SEDIMENTOLOGY AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF IMO SHALE

IN AWKA AND ENVIRONS SOUTH EASTHERN NIGERIA .

BY
UDOUDO EKEMINI FRANCIS
20151014805

PROJECT PRESENTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR

OF TECHNOLOGY (B. TECH) DEGREE IN GEOLOGY
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI

SUPERVISED BY
MR HENRY NKEMAKOLAM ECHETAMA

AUGUST 2021.
INTRODUCTION
 The key to the interpretation of depositional environment using sedimentary
facies is to combine observations made on their spatial relations and
internal characteristics (lithology and sedimentary structures) with
comparative information from other well-studied stratigraphic units and
particularly from studies of modern sedimentary environments (Walker
1979)

 The present work attempts a detailed sedimentological and depositional

environment evaluation of outcrops of the Imo Formation, part of the
Anambra Basin SE Nigeria, this is in the light of increasing exploration
interest in the frontier basins of Nigeria.

 Prospects especially the sedimentary sequences of the Anambra Basin are

expected to provide better options for hydrocarbon prospectivity, based on
implications of thick sediment pile and hydrocarbon seepages observed in
the basin.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The Project is aimed at presenting a better understanding of the
depositional processes and patterns of the Imo Formation using an
integrated field and laboratory study.

The specific objectives of the study include the following:

 Detailed geologic mapping, description of stratigraphic succession of

outcrops in the study area, facies analysis and inferring depositional
environment.

 Grain size analysis of sediments as a descriptive parameter and as an

aid to the interpretation of depositional processes.

 Palynological study to date the Formation and infer the environment

of deposition
LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA
 The location of the study area is Awka south in Anambra in State of
South Eastern Nigeria. Awka is located on latitude 60 25N and
longitude 70 E (Fig 1.1).

Fig 1.1. Location, accessibility and topographic map of the study

area (Modified after NGSA, 2004)
LITERATURE REVIEW
 The Anambra basin like other sedimentary basins in
Nigeria has been studied by a lot of workers whose
findings have either been revisited of corroborated by
others.

 These investigators have not only differentiated the

stratigraphic units but have gone as far as inferring the
paleodepositional environments of the tectono-
stratigraphic sequences in the basin (Adegoke,1969;
Agagu et al,1985;Amajor, 1987; Anyanwu et al.,1990;
Onyekuru et al, 2015., Burke et al.,1972; Hoque,1977;
Kogbe,1976; Murat,1972; Nwajide,1979; Obi, 2000;
Oboh-Ikuenobe et al., 2005; etc. )
 GEOLOGIC SETTING
Table 2.1: Stratigraphic correlation of early cretaceous
– Paleocene strata in southeastern Nigeria (Modified
after Nwajide 1990)

Ma Age Anambra Basin Afikpo Basin

30 Oligocene Ogwashi – Asaba Ogwashi- Asaba
Formation
54.9 Eocene Ameki FM / Nanka Ameki
FM/Nsugbe SST Formation
(Ameki Group)
65.0 Paleocene Imo Formation/ Imo Formation/
Nsukka Formation Nsukka
Formation
73.0 Masstrichtian Ajali Formation/ Ajali Formation/
Mamu Mamu
Formation/Nsuka Formation
83.0 Campanian Owelli/Enugu/Nkporo Nkporo shale
Formation /Afikpo Shale
87.5 Santonian Nkporo Formation Nkporo Shale
/Afikpo SST
88.5 Coniacian Agbani Non
Sandstone/Agwu shale depositional
93.0 Turonian Eze – Aku, Formation Eze – Aku
Formation
100.0 Cenomanian Asu – River Group Asu – River
Group
119.0 Albian Asu – River Group Asu – River
group
Fig 2. Geologic map of the study area (Modified after 12/4.0 Aptian Unclassified/Unnamed units
NGSA, 2004) Barremian
Hauterivian
precambriam Basement complex
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Field Study:
Outcrop Description and sample collection

Laboratory Studies
 Facies Analysis
 Grain size analysis

(Univariate, Bivariate analysis)

Biostratigraphic analysis
(Foraminiferal and Palynological Analysis)
 RESULTS
Description of Outcrop Sections
Thickness
Thickness Lithology Description Facies
(m)
(m) Lithology Description Facies
3.0 3.5
Fine grained planar laminated
Claystone
Claystone sanstone
3.0 PLSF Sandstone
Sandstone
2.5 Ripple lamination
Cross bed

Lenticular bedded heterolithic 2.5

sandstone with mega ripple erosional HSF
2.0 basal surface
Fine grained ripple laminated RLSF
heterolithic lenticular bedded
2.0 sandstone

1.5
Medium to coarse grained planar
cross bedded sandstone
CSF 1.5

1.0 Covered Section

1.0
Fine grained, yellowish brown, ripple
laminated and ferruginous clayey
sandstone with carbonaceous RLSF HF
0.5 materials capping it 0.5 Lenticular bedded heterolithic
sandstone
Claystone with very fine grained CF
sandstone intercalations
0 0
cl si f m c vc p cl si f m c vc p

Litholog of section at Ugwuogba I Litholog of section at Ugwuogba II

Thickness Thickness
(m) Lithology Description Facies (m) Lithology Description Facies
3.0 4.5
V.Fine grained clayey ripple Dark grey highly carbonaceous
RLSF
laminated sanstone shale
Claystone 4.0 MDSH
Sandstone Shale
2.5
Ripple lamination Fossil
3.5
Heterolithic sandstone/mudstone
HF
2.0 3.0 MAF

Coarse grained sandstone with Light grey-greenish inpure

hardpan ripple surface limestone (marl)
2.5
1.5

2.0
RSF
1.5 Light grey flaggy to blocky shale
1.0

Medium grained ripple laminated Light grey flaggy fissile shale

1.0 MDSH
sandstone Light grey platy silty shale
0.5
0.5
Fossiferous Grey Shale
MDSH
Grey fissile Shale/mudstone
0 0
cl si f m c vc p cl si f m c vc p

. Litholog of section at Isiagu

Litholog of outcrop section at Mbaukwu
FACIES ANALYSIS
Based on lithology, available sedimentary structures,
fossil content Seven facies were identified and described
namely:
 Claystone facies (CF)
 Ripple laminated sandstone facies (RLSF)
 Planar laminated sandstone facies (PLSF)
 Planar cross bedded sandstone facies (CSF)
 Heterolithic facies (HF)
 Mudstone/Shale facies (MDSH)
 Marl facies (MAF)
 Mega Ripple depicted by the dark Cross bedded sandstone facies
Claystone facies at Ugwuogba outline at Ugwuogba

Heterolithic facies at Ugwuogba Plane laminated facies with observed Mudstone/Shale facies showing fissility
mud drapes and dark carbonaceous imprints
 RESULT OF GRAINSIZE ANALYSIS
Pebbles Coarse sand Grain
Medium sand Size (phi)
Fine sand Silt and Clay

99.99
GRAINSIZE ANALYSIS TABLE SA 4A
SA 4A Wt of
Sample 200

99.98 99.9
Sieve size Sieve size Wt corrected Cumm Cumm ind wt
(mm) (Phi) Retained wt wt wt %
2.36 -1.20 0.3 0.30 0.30 0.15 0.15

99
2 -1.00 0.6 0.60 0.90 0.45 0.30

98
1.18 -0.25 7.4 7.45 8.35 4.18 3.73

95
0.85 0.30 17.9 18.01 26.36 13.18 9.00
0.6 0.85 33.8 34.01 60.37 30.19 17.01

90
0.425 1.30 37.8 38.03 98.40 49.20 19.01

80
0.3 1.85 89.2 89.75 188.15 94.08 44.88

Cumulative Weight (%)

0.15 2.80 10.5 10.56 198.71 99.36 5.28

40 50 60 70
0.125 3.00 1 1.01 199.72 99.86 0.50
0.075 3.80 0.1 0.10 199.82 99.91 0.05
0.063 4.00 0.01 0.01 199.83 99.92 0.01

30
PAN 5.00 0.17 0.17 200.00 100.00 0.08

20
198.78

10
PERCENTILES

5
Sample 5 16 25 50 75 84 95
ID

2
50
45

SA 4A -0.2 0.3 0.7 1.3 1.5 1.6 2 40

0.5 1
35

SA 4B -2.7 -2 -0.2 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6

30

Individual Wt
25
20

0.01 0.05 0.1 0.2

SA 4C 0.3 0.8 1 1.3 1.6 1.7 2 15
10
5

SA 4D -0.3 0.3 0.6 1.2 1.5 1.7 3 0

-1 -0.2 0.4 0.7 1.8 2.7 3.5 4 5

Grain size (phi)

SA 5C 0.4 1 1.3 1.5 1.8 2 2.5
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
SA 5D 0.1 -.6 0.85 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 Grain Size (phi)
SA 5E -1.2 -0.3 0.3 1.2 1.8 2.4 3.2
REPRESENTATIVECUMMULATIVE FREQ
CURVE
UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS

Table 2: Calculated grainsize variables

Sample ID Mean Kurtosis Sorting Skewness Interpretation
SA 4A Medium grained, leptokurtic, moderately
0.658 sorted, fine skewed
1.07 1.13 0.23
SA 4B Coarse grained,leptokurtic, poorly sorted,
1.502
0.07 1.26 0.18 fine skewed
SA 4C Coarse grained, leptokurtic, well sorted,
0.483
0.89 1.16 0.44 fine skewed
SA 4D Coarse grained, leptokurtic, moderately
0.85 sorted, fine skewed
0.69 1.50 0.36
SA 5C Medium grained, very leptokutic,
0.568 moderately sorted, strongly fine skewed
1.06 1.72 0.50
SA 5D Coarse grained, leptokurtic, moderately
0.888 sorted, strongly fine skewed
0.47 1.04 0.17
SA 5E Coarse, leptokurtic, poorly sorted, fine
1.342
0.57 1.20 0.44 skewed
BIVARIATE ANALYSIS
0.2

0.1
RIVER
0
Bivariate plot of Skewness versus
SKEWNESS

-0.1 Sorting for sandstone samples

-0.2 BEACH (After Friedman, 1967)
-0.3

-0.4

-0.5
0 .2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
SORTING

1.4

1.2

0.8 RIVER Bivariate plot of Mean versus Sorting

MEAN

for samples (After Moiola and Weiser,

0.6
BEACH 1968)
0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

SORTING
RESULT OF BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
 Result of foraminiferal analysis showed that all the samples were
barren and therefore non diagnostic.
 The result of palynological analysis of the outcrop samples yielded
practically no palynomorph except for two samples that yielded
only few fungal spores and sporomorphs
Table 3. Palynomorph count

Sample ID Palynomorphs
Ugwuogba II Fungal spore Fusiformisporites sp Laevigatosporites sp
Sample 5A 3 1 1
1

Laevigatosporites sp Fusiformisporites sp

Palynomorphs recovered in the study area

DISCUSSION
Depositional Environment
 Depositional sedimentary environments is a geomorphic unit representing the place
of deposition which is characterized by some unique set of physical, chemical and
biological processes

 The planar cross bedded sandstone facies was tidally influenced fluvial deposits.
(Hettinger, 1995).The high energy condition typical of this environmental setting is
reflected by the erosional mega ripple surface marking the top of the facies at
Ugwuogba.

 The Heterolithic facies (HF) is typical of estuarine bay and fill delta facies. It is
essentially heterolithic and composed of moderately sorted, ripple laminated
sandstone and claystone. The alternations reflects frequent energy fluctuation
consistent with subtidal and intertidal setting (Prothero and Seluras, 1996).

 The claystone however is most probably kaolinitic in composition. It is suggested to

be lagoonal in origin. The presence of sandy lenticular clays in association is
indicative of a low energy setting such as in a tidally-influenced estuary (Allen,
1993, Oboh-Ikuonebo et al 2005).
 The three main types of heterolithic bedding observed in the study
area are flaser, wavy, and lenticular. Differentiating of these various
types of heterolithic bedding is based on the relative volume of mud
and sand. This key determining factor is controlled by the timing, and
duration of both the high tide, and slack tide depositional periods.
(Reineck and Wundelich, 1968., Davis, 1985).

 The dark grey Mudstone/Shale facies is interpreted as estuarine

central basin facies. The preservation of primary lamination suggest
anoxic environment devoid of mud-eating bottom dwellers
(Maynard, 1983).

 The Marl facies is interpreted as a carbonate-rich mud

or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and silt.,
typically 35–65% clay and 65–35% carbonate (Blatt and Tracy,
1996). Their composition suggest continental influence which
disrupted the formation of limestone (Pettijohn, 1978)
Hydrodynamic Condition
 The sediments has skewness in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 implying
a dominance of grain size in the fine sand class typical of
saltation population. Sediments in this study area falls within the
sorting range of well sorted to poorly sorted typical of fluvially
influenced estuarine environment. (Boggs, 2006., Friedman,
1964)

 An inspection of the cumulative curves of the studied sample

showed that most of the samples are clustered around the
traction and saltation population Visher, 1969)..

 Friedman’s (1967) and Moiola and Weiser, (1968)

discrimination diagram for differentiating sediments of Beach or
Fluvial (River) origin showed that the sandstone sediments are
fluvially dominated.
Age Determination
 The studied samples yielded palynomorphs indicative of
marshy/swampy environment (Jasonius and McGregor,
1996., Jardine and Margloire, 1965).

 The age however, cannot be inferred due to lack of age

diagnostic index forms hence it is assigned
indeterminate/ undiagnostic in age
CONCLUSION
 The Imo Formation outcropped at Ugwuogba, Isiagu and
Mbaukwu in Awka South and environs were evaluated from
an integrated field, sedimentologic and biostratigraphic
methods. The study showed that recognized facies was
deposited in a fluvially influenced shallow marine estuarine
environment.

 The sediments are medium to coarse grained, well to poorly

sorted, fine skewed and mesokurtic to very leptokurtic with
sediment population dominated by saltation population.

 Paleontological study yielded only few fungal spores and a

spore indicative of marshy/swampy environment
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