Hydrocarbon exploration achievements and exploration potential of coastal basins in West Africa

There are more than 11 sedimentary basins developed along the West Africa coast since Mesozoic, including Tarfaya, Senegal, Niger Delta, Douala, Rio Muni, Gabon, Lower Congo, Kwanza, Orange, Cote D'ivoire and Benin, all of them were developed as a result of Gondwana rifting and the drifting of South Atlantic plate, Central Atlantic plate and Equatorial Atlantic plate. These basins are divided into passive continental margin basin and transform margin basin. Based on IHS data, the hydrocarbon exploration achievements were systematically summarized and hydrocarbon exploration history was divided into 4 periods, which are early exploration stage (before 1953), fast reserves increase stage (1954~1973), low reserves increase stage (1974~1994) and deep water exploration stage (since 1995). The exploration discoveries were severely affected by the basin exploration degree, petroleum exploration, production technology development, local and global political and economic environment. The reserves and production growth of coastal basins in West Africa were mainly controlled by the giant field discoveries made in the Niger Delta and the Lower Congo Basin. Deep water region is the potential area for the future big discoveries and the continental shelf and onshore area are the main areas for future exploration.