality gas and liquid (condensate and potentially light oil) prone source rock.
The Mkanga Formation has present day Total Organic Content (TOC) values up to 40% and Hydrogen Index (HI) up to 380. whilst the Alternations Member of the Angwa Formation has TOC values up to 35% and HI up to 290. The TOC average is well above the recommended thresholds of 0.5 and 2.5 weight % of gas and oil generation respectively and confirms the ability of the source rock to generate significant quantities of hydrocarbons.