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Molecular geochemical evaluation of Late Cretaceous sediments from Chad (Bornu) Basin, NE Nigeria: implications for paleodepositional conditions, source input and thermal maturation

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Abstract

The Late Cretaceous Gongila and Fika formation sediments in the Chad (Bornu) Basin, northeastern Nigeria, were analysed to evaluate their paleodepositional conditions and source input as well as to determine their thermal maturity. These were interpreted based on their molecular composition. The composition and distribution of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, and biomarkers indicate a mixture of marine algal/bacterial and land-derived organic matter source input for the Gongila and Fika formation sediments deposited in marine environment. This is indicated by the abundance of short-chain n-alkanes, low CPI and high concentration of tricyclic terpanes, low C24 tetracyclic/C26 tricyclic, low to moderate hopane/sterane ratios and the relationship between regular sterane compositions. These were probably deposited in environmental conditions which are mainly dysoxic. From the waxiness index and terrigenous/aquatic ratio (TAR), it can be deduced that more terrigenous organic materials were deposited towards the northeastern part of the basin, probably because of their proximity to the Lake Chad. Biomarker maturity parameters such as Ts/(Ts + Tm), C32 22S/(22S + 22R) homohopane, moretane/hopane and 20S/(20S + 20R) and ββ/(ββ + αα) C29 sterane ratios also suggest that the sediments have reached the early to peak stages of hydrocarbon generation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the University of Malaya IPPP Research Grant Nos.

PV016-2012A and PG140-2012B. The authors are grateful to the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the Frontier Exploration Services of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for supplying the samples and data for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Adebanji Kayode Adegoke, Babangida M. Sarki Yandoka & Wan Hasiah Abdullah

  2. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, P.M.B. 5363, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

    Adebanji Kayode Adegoke

  3. National Centre for Petroleum Research and Development, A.T.B.U., Bauchi, Nigeria

    Babangida M. Sarki Yandoka

  4. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Izuchukwu Mike Akaegbobi

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  1. Adebanji Kayode Adegoke
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Correspondence to Adebanji Kayode Adegoke.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Definitions and measurement procedures used in the literature
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Table 5 Peak assignments for alkane hydrocarbons in the gas chromatograms of the saturate fractions (I) in the m/z 191 mass fragmentogram and (II) m/z 217 mass fragmentogram
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Adegoke, A.K., Sarki Yandoka, B.M., Abdullah, W.H. et al. Molecular geochemical evaluation of Late Cretaceous sediments from Chad (Bornu) Basin, NE Nigeria: implications for paleodepositional conditions, source input and thermal maturation. Arab J Geosci 8, 1591–1609 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1341-y

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