1. An Overview of the Unconventional Petroleum Potential of the Karoo Basins, Onshore South AfricaBy
Sean Bevin Johnson

2. Basin Extent and Geology
200 km
DWYKA + ECCA
BEAUFORT
STORMBERG

3. Cross Section through Karoo Basin
Vryheid Formation
DWYKA
ECCA
BEAUFORT
CAPE
SUPERGROUP
DRAKENSBERG
GROUP
STORMBERG
Molteno Formation
CAPE FOLD BELT
Sea Level
KAROO SUPERGROUP A B

4. Petroleum Potential
Oil Window N
200 km
Gas Prone

5. Coal Bed Methane Potential
Coal Seam Thickness >1.5m
Gas Content - Low Ash
Coal Rank - High Vitrinite
Depth of Burial >200m
Coal Permeability [ md]
SOUTPANSBERG
WATERBERG
SPRINGBOKFLATS N
200 km
MOLTENO

6. Waterberg Aerial Extent ~3,000 km2 40% remaining reserves
Net Coal Thickness ~70m
High Vitrinite
Initial Estimates ~1 Tcf
WATERBERG N
200 km

7. Springbok Flats Aerial Extent ~ 10,000 km2 Thickness ~<1m - 30m
High Vitrinite
Basin is largely untested – Potential
SPRINGBOK
FLATS N
200 km

8. Soutpansberg Aerial Extent ~5,300 km2 Coal erratic and discontinuous
Thickness 2-5m
High Vitrinite
Shallow Depth < 100m
SOUTPANSBERG N
200 km

9. Main Karoo Basin Highveld Coalfields Gaseous Coals
Thickness of seams >1.6m
Depth of Burial > 250m
Low Permeability
HIGHVELD N
200 km
Molteno Coalfield
Two Main seams – Indiwe and Guba
Average Thickness ~1.15m
High Ash Content
MOLTENO

10. Potential for Shale Gas
High C organic content in Shale
Tested flow rate ~1.84 MMscf/d
Prince Albert + Whitehill Fm
Whitehill Fm – Extent ~ km2
17% Organic Carbon
Thickness ~10-80m (ave. 30m) N
200 km
Whitehill Fm

11. Resistivity Profile of Whitehill Fm
(Branch et al., 2007)

12. Explorer Activity

13. Conclusions Molteno Formation Whitehill Formation Dry Gas Stage
Vryheid Formation
DWYKA
ECCA
BEAUFORT
Whitehill Formation
DRAKENSBERG
GROUP
STORMBERG
Molteno Formation
Dry Gas Stage
Oil Stage
CAPE FOLD BELT
CBM
Sea Level
Shale Gas