f South Atlantic Margin Basin Analysis using a G3 Approach (Geophysical, Geological and Geochemical)

The continental margin basins of Brazil and West Africa share strongly similar tectono-stratigraphic units resulting from their late Jurassic/early Cretaceous proximity. Because of the paleogeographic ties between the South American and the African plates, the oil habitats of the marginal basins of both continents can often be correlated. The tectonic evolution and possible mechanistic causes have been discussed elsewhere (Lehner and De Riuter, 1977; Rabinowitz and La Brecque, 1979; Torquato and Cordani, 1981; Karner and Driscoll, 1997; and references therein). In general, five stages of continental margin basin development can be described (Horn, 1980): the pre-rift intracratonic stage; the continental rift stage; the evaporite stage; the post-evaporite transgressive stage; and the post-evaporite regressive stage.