The Taoudeni is the largest sedimentary basin in Northwest Africa, formed during the
Middle to
Late Proterozoic. It continued to subside until the
Middle Paleozoic, when
Hercynian deformation and uplift occurred. It contains up to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) of Late
Precambrian and Paleozoic sediments. Exploratory drilling since the 1980s has found indications of petroleum in the Late Precambrian,
Silurian and Late
Devonian formations.[3]
Sediments are thicker in the western half of the basin.[4]
Petroleum geology
The government of Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, is eager to create an oil industry.[5] Companies that have been exploring in the area include Baraka Petroleum,
Sonatrach,
Eni,
Total S.A.,
Woodside and
CNPC.[6]
However, the remote location and harsh environment of the
Sahara Desert would make extraction expensive.[7]
^"Taoudeni Basin Overview". Baraka Petroleum. Archived from
the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-14. Baraka Petroleum is bankrupt and the website does not exist any more. The exploration assets are now (2012) in the hands of Eni Group, Woodsite and Sonatrach.