South Atlantic Margin Rift Basin Asymmetry and Implications for Pre-salt Exploration

The South Atlantic margins of West Africa and Eastern South America can be divided into three distinct tectonic provinces<br>and opening segments: 1) southern Jurassic (Namib/Orange-Pelotas), 2) central Aptian Salt Basin (Walvis/Kwanza-<br>Santos/Campos to Douala-Pernambuco), and 3) equatorial Albo-Cenomanian strike-slip segment (Anambra/Benoué-Potiguar<br>to Liberia-Amapá), each with its own distinct tectonic history. This paper will concentrate primarily on the West African Salt<br>Basin, but employs examples from elsewhere in West and East Africa.