Ours is now a country known for its institutionalised democracy, peace and stability, and a wellmanaged economy. In addition to the formidable mountains, spitzkoppe is home to boulder fields and natural arches that can be the source of endless compositional variations. The following is a list of namibia gems and minerals listed in our database. Petroleum source rocks characterization and hydrocarbon. Geology of the luderitz basin the three main namibian offshore.
Offshore namibia is one of the few atlantic basins where both. Last updated on november 7, 2016 in africa 2 comments. Geology and total petroleum systems of the westcentral coastal province 7203, west africa by michael e. A large lowgrade coalfield was found near aranos, at depths of 250 to 300 metres 820 to 980 ft. South america and africa were separated in the region of what is today namibia. The condensate geochemical analysis results from the kudu field in namibia are compared with oils from marine and lacustrine sources in brazil, indicating that the kudu condensates are derived from at least two different source rocks. The nama basin extends for over 350,000 km2 across southern namibia, western botswana and the northwestern tip and southwestern margins of south africa, with extensive outcrops only in. Rock art, in short, prehistoric and historic imagery making, mainly on natural rock surfaces, often accumulated at one specially selected site, even on one particular specific rock art panel. For now, at least, iocs can take a cheap punt on namibia. Both basins are compared to their northern counterparts, for the walvis basin in namibia the kwanza basin of angola, and for the pelotas basin the santos basin of brazil, underexplored. The rocks containing the art work are situated in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain. Physical setting of southern africa southern africa has more rock art sites than any other region in the world over 7, 500 sites recorded in zimbabwe, namibia, botswana, south africa, swaziland and lesotho botswanatsodilo hills whs matsieng south africa drakensburg whs blombos cave namibiaappollo 11 cave brandberg zimbabwematopo hills whs.
The natural resource economy of africa greatly contributes to the buildings and structures constructed on the continent. The gem andalusite is a gemstone composed of lead sulphate giving it a yellowish hew with a light tint of a rusty red color. Ridge exhibit geochemical similarities suggesting that comparable source rock systems are present in both areas. Here you will find the oldest rustred desert in the world, quintessential african landscapes teeming with wildlife, preternaturally blue skies stretching above vast open. Swart, roger, namcor pty ltd, windhoek, namibia recent drilling of exploration wells in namibia has proved that there are two significant cretaceous oilprone source rocks offshore namibia, namely the aptoalbian and the cenomanian. Accordingly, we undertook a geochemical study to determine their possible origins.
Although the waterberg is far from the rupture zone, the tremendous forces at work inside the earth could be felt at the waterberg. The company doing oil exploration in namibia believes that finding oil in namibia is a matter of time. Schists, marbles and a variety of other layered rocks are evident and exposed in the naukluft mountains, the kuiseb and ugab rivers and north of the brandberg west mine. Petroleum source rock is defined as the finegrained sediment with sufficient amount of organic matter, which can generate and release enough hydrocarbons to form a commercial accumulation of oil or gas 1. Global holds an 85% participating interest in two petroleum exploration licences pels in the walvis basin, offshore nw namibia. Previously the southwestern coast of africa had long been regarded as being a gas. Petroleum commissioner at the namibian ministry of mines and energy, she is very aware of the. Its the first thing you learn in a geology class very briefly the three types of rocks are igneous they form from the cooling of magma deep inside the earth. Source rocks are commonly shales and lime mudstones, which contain significant amount of organic matter 2. About us, about namibia about our stones about our people. The tsondab sandstone formation is an example of where these rocks have come down from the mountains to form new landscape below 30 million years ago.
Republic of namibia namibias fourth national development. Resource report for certain assets in offshore namibia and report. Aug 12, 2017 the spitzkoppe or matterhorn of namibia is the highest peak in the group at 5800 feet 1780 meters iand can be spotted and recognized from many miles away. Namibia s varied geology encompasses rocks of archaean to phanerozoic age, thus covering more than 2600 million years of earth history. Namibia s center is occupied by a high escarpment plain. Prospects expected to be close to oil source rock zones. Some distance below the surface the hot magma encountered groundwater, which was immediately flushed into steam. The map and book synthesise the groundwater related data, information and knowledge available in namibia. Both basins, walvis and orange, have good source rocks, in the oil generation window. Kalahari fields buy rocks and minerals from the iconic kmf. Namib sand sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Oil companies that came too late to the east african oil and gas boom dont want to be left behind. Namibia has two trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. Namibia imports all its power station requirements.
Pel0029, which covers 5,810 square kilometres in water depths ranging from 1,200 metres to 3,000 metres, comprises blocks 1910b and 2010a and has been held since 2011. In the northern part of the central plain is the waterberg plateau, a 150 sq. Industries include manufacturing, industrial, and energy, medical and infrastructure development. Exploration offshore namibia has yet to produce results as the expected. The prospectivity modelling highlights the importance of geological and geochemical data sets as predictors of mineralisation, with reactive and brittle host rocks, geology, and nesw and ew faults being particularly important. Characterised by red sand dunes that can reach impressive heights, the namib is considered to be particularly old. Windhoek, the capital and the only city of any size, is located smack dab in the middle of the country. Pdf source rock characterization in frontier basins a. Namibia is an arid, rough land full of contrasts, but still inviting and easy to travel. Namibia is a stable, democratic country, and the government of the republic of namibia is committed to stimulating economic growth and employment through foreign investment. The waterberg was born about million years ago, when the original continent of gondwana broke apart. Tourmalines from the basement are alkalideficient schorldravites, with bisotope. Stretching over 1200mi 2000km, the namib crosses angola, namibia and south africa.
The rock art of southern africa university of texas at. Namibia swa gemstones outjo 2020 all you need to know. Namibias varied geology encompasses rocks of archaean to phanerozoic age, thus covering more than 2600 million years of earth history. Muntingh 1993 described turonian source rocks with tocs as much as. This source rock is most likely source interval for the kudu gas namibia field. Pdf derisking source rock maturity in the luderitz. The area stretches from the east edge of the niger delta south to the walvis. Geology and total petroleum systems of the westcentral. Source rock aspects of the deepwater potential, offshore. Botswana and namibia are two of africas hidden gems, and very much remain frontier realms for intrepid travellers to discover. This book groundwater in namibia and the attached hydrogeological map of namibia at a 1. Cenozoic epigenetic uranium mineralisation occurs in calcretes above basement rocks in the namib desert. Twyfelfontein is situated in the southern kunene region of namibia, an area formerly known as damaraland. Cenomanianturonian oilprone source rocks have been penetrated by wells in the walvis basin.
A petroleum source rock is defined as any rock that has the capability to generate. The rock art of southern africa university of texas at austin. Petroleum source rock is defined as the finegrained sediment with sufficient amount of organic matter, which can generate and release enough hydrocarbons to form a commercial accumulation of oil or gas. With exception of namibia and botswana rock engravingspetroglyphs tend to be common in the interior of southern africa kalahari generally has no rock art because there are no mountains but tsodilo hills innorthwestern botswana is an exceptional and important area. Collecting rocks and minerals can be just for fun or become a passion. It is now some 22 years since namibia gained her political independence, when we became masters of our destiny. The greater fish river canyon landscape stretches from the orange river in the south where it borders onto the richtersveld national park in south africa to the naute recreational resort in the north. The natural resources in africa are used practically in many industries and in many countries every day. Geological events of the past are evident in namibia today. Pdf source rock characterization in frontier basins a global. An underground aquifer on an impermeable layer of shale sustains a spring in this. The landscape encompasses a vast diversity of landscapes, topographic features and habitats. This chapter is proposed to give the principal learning on the application of the formation of petroleum source rocks and hydrocarbon generation to exploration activities.
Namibias center is occupied by a high escarpment plain. As one of the most scarcely populated countries in the world, its not the right place to get lost in the crows. The spitzkoppe or matterhorn of namibia is the highest peak in the group at 5800 feet 1780 meters iand can be spotted and recognized from many miles away. Apart from the discovery of the offshore kudu gas field, exploration intersected oilprone source rocks in boreholes, of merely five wells until 2004. It consists of a spring in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain that receives very little rainfall and has a wide range of diurnal temperatures.
Source rock aspects of the deepwater potential, offshore namibia. Geo expro promising giant new hydrocarbon frontier. But it is a top destination for those who enjoy nature, grandiose landscapes, spectacular sand dunes and firstclass wildlife viewing. Pdf derisking source rock maturity in the luderitz basin using. In the west it borders onto the sperrgebiet national park, thereby creating a vital corridor of land between the aiais and sperrgebiet national parks, and in the east it reaches the top of the. Exploration interest in namibia is likely to continue to grow.
Source rocks are commonly shales and lime mudstones, which contain significant amount of organic matter. Other natural resources for this country include diamonds, fish, salt and hydropower. About half of the countrys surface area is bedrock exposure, while the remainder is covered by cenozoic deposits of the kalahari. The bargain basement when we get lukcy we pass it on.
For over a century, namibia has had a strong mineral foundation, starting with the discovery of. The government of namibia plans to start mining iron ore in the country by. Derisking source rocks and plays, deepwater orange river basin. The namibian and brazilian southern south atlantic. Pdf derisking source rocks and plays, deepwater orange. Namibia botswana caprivi strip 50 caprivi strip angola otjihende steirandberge kaokaland 20. Outcropping karoo strata form distinct landscape features such as the weissrand escarpment in southern namibia or the waterberg plateau, the latter being a well. The geology of the area ranges from relatively young rock formations of the karoo and nama groups 200 and 550 million years old respectively, to rocks of the namaqua metamorphic landscape about 1,200 million years, to some of the oldest rocks known, along the orange river valley, which are over. This study traces the bisotope variations in tourmalines from the basement, from the erongo granite and from its hydrothermal stage. Tourmaline is widespread in metapelites and pegmatites from the neoproterozoic damara belt, which form the basement and potential source rocks of the cretaceous erongo granite. Geology and total petroleum systems of the westcentral coastal province 7203, west africa. Namibia contains mature source rocks and hydrocarbon migration pathways to reservoirs l one prospect and 22 leads in chariots blocks to date four additional prospects created by stacking leads l deep water exploration underexplored with only 3 wells drilled to date in water depths greater than 500m early stages but receiving. Buying into a block in tanzania or mozambique has become very expensive. One of the natural hazards in namibia is the prolonged periods of drought.
This aptian source rock is generally distributed over the deepwater basin. Namibia has metal or metallic resources which include cadmium, copper, gold, lead, lithium, tin, uranium and zinc. For over a century, namibia has had a strong mineral foundation, starting with the discovery of diamonds in 1908. The target reservoir rocks for the orinduik block are sandstones deposited as shelf margin, slope and basin turbidite fans. Since then we have, without exaggeration, reached a number of important milestones in our development. Namibia organic productivity exhausts oxygen at depth sea level is key upwelling anoxic conditions off peru total organic content toc of rocks source rocks evolution of organic matter in source rocks during burial org. Global and regional control on organic matter accumulation. Iocg prospectivity modelling in namibia and zambia using. View all hotels near namibia swa gemstones on tripadvisor. Source rock characterization in frontier basins a global approach article pdf available in first break 3611.
Click the pictures to get full data, click the x to remove the gem from the list. Simultaneously, nearby and, inexplicably to our western minds, equally suitable sites or rock surfaces were ignored. These shelf deposits, made up of algal, stromatolitic and oolitic dolomites and limestones with interspersed shalemudstone horizons, have. Both the reasons to select that specific site or panel and the reasons to ignore the. Natural resources of namibia fortune of africa namibia. The resulting pressure caused the overlying rocks to bulge upwards and form a 400 m high and 10 km wide dome, into which more magma intruded, producing more steam. The namibian and brazilian southern south atlantic petroleum. These geochemical components suggest that the lacustrine and marine source rocks that are extremely prolific in the brazilian margin north of the florianopolis fracture zonerio grande rise and north of the walvis ridge might also occur south of these tectonic elements, in deep water regions offshore namibia. Analysis of the aptian source rocks offshore namibia indicat ing that the presence of type ii. The evaluation of petroleum source rocks and hydrocarbon generation is a very important skill for explorationists to define the location and type of petroleum prospects in a region. Geology windhoek green belt landscape landscapes namibia.
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