Geological Structure and Prospects of Oil and Gas Bearing of Mozambique Continental Margin

The principal basins at the Mozambique continental margin are the Mozambique and Rovuma basins, on the passive continental margin with complex tectonic history, following after East African rifting system in the Triassic. Although the first gas fields situated at south-east of Mozambique, at the coastal zone of the Indian Ocean, are appeared yet in 60-teen years of the last century, however only in 2010 with discoveries a number of large gas fields at the north-east of the country, in the deep water of the Indian Ocean, in the Rovuma basin, Mozambique found a new state – big hydrocarbon player in the World. More than 20 gas fields discovered at the last time are located in the deep water regions, on the continental slope of the Indian Ocean at different depths from 468 m till 2610 m. It is noteworthy that the pays of the same age the deeper they are buried under the water column, the greater their volume of hydrocarbon reserves. Similar tendency may help in case of targeted exploration for oil and gas. The prospects of liquid hydrocarbon discoveries are possible in the Madagascar channel behind the Davie upland and in deep water parts at the slopes of the Mozambique continental margin.