Oil in Uganda

CONTENTS
1

History of Explomtion

ceologyStratigraphy

t7

Oil and Gas Indications

22

ceophysical Surveys

25

Summary aad Conclusions

27

Acknowledgmerts

29

Bibliogmphy

29

Appendices-

LII . .
Figules1 ..

2
3
4
5
.J..

_.

Earl$ Mineral Oil Concessions

31

List of Oil atrd Gas Indications (after \V.yland)

32

Sketch Map of Part ofthe Western Rift Depressioq East Africa.

Kibuku Area, Toro.

.. Kibiro Eutiaba Area, Bunyoro.

.. Glavitr. Anomaly, Western Rift Depression.
.. Boreholes in the Kibiro-Butiaba Area.
Boreholes in the Kibuku Area.

SKETCH MAP
OF
PART OF THE WESTERN
RIFT DEPRESSION

EAST AFRICA

t-_1L,rr

!"doldid., di6G

-',J.'",,',.,^,.-".",.:

'r-k,

sonne (lq49J, Ii11lc m(r,1ior'

rn orrh inso{ar as it bears
Upard'a .ide ol rhc bord, r

i" madr olorl ros:hilili's'

(]" t""

ancl

it"
'ti'ip'loi"n 'i

I'i' ttorl ti'l

be referrcd

e'ut"sil.al fir'ding' nn thc

' rrrr,]l't1,';1,;,
,:rcd in rh. s.dr,l, fo- oil. The 1ir"r. and ar
i'to -aln 'rca' h'v'.be(n ro(.,rrr\.,t,s(i,.tr",ivrijr"j-i,,
shorco ol LaLc AIL'ert
rhe rim< rhe mo.r t-,..rnrs,rc
"r,t"-.".,"r"iqz!. The s,cond area
on rhe nits soun or
*it*i.,?; iiili',il.,",",.;r ii"*""io'iu"a
fil,ll}llii.ii:
in F'gurrs 2 and
t'ptr.r'rlv
.,"J
Alberl. 'l hc.'e !r'as.r'c orcirl(o orr r ;'''''ll

Llkc

rr

HISTORY OF EXPLORATION

(N

I-lARnIS)

Thc errly hi'ror]' of ec'rogi' :r' :Y :.il'^l Li',:f:,f,k.\Ci,';1.'ili 'ytill:],.il1 :i

rh. oranrins of oit uonrc.-,o-s ," """ii;],;;.";;tiif,.j';i lo)s i*i..,nd cdirio.,,
JL/ i
tftft" sercr;l parLics rho lrcclmr
l lsa;da". M.rr. Nu. 1. G.',1.
'
lglut and unlorlur,rt(l) "ot* o't "'"'"'":
regardrne thtir
rnldrcrled arE lisrcd rn Appcnorr -i'tl'''55.rr*t
"iih
rhe
'nrot-.,rio"
::'li''t uplion Jhq ct'a' o\:r shich
conuessions \\i1h thc 'lieprron '
crr"tellinc
i;;fit;fu ro bc unJ' rlainty
\ariou' concc"'ions \, r( h' ld harc "';';: ;;l;i
Prc-ciml-'rion
i"i;-t"tt
t'ppo-.d
oi
rocks relerred to thc Basemcnt t " "li'l''
lr i- nnr surDrtsrns'
,-tiir" agr sLr(h aq rlre ltr'"vo-' uhcial Scriein Ugrrrde

"l'1"^.ir'i'
therciorc,thatnothingca'neot.thes'l":i"lr"ii,>i"""'l'iploi'"1't"oil
'w;;i;;j,t \u,k. as ,((ordcd I .ii,.l:1",,Y]l;"1n"*i,"oT,l"iiiio"i.o,:'/"1;';
Hc c'"rabli.hed rhe 12cr .thrt itl,
,".r1 ,fr" B:rsrmenr- Cor"rpl,r
-""l"-ii"ii.
"i
iijii"-ir''"'
lr",:;lii
,:i
i"":l:
lil':il1'i*'i"',,:';""1:::l:";:"
KIscgr i
rhc :"gri:"li?
'ii' ;a, J inro l(i"cgi Kri'" rrd EDi l(ai'u U'dsr"",.r
hcr'cc
iiiI"f,t""f."
screr'ryp' and
o'
-"r'h"llo"Kr"'si
"'Iit'"i
rrcogniscd ,ls r'rrng oro ii"i+I'ii'
$.r(
Uids round thc
if'"
"traL.
ol hcsh\talcr origin; hc o'"o'"'"a
and gas
ttut'''"zo''i" '"t'' '"i 'tt" s'clsgc of lighr oil
rh'
ol
norrhern tern'ination
'ii;r.',r, rr. s"mr;r';,v1ir"1r
"''t." r*

fililf,:ii

;,,
Kibiro and the fas emanallons at lJ'
l"'i xru;i-" ol,tl.,,-, "-,,1.":"' l;'.',,,'l'.1;::,9,"8

i;i'ih:,; ;i

;i1,,'l&t.?',.n'""i{[fl

"1ii',ii:,ii.l'ifi"|'Jili:

c"urd
i"ple'^pi';.. rc'rLrr'" ir-rh-e,nrtirl-at
lll i:Jililit"Jt::"1,1'J'li.Til'l'i,.'
\Va(i
parricular'
i"
d'
:rr
as lhe r.d'clron ot unot"tt'nd
rcsarded

riii ")"r""

;'-".Yill

'-ids'

be

"trutiu|c
r-,,'.""n, e^,,;:"1",,1;J*ll:.",U:;';]..,.t"'.!,;::,'ii!nl"",iJ1,,

;'';''Jil':r",*i: I il n;:liiiil':l'.:l;^:'![jil;:."',]:'fl:-l';
deic'i1'tion' or thc'e ar'

ff:',-:::iL fr:i;::lJ';l'Er'l-i,',"''r."^iiii,l,
lT Iote'hcr \\rth t';m;fl.:i
,'r." ,"*..ti"," seclions in rhis pro'r and in.AppcnJix
ai',iiil"Xli,'il"iji"o
or r n"'t<;rl,*u

"na

Kil-iro o'( urr(nm

ro corrobor;r. some or
K':hur'u oir seerasr

wllril::: H:i'T;:l ,:"':,'"1i.,::',li"t';;l' .-i.,i;'"i i"'i'" ':he

3

lri. scr-prrard dips in,rhr Kai-o..cctirncrrrs zrc no,r rcga-dcd as being

1l:-:::1".d:
marnlJ' ol d, posrlrunal or'rgrrr. arrd hi. c6n1-n11o,, rrr:r surlacc rupographiral Ierrurcl
arc the reflcction ol rnderground srructure has becn disprovJd 'b)'1"r", a;ih;,
particularly in the Wahi Hili area.

urrculated among
.1 rras lidcll
Y:-o], No.
.commercial firms and one of these,
-,
llre,ALgIo
f(rsre
Url ( ornp-ny Ia. il \\as rlr(r.
lnorrr,.; suLrmirre6l in jQZO an
apprcdlton lor lh. g-ar,t ot ,\.tu:r!c gr.t. to (\pl^rc, prospecl a-d min< for oil
.n..tLc orca. _A snnior L:,ologi.r. B. K. \. \ jlli": ur"
craminc thc Lakc
",n,',o
Alb_ert arta durmg 192E, but on consideration of his report,
rvhich is not availablc
in llgzndl, the Conrpanl npp;rtrtly came to the concllsion that at ihai time thev
had nrsufh.re,rr inlorn-,rlion lo ju..r.l). {,rrrh. I op, r.rliuns. Th, y *ern taccd u iri
the chor(-r bLt\\c(rr r\lc.,,i\c ,\ploraror) drilling and prrl;m;n:ry geophlsical \!.ork
1o elunrnxre,lhc mo'u sprcrrl.rr-r'c elcmc-r. in rhi ur"L,l.m. parri"uiarii i,irh r.gard
lo, rlr( dcplh .and lorarior ol pc."ihr.-. oil_b<arir,g hor:zoni. Thc d,n,lrrn) ,,".
rel rltalt tu rdopt elthcr altcrnarivc and suggcstcd- that they should share thi cost
ol dnilrng a numLer ul "hallo\\ ho'chniL" \irh plarr a'rcad1 irt rhe pnssr..ion of
the Governincnt- This u-as
lot :rcccprable a,,J thc C,mpaiy with,fri\^- it;;;pi_
c:tion irr joJO \'or. suL*q.crrrr1.. i^as ir tuu,d pns.ibic lur rhe Ctnprrrl'aud
Uovcrrrr elll 1o Lnde Jkc p l.r.lll\ hnanc<d peophvsi..l i:cismict s n, v
Altcr _rh, rritLd'arr.rl or rhc Antlo P.rsiin Oil Cumpr n1, rrlq ap'pl,caLions Ior
prospecljng rrd mrning rigt't5 i'"r o'1 rrom t.rsr Alrican iirer""rs riqrc made bur
nol lalun Lrp. ln .lrlj6. lh< Alricrn and Eurupfan In-\cclmenr Comprny ol
Joharnrsburg applitd {nr an .}. Iusiv( plospecline lic.nce Jor perrol.r,m; ihi- srs
granted or.r an arce ol I..184, -gurrc.milcs ut rhc flars in rhe hlb"n RiiL in 19J7,
and arr_arex ot_1.1q0 square nriles rvithin the lalie itself rvas added in 193g. Follorving
lrom Wayland's conrcnt;on thrt Naki Ilill near Butiaba overlies an anticline a?
depth. the Compcny starteJ olrt by trying to locate the presumed structure in this

alea.

As tlrc ButieLa flats arc covcred by reccnr l:rkc a.ld rerresrrirl clepo"irs, no
of subsurfacc structule iD ihe Krisu Bcds rs obtainablc a't
A portahle, drill sas tmpJolcd ro drill test-holes several hundred fcet deep
"r.frce.
and,
by a colrelation of thE strrrr clcountcred in these test-holcs, to r,orl< out the
subsurface structure. (S?e ligure 3)
.. fir.tly. r linc ot si', resr-holcs rrias drillcd lrom rlre loor o[ the scarp rasr of Wahi
indication

IIill in a \{N\ direction rorlards Butial'a. Thesr covcred a distancJ of i,\o miles.
It wa" apparent ar.nue llrar \'hile the.beLl cncounrercd t,.r" -oarll claye, sand*
..ti;g Sand.'
and :ardy clays. there is a r\ick bod-1 ol,- prre sand. rhc so-callcd
Horizon, rhrtTras rrcognLcLle in ajl tho holc" and l,r.nrd a good ba-i" lor cor_
relalron. lr rpt1l- ol lhe la(i that lauu.lrine sand dtposits arc marhedll lenricular,

lne Lompan) s gcoloerst nrrrrpr(rcd tlt. top oI the ,.Big Srnd' as an rrrricline oitcctonrc.orgin, the er,is of rrhich ran near No. 3 test_hole, half_a_mile on the laketvard .ide ol WaLi Hill a-d ?boLr a milr fro-n rh, .uor ot rh. ...arpm.nr. ihc
lakervard dip betrveen holcs Nos. 3 and 6 is 16U fcct p., rnil", ui rlr6ui Z., Ei,r"
more lrnr-hol,s tNos. 7 ro lll rrcrc drilled noflh znd sourh of tcsr_l-ole No. 3 to
detcrmrne the plr.ngc of rhe aris ul tho ''rnticlile and rheropof thc Wal,i slr.rcturl.
I hrs uas lound lo bc n.ar test-holc No. 8.

Structure contours draNn on the top of the "Big Sand" Horizol indicated that
the axis of the dome is parallel to thc cscarpment, the closure being 85 feet and the
closed area occupying about ,150 acrcs in cxtent. The site for the first decp rvcll
(B1) rvas located near test-hole No. 8 and s'as 1,280 yards WSW from thc top of
\\raki Hill and 2,200 yards from the foot of the escarpment.
Since thc axis of the Waki "structure" does lot correspond t-ith thc topographic
high of Waki l-lill, they probably have no connection lr'ith each other and the latter
has merely bccn forncd by thc denudation of a vallcy running parallel to the
escarpment belorv Bukumi.
The line of test-holes to$ards Butiaba u,as thcn continued, seven holes (Nos. 12
to 18) being spread ovcr thc remaining nvo miles. No. 17 \vas actually near the end
ol the Butiaba sand-spit. Thc averaBe depth oI trienq test-holes \as 366 fect.
No sign of oil or gas \\'as found in anv of thcm. Three holes 1Nos. 16, 17 and 18)
were drilled at Butiaba to see if any lault or other disturbance of the strata occurs
there which could accoult for thc manifcstations of gas and oil seen jn the wate.
near the jett.v. No. 17 \,as driilcd to 632 fect. Thc strata could be correlated from
hole to hole and no abnormality rras fouDd.
Borehole 81 rvas drilled to 4,0,13 feet. It found thc "Big Sand" Hodzon frorn
70 to about 240 fect, I{aiso I(iscgi Beds to 3.320 {cct undcrlain by a formation rvith
oil-shales thought to be probably of Xlioccne age, and the borehole reached
crystalline basement at ,1,008 feet. At abo\rt 3,850 feet, a sand u,ith traces of
asphaltic oil \iias encountered, but no frce oil rvas found.
The infolmation furnished by this \\'ell was most valuable for future guidance.
The thickness of the sedimeni:rry bcds (4,008 feet) rvas more than ixpected,
indicating a dou,nthrorv of the rift flrult of about 6,000 feet. I'he presence of oilshale lyas quite unexpectcd. It pointed to the source of the oil seepagcs known in
the Albert Rift VzJley in the samc rray as the oil-shales of thc Lothians supply the
free oil found in the coal miles xnd $,e11s round Edinburgh. A fu her similarit.v
in the t$,o districts is the fact that both oil-shale sedcs occur in fresh$'ater beds.
Natural heat, e.g. supplied by undcrground volcanic intrusions, is required to liberate
free oil from the oil-shales, and thc fact that thc Waki boreholc u,as devoid of oil
indicates that no such undergrourd sourcc of heat cxists in that area. The
rempercture of the strata tlrillcd through at vaious depths was taken, and the
rempFrarure rr 4.000 feet \'2s or,i)'51'c (122'F), a rcrl small incrcasc in temprralure pcr foot oi depLh and quiI. inadcquetc ro di.til any oil-shaln.
The failure of this *.c11 to show any liquid oil, or even high gas pressure, suggested
that future sites should be chosen under conditions difrerent from those near Waki
Butiaha Port and Kibiro. The former has
Hill. Trvo arcas suggested thenseh,cs:
gas emanations and oil in the .ll,ater ncar the jetty, but the test-holes there shou.ed
ahat therc is no faulting of the strata such as u'ould h|ing an oiJ-bearing bed near
to surface or a{ford an uplvard passage for gxs under pressure to reach the surface
that lrom 201 to 632 fect rhcrc is an
from dcpth: furth.r. holc No. l7
clays rvithout a trace of oil in them, through
unbroken series of tough shalrs and"hor,.d
rvhich gas and oil could not penctrate from belorv exccpt under very high pressure.
Thcrefore, it rvas considered that the maDifestations of gas and oil in the water were

dcrited lrom the beds of lignitc and carbonaccous clay rvhich rere Iound from
abour J0 ro 60 f,tr dcprh jr r,rL-holcs No.. I0 Jnd t8.
The case foI the Kibiro aree is thar thetc js an oil s3nd outcrop and:r series of
hot saline springs near the foot of rhe escalpm(nt. As the fartuie of lVc1l 81 to
produce oil \1as considcrccl to be due to the absclcc of anv natural heat to distil
thc o:l-sh.l.. rhc prcs...r ot rl r.c hut sprirE- en.ouraped rire I,cliel that iher<
\rnuld Lc nr ur.l hoat cntl<-gr,,und ar l(ib..n. Jh, pr.,."nic or rlr. o:l-s-nd oJlcrop
indicare- Ll-rr surh di'r:llarior' hr. rrrurlll lat(n L,l;r. rl.,re i-om ncar[,v oil_,hall.
Therefore, therc \\'as no doubt as to llrich Joc;litl olTrred thc bettrr ihances for
llrc nc\r lest,
Thc oil-.and oulcrof u(cur. agrinsr Lhc .s,,rrprncnt, lsu rnd. hzll milcs nuflhcasr nf J(jbrro rillagr. Ii rs \isrblc fur aboul lU0 r,.rd.. L oc, u-o on the Lop ol
a gentlc anticline, the iiris of Nhich runs our inro rh"c lalir rt riqhr anclcs to the-linc
of the cscarpment. Thc dip of thc flantis is 7'. 'I his drp is supErimpo"scd on a much
iarger dip (24') of the strata towards thc lale. '1l,c impregnared'sa:rd was found
be 10 l(!r.rl,i.k. Tho r,il 5
Ula.k and lcry hniryidue ro rL(.vaporari,,'o aIl rhe l;ght conslilucrr... { Apfendi\
""01,n1r;". llJ.
of
A series of ten test-holes rlas drillcd for about threc miles aiong the shore northeast and south-wcst of the oil-sand outcrop, the ttvo southerndost ones be;ng in
Kibiro rillage n,pr ll.( ,alr springs. No o:i or trs \a! lound in an\ ot rhe hilcs
except I(4 and K4a thich rvcre located 280 vaids from thc oil-sani outcrop. A
small quantity of a ve-ry hcavy asphaltic oil sai rccorerrd. It is trapped againit the
Basemcnr Complcx. lr r,rs,,r,id_<-rd rh2t it mighr br tound in a lirnilai posirion
fbr sorne distance on cithcr sidc of the scepage, and that if tirc Basemelt iomplex
of,the iift fault were struck dceper clorvn, rhe;il shnuld br of e higher quality. '
'fhe site for boreholc K1 \ias therefole selected near holc K6, i.e. on ihe upthrorv
sidc of the fault discovcred betleen holes It5 and 1{6, near the highcst poini ofthe
structure. -l his is 1.b50 lrrds irom rhe main K:biro Hor Sprine,),t30'rardo from
thc oil :e(pegc rnd I.292 fcur lrom rhe foor ol rhe cscalpmcnr. lr rrai.srimared
that the. Bisemcnt Complrr lould be encountered io thii locality at about 2,000
fccr. and il oil rr.rc to L,r rounJ herc an erca of sqreral miles alonc rhn
flrrs
"hore
ar Il-c foor oI rhc cscrrpm.'rt r'uuld be provcd tor rr oilficld.
Borchole I{1 llas drilled tr: 2,245 feet. The BisEment Complex \\,as struck at
2,238 fcet. It is an cxtremelv brecciated hard quartzJtic rocl wrth patches of
comptnretl cru-hnd ,o,l rm)tonir.r. ,".1 ;b'i;;Jr';;;; r-,""ir,. .iri flutr planc.
It is chemicrlly akereJ, but not u.eathcred, ther;by difiering from the Basiment
Complex found ar the botom oi horehole 81. From a consid"eration of the depths
at u,hich test-hole K4a and \ ell K1 encounrered thc Basement Complex, ani of
th-eir- rcspective distance-s from thc foot of the escarpment, the incliriation of the
rift fault in this area is 65'.
Thc strata in this nell are much morc sandy than those in Well 81. drre to
proximirl to thc old .lro-c.linc. and a dcrailed iompari"on b"rucnn rh. rr.o uells
is impossible. No red-broun shale, such as.occur.red in thc Upper l(iscgi in 81,
or oil:shal,s arc nrescn, ,1 Kibiro. 'fh. dip of the shale in Kl'is 20" at 7J5 ftet
and 30'at 1,054 feet and 1,155 feel.

There rvas no trace of oil or gas in the rl,ell: cvidcntly the oil found near the
seepage has not migrated laterally along thc rih fault plane as far as Well
K1. Had any so migrated, traccs of it rouLd ha\e I)eLn apparsrt in the porous sands
urnrlrirg the Ba.nnlnr Corpler. i.,. Irorn 2.11j r,,2.211 le,r.
Thc tcmperature oI thc strata it Well K1 uas takel at 1,900 feet and was found
to be 51'C, r'hich is 16'lTigher than that fouid in \Vell 81 at the same depth, aDd
considerably higher than the averagc- 'Ihe reason for this is that the area is one of
subterrancan heat, as evidcnced by the hot springs. The oii irt testioles K,[ and
K4a is assumcd to dcpcnd for its cxistencc ol the presence of oil-shales l,hich have
becn subjected to local hcating; the abscncc of oil-shales in \lrell I{1 is probably
sulfici, nl .xplan.rtion for th, r.l'.".rcc ol oil. s c, c locil h.rr i\ pres(nl.
'It thcrefore sccmcd that rhc only hopc of ol.taiLrine oil in the Kibiro area rvas
to drill quite nerr lh,: oil seepage. A location for a deep relJ, I{2, rvas therefore
made 960 yards south-u,cst of thc scepagc and 77il fcct from the foot of the
escarpment. It \\,as on thc Butiaba sicle of thc fxult found betwecn test-holes K5
and K6 so that it 1\'ould bc unafitctcd b,v any advcrsc influcncc of the fault on the
migration of thc oil. lt rl,as caicul:rted thxt thc Bssclncnt Complex s,ould be
.n...unt.r,d ar .rbout I,ljr-l l 't. z
"\ <l ^-S,
Wcll K2 r.as drilled to 870 feet. It struck the lJasemeot Complex at 855 feet.
The complex is similar to that lbund at the bottom of K1, i.e. a vcry brcpciated
quarlzqle !9!L-ah9!4lsq!lJ dterqd brlt qor-rle3lhcred. 'fhcrc is-no d6[bt lEai-itca-me from the rift fault plane. Tire sed;mentary bcds above the Basement Complex
are almost cntirely soft sands. As in \\rell I{1, no oil sands arc present. Details of
Wells 81, K1 and K2 arc recorded in Figure 5.
There rvcrc no signs of oil or gas in the l\eil from top to bottom. Thus, the
expectation that thc sands lf ing above the Basernent Complex rvould be impregnated
*ith oiJ, as they \a*ere found to bc in test-hole K4a, s,as not fulfilled. The fact that
thc ojl is thus restricted to the sands on either sidc of the seepage (borehole I(4a
is 280 yards from the secoage and Iil is 960 ,\rards from it) proves that there is but
little oil in the area and that it is undcr very smail pressure. Other$,ise, it would
have migrated laterallv along rhe fi fauit planc for a long distance. It \\'as expected
to havE (ravelled al 'casr.s far is I(1.
As mentioned above, the axis of the little anticline on rvhich the Kibiro oil
seepage occurs runs out into the lake at right angles to the escarpment; it may be
that an accumulation of oil rvill be found on the line of this :rris in the lake. At
a distance of 150 or 200 yards, the Basement Complex should bc encountered at
about 1,200 feet. But the abscncc of gas prcssure in test-hole I(4a and the presence
of connatc u.atcr in the oil does not indicate that the cost of such an undertaking
uould bc justified by the prospects.
The Company had norv drilled three wells rvhich tested two areas eleven miles
aparr and tNo diffcrent typcs of possibly oi1-bearing structure, i.e. a "dome" in the
plains some distance from thc cdge of the rift, and the sedirnentary beds abutting
against the rift bnundary {ault. Both gave negative results. This u'as taken to
Uthe- strucrurei:r thr plrin- and :l-o rhr L,cd- ilong lhc fool ol Ihe
"6nd.mn
cscarpmcnt because conditions of dcposition in thc rift valley must alu'ays have bcen
vcry L'rilorrr lrorr p'ace Io pla.c. Thc rbs,nce of lrieh 1orirry.l gas pli"srrn in any

Kibiro

;:,'lll;:i:t"li'1ff*c$:il;,'tii:gl) ir'-r

o\vhere

i' hi- Do.lion or rhe Lake Arber,

i #j-i"l,l;'"#.;;Ti,t Ji:ij,f%?.::i[::ii:t

\\ ere ir so.. rhe c +;;i;-r,.

gas vents alung rhe iur,crion".,i
ol th-e scdrmenrary Lcd, at rlrc Bx.(--ncnt (.omDicr
the escrrpmenr. .l,he Comoanv
ol
'",i1

s,'" ,p ,i; ;,.r,"i,il'r;$"iii;,s

i::::i'i:l,

f:'ior;[.

*"'"", t,"r,"' a.iiiiig

Fi,nanr irr pr"virion \\rs rhpr,

m,d. ro.r
r,)i**"1;'iil",3iJi
;*;lnll*',
r'1
rlt" c'oloPical 5urrev th.,r
ixplorarory dri :if
JddirionJl
'o

i"rri i,..iJi;.1"
oithcKibut u
rrhich rhc e,.;.r'n r,,J nri"r"r," llt t" rh' prom:inga'ea
('ompany
"."p"rs;
had
rror Le.'n ,Ui
unoerra\c. I hc u|climinrrt o;^t.], .'lu" '.r""t
i6
m*Jc bv R C Parqercr rn rare
isr;;;;'",'ir"l,rib'i;'iil;i; H':.:flll''ur'c1
'lra'
rrr' m'rrr strucrur'l t",rr'". or itte no.ih"rn
end oI rhe Rr,,";r;;i
Ir'ce
,sarn5' trhich rho l(iburu'cepascoccur..
-i,,rir;.'Y""t"
lsc,Figuicii: af;;.i1ilji
iil\ri
Jcrc\\irq'ho\(nloIdrillirgonrh"iitr
side oi rh. nr,,*)""; ],",,"i,i,i,'ron(
rrti"l
faulr zonc r,, ,"i-1l,"rrl.i,ii1rl l'ar'J] r'r rnr:(ipariun ot "n"ou,.r.r;nn rt".rii
Ihis I'ulelrole
.'pn.,"J ro plovide
.u;a"n." r,o--,,lr,iir, ;;; ;i;;:,'lf"l't,
''""ac'.rratclr
IauiI roI could Lc mor
d.t"i-nli,,ei
ano mrghr aroo irdicarr ,h.'n.".,.,"
'
;:i' 1l:r::'' ffi::il':iir'.i j:,1".Ji.:r,1.;:l;.nn:'**:,lli

t;; i; ;;.

.-l."f.uiling I500' rorrrl drilling-.-rnachir c, r,as r.ceireC in mid_lq4S. \o.

,r,o;; l; 1',rv.'"1wii. ,,,a *^
;:.:"*ii;,:;',;'i:rt"oo-['","1"'f.^']:',d"".",r,"d
I lq46
1

lhroughout. e-," ,r," i.oi.n;"j(cemD(

.co'ing having bcerr undcrlaken
rhc
va'u' ul riis hol' lie' in ih;
amou,.t oj n.garirc i.r"i",il;.';.i'31"',ol.vre\'\'
\(rlher
rhe
F.,rrlr zon' ror rhE prcsumcd
.'ysull;n. iio8i oi h."rit,'i;.":f"''"
'fo
a
d"oth
of apnrorim*','ty t.lOo
{eer lrom surface, irr.
.,*,,
,r.l"aj,r9"untercd
1lv rrnp"';o" clav"
,lthorgt, un,riirtrt. i";];;#:r;"dl:.''
'1n4 'un'1. ela,' uhiih.
as excelJeri
cap rocks. g.l"* r,zbo f."i,'ir,i",n"Yn o' otl ttould rrndouhtcdl)
o1:d6,i;,"iI 'ir

r*l;ill"l;n*l
and

_:;1t,ii i",llt
r*i"jr"
$outd t"r" 6"",i .i,-ili, :;.;[.t+'"'n n

:xi

":i,,T,,b."ifl:
nlringhrmsh;re) oilfeld
ol Blirain

[r".enl, No-rraccs';i;;;:;i.;H';ip,%Xiii:,i]"r-."XJJ::::i l:J,rT ilr,f;:rJ::;

l;J.'"t ii,ii,.iii"ri'.i<"il"Ji, ,"p". .,.r,
;:",;::ff":iJ;],i;: iiyli,;i

H::,ilr,.a

i;.';ijll:l:'qi.,ll;t$dl:ti.r^::;l,""ll:.,;:

,o rhE seepJse I, ;,;;i;,;i;;:

seepagc \r'as not rcached bv thc dril
\o rndi,arim of rhc pr.*nnc. of oit .hatcs
rrai tound
ij,ii,lll,,
parl
ol rhe wa\i borcholctBltnearButiabc
"r.h;;;;;; r,.' .#"'r
and Irom rvhich,r,.
thc
rorrh'crsr end ot thc R;l' v;li;ir:.
supposed ro lor. t."n"ii.i',
a"r;r,.i ;;'jin* "' Thc irnplication
al tho tilf 6pp.j..6
to-bc that rhe.*rr*.
,r;.'"*.. nit!."sr,
"ll'"i'[ii,'rrubrrll'rron'
(ourrr ne prcsent
ii?iit:i:,,q:"onr"i.r,i;,t;;;::"i;B!::,J,f;Ii,1f.",[,";"1-i"!.
aJ
tlrbuku bur our ol reach oI rhc aii,._..i
;-,;i'''.lll,l""'s
drill
fir
allv
rnd rhi" i' piotably
the most disappoinrinp fearurc rhparlm'nt
*n"

characrer suirabrc 161 66ry, 13.i1-g 6nn

#;ril:,,1; ;:fl::.

or ;,,ai";i,Jii;i

1'he most impo't:nr qucstiorr lc[r unannn^rcd n1

\n l

borrhole,rtas Ihe (xacl

hrltrr) hrtrre<n
,f"",i'rn r"t i]utr,o.". X.,.2 Lro-ehul< rrr., rh,ritnr,. 'ircJ
ol Jznlr'rv'
rhc
at
lr
"
"-J rcacrred
ill'i iia'ir."
the
".i.L;,;..".i rh" I.,ull' 'ras "1'rddrd-irr1e4a' ha'ing

or e-5'l fect rri April'

i;ir. ;;.,ui ";;;;,J; " a"pti'ercoJrt,r'c,l
trt-t orr rlrc \hole.mor' "andyrhen
lhe.Lrrta
l.ulr Tone al 920 fcrr.
cre lo,und cilh'r in rl-t moru
i."r"'"'ii i-t ,"'ir1;"',i"r'',,i ";r iraPrtgrrJl:oaipI 'ofrhe
raur': at rhis poinr is 73'
r'n.

,l:,,:,'"i;;";:'", i,,",;;t,;i;.,;"" '";i..1

ios
-- arcls the north\\'esl.
drill into rhe {ault zonc'
Should b( -m'de
ii .n"s d".id"a that one more .lttc]nlt normal
-to trecc of the zone at the
to the surface
o" o rl"'"
io"^i"a
-"iN'". : rr.t.i"r"."^.
'r"rn ir. SLrpp"'inx rh'r rhe dil ol rh' l'.ulr z"-c znd oi
joo
i.
;]i-'":;"" ""a
;n . 'r .'a...croc,red rl,at^\o. .l hnle
' .or.,"nr'ri ,,s 'i"
i".ir," |.i,u"i .1.,".^in",t
qou
Dri'rins bcgan in,J\lcv le4o'
,i a;pir or rbo,r
l('L cf\'nrlrin' ru'k' h'rvin! b"rr
,,'a,in".o.rt.,"a n rh. ":,i . m',r,ll,.t 4U2 Tl-e
oltl':'c cr'otallinr
ii"ih;-,:"i:ii;"1, 'r,"ir-' J.p,r, "r J55 I'<t' raurt app'"ranc'
rhcl
a, or.errain bv
:nd
zonc
,i.I'i9'.'" n",- o' a
col 'glomr rctc
page.
a ca'clreou" grit, ic,, nte.n frcr Lhith.'tlri''\ r""ernl'le' r h$c' rocks step-faulted
,h;iih" ;;1" \\"" d,illctl into a blocl< of crystalline ro indications
original level' Not unixpectedlv'
lhlr'"1"".r-ii' at;'"ii"""
(n.
\\e-'
:,
ol
oil impreqnaLion
relatively
- +'i#t.i?;;'
.at
;;t"|.r".- p'"*a thc abscnce of oil accumulations
capable
been
have
rvould
+ii"ii'aiiir, ir.rit."oi tir" oi.u""""" of strataorrvhich
aions
havc-migrated
,i"" ;"Ji.'ta that ijttle no oil can rrhi'h aPpcers
at
".d
rhe
oil
tl-rr
tr,. f..,,""aar.r' Iauli i.ne. lt 'ccrns liLclv. rhelcfore
qrbcn'
rrom
thc dirnctiun--or
i'"i"tt".r up rr:p
iif:
^L^rrc
rhc north
rras loiat'd nn
anJ
Ihis
1'\umnlion
,i
r^sl
lo
it. bor"hul"'ua- d..;q1,,1
rre
Ru,rcr
oJ
nos'.
R;'"; ." ." Lo dill in,o rhc.l'u'i"J.1 500
;t
;i;"i'(;.;;
"ori
g
bcgan
Drill'
fcrr'
"ii.
::;i-;1.;;;h i; i1'" b,.,.,1 Kiscgi ,"n"1"*,*'" l-'cing

rc't

'il,i1";;,;i b;;;;;i I
li.f
-';i.";::. ;;l'.;gj,';;;;
i,'""";;;f
il"l-' i.

;?i:il;I;il'i,;";'

i:;l;;;'.",;;;";,.i r^,

his'm(nl
ir A'up.''r ar a Je-1'Lh oI l''lJ7 ieer'
ii'iiliil"r;i;, i"a ""."."-pl.iJ
tha'
ihit "ugg"'t"
'irhcr the
)"a
';'i rrr"".i, trtire l'.en'tr,il

" ''l:Z'"t
flattens to{'ard' thc north-east as
;;-;;';a ,;." of rhc mountain
ir'clirratior lt rh" -rcore' or thrt morc p-obablt .there
i;;5;'; .iii; i. ,,e1" "i
and the horchulP. S'andston'
i.l"'il".. -i"1. frrrrins in tl,c r,,'.r bcLrreen l(ibuiiu rrom'r18
and
reet.to
i.
*iil"iinji':il';il ii;;;i; ;^;,i"d
-bottom
traces
"on'in.,o.,.
Slight
of
oil
allo'n'cd the migration
;;;;';;;;";;: ,.ior"'.n"*e'h to livc
rhc uorcs
tome
".fri"l
:i;;

r'.ri obici'"d in
"l
to obtain
rlas sited somc,"n" rrr;t"t 'onh-""tt of l(ib.uku in or:der
No- 5 borehole
'i""..irirrg
rhe
Rift'
ofpart
th" n"t,,r" of the sedrmcnts in this
irf".-",i""
lishing job,
oi'o;l i*pn enrr;on

IaD tnto mect,anrcal diflicultics and, after a prolongcd

lq50'
uas
- abrndonid at 1,042 leer in Marchln'as
in the Kibuku area -bv - F' R'
"s"m"d
Boyd- Waldron's
out initiated by D'
in
,"a
I ]nfortunatelv.

it

h ;;jrii,*;;;i"gi"^i'-"pp'g
M
"ii'^" "#.i,,'rro.i-.t",
in '048 and
"'uru"i
Pargr.i
bv
i--"'''rr'"-0"';
?;rii;;; of
J;i#il
'eachcd
t"u"tt''" nt'nt"ih" ''i' b'trrccn 1(ihuku
Eil"""d.i'""Jr,'rj
, , b! e 'crie.
'toi'a'
'i['il:";";i,;;;iai,
Dorth-east\\'ards as far
.i ir.I" ail""ine Rift, and thcnccDuring
the progress of
,.lrr"'a^i.

,i,r.

"""ri
"Jrth-easterly

.r,i--ii1'

or

like Albcrt

mo'r or thc rocar:r,c" drscribcd originary

l^i;ilill'1*,' Yiio':1,;i;"i:i::J
nirm sulrq ul thc surfacn
manif.s,at;Jns
p-evrou.tv

otserrbed.

oi

Bottl -. gr..rv iry .r:-".I d,d,

jn ordcr to sui
f,!r pruv;dc ,nu, h addirionat irrturmrri
M",n"hrt"
hotes. sired
idsr or r\roLri l'iq--'n"..
u 'o rn\'.tisate rh" miir,"r,,,r,1,
".,? ,r,. *.u.,-il;":,:i"^f'll119,
cncuuntcred d;ffi.ri,,,.-i;-r:;;Ji
rl
fivc closely .prl"a i,"r..'"'l ;ill"f' houlde'-!rJ\cls ',,4 ."."".. pinnlry. , .,,
scepage area to tcst rhe.trr"trrr,rt l!1"1,-"-"'t h-ve.miicq no'th-.n=t ot ti" rib,.,
c or I lorn c'carpmcnr' In sp;tn
oj "r,
'paciag ol t,00 t"i ;;;.,';;;:ol:i;'cnrl''r'n'
drp-rl',or8'0 re'r' ro .-o'rnla'j'
cburd be
ir,I"'"i;lL: ]:-::,:l:' :g:
'sabr,sh,d
r)n.
tocal taultrng
^-Unlonunarelv,

"i

i:lllJ,i:':115,"",';:
:l'ii;"'i,:"fJ ''6fl),;,;;:1;
:f:;,l"ilJi;''ii::;:',';i"fl
i
alf,..,.a oi --5- r '" 'cnl '8r"rl sur\'y or L ga'.da" \\'erc rhcreJu

.u.pendcd

GEOLOGY

'J \\'

slraligraphy

P"r'r r'rr:n)

iriurr oI rh. rcrLiary ,o Rece.

:[-,il:ii,i,?;':]:rr 'po rhe
surl2c' \\ithi,r Il:. outcrop or be.r,
o1]y
rh..
rh.
uptr.r;o
"?='1"lt
|
!cd-.
ir;:t
ol" drirl hole h'r" p.nc,,arei ro 1.ui
reer. whiie ,r,"
1'n't
";"';
r,iu"
ol#o r,o onl,., zbour 1.0u0 ft(r. on rhc orL,
-!jo,;ir
hand. geophv;ic;i"'c,.lia",.J'i*iii"lt'"tid

,"0"1n'.'llli.?l

L1

obrious. rheinrore. rrlri'1"","i.,jri ,.n ,iu'a' thjckn'-ss .ol rt Icrsr 8 000 lecL. lr l
lhr srraligraphJ is unlJ or|,rirl. Irr parricular
the Io$er serie. ;. rri"""r, i'.iii;.'r
lo'\.r bed- rhri ir snem. moci probabr,
rhar oil accumurariJr; l. I;iii"i"'r,"
r*,lhes'
SouTHEnN AnEA (l,-isure 2)

in l925iSa,,

^Wa1land.
rrcpresslon:4.
J.

rhc Iollor.
r'tng succession for the beds in the
Albert Rift
,\ludorn Dcpo"ir.
Red

Earth

z.

r<J."s"a.- - -

t<;see;

s"a.

Unconformiry

u'rconlormity in prrt

oi"*'

#t''l:;:J"i:3 ,'n'J":' lnibn'dering the s"'"liki iii,"'. fh;t;;;rhe

'"J'il:'"1:"1
dcscribcd
as'y"ti".,i.h;;ii;;;;.1,;
"''
ui trhich ere..argill.rceous

seams. or parling.. ot shalc and.1r"1l'., .Tfr

clal packod *i,t'py-iie..;1r""--/''"a lI:'9-P's. n

River uhicrr rorrs acros"

$hilc

,h" roo is

.-rhin

blr.

"r
gniisse'ofrr,"r'.i,'"-""i.'irr"i,i;,t'],lr'r)ar(h(r's'errrorestdi'cl-ttlonit'.

lli:*i:;; +fiir"*.i;i.,

:::,fl::,:i,*r-r;:i
:ii::i:q::.'i;:
Io dr'rh, cleys oI
"ary appneranc.'r.
.iS[i anl
bror.rn crals ,,irr, i-",on"'t,,n.i,"''",+;:"h;[iJ#f,"u#il"r.o,r:;l
"r,,ai*rr,
t*o sccrhn. 6gur.a sh^,,

it"l
"rf:i'

:lj

10

Kriso Beds is said by Wayland to bc seen in the course of the Ilisegi River being
"indicated by the dilTerence in stLike and dip". Wayland recorded 30'dips in the
Kisegi Bcds though an e\Erage of 10'rvas morc common, rvhereas l(aiso Beds shorv
dips of 7' or lcss, rapidly decreasing arvay from the bascment and tol'ards the lake.
Boulder bcds and gravels overlie and ol,crstcp tllc oldcr beds and pass up into red
exrths at Kaiso and cquivalcnt bouldcr bcds are considcrcd to occur in the more
southern arca. Dr.idence of age for thcsc r,arious groups is scanty; Wayland
considcrcd thc Kiscgi to be possibly of N'Iioccnc agc, t ilc bone-beds in the upper
palt of thc Kaiso suggested late Plioccnc or carly Plcistoccrle age. 'l'he mammalian
rcrnains rvere later identified by Hopn'ood (1929) and indicatcd a midclle Plcistocene
agc. 'lhis has subsequently been reviscd by thc samc author (1953) to 1o$.er
Plcistocene. The overlying gravels \\:erc tcrmcd Epi-Kaiso Dtds b1' Wayland in
1930, and ivere relatcd to ccrtain terrace gravcls elsc$Lrcrc in Ugrnda.
Thc dctailed mapping by Pargeter (19'19) and \trraldron (1951) in dre same areas
hes not materially altered Wayland's original dcscription; the uDConformitv
suggested to occur betleen Kaiso and Kisegi Beds js not sulllcicntly marked to
form a sound stratjgraphical division, though Pargeter states "therc is no doubt
that progressi\.e overlap of clavs and soft sandstones over rrore consolidated grits
and hard sandstones has occurred. The division, therefore, betNecn the prcdominantly areDaceous l(isegi Beds and the argillaceous lGiso Beds is a convenient
basis for mapping".
Thc Kiscgi Beds in the t_ype area are describcd in more detail by Pargeter as
a "highly variable serjes of ill-sortcd grits, conglomeratic grits, hard sandstones
and ime soft sandstones $,ith subordinatr ch1. pertings. Beds nreiy rcach
a thickncss of more than a fcw fect, except in the s,-,ft sandstnncs. rrhete thcy may
be 40 to 50 feet, Thcre is also considerable vrriation latcralll, so that useful markcr
Thin partings of lignitic mineral [sra], gypsum, and
beds are difficult to find .
gritty limestone are comrnon. Brorvn clavs u,ith calcareous concretions and ironitonis become mole lrequent iear the top . . . 'Ih. sediments here rcach
a lraximum thickness secn, rvhich is 300 400 fcct. The)' are sharply faultcd off
into the main rift vallev wcst of lCbuku and havc becn covered by iater sedimcnts
(Kaiso)". It is not eniircly certain that thcsc otclll'ing be.ls can be cxactly correlated $.ith those of th(] type area at Kaiso, but they are described by Pargcter as
"ncarly all clays, generally very light in colour and contain abunclant calcareous
concretions There are subordinate beds of harder matcrial in the form of
sandstones, calcareous sandstones, grits and ironstones, but these are rarely more
than 2 or 3 feet in thickness These beds cover the rvhole of thc Rift Valley
Dcpression. On the lvestern or Sernliki side of Ru\venzori, they form flat plains,
and abut against the crystalline rocks of the mountain along the 2,200-foot contour
almost all the way between Sempaya and IGbuku. Thev then shelvc very gcntly
north-eastNards ai far as Lake Alberi (2,028 feet) 25 miles'arvay . . . Thc thi&ncsi
exposed above the Ki;egi River is approximately 400 feet, but tllis is near the
extremity of the beds and must increase very considerably north-eastwards."
Waldrbn continued thc dctailed u,ork and lccordcd a numtrer of measured
sections. Neither he nor Pargeter found any fossils save a felv gastlopods and
pelecypods in the overlying presumed Epi-Kaiso Beds.
l1

'I'hus, on the northern termination of Rurvcnzori

altogcther about g00 fect of
variable sediments are to be scen in conlinuous selluen ce, -resting
the crystalline
lr i, obriou... l,or,ev,.r.. rhar il.-;-;i;1,;";; ,c"''.ionlt;"',
!,."-,nr.
lound ar drplh orr rlr. do\n,hro\\.sirle 61. 11.,","rii, *ii , i3' fr""hli'ro*"." i. i,.
,.d. rl,.
,h.,.I,ii,
trihut u No. I *.r.
ir,-i"
rr,.
ii
ou,".op,;,",
,Borcho,c
::l::i":.:
",
ulrscnDeo and passic,
rhrough r serics of unconsolidatcd
"[usands ancl iaidv
claycy
thrn harJ band_s *,ith catcarcou. ."-"l,t,",1a-"."Ii.;:ip"b;la
i,:L:^):,f^1.:1?iit.
,": ror.,J rJl(An(sc ot 1.o60 h^r. Trre,irlrologv rtas ir.ufficiinrlr di"rir.cLirc
Ttll:l,"
to oecrol. \\n.rnFr th.:eflri \.rs l(r;.. ur Kr.cg: ,rr h"ih. Thc mri,,
shorieJ
a high clay fraction which decreasect belor' r,zOO r".i'iirr"L"*#.il-.,;,*.
"eciion
-'
'''"
;;;
unconsolidated sands are more common. (lrigure 6t.
uncorforrnable j.nctior r'.ith bc,lioci ."ri'
-_Thc
in both boreholes
Nos. I and 4, rnd thc irnncrtiar.rv o1.er1,vj1g b",1" .",i"n.ount.r"d
ilr;;"i;;" ;i"|y'#'r""i,rn"a ,o

blt r unctron iih'tt: ;;;r,_;'il;;';

ll",-rl,:iq:^T::::
It rras rnerclore UeEn .th
"
thr: I)lr.rr.. \ince
then to
j

ffi i .\',i"",t^i,,,,,,d

use the tcrln Ilaiso I{isegi Beds in

"' '

thnaL.e-ce-oJ a

d \idir,g l;ne 1,",,,"",, ,h;i,,;;;;;;;."

'ccogni.atl"
..ummaris.d
.,llarns.1l95U)
_rhc brds rr),uun1c,,d i- rhc"bo.rholes No". I 4 as
,,I" \irrh a \ariabrL
.rnJ c,..r, nt rnd -rr,d. u.ua ) rr;rh a ctay h.n
::J,,,".'J"; -,1 rn, co<rr:eress
l-om
\cry hnn_grained r., grirs aird occasionll ocl,l,lE
),,,,:,,
oanos."9,]
r ne cta\s arq r,d. t,r1r,, \hak;. pale grcc . d"rl. grcnn.
blui. grcl
or bl:ck.in colnur. rhe"da*er c"lor,rs t, ing fo,,ia ,i a"p,f,.-f.Ao* darL
ll,out
rc"r.
tllly orr.n contet'1 trcg.(nlarJ plrnr remains o,ca.ional bands :uu
crouded
\\irn prant rmpre5sror. pre lou-J ind rhe
"ndirnonr grader inro a lipniric clav
DcelrereO cuUcs Ol D\rtl,S arc ()1 lr.qu<l]r uccurrel,i.,
Tlrc.rnd. On th""t,hole aic
meorurr-srarncd ar.d vrrv i,r col.ur.ber\\ccn r!l-ilc. brorvn. qrcr and
llll.'-ro
grcen.
mosr commor brrrdrnq mr r.rric) r_ rlrr.. alrhn,Lgl, rhis rnrl he pichily
r"p-lacca
!r.ne
D],cdlcrum carbonare. g.ving ris, ro cal,.arcou. ,a-nd.roncs .r;a qiirs . .
. iebblc
Dco5 ar. dchnr,cl\ ol rrrc o,, rrrrrn_(.
Ap:rt Irom rhr plr-nr ircqmenrs r.rd
occasionrlly a.porriorr ol rrhar r.ighr L, rn olsrei.hell, rhe.e rr" no io."lir.
borchoJe No. 5. situated furtht r away towards the centre of the
basin, sho\.ed
little marked diflerence from the aboi.e litfi&y-;;"pt
i.;'#-"ii"",!a

increase in cJavry marcrial.

"1ighi
The remaining boreholes provicled little additional cvidence. Boreholes Nos.
_
9
onl),6UU 1((t irp.rrt.anJ rnr(dro deprhs ul irom 500 ro 1.50u te.r,
l-'
."-tl
"'j-Iq:in
uur ro o.nn,le corrctlrlron could l,c eslrblished hetrr, cn rhem orning ro thn
indisringrrishaLle ncru-c ot rhc b"J.. \" .-h;;.,n" ;i.;;;""p;;
;,,;;in,,,on ,r,.
rn rdr and it..i" po"siLlr rh.rr o)znL sporc, ard f*g;.r,1., ,jrh
unl',.rf., -;rt,
;i."-.
pro!ioc. rndr.a,ro.rc ol
cn.dirions. Waldron ilO52) r.corer.d a
ITrv
"-.dim<nrrr!
osrracodc lrom
onc or t\\o. horizons in thc.c lrorrholes from deprhs
of.J50,to

750 feer. The core-log. ol ,t.r. Uoi.floi"i'ri"

e;,.,,'l""finr* o.ra
ucrareo oescrrpLtons are on rhc hles ol lhc Geological Survct-of
t ganda.'
rmmrng up \\.hal rs rlnorrrn ol rhr ,edimenrs in th. souihern
_.
Albcrr
"",jthea,ili"g.
Rifr Dcpres,ion. jr .an bc saicl ,r,", U, a.i";t.J '.;.i;';,;i;; [art of
epproximar,lr,2.000 tcrt ot p;rrial,r consotirlrrnd t"Jaii;. ..:,i;:ri ho,.
b...,
examrnco. I h.se .onsrst. nl
Ia|ir.blc
ulevs ar d clavct oands, irr p. rt
.rcry
"and1
.alcar(ous sands or p]'rric .hare, .,lrnosr unlos"iliieiou" arcl, (;ih the crceDl,un
t2

presurned faults' sho*ing -no traceof

Kibuku ancl adjoiling
-lr-i
indirect evrdcnce, considered to be
rr"h. ;.,
hl drocarbons. 1he
^g"-"i}r"."

of the oil

scePage at

Plio-Pleistocene.
L"pc1-en1,' llql0l orl rh^
Of consiclerable significance is th( \\orl dorre b1
,estern side of the Albert Rift Dcprc"si,-,r,. Hi. sLrc,,.'i 'rr ,';rt Lr ''rrnmTrr'ecl

thus:5. RDCENT
4.
3.
,)

Shore deposits and flood plain of Lalie Albett

and the Sernliki River.

LAcusTRINE SERIDS

Srulrrr
LArso

t,r;r,1". .rnds 3'i ql ''' .' cr'ion.r'lr 91p'iferoui, t'ith calcareous concretifils i l)is-

..

conformitv at basc.
Gr,rvels, s,rucls and claYs, o:cesirlal horizons
of iron-cemented sands.
Llpper Stilgc, fine sands ancl occasional clay

Stntts

SERIES

Mi,idL Stos?. plcLlomr-ant')

.rr gilla(eous'
50mc dixt,,,nr,; .rnd bcd. ol

",".it"-ri.
ii,[r]ar lim"r,iri.

1.

BASAL L,ITERITIC

FoRMATIoN '

irorr'ronn rrith fos-rls

(gastropods and lamcllibranchs) and bone
hcds.
La'a?i StaAP, all(rnaliun" r,l sand' lnd clels
\iirlrorr iron"torres or ros-irs Unconformit]'
Coarse felspathic coDglomerate cemented in
lrterite.

'lhetotalthickncssofthesegroupsisestimatedasatleastl'300feetlncomparing
does. "ol hnd
t;.'.i,"."...1""" ',;,,r rt"i "*ri;",'dcscribrd I'r \v'r!land L'fcrso-rne
Bed' on rhe
t(ai'o
ih'
Join'"o,''rhar
, ].ii .''* ii""l.., ,"",r.. ii'"gi s"a'-h''
cqurrcd sith
s,srern :ide or rh. Depr('sron nrt" , fi,,ol,ll tacics rhat'rr1 *ell,bc

r,,,r. ;o'-u"'
ii'.'?i."s;l ir'.'r,'"a'iiq3o,
purer) ro(4"' i,'CgT,:1,,:kil,."i:,,X[::l'#l]
"::'.:
nc
rna)
scres
t\\o
helreen thcse
' l'"i"'.""'.'l;
ferrugrnous
the.fossiliierous'
encountered
bien
h"'u'
ue^rla"
:::":;rh;;;;il;;1.,
diilicultv
some
therefbre'
is'
There
p t-& it'" r<^i"u s"i"'
il:;:
;i'ii"";J;i;
rhat
Ps-umeJ
I'c
lr
mipht
""'o".i i;.g lJb
otr'lop- t'q'"n'tt
*a
"1,i","
no'lular limonitic hcrlr rrirh lossilile"ous
" " ".p--i^n "l rhc laLc "ltu," ,o c,t" iit' t'-'b"'
m"3rrs ror c"rr"r:tinn
n and proridc
:.;:[:'l:;,il i] ,";:;;;i''.;,;;;'ot,h.
''no"l ol rhc K:bu|u hn|cholcs
in
on rhrt lrasis the c,Jnlln-ous o.pt',lln''"i '<uucncc
uPp'r r'rrt or tLe l{rriso-.scries L)n
:"ii:i:ruT:;j.i;*,1'i.ir," s.-rll' i"'i'"
'i''a
at iarious 'tag'' thror'rshour rhe Plin:;" ;ii 3r;";,"ti.;e i. crider." "rini"r'i"e
rise to
;i::,^".;; .-"";"." ,n,l faultine rhc tinor t,t the rrough rrorrld.gire
rormation
the
or
emers-ence
pioducc<l local
:,i;ii"l$:,:';il*':i:;if ^,yperiodic
',ii"r""
dc'iccario"
t"
subiecL
.i"'ii"'i
i."lrt"J basiis
ri*-",",. ln collaio'arion "'iii-H";.'t"d rls5lr' Lcp'rso'lnc. 'l'orr s rhaL
,,,'ir,i"ii" ,""r,"* [aci"' 'i rhe,]o""r !'.li "t'[""5:i':,s,."J'ii
,h:';id.:i';,"!:Iy-cer,
r Irtsr(
.rrc r,I l]iocenc

,'ii.",;".i',,-"-rri&i

by thc cviderrce ol mrrnmal'arr r'mJrnc

Series of
bir,r"",t tl""t'-\ltiot""" b"d" at'd overlying.Kaiso
lt is possible'

i."'i;"";'Pi"t,,;J""; ;*", "tilrougl,

"t

",."t"i.,t,,-,ity
11

ca:' be recognised

thercfore. that
Bcds can be once again cstablished as a distinctlv earljer
$: I!"-"gt
rormdlr,,n. plr.bl\
oi Vlio.,.nc rgc (a. \lallarrd 6rsr
"ulpcsreJr
.11 r- \\orlh rrring rl,er L.p.r""rnc
-desciit,. a l,,cal?.urrencc of a.cdimnrrar"l
serlcs. underlying rle Brsal l_ate.tc rormation.
ih" ;;;;;;
provides little means. of dating, but.it is provisionaliy ;;;.i,f;;;J;-;i ;;;il';;j
Kr.."; ;;;
rn rts generai resernblance to tho T.rrkuga Series aboui trueniy_nu.
milis.uest it ttre

Irumu Basin.
de Htirzclin has recertll (t{i55) pLlblished the lesuhs of dctailecl
stratjgraphical
.
(Jfri(d ur.r on rt., .' ,u.. ..di-n, nr, of th" ulp,r. S,.i"Lii,;-rrli..,
sludrc\
,r,;. ,;r*
lcar<, l.:kc Ldr,zrd. Hr. i,,.,t,-t,.,g"t1
,r,, ;i i..r",'.'",,,,",''r,a
i", ,r,.
-.n,]rn.
'irnrt,d an:r h" rrarn r eLl 1," Jr....
"
d, ifl" r"fi",,,"q .""."...i;i, "'
Recent formatiorrs
1'ounq r.rrP('( p r.j v.lj
TulTs

OlLl.r 1.nz(, S-r\.ets

Srmlik i Se-rc" 80 i,.r
- l(;;so Srrrn.. laoc no,"een, JU6 1...1.
_ BJ conrrast *ith rhe lor'cr S.,rlrki area, thc Kliso and Semlilii Scries are heie
found to be fossiliferous. anr] rhe Kaiso S".;"., J"".ii5"Jl. l-#";ti.'.rnay
-" .,
can be subdividcd into:Group IV, ha\.ing a tnnsitional fauna bet\\.ecn Kaiso and Scmljlii Serics.
Group
charajtcrised by smooth l,;rip";ii;;;--i;;;;;;;;;"io'# ri"r,
fco lc rem:rns
"r,a
Croup ll. r.irh abunda.r ,pr\.a, nt t nianido,.
Group l. cuntalning syitcd l/i:Ltiparidae, an absence of Linionidae; mamrr.alian r.rna,n...rnd. characrnr:sricrl'1. g).p..;.e-;r, b;as.
^
i.cnes
rs. m-drk( d b) thc preJom;, rrrre ul to-ms s.hich are norv
(\fl.ncr, \\nr,(. lhc S.rltkr Bcds a-r.rid to be charectcriicd
L,v -nrmmalian rernains
trpicrl ol middlc.Plci.totcn.. rrrd b1 *rffr..r.*.ir.i",l,.i*i";"-'"""..,
\'.rr,rroln.launr Jrrinp rrre drpo.irion nl thc Kr .o Bnds'is'cor.idered ro
r ., h.Deen
rrave
caused bv chm.1ti. osi.illatioDs resultiDg in thc rise in salinity
during
relativcly arid periodi.

III,

Kreno-BurtAsl Anr,l (Figure 3)

. A rarrou belr of sedimcnrs oep.rates lhe boundary ol rlrc Rift Dnpression from
rhe shores
Late.Albefi. erreidine trom rhe Kaiso Ton1.r tlrr. p'rrt'hibiro ro
Inc,Droad ,la1
^of on rrhich Bur:aba i. siruatcd. Th"nc" n,,rhirards
is'a r,ide flar as

tne

raKe shore drverges

lrom thc straight fault scarp. Over all thcse low flats surface
Extr(mely scantJ;. only, here and thcr; has stream crosion exposed to
^.Jlil:l ]: sands or grar.els undr:rl,ving the surface rcd earth. Below Murchison
I1ll"tlo"qtf,
r ar\. rllr' r\ e \\tUt rlS r h t.t.r.. , \por.r
monulonnL. -iltI ,lays \\.ith sc2ttercd
pebble_ lcnses and calcarcous concrelions. Orring
,o irr"
*"i"e"'n.- liibfo
.hepcd hill r.rarrfic\\'aki :rrram xbour rhr.. anrl"iic ha,.
mileo.ourh.easr
1..q, !",-" attcr)tron
or
has mainl\. bcen directcd to thc southcrn part of this belt of
_rruuaDa,
,1q25)
rhc ezr.y ard .Lr."n"ru-"i,.c aLrrn,f,s io
):1:Tll:
,de"crib(.
ocrcrmrne rn\
^^)\:llilid
\rru'lur, pt \1-rl.i.
Ir,,rs only asirc.ulr ol rht drilling donc'h1
rhc

1.t

African and European Inlcstment Company Limited that kno*ledge of the

in this region ',tes gained. 1'he first deep borehole drilled by this
stratigraph]
"at
\Vlki, [,ll 81, protided the lollosing g(nerrlised succc:rion.
Comiani
summcriled from the more dctailld rcports by F. W. Penny, the Chief Geologist
of the Company:
S,1d)

Err K^rso BrDs

(70

f(r)

KArso

IrDs

Upper:

(1,650 feet)

X{iddlc:
Krstrcr BIDS
(1,600 feet)

Upper:

\'lth grits, clayey

i,r,,,dl,rior.
..
..
)
"a.,1,n,1,'.
Allernations of coarse sands, gravcls and some clays . .
la.s
..
Gre\ gr..,l'\""r,
Altcnutions of sards aDd grc) b,own to grey-grccn
"llig

(680 fee,

BEDS

Sand", prcdominantly sand

.1.,)r

A'rr'
NlccENE

.. /s ..

nr..nr Ll,i. r i \ o I la.s

shalcs and oil-shales $ith subo

a..r o,'. ^l s.

Blue-green

s-nddon..

170 fcct
970 fcct
510 feet

780 feet
820 Ieet
inate

Basal co!glomerate.

Tor{L ..

+,008

f.(t

Appro\imatel\ 600/" of rhe hole \\as corcd and the detailed core 1og lvas suppleminted by
line betrveen Kaiso and l(isegi Beds
-be<jrill chippings. Thc dividing
a calcaicoui s2nd\1one hl tl-c top of scnds and grirs whicl, pats
is taken to
uelrs.ds into almosl conrinuou. artilh,.ous bed". Ihcre is, ho\\erer. no brcck
ii sedimenratic,n indicatcd in thc log. Thc lo\r'est group tentatively assiSned to
rhe Miocpnc is aEain rol marked hy a rrrariglaphical br.aL. but it' separation is
Dresumabiy brsei on the trct thai "rvhereai the Kaiso and Kisegi Beds were
Dracticallv' horizo n ta I, the undcrlving ? Miocene Beds had an average dip of 25'"
il"nrru. i940t. l1 i- quir. probabl" rhaL in rhe ahq"rrce ul continuous coring
i disiontormiir co,rld 6e olcrlooked, but the simiiarity in the lithology lvith oil
shalcs of the ioucr Kisegi Bcds and ? N{iocene u'ould rather impiy contrmrous
dcoositiorr. Thc .udden ihanec in dip $as crsl thouElrt 1u be an indiczti.,n "f
feultin'- and lhcr, i. lirrle po.iii'" "vid,:n,:. lor Mioccrri ege lnr th.sc Iorrer b.ds.
r*- J"f frcc oil s,re f"urrh a5soc;zicd \\ilh lhe oil 'halcs, of rrhirh a total thiclne'.
of 310 feet $'as cncountered. At 3,970 feet conglomcrates appearcd rvith ser,rirounded fragments of ironstonc and quartz restjng at 4,008 feet on soft dark-green
ueathcred iineous rock \hich at 4,027 feet could be identified as undoubtedJy
bclongins to crvstallinc bascmcnt.
ThE la"tcral riarialion of thcse lacustrine beds is again cvident from the results of
the shallorv preliminary drilling. The "Big Sand", the top of \\'hich \1'as used for
struclural conlourir,c..ho$' a-len'ing Nesl\\'.rrds to\\ard- the cenlrc ol tht basin.
anrl ir, tuo holcs dri'il.d near Butiabal cbout three and a hali milcs {rom Waki, this
main mass of sand passes into clay and shcle and is represenled by only three thin
horizons of sand un-dcrlain by grcen clal end shale. In tlo holes drilled on Rutiaha
sand-spit, thick bands of iignltc and'carbonaceous clay underlying surface sand
..ere enco,rntered from 25 to 7l ltrl.
In the ten preliminary holes driiled in the I{ibiro locality, grey sands and grits,
comparable, though not necessarily idcntical rvith thc "Big Sand" $'ere encountered
15

irr rhofi1.1 11o'"no

I-,rl\ h,,lc. I,rlr

tlrc rnor,
urr,5 passed through.,grcy
ard 8r(en ,.Jays,..hal.i rrrrl ul,r1,y
(onrdirinq chdracl(r.i"lrc srnd.rone
'i
_srnds
srnngrrs znd L,rnds .irnitrr ro rh"sc ntor,. th" T;t
S;":.:r i;,;"r'.1. 'ilu,,;. f_.*f
correlation bet\yeeD the four ,ore
L.f,rr,"aiiii"i a'"n'l{,i.ig"
"",rtfr*11.
"uri'li'ry a"p,t., of
450 feet, *'as based or a charact,:ris
ic
;i .;.;,r";i'';.;.
ir, ,"u.i'
occurred
sandsrones

courl-er.l)

\\'ith

oolitic
_p"J.t.". No'"aa*itior"l l'i.aag."phicot
"hr-o.it.
information \\'as obtained from thcs.-test
h"li;,;;;;"
i,";;;;i,"*'i'J"i'.r .".a"
\Yas cncountcled in test-lloles l<,tr ,rcl 1\+a,
trc,m $irieh a small amount oi oi] and
"l rrater
emulsion rras oumocd
ctrjllcd, I(1, \ras_ sired about one mile north of Kibiro
on ttrc
-"]-l:..:::ld*!::i
Irarro$ rrirt Detwcen"_elt
thc escrrnm.nt.and lakc shore. The hole struck the main
rift
fault rt 2,238 feet and oasscj i"," base11;;;.--Th;.i.u,""'.",rioi,'iijij'ru".",r.,u.r,
-?ii^"li!r-;t g1 ;. the wali bc,relole ,"d ;";..hi;;;;;lj,,"ii.'l.i]ur;"r,"a.
I r'e r.s cnu\s a monol.no \ rlrnrnallon ol grcy
and btuc-grcen shet.c. Th, .n,norrion.of.,f;j sand. and erirs sirh .rrJy ctnrs
i'; ii,""r"'i,"1 p,n o, ,r,"
holc. end ir $cs luepesrcd t', p,,,r1 rhar ,f,"-ati;.1"""'rr",,,.',
iir;.",,.a ri*g;
Bed" mighr [r,.ptcc,?"ar ,, haid.rnj"roln L,r"a
i,.liii'.""",.
ro,r" nr
the reJ.bro\n shatcs..on"id,red ro bc rypicrt
", ",t"pii',i
i<il"g;'i,l"'in.o,.,.."a,
n.ilhcr \\(re oil-shales n'c,nnr in thid hol.."1r-,;
B,,uld.; bed, riere .ncounrercd at
in genc.at..rhr .,r,ore
i.:. i]'ii,i',,;s;,',''1. .,,p"",.a
i.*rl.l:,1i,-r_0^.1"jr..
rurrr rrs ctoce Dro\rmtl\ lo rJ_c.l/l l:tu,L scarp alo,.g
""qui rhich larer
mor?rr,nL ha" rake.,
place to fo-m ihe pr..int cscJ.Dmenr.
tesiJroJe, Well k2, u.as drilled at about one mile north
.Thc
Kl and
rrithir _second
l.att a mit. of rhr ."ep,e.. ana p"."J ih,;;F,;;; ,;;;";
jn",l,. oI
. u, ...,,o,,
.;;,
r, ir h pcbbtc brds-unt ir irc .itt lau tr i a"
r,
SZO
.r
ij":.r,..j11.
,cr'. ,,rgz,n. Lnere ts no nu,rtrve itrdication
"iscdjmcn1.11.,
",.
oI
any
",
breaL
in
j..i,:J

i,;;i.;

riil

j'"iliip,
"-r,
;, .i,.."ii,. rl.;..'. ij,lty ,r,,iiy i";, 1,;;;i"i'.;:; l;Jt#l
t. *
;:,LB"l:
rrerc cored. and" rhc log is der;\ed from driil_chiooinn.s

lzkrnP ell thc evidrnce avpilahlo on rhc lithoidgl'ol rl-c sedimcnr,

in rhe AIberr
Rift Dcpression, it can be said thar a marimum 3i +,OOO
l""r
f,]""'L""n
rrhicl-.. rtror,ghour rhe mar!inat
oi ii,. bi"i,,]'at:;;; l;,i"oi;:"'.r."..,,,,n
"rr_ir,"a
of indistinsuishablc freshri,ater"r"r,
tacustrine sands, ;i;t;i.
clays,
r.rpidly ahnrnar.:ng and Ien,ing uirh6Lrl ,r, ,""ogn
"*;;,'.ii""andr,oriro.,.
"Jbt"
Loc,r r ararion" .ucrr_
"o.i"ini"trl. horizons,
as gypsiferous
ff:i?,t
,,ts,,u( ;:"1:'
zones. 5:l-^9:.,_".1',1:o:
carc2reous nr Icflxpinous he-ds. sUggcsr th" uJuil tlucrurr;ng
siJiirtrou r l}(ir -being sufficienrti'+"tt
ro
:::',",']-,
i,J,,ae
.t,rr;-r,lJ
'\ Kbi.o Bn, c Bcds
grapnrca,":l9i,iol:,
unrts. I he
ol thn ryiq loc.rtity
havc nJiio la, be.r,
rccopniscd elorr'hrrn. ahhorr"h rh"i. .quivalcnr!
.ry U" iii."J *'ii. "[".rug,nor,
by Lepe-rsonne. a'" to
ii,",.^," i,,
l_::l:l:.9:::':u+,
zr(Iac(,rus mrlpnat cjose 1o rh. mLgins ul rhe Deprnssion.
Ol
,iqni6carcc,
oumc
hou'erer. is rhe devntoomr nr
qi \-"\ 'ir
i,"ilo,"
rrru'L d'
rigiltr",ou,
",t-.h;re. ,- *";* "a'i, i, i,-a,:.i;ni
bcds in rh. denp.r prri oi rh."t,ucces"ion
arillefri wrfi.
rwo small arers ot vourp scd;r.nls r^hich
-ereircd snmc altenlio; as"n.*jl,lv p-rlaing lie oursicle the Rifl Depression
'rg. l,arc
fr"rd,,g""rlfi"
Iautring. Th.se cre found'irr rh"',;x;y;;irh;
"ri;r,'c.s "l ,L"
"u;dJnc.
M'Ji,i
iJ.i
*hict,
flow into Lalic Albert at its sourh-easte;n
" "i'll
Wayl",rd
,.co!,r*i"J tl.rut ,urra_

r"'"G"i"a,-il;'i:

"o.rr"..

16

ii

in thc N{uzizi Va1ley at about tNcnty miles bevond the present }ilrrit of thc
Rrfl DEpressjor arrd rcsting unconiormabl\ on the crystalline baselncnt, might
rlell bc eorr.lated rrith Lasal bcds ln the dorvn-faulted trough, xnd he dcscribed
sirnilarities bett'een thesc N,Iuzizi Sandstones and harcl bancls in the Kaiso Beds.
The N{uzizi Sardstones are o\:crlain bv grar.els thich Wayland provisionally
idcntified as Epi-I(aiso Bcds. Pargcter (1950) examjned these beds in the Nkusi
Vallev and described thcm thus: "'Ihc sedimcnts arc remarliably unifr-rrm in
stones

chara"cter, bcing ahrays 6nc grained -urd lamin.Lt.d. '1'he hmin.rtiuirs are thvals
thin and at no point \\'crc inteibedrled shale or grit bands seen. OccasiorallS
rounded pebbles ar'e plcscnt, hut no real conglomerates occur cxccpt in thin bands
near thE contact $ith the hills nI crystalline rocks and ncar the base of the group
'-the sandstoncs arc critrcmclv hard and there is
,ls exoov-d ncer I-el.e Alhen .
lille'jo'nti-g. Th.r .,re prrrric, llr n.r-r,(dJ(d or u.tlr r,11 .rnrll dip- . . . r;\e'
'l'ol.ards the Lake Albert scarp, the sandstone
to be d(tositional in oLigin
becomes much coarser in grain sizc and is often red in colour. The sedimnts :rrc
seeD to entend riglrt do\,n to thc riycr bed (Nkusi) et the edge of the scarp so that
the thickness must be in the rcgion oI 300 feet. A massir.e corDpact conglomerate
about 20 feet thick can bc obscrvcd Iiossils rrould appear to be completely
absent it is not possible to 6\ thc datc of the sandstoncs and so thc question
of coffelatioll nith either I(isegi or uppcr llaiso horizons rcmains opcn."

Structure
There is a striking absencc of folding throughout the -lrourg sediments in the
Uganda part of the Albert Rift Dcprcssion. Dips ol 10' or more have been notcd,
but in most cases can be interpreted as depositional. Thc occasional steeper dip is
nomally associatcd n'ith faulting. In thc southern arca, Waldron (1951), on the
evidence of surface mapping, records that "the cntirc arca covered sho\\s no
evidence of anv 'closcd structures'. Xllonoclines and structural traps produced by
faulting, though not obscri'ed on the surface, may be prcsent at dcpth." On the
Kaiso flats, Wayland rcmarked oD one or t\\'o dips rvith an inclination towards the
escarpment. Thcsc rvcrc cxamioed by Waldlon (1951) \\,ho came to the coDclusion
that sincc thc beds rrerc essenti.rlly cla-vs and unconsolidatcd sand having an
"undisturbcd" and uncrushed appeararce, their dip suggested "lowcring of blocks
of large sizc" rather tharr "side pressure".
In the northcrl area of young sedjments, Wayhnd rvas strongly of the opinion
that Waki Hill represented a structural dome and the first drilling opcrations by
the African and [uropeaD In\.cstment Company Limited \vere dirccted to test this
contention. A total of eightccn holes, 300 to 400 fect deep for closc correlation
purposes, \'as drilled and a markcr horizon 1!as used at the top of thc "Big Sand".
Iller.en holes rvcrc drilled, on r'.hich structure contour lines were bascd, and,
according to Penny, delimited a domc lith closure ol cighty-fire Icct. This
providcd- a sitc fol ihe first dccp test. It lrs bcrn sholn, hc,ivei er, that thc "Big
Sand", like all beds in the series, is lcnticular and passes into sands and clals $ithin
three miles. It is possible, thercfole, that, as pointed out by Davies (195i), thc
"Big Sand" me1, be nothing morc thrn r sendbanl p,rralJel to xn old shore-linc,
and that thc hill oNes its oiigin not to an rnticlinrl slructurE, but to diffcrcntial
17

erosion. Such sandbanlis are a feature of the prescnt shore_Lnc. On the coflelations
established in the shallon holcs drillcd ncar'lGbiro, d.viations c,i thJ strike
from
parallel to the cscarlrr.cnt suggcsted
folding, rhough Ir.r:. ,g"i. j.p*it;""^i
varlatrons may ralher be the cause. ^slight
Structural dclormatir'n, the, cfJrc, muit be con_
sidcred as targell'limircd ro faults. It is i-porr""f to ,rni;;;;" .r;,";h;;'i_.p"r.""""
rrcord. po.r-hriso rolding on thc rrr"rern'sidt of tlc niii. ,,;,,l it,.
froar.,ion o.
diDs of as much as 40' FoI the .convenierce of description, faultrng may be scparatcd into the trvo
groJps: mdJnr lracrure lirres dclimiring rhc Rrii Depressior..'an.l srruc,ur"rrirhin
rr c uouno3nc( o th( vouna scdtm(rrls.
NIAIN RITT FAULTS
A cor- d. rablc litrrarur. h." rciurnularerl around rlre sulric, r ul th< uounderr
faults ol rlrt,Alb"n Rirr Depre.sio,r as b.aring on rh.
rr gcn(rat. tr rs nol inlcrd(J lo dis(Lr.- thc c,,n1ro\(rsy rhiih hns derciopcd
"i'.riii,lili,,.
orir
rheorics of.the modo ol origin oI rhc-c slruclulrs. \V,Llr'rceard ro rhe
Imirecl rcpion
hcre dc5(r,L,cd. rcicrrn., shuuld I'r made ro \Aallor d qto25.
l,,itev Witrir
(iqJ6)..Shand rtqJor. lJ-.1 {tal5)..Di\ey.r tslsi Xa.Con-.it IqJOr.
q5'ir."i..p'.r.;;;:
it
(l94al j,.,hn"on and l\l,CorncIl (1q5t), Djvie- rt9!t).
mrin zones of bourrdary laulring havr bccn invcsrigared. rriLh special
_.1-\\o
relercnce to Dctrolerrm :
.. (a) the system ot frults alung rhc \.estcrn cdge oI the northern termination of
Ru\ enzotj, and
(6) the faults foLming the escarpment over.looking Lakc Albert from Kibiro
to \\r:rki.
In both systems it is o,ident that therc. has becn more than one pcriod of major
movem.rt. Tl e pre,er.r ..(arpm, nl: d:sphy a iompr,.irc .l"rrr.rl,r , un.irt;.g'of
an, uPp.r \\cll<roded slop" ia1e1rup1.d bi
l6urhlul iall<.t-s tlault-linc ,roriou n'o,.p.
John-on., lq30) and,a lot,.r fau.lt.,calp i,liich i. rnain,y a'p,n.ip.,or, slopc rriih
lrlrncJted spurs and hangirrs valicls. The ..hanging sc.ncry.., ,iith a mei"urablc
Da:e . ua- d(s(.flbqd by Wayland. l. t. a short distrr,cr iusr sourh oI
^narrglng rnd oPpos_rte lhc ljuranga Hot Sprir,gs.
bcTqlya
th"-auh ircc is exuosed Uohrson
?nd l\1,(o nell, l95l). I he pn-nc< of mylonires sugge,rs rro\em;nr alorrga
rrrl
olo, lrrclurc Tunc ol comnr(-sion. Tlrc dirccrion of thi iaulr strikes bet\\ton
020b
ano U15' and drps \\csr\\zrds 60 65". "'l-h s laulr .ace io|ms pan nf an in1-essire
2lrgnme, t.oi.lrun.irl, d ,purs somo 700 i-rt high._ dirrcted about O+0.. ar,J e\lcnding
soulh\\ard(.lrom Snmperl ru Bundibugyo. li rherclorq rcprcsenr. one,i rhn mo.i
Importcnt raulls drrermrnrnB rh. I{ilr Vrllc}. and, r rt:lcclinq po.siL,re hor:zonral
or.pr2ccmcrt. crn be considErcd a ctecp rormal fcult..- {op. ii.t. Rec.nr drilling
urrdcrrrktn b] rh. Gcoto{i.at Su-rcy'of Uganda io iri..ii;;i" ,l,l--r-". ot
rj*.,Sr,,.;il^ ha. fonfirmcd ,i.,. aip-"Tir," .li,i"r,,ii"*' r-.i-s io :0. ,"
lyl,,Sl,
a
\)erUcat ocpth ot 5/u leet.
Tra,ed dnher -or1h, lhis laulL sy.ren jicpLts bo,lr a chanfc of.Jir".1l,Jn
rcou.tror rn magnrrrde. lo ludgc from ropographical le:turi,. srcn I.r.rlring,.6is
also prebEnr. The changr in di.rciion is d"ubrli." conrrolled Ur pr._,1.,1.r;ng t';e"
ol \\eakne-s. Ir" course is mar\cd nor only b1 rhe ropography
6ur l,t mc.scs ol

,ilid;;,";t;

18

calc-sinter deposited from old hot springs t'hich occur on both thc north-sorrth
line and on tde approximately east-lvest stretch (sre Figure !)..
At Kibuku, thd'oil sccp is'in the nrighbourhood ol ihis fault system.-and drilling
lyas undertakeD on both iides of thc fault in llolcholcs l(ibuku 1 4 '1'h'. fault l'as
encountered in No. 2 at 920 fcet, thich implies a dip of 73' towards thc
north\resL lHarrrs. 1949). Bedrock encountcred at 355 feet in No. 3 borehole rr':rs
interDre-ted as due to step-fxultjnq. A 1o\', though distiDct, scarp continues in the
loul's sediments north north-eas'irrards from the ncighbourhood ol l(buku A
ii,r" Sf.lostlv sDaced boreholes r,'as sited across this fcature live milcs north-east
of Kibuku t6 tist its strucrural signi{icance- No corrclation, horvever', could be
efle, ted from thc corolo8..
The Daturc of this ivhole fault zotre liom thc neighbourhood of Sempaya
Dorthwards to lllakoga M.T.S. {'as iDvestigated by a gravitl' survey described
.l'cwhcre in this oaoe1. Thr int.rprc rtinrr imnli.s n Ioral lh'o 'ol nl lrast 10.u00
leer rhrouphoul ri,e'"outhcrn parr. l'lr, rIon alJ di's out l,ir1y r:rpidll norrh oi
Xllufu ar-", no douhr, ro rlre cor binctl c1T. cr ul ind,-rccd rhro,r ',r,d rhe dimirurion
ul gravil) contrast ,( th. youngcr sedimt nts nv.r51(p thc. laulr .a.rrtard'.
,[ mirior b.ur,,1arv lauir ociut. un th. ea5t.iJe ol lhc norlhqrn lcrminaliun ol'
Ruuenzori. Palg,tei.tlc": lt carr I'c sctn. rlring uffha'pl mcmLcrsofthr K;'egi
Itcd" iu"t aborelhc main east to nurrh.rtir! of th. I(is.gi RitLr. Thar the thro'r
,. s,,hcient to L,un Ki*si Beds c,-rplctnl\ 'cems probr['lr"' Rcconnai's'jn(-c
grcritl
inrd the \f,a.a cmbalmcr,t did rrot -evcrl xny rnarl'd slrrrcrrr-21
"urrel.
hrerk ne:r the Rurvenzori massif.
Further north the boundary fault adjoinjng Lalc Albtn is a mrrkrdly lcctilinear
fearrrre rrith onlr sl:pht local'odiustm,l,ts to-thc .truclural gra.n ol thc crl"tallrr ''
"gcn.ralll ai a Jighr'y obliquc arrgle lo rhc- csuarpmcnr' Lr
bascm.nt, rihicli is
detail. irrrpularitirs ai" noted ,ther" L:c liulring h.," mid. usn of r numher ol old
nl:ncs of iractur.. Thc goree of thc llluzizi River is controiled in its lowcl part
ir an ohliouc lr.rclure \hich offsers rhe mr:n lirr olthc cscarprr' nt (Pzllisrer. 1056)'
Ii"re aeain, rhcrr is aLuDdant cvidcnc( ot early. morc d(.ep-s,:rrd comprc.cionel
n'or,-Ent in the dctclopmenl ul nylonitr arrtl cpidosite ['.,m hiotrtc gneiqs's rnd
rmnhiholites. ln this oart of the m"in e'ca"pm.it therc i' also sornc <ridencc ul
51"p-f:rulring. for basement rock' aPpnar on tlr( do\\nthrn\t 'ide of rhc main f rult
li'r;. A de;ailcd de.rription oI rhii e'.r.',-ent lrorn K:ri'o nnrlhrvards is git'n
hv Railev Willis rl1lt,, po. 158 l5ql. Thc f.rull-J'lan. i' lriddnn b] serec errd
.iidence'oI its dio is,l,iiied lrom dlillire r'cords. Tr.t-ho'r K4a and \4"11 Kl
oi l(ibiro both reaclrcd llre main rill fault, cnd from a cor'in the n.ighbourhood
_of
their respcctive distanccs from the Joot of the escalpmeDt, thc
sideration
inclination of the rift fiult in this arca is estimated to bc 65" torvards the lake'
Well K2 encountered the fault at 855 feet instcad of thc depth of 1,130 feet
calculated on an averirge inclination of 65'. Since this rvell is located nearcr to the
escarDment than the eirlier holcs and thelcfore encountered th(r fault at less depth,
it rvoluld seem that nearer the sulface the fault has rather less inclination; it rvould
be convex to\\,ards the lake. 'Ihis cannot be rcqarded as filmly established, since
thcrc arr 1\vo arsumplions involv,J, namclt, lhat c rcr"r,nab11 prucise positiol' is
fixed for the surface iutcrop of thc fault, and that no stcP-faultirg is involved.
1g

From rhe lir.ircd cvidrn"n o,

rop

anrl drilring, i1 see6. 16xs 16. maln system

of [,ounda1 tautr" ,onsisr< ot m"a.i.,i"r,
;;;,,j;i";: i;".i;;"':' ,iiil
60-70'ror'trdo
""
ouL,

rhc rrougl,. Thc , ridcrr,e;.in,, ,o ,,".rnuiirufii,,.,.

[hNoR F^ul-:rs
A.sociared tih rl'csc ,r:,in t.., n,lrr)
rrr r ..,- Lr"r uf - iror c-osc.Jaulls.
'l he." alc eriJ, rrr t,arri. rrl:rl, ,,., rt,, l.,u1s
no111,.,n ,.._i"r,;r,, o."ii..Itu*"nrori
rn.rs.i'. lhe, S.mp,jr g",g,. rblt,-,," ,r.,
h .futr. ii,..,"i ,1,",u,"i'rS .ri.u,fr,
d pprne nanh. Ortr<. r,,r,:rI.., r rrrl,. irr rtrr."r,,,,..,gt tr",,1,,"J
i,iloia, a'iy .1oln*n
anJ l\l,.Cnnnnll ro1. ,rr.r ,rh' cnn,irl, r ,h: , ,h;:. i.,;,"
"*
J.ii "f',r,. *rU",
n;:,:l:,1.
\urr,F s,d;men,s arrlr,.riplr rt.,v ..,, nu I-, rraccJ ,...",'oi,f.,-_ri,,"LoLrrrdary
raulr
crd nrusr th,r.lore r,r. _il.re rilc l,.r mprur r.,ulri,S. I-urrh,.r
rr,,rrh
rrr
rirc
l(ihul*r
nrighLourhuod ar, i ,un,l ,r nr ),,,,ruxin:.ir.,\ no|l)
\\,.r_soullra.r lauls aflerrirrc
basemerl ar,d Aai.u Kr.c"i ltcd.. "A, mc,ri,,i,,,l ,.,.fi",.
ii," ,rr," h;:;il
-i1r
changes direction shall)h
a oi,inr ore rna l"tJ-,r.,]t.. .*"i'.ijiii"n i'.1;r'i
f.S.
Grav;ry obserhrions ciriie.l
"
ho,o,er
sh-ow
i"t'i#
.o"la
fr"
"'
idrnrified rrirlr a conunu.lti.n ",,r't".e,
"o-".","'a]y
oI rh, nurrh, rlr"r,
di,..r.J
;.,,i:;"i
;
.. Dip. ro*ardr rh, -.r,p on rrr. e..i- ,r'r' i("; .i ii;,; i.:, ;: i;,",e'ii]i n. a,.,o t,.",r
blocl
[aulring
.rrtjoininr' rh. rnirn raurr..hulr.i. ;"'r,.""ni_ji] "i"io.rt i.,ui,
aftectins the "Bie
Send-',
;"
1iir,"'i".t_f-iil a.fi"i t.,rr"",,
"n.",,ntcr.ed
Buriabr and \\ali. a, d i """
rJ,,r,
"," t",;lrD i;;ii.''*.,"'nll,rir,"a
nht,qL,,.. ,. ,h.
,o
.\pla;n rh( lack nl
bctu.e.n Inc l\\o Jrnups ut r.-l hulc\;ir thc Kibiro
"n.r..lprion
arca, nrmely betwrcn li5 end Krr
Thc neci ior locarine taull. \\ilhin th( \oLrne :edinrqnrs is
ut Ddlamounr
rmporlrr.cc in rhc..arch io. n,.rr.re,,m. :rnd ir sr. .."1;*a
,iiri
.rrl"
ioull'ing ,,,gf,,
nor h,\e a .urrac, ..xor.s.i^- Th,. p,"i,ien;
iil.".,,g,,i.,,..
gralirl .,,rrr1 ir, rt., S<rnrikr n.ichbo,rrh,od. ho,,e.cr,
9.;,lt,a
\rcrc or-apporntrr.p rIl Ilri- ".rn,.t Ir .e,rrr" r.er_on.rL,l) ccnrln
floor oI rhs Rih du,s,u,r,- 't,ri.r ..uch drprh and;, .r"fr', rhar laul,,ng,n the
,:fr".r.,".
U"
insufficierrt to crusr c surta,e crr\irv anomalr. Srrpporr;n!,."ia,.n""
^,"
fo,'u."urrl,ng
iaurrs :" ,icri,el i.unr rh. rcnn;i,"1ron"oi it_r" llrt',,orrt
.he pr.s.n6q of
uura".
'i;,,ri'iJ
A scries of fautr"u.h
*cdgcs -",.
r,..
p,,,ir.r
i,;h;
l"l,g"i*r,t"
", F;1,. ,\h.n. ,r..
sourh uI rhe Nil. h,.t6r, ]\t.rrcr.in.,
i.'lho,rouing
to rhe surlacc.rl.is.rrc lr. A similar .(r ut 12ulrs i,,.h""i
"ilr,"'iii.,
f,"
idrnara tfirt
rn sourh\..r Usanda ir,
""".'lr',fri
r,"ror ic po,irio,,. ir :;";;
,;i
t-rrii,""Ur.
"imi'rr
,lr,
rhe floor or ,h; Albcr Ritr D.-re,.;o1
,o..",J..,hry
ir".,rr,j';[']i,
,yp,*f
.i"

ll:::ll:!l.li"

.;;.il;;;;;h):.li

;;,;;;;

manncr char,rcrerisric,ol tlr. Cr,g"1 n;ti n;p*..ii, i<":';"."'

h..agc.or lh.( laulting is diffirult ro assrsc on .,.(.our)l nt'rhe gnneral
r
.l
I1c( ol 3ec
det(rmrnalrons in rhc -edirrcIl. \d.alLnd rlq25t ,,r.
,ll1""p1"i""^i;;
iii:
foilorr ing movemcnts took olacc:
"f
of tir rifr-block consequent upoD the original faulting."
(r 9J".^?:j:',.H]"
(1l) SJnl. subsJdcnce durins_ acc umulation of thc Kiscgi Bcds.,, (l
l4iocenepliocene\

(.) "6"p.e".ion and tilting of the lifi-block and I{isegi Beds iu

--"''"" conse<luence
^" grcar rc, rur,ic,no\(rnc..r\. r
ol
r) t rpp, r p'irccr., -pt"i;il;;;).

(d) "Slorv but continuous subsi,l<nuc c,f thc rift-block and supErincumbcnt
Ki-cgi Bcd. durint th, ic.'rnulr'ior, ul th< l(ei.o B,d.. 1Pl,.isroc.rre,).
(e) "Furthcr depression and tilting uf thc rilt-hiock and the I(isegi and Kaiso
B,ds in con.qun_,c olg',r,, rcr-orr,c r.,o\.mLr,l-. 1P'riotoccnc Reccnr;.
Lepclsonnc (op. cit.) has providcd vrlu.rblc oidence on the chtractcr and age
of faulting on the Congo sidc of thc Dcprcssion. He dra\r's attention to thc general
asymmetry ol thc Rift Dcprcssion; the bordcrs have been elevated, but in an
irrcgular fashion so that a rna\imrm elevation on oue sidc of the Dcpression ts
usu3lly matchcd by a minimum clcvation on the othcr. Apafi from the main
boundary faults, there are others, often of cousiderable throu,, lvhich strike in all
possible directions. Faults seen in the l)ascmert and considered to be pre-I(aiso
Series are olten a(cun'p2rirJ l', rl i,l zcn.' u- l,rcc"ir. In g.ncrcl. rhesc laults
ar. o(pr verri.al. Fault' afl,"r:r.g K,ri"o S,ric. Jrr \(1ieal or lnclincd rr 70 80'
to\\,ards thc centre of thc I)eprcssion. Likclisc, de Ilc-inzelin describes faulting
at the northern end of Lake Ed$,arcl anci at the southern extremity of Rurrcnzori
as essentially vertical mo\'ements; the inclinatior of Plio-Plcisroccnc lxlllt planes
is figured as around 70' and all faults obscrved alc normal. Lcpersonnc comes to
the conclus;on that there wcre four nain periocls of epcirogenic movement: preN{iocene; ? pre-IGiso; post-Itaiso; pre-Semlihi Scrics; and post-Semliki Series.
The movement throughout lr:as a geDeral subsidcncc of the graben concurlently
r,r,ith eler.ation of the bordcrs.

IIe considers that the most significant set of mo\.cmcnts rvhich produced the
graberl \1ere earlier than thc liaiso Beds, narucly, prc-Plio-Pleistocene, though
thcre is insumcient evidence to linorr u,hetircr the pre-Illiocene faulting rvas of major
importance. These pre-I{:riso faults rverc latel strongly rejuvenated so that the
Kaiso Beds ofter have a faulted junction with basement. Nl[oreover, a continuxtion
of the line of a reju\(nxted srarp c5n bc traced *,ithin the Kaiso outcrop. Other
faults ue eltirely uithin the b,rurrdarics of the Depression a.d occur close to the
contact of Kaiso" and later sedirncnts. llost ol these post-I(Iso faults are nearly
verlicil ur hare inrlinatiLrn" ,,1 70 80" to\\hrd. rhp , crt-c of Ihe T)epressror.
Younger faults separate Kiliso and Semliki Beds or more obviously Kaiso and
Recent lacustriDe beds. No such late lauits have becn observcd on the Uganda
side other than those rccorded in troreholes, and jn rnost cascs it appears that crossfaulting, namely, east-$,cst or at directions obliquc to the boundary laults, havc been
of an earlier date and are maskcd by unfaulted younger sediments. Thus, the
faults afectjng the l(isegi Becls -rt Kibuku and the lliscgi Rivcr cannot bc traced
in thc ple'umed Kais,' Bed- rr..t olrhc psin freg jr'1 1aulr.
Summing up the evidence bearing on structural dcformation of thc young
sediments, folding is extremcly uncoDmon on the Uganda side of the Albeft Rift
Deplession, though recordccl in I{aiso Berls on thc Belgian side. Faulting has tal(en
place bulh oD Jhe marg;n. ol rhc g|alrcn anLl rrirl-in rhc t'orrgh and h2- becn activc
intermittently since pre-l.Iioccnc timcs. Thc lhsencc oI surface expression of
fauiting n'ithin the outcrop of ),oung scdimcnts by no means precludes the possibility
of faultiDg Nithin the lo$,er series.

21

OIL AND GAS INDICATIONS

Sutrrect Srrpecrs

The-oil seepage
-LaIc
Aibcn

ne:rr

liibiro earll Jrcrl

atteDrion to rhe oil possibilities of the

tourrd orr rrr l.LLr L,ach
,frorr ,,,i-.nj r'l"lt -;f""
,orl'..:r..1 ot Krt,rro.rllap( r,rC c,,n"-.r. ot :.plrrlti, pirche\
",
ot nand ,pperrrng trom
b.cn^cath. thc
*'hiic
trcactr
i",il,iqi",'.
;;
i!lr'" rv"ytu,ra
,1," .present
ib:' rhr u.. u,icJ "r,,aTh. 6111.16i6;
i,l""n
,n.o,.,"o,
l]12-s]
!:,;:
li se(r, lo ('or,:rsl nl , o.r,r' c.rJrd .rrrrrar, d rri h r ttri, ',..
"""p,e". ln colo.rr
L pclrolrutn.
it i.

,ri-Bion. .lr i.

;ffi,;'d

c,

blccl o'

(\r11

n,tr dar\ b.o,,rr ,rd rtrl;r,h, .r;i;".:-A t;i i";h;.';;i;,,';h;

surfacc, howevc'r,'it. is bright ancl gI"t-ri"g i;,tfr"iiiriJ p","rf"r#"iiri

rn appearance lrcshlv made tannacada.rD. Attcrnpts to dig iDto this deposit, the
Iareral cucrr',,,i
rrnInn,,n. rrsr.tr .o rf,. i,-i,",- f-ir.. ," iriirrl: ,"., r"*
'rhiilr r- lrolcunr
r/.(l ao\\n.
:lrcl()
n,
-ozn.. our '.rpidl) rnd ,.ovnr- rv.r\lhi!g in l\
\rcrnrl) \\rth,ln.
a !rn.ri,l.\ bl.rnk rn.rs.,,. p.r,rlc,rm
ar.d oil_sorLqd
Wh". n,,
"rid.
p.rrul, u,,r 2.curnul2rcs irr ir a,.d gas
'c.-lr'anLru'.r.1.
buLrLIes up
:ll.TPI":,
rnrouBlr llr(":'"
ltqurd. (op. ,//. pp. 2q J0).
Thr sceprgc has bein ririicd ,,n r irumber of occasions and little dilierence has
,Dccn
no1i.L1. \- a.rpl\5,, nradc.l th. Tmp,.r,xl 1151;1u1" is gircn bt Warlard
rrith
comm.nrs f,\ 'ullu*r:" Arr an;lrsr-. m:rrlc';r ,t" t",p"rLi-f3.i,,r,i'oi',-(.
o,1 ,.orn
rne r\rorro asnha rc ne,.p r" rc lullo\,.s:u- tmr,,, - ,olul'le in acnr.,ncl
5r,.g perccnt.
lnt..ol,
qsplrarr,rn,lm.rll,rsoluhlcirrchlLrrotoln)
425 perrcnr.
Ash anu non-brLrltnllrous.rgpnr,.ma ,.r
0.7 p.rccnr.
0 31 irerce,t,
Cabrilicvduc 10 322 small calor ies or 18.598 British therr";i";i;""
dri"d.,rr" tor.r,d ro ha,, a,pccinc g.,;i,j
.fli:lil.rrhen
\rncn
"i0.sJr';, rs C,,"a
suDJ(fl(d lu lraclr,,nal drjr.llirtio|h i.ldcd lhc lol[,rrinp re.u]rs:_

**-U*

..

lu]lhgr

Boiling poirts
15'C
L;ght pctroleum
Kerosenc

Lubricatnrs Oils a.d solid

Hydroca,bons

Upto150"C..
150 300.c ..

1.1
12. +

60.5
0.835

42.5

Abovc 300'C at
55.6
30.9

Rcsidue (coke and Pn.h)

The high calorific value and the lorv sulphur content are of interest.,, (o2. .r.
Pp. 31-32).
Th"r orhrr.:mporra.r uil srcpage is rhar ar.lriLrrLu. vi,irrd by \Valland,n
l9l9
an{l lrcqu(rrll) rxllmi-qd ,irrcr.rlrar d <. Th, descriptin,r oi rhj.-localirr is
roro\\s: - llr( pcr-otrt.r,,us p(l'l,lr L,ds c,c nrposcd in rhe banks and I,nitom .r"
ol
rr{ rrrDuku srrcam. tl,r) dtsptr) x grcrr.i:h_gycy colour ,rhich rppcars r6 [q 6]xs
22

to the preseDce of iron phosphate, and rhcir ririnitl.is marl,ed b1' r srrong odour
very closeiy approximeting that of paralin (i.elrscne). I'hrre rrc somc small rocky
pools on the outcrop of the iol,er pcbl.lc L,cJ. lhrsc support chrLrctcristic oil
films, rvhilc ycllou,, vellolish-red arcl r,hite precipitates oI flocculcnt sulphur cor.er
many of thc stoncs and sonetimes the sidcs of the smallcr pools. Some of the rocks
above the general level of the rratcr are covered \\'ith a thick greasy fi1m of yellotishbrorvn oil.

J- trro ol tlre pool". ga' huLbl,- ul) tro " ,r: ,'\. rrr th. r'orl; irr orrc,a.u rrpidll.
T'r,' botrl.s nl this rrr, r,,ll,,r.,l ..r upr,r,l
li.1,rrc,m,,rr ..,
znd s"nt
'' "arn.,
ro Enrebbe tor e\i:rminrrio.l. TI .r prnrrl ,,; 1:',1,. f',1,i"i if,",ei.,
"rrior"lt
cnnugh. t\e1 gav" diflrrenr ^bsorfr
"n.. rh,n ;l rc,d o\cr' :,r.rg L1u,ri( sod:

,t

tr

sohitions. No. 1 (volume: 770 ee.) absorbed 18$cc. o1'solution; No. 2 (r,olume:
8Q0 uc.) ebsorbed 400 cc. 'l'hc Lilusric soda, on tcsting, shos.ed the prescncc of SO,
and CO.. The tcsts rcr. pcrlormcd by X,lr. \\t. C. Sin-rmons. 'l'he Iack of pr.oper
appli:nuL" rcndcrcd rhem.
',.u,.,it). .,, ,rrr'rr cludc. L,rr rhc rn,rin r.suh rias
the proof of the presence"rof a high pcrcentage of sulphul dioxide and carbon
dioxide, a little cthane, ard soDre inelt gas, prr:sumablf nitrogen. The presence
or absence of hclium could not be cletermincd. As rnay be expected, the ivater in
the pools is slightly acid.
It is impossible tu sJy ho\ tar the petrolilirous pehble beds are to be regarded
rs true oil holiznns, fur thrrc is thc possibility that they may represent 'secondary
horizons', so to speal<, by $hich thc'u,ritct mcans sm;ll loial impregnations thjt
have obtained their oil contcnts from true oil sands bekrw, by t,ay of seepages up
to the junction betrveen thc scdimcnts and the crvstalline rochs of Ilurvenzori.t'
(Wayland, o2. cit. pp.22 23).
The gas emanations have not been obscrved on leter occasions, but thc gcneral
character of the seepage is impressive and suEgests a kerosenc base oil in contrast
10 rhe h(a\y oil of Kibiro.
Besides these two main seepages, Wayland listed fiftv-trvo occurrences rvithin
thc Alberr Rift Depressron \\herr traces of oil or gas wcre dctected. These are
given in Appendix iL Fe" oi these have sincc bec'-n confirmed and Waldron rvas
unable to dctect the traces of oil recorded br, \\ralland in the Wasa embavrncnt in
the neighboulhood of I{ibuku, other llrzn ihe miin s..peg., .rnd .rt JGiso. The
gas etnanations in the lake ncar Butiaba recordcd by Wayland \,ere obscrved by
Prnny some fourlecn yerls latcr. As shallo$. holcs at Butiaba gar,c no evidenci
of leu)ting or major disturbcnce rrhich $,'ould account for the emanations, Peruty
sugge-tcd rh:rr ''lh( e\plcraliorr ol thcrn iq prohrhl-. r" h, l,und in rhc rlricl, Ledi
of Jignite and calbrnaieous ch1 underlying thc sul_Iacc sand vhich u'as found in
test-hole i6 (on Butiaba sand-spit) from'2-5-to 67 fcct, and ;n test-hole 18 lrom 33
to 73 feet. "
In 1929 (Wayland, 1931, para. 142) livc major o;l occurrcnces uere kDo\\n in
addition to the original thrcc localiries, mairly as a result of rvorh done by the
Belgien authorities 3n their side of Lake Alberi. They are situated as follows: one
about fire mile".ourh .r \4s\\a (thdr i-. l,,ur rliles'r.orth ,,t rlre originrl l\l"rra
secpagc) in association \\ith hot springs; oDe about fourteen miles south of lllsrva,
and t\\o more, one being no\ cornpietely inspissated and scaled, in the Ngeti
23

countr! wherc rhe Alber.tine

T)

cn rr5-sj6n p155s5
.

l? lffli,ill"""i),f ;l;;;:::';,|;l.*"1ii
Sur-sutrrecr INotcarroNs
As rEcorJed elscrvhcrc. uil_shal,,s

intu thc Scmlili Rift. In adclition

"r'i' "i 'r'"

i"r"" lii'ii^;"'lili',.", *"0"n"

zsoo recr ,nj.ri:o:i"i r""rl;ll'i,i.i'i"i,ilji::l;,;lo,:

A:,.y,X"I:l:i:l
rrith tlre.e chu.olr,c-,,r.or,n',,,,r.t.1.1 g1,.1 if fr"l..-,,,,."
i;i;
.;:i;*"^
oand*ron. ri l.02+ t.(.r ro J.;lo l,,r sorn,
oi rrhirlr.ho,red rrr,.es.t ,rcc",orlg*f
on
resrins \1ilh rl.lor,,ro'm. qt.,,.,r t x_0. r.^(.r.
f,t*t
oir_.1 |.,,.tij,"ro",,,r",..,
rrith chlorulorm ir.n l.ELq r,,ir,,.J.S(2,"",..
"
..,,..fr,,n.,,.r.'i"lj'*f.,,t,*""
rmprcgnar(d r,irh 5.,roo t,\ \\,jgr r ,,f i. ...t,..r,1. ,,it
,,f,ll sf,"\l.a",]" ""
,nd
u,,
.rrr,,,'i.,,
,,i,
o,.,
-nsr:rurr,r,"* t'.. ,,n ;;i;r;:;:"ilJ. |ii..",";:",l,1:,,1
of vrsrline. T\\.(r rrsts \ith a form.
"i:r;l;'i*J"i:ilJr"':.:::::i

ili:"ll

':ii:,-i*" ;lil:'.,,",*t*:, ;:.:t

*g,,;,. ie",n1. io.r;, i i",ili j,ljrl:lj i;liI.": ii::,'J ::]l ;li xl, l;:,
"j.'S,,0'i'"i', ,0."1
. r,;,it.,f,
Lroup eJ\e rlre lultor,irr rc.,,lr
-t.,"J"ir,"

i,;i;.

occurred in th< shrlc, but ther -roo.'"

*;

ir.--,,t", r
. ".g"r;.
rratt.r. s.mc rxlrflctaL,lc ii.c uil c.rr,air.ine 7o.
.urphui..:
Q
ln.shaJlo\ rccr.lrnl,* l(4 i,nd l(ti irr rt,i KiLiro i,"jt,l.r.tro"l,.arrds
,ic"\ rmpr(qlrr.d rrirh ort r,.r, ,.r,,,t
-i<i
rnore or
11 m,.1l) ro,i,on"i i,
,iiy
,,""..
,, uu,o
I00f(,r. lio Lo t25 i rr. tb5 ro lRt r,.r.,.
r5o i,, ZrO,"'.fd'ij"",l'+uZ,,
rg7jo
re<r :lnd +J7 to 4i2
+ZZ
i,, r. fh. 6r,r :ntl l;sr r,ro ," if.. ,;"fr".,." f il"';i
n..gnnr,, n
ol thr "and- \'as r,ur urijorn. th( ,,,ir.(r p.,nsrr,t,"i',,f
,'..rfif ;11r.*"1,.a *f,,f"
hncr-grained rands
n,,'. Th. ..rn(l riom 110 ri i?rS i",.i ..rir1i"A
'r.rc
:u". f,
volumeot oil rrirh sori,6c
1,i,..1',,,6,11 ii"i"'.iq", *r,;.r,
",-rrirr nru,lu-";;:,,:;-,-",'
ua- offser from K+.ihc #c
",,a.r.,,,',r, ,,;,..
:: :.: ]';l'l "l .",
ro rr,.ir dip r ,;,;ri,t ",
;";?'l',fj,.l,"1",1",1,nI.,1,,,i!:*,t:;.;li,;l
sp(crhlj gra\.il\ 0.87. \",t.1j,i,,d
"'"."; -n:rl\,si. i. rccurrl,
Ll f,1 iil..p.;,,iiq",.,"p"r1.
Produerinrr rnir, r'cr..
or;.r,lii.
t,ot..
\,t,i,1,-ylJtd,'j,,5,"r'"i'",fr"
"c'r.cd,,ur
80 gallons pcr hour. Oil
\\a. inrlUo.n hv cnrrrn Lrou\ hailirg ar d s,ral,bine. *,..,
\\ith an
urrrmare rnr. oI r.e"orer| ut al,our 5 ."tto.- o..,nui";n.a
;,i
O"'i,lrll,tr
tr;l;rg.
iiro\rngs of ga' zr o0 and 450 lccr irr hole l( | rrcre *e^,nJ
".il,"
';i
Unfortunately. no oit shrles .,o-. gns6un1.y,rj
;il :tU "i""ii.lr^,"
.,|.i1",'iii

;;;

j :i;

I'%i:;;:l;:;',;?"1,1:::;;j:;[;,,:;'.i, 'n;;;r'i;,:

fz,

tu.;;1,'l'r,.1" iJ,"""ra
,,*,a

lhc.only treccs of ojl jn ihc bortholes in the.Kibuku

,.
arca rvere in No. 4, rvhere
-lrght,mprcgnalions
r'ere oh,.rlcd ir,,-om( ot ,f.,","r.,.-e-p,i;)f'unrli.i..r,ri"a
out by the Sheil GLuuo mle rhe fol

",ir",i

i,iir,

grDrc rmotrnt

i r,l,i, ,L,l,lll"l [j. i#1, ,;_:i1'."1,:Iili"i:);::1,,r,".];ii

ii,,I"ill:,
ol E\tra\l,rbl.
q;o
organic

l:.lrrr,

nnla;nine U

"Jl;,,fnf,ri'"li*..il

I,

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
(J. N,I. BRow\-)

fhe first sturly nf thc rariation of gravity in Uganda rvas uldcltaken by E. C.

B,,jl1rd Il9.lb). Bctr,ctn l9J,l ar,J I9lt,. l'r u..rrurrd Fltrcr 'it,s,nd d.termincd
rl. qlrriry ralu.- tt .rringing 1,.n lulurn". ln ubs.qu.r L !ur\c):ir rrhich a North
Amiricar,-erarirt m,r.r r,i. u..J ro m,Jsu-, grurr,' dilT.rcnccs. a rrum[,.r oI hi.
strtions \"ere re-occupicd; this fcnnitted riduction of the mcasuremerlts to
absolute values. Thc originai pendulum values \!c're Dodified by Bullard and
Hors6,:ld (1937), sh., crlclrlatEd a positir,c corrcction of 3 45 milligals, and again
bv Duclaux rnd MiJtjn (195{), lho dctcrmirred a lurther correction of 4 60
;iiligals. The moclified Bullard values \\'erc thosc adopted during thc gravity
Bctl,cen June :rnd Septcmber, 1950,

ll. ll. tl,ld

undert,,ok a gravity survey

ol pa|t of Lh( Rilr. Tha obi(cr :r' r\\o lu'J: arslll. ru.l'rain I J.triled gra\ir)'
nici,,rc orer Lh. Serrrlili flct' and in rhc r,, i:l,l'uu-huuJ nf rh" feultccl terminarion
rh. nonh(n, nirr ul thL Rur.rrzori. t i',' 1,1'66 thar rhi'rroultl guidc rhe
^l
location ol drillin,a in thc scarch fnr hiddco lault structures. Thc second object
ol thc "urr"y se- io begin a gcn, r;l inro+igrt.un ol riit !.:ctunics.
Altogethei about 4O0-graviiy stations \\crc ohscr\cd. fhc majoriq of these were

on tra\irse lines betrueen the main boundarv lault and the Scmliki River, and across
rh. Dresumcd L,uIi.d r'or'rhcIrr l.rmlnrtri4n ol rh( cr\'tr'lirre nrc." ol l(urenzori,
rnd'r'.re a",omp.r,i..l 1,1 prc.i.c lrv<ling 1", ligurL-21. l{eror'nrie\an(e lraverses
\\rcre made soutL from Sempaya for about tcn milcs aDd along the road to Fnrr
Portal cxtendins onNards }_fi iomc t*,entv miles castwards. The q'-ork rvas tied
in ro Bullard - iendulum .ttion ', ;or1 P,,rrar rBLrllard. lvJbl.
During the five yeals follorving Bo1c1 s rrurk, gravity mt,lsurernents were madc
in and n'ear the Al'bert Rift (Brorvn, 1q5l 5i). Whercas Boyds surrey had been
co_r,erned primrr:l\ irl_ lhc.!Jrcl lor,.rLrr .lrtr.rurr-. \ilhilr the R'tr Valley and
ovcr a r'elat'i\,ely small portiorr ot it, thc subsequcnt survcys were much more general
r"d r',.re mcdi to ohrain r mure ,lerail".l ,'.,p' rpriorr ol ilrc rrriarion ol gravily than
hrd L,ccn po'sibl. h'tl,c1o from rlre l.rr ralucs d.i.-mincd h1 llulla d. 15'r Figure 4).
'lrareries rrere mrde bctscrr, 1\Iasincli, Hoima and Ilutiaba, bctween Bogera
and I(asenvi in Beir:ian Conqo, err<1 from liort Portal o1'er the escarpment towards
the southein end oT Lrl e Al[.ert. Statiorrs \\'cre set up adoss the north-eastern
termination of the Rift Val1cv from N{asindi torvards trIurchison Falls and northrvards to Pakrvach. N{any stations wcle uceuPied in thc ricinil'ot the River Nile
north of the Albcrt Rifr ilhere there i" an .*ie,r"i"n nf thc majur stlucture. South
of Lake Albert, tra\.erses \\'ere complclcd in thc vicinrty ot Lrkr Gcorge and on
the Rurvenzori massif. Additional .stations \\rre s(t up bct\\etn all traverses as
r(qui-ed ard, \hrr( po5.iLl., .latior,i \\'el'c slr(J su l\2r ir gcnerrl 'o\erJge \as
obirincd ercept for:r'g.rr; betrveen the Kasclyi_Bogera traverle and the UgandaA"lqic,, Cong; h"rd"r i.i- \4rhagi P,rrl. Ecci 'ur.i1 rra'm"d. irunr a locil lrase
froi-r $hich iub-basc statiorrs N,erc set up as lcquilcd 'l',) thesc \\'er( tied secoDdary
stations in the convcntional manncr. 'lhc baic stations of thcse surveys \erc in
turn tied to onc of Bullard's pertdulum stations to obtain absolute values. The
2\

absolute veltrcs zduprcd Iol rhc punduturrr stari.rs \.rc thn5q d...ri[,( d l_rv
Bullard
and I-Io1sfield {Lp. .//.) plus t1'o 4 60 rlilligal uunicriur dcLermir<d by'Duelaur
and X4a1tin.

An analysis rll tho valuc" oi tlrc indiridual sl:rriur,- sho\s rhar rhcv hrlc an
-f,"".
uncertainty of less than 0 I millic, ts rrirlr rcip(.r 1,, c.,.h
,i,a i" if,"il

",fl",

calL.ut,rrrd b1 ri,c pr-ocpdur( adopred b1 BuIarJ,

Ii'j.b*_.]
"^1,,..^ ^o:,_rl:i ):1,,::
ot tj.b/
tur rhc b:,s.,nenr ru.r..- ri s, r_ rhe Bousuni va,ue,
:J,I,
:;:ig i,":,\iltu..
;ll) and thc lJ.cor.'. Jl .r.rtuc o. gr.,.rrrry,lr
s,
.r'..o.scrvcn
-b rhe liritude oI thlslation as calcularcd from the ,,1930 Internarronal fi.ir^,f"i,
it".o*-tin"a

t,r""
Ai- rr,d,<l' ra'ior.corlcrriur,. and C rhc din-.r.-.; i;; ,i,"
tl"
,.,urt
rologtapht rrcl thrt o1 ,tn intjnite s1ab, then the Bougucr
",,ir,,i,,,'lt'
value is defined as
., D. C. Thi" pcr.nir. ,umpari,on
r
I
rfe
Buijard ,rlr".. .f fl.
fu

Douuu|r \atupc trJrc D,1n Dtollcd xnll , oDloured ar 5"irh

milligal ir rcrvals. rcducccl ro I0
rnilligeJ inturvais on Fiqurc 4.

Thc nralor_rarirrioir irL ralucs occurs in the immediarc vicinitl, of

cscarpment. Thc valucs becomc rapid)). more negati\.e on c.rssing'iDto thc rift
thc Rift
and the conclusion is^that the greatcr part-of thc changc i,r r aiuel
i" iuE to'a a"n";err.u
lx mass nclr rhc.ou-rac.. rh:rr is. iL i. due ro rh( c\i-i.nc(
, ..;jJ, ,;l,L-,ili.i;;,,"
rt-r Dcprrssion. u_i-g a rrruc or 2."fr0 ror rh,.dcnsity orrhc
:l,l:l::"1:
lq Jpl-o\ nirrrrrc 8,000 r o q.000 fccl or s.diment"
seo
rmcnle. a. r lil;]l
hrckne-s
u ould be iequired
to-account for almost all the anomai), rreating the Rift es a tu n_di-"n"iorr"l
st.u"t.r...
[c +riratc ot dcnsitv lor lhe s; dirn.nt. u.as Lrscr] orr n,,-.',ou.'."_r-ur"..ro
.-l
or pxrts ot corEs obtaincd lrorn drilling, and since the surface densities of the
scdiments arc generally ot' the order of 1 -g'0 to 1. 90, a fi;"r;;i)- 1O-i"-r,ot
."g".a"a
as being scriously..in'error Jor scdirncnrs ar greater L16rhs. ait.i ,rruty";" -of
l;"
measurements, Bullard concluded that it *,as improbcUti thet tfre drof
i'r, Bn.rg.,",
l-alues could be accounted for by the existcnJc riithir,'rh" rufr'.i
a suflicicnt
thickncss of sediments. He estim;ted that_ a thi;kne;-';i ilr"
f""i,
\\ith a densir). of 1S0. rrould bc required,
"ia..""f"S,OOO
fr"-aia."i-.""i;ij"r-ihut
obtarn it depths ot more than""a
",r"t,
1,000 feet or so.
dcnsity of
2.10"
,::-l-:,,.y
lloy,o en
\\'ould rcqutre
.\(,r grezter,hiclints,. Bur ii isoctJ"y op(rrt.s A
orr a regional o.ale
as postulrred br Purrrain (la28r..ttrrn rhc fanks ot ,ll niTi
1,. .ii?r,,ry
.ornp.nsatcd. rh' reLry ,horring highc, BnLrgucl valu." rhrn"""rj
i.
comnrnsarrd ",.,_
ttt; rrould lead to rn incr(ps( irr siz" nt rhc Borrgucr annmrlV or.rcom
rhe
fl_lreU;
,]
l(rll. Adlottttng rhc. Rift
|ise rhr Rurrrnzori l\l"ourrein,. This ma_ril
posrrj\. -Dqprcssion
tsougucr rrluc..-crrD on ,he rich.cr ground. rhcr is, ii,e
Lllll^..llll,,"il'
r(uNcDzorr ra-qe ,s o\..r_comDcnsel( d- Tt
. .appcars |rosL impro'Lrab'.. geolog;cally,
thar a f.lari\.ct, small narror, lerrrrlr Iikc
,t,"'qtL,"ri n;fr V"if",
.i"rl,i'1. ,,*,.a
-'nrilf,,ii',,i.
!.parar(l\, i'om^ rhe immrdiamtl ,a;.*"i ii"."r)",1;
_"t;rr,l,
-r,,.
Irrnurnced ,'r Iormtng hi\ corrclu,ions rbout Lhc rhickncs. of rhe ccJilne,rs
bi
oDse.rvatrons prc\ roust\ madc Ly B.rilcl \Villi_ (lrljb),
rnho cuncluded ther ',
.
mir:(rrnum rhrckn(sc ol rho order of onll I,00Q rc.r ol scdimer,ts occupicJ
rhp Ritr.
AIso. n,' drittine had t(en donc pri", r; Bxlaidr; i ieJil,r,""-,
;;;';id
hrvc
an) pnsrrrre rnlo-malion abnut thcir rhiclncs,. Sircc rl-nn, rhc borcholr nor
cr
\\.aki
has pcnetrated 4,000 fect of scdiments A-""t i.i""ai"t"iy '"Jj"-.i'i.
,fr" nif,
26

il'
I

ii

escarpment near ]Jutiaba. Sirce thc Bougucr \elucs continuc tc, LJrop for. some
miles belond thc borehole site, jt is n,,r unreasonrhle to infcl that a thickness rvell
in excess of,1,000 lcct obtains near thc axis of the basin.
The va-rietion Jn the Bougucr \alues olel thc escarpment is, on ar.erage, of the
order ol 50 milligals. Th;s re-iar'or' ir conlir Ld [rq.ly to a
ot .rbour 5 ro l0
'r.ipThroushout
miles in u'idth, normal to the directior r,1 thc escarpmenr.
these
invesligatior'-. rh, vrlr rrrrkqd rs-o.iJti.rr ot rhc rrpid chcrge in Botfiuer rarue<
\ irh rhe imm(diJrr- r'ici^ir1 ul rhe f:i .-,:rrfm,r,r is eriLlLnr. Turrrrd,-rhn n,.lrrhcast ternination of the Alberr Rift in Bunyolo, the escarpmcnt begins to die away
and brealis up irlto a series of lorv hills. In this area, due iouth of l4urchisol Falls-.
the Bouguer .contours swing from a north-east strike round to thc nor.th-1,i.est and
the gradient of the r.alucs dccrcascs grcrtly. ImmEdixtcl) \.Esr of Pak$,ach, thc
contoursr apaft from dcljneating a smali ertrnsion of the Rjlt alunq thc course of
the \iver Nile, _su,ing soxth-test$ar(ls _.gain, parelleJing rhc cscarp'mcnt bounding
lhe lliiL in lhr. Br.lgirn Congo. l'",rard. I\e nunh-easr trrrninarion ol thc rroushi
laulrirg parallcl
bound-11 Iau t zonr has been tlerccrcd geulogicalll alnd
'r:rh Lh<
'l huse faulis pess lrorn thc basement rochs in Btinyor'o and
by
srudies.
-th,e-giavity
Acholi
south-rvestwards into the Rrit. In rhis neighbourhood otcasional flat,
topped hills capped \rith latc tc projcc through the irdiments. 1'hese appear to
]:9 portion. of the dotn-l.arped Buntoro-Acholi erosion surfacc existing now as
islands u.ithin the scdiments. As indicrred previousll,, the Bousuer values have
a much gcntler;r'adicnr in this atia lhrn o\cr rhe i ccarpn-cnt -rs. for insra-cr,
betrreen Masindi and Butiaba, Bogera rnd Kasenli in thc Belgian Congo and ovei
lhe northcrn no.c ol rhe R,ncnzori rr..il.
It is thus conrended that rh( grcxter pafi, if not all of the changc in Bouguer
values across the Albert Dcpression is due to a great thickness of young sediments.
\o elidrncc of rerersrd hirlring hrs been obrained during rhrsc'.urviys arJ rhe
Rift_appcar. 1o be bourdcd bv normrl aullo ,,r pth,lott. rilrh cvidcncc bt frutting
pa'allcl to rhc cscarpm, rl frulrs at rlrr r,u_rh-qa:((rn c\irFm:t).

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Surfacc indications ol the prcsrncc of oil and gas are found at several localities
\ithin thc Lakr Alherr Rifr Valtey ir rvestern Uganda; thcy are associated with
frrshrvater lecustrine sediments of Plio-Pleistocene asc. These occurren(:es 2re
situated on both the Uganda ancl thc Belgian Cofto side of the Deprcssion
Although individually unspectacular as comp;red u,ith -seepages in proven'oilficids
else$,here, their occurrence at $.idelv scattered Iocalities from one end of this secrion
of the. Rift Valley to the other is highly suggestive of the cxistence of oil in economic
qUanlrtrss,
Geological srrrvcys hare becn rnadc of the rvirolc of the Uganda side of the Albert
Rift.Valley: refrrcnce is madc to rhese and to the rcsults of geological investigations
c.:rrried nut in the Brlgian Corrgo. Geophysical (gra\,'imeter) triverses havE been

t
l

mxde at selectcd localitics in both Uganda and the Belgian Congo and give a
comprchensive picture of the structure, togethcr Nith an eitimate oi the thiikness
of thc scdirrcnts on the south-rcstgn cnd of Lakc Albert. The thickness of the
sediments at the north-eastern end of thc lakc is knou.n to be at least 4,000 feet,
)7

ascerlc; , d Ly .lrillinq rlr|ouel. Lhcrn ir,ro rh,

undIrlying rrlsrailine roc\s. Dlilling
p'ugra.nmp. havc be,n crr.,ied urr i,r rhrcc r*r.
i,,,fi;ri er;l',"'' '""
(r) Ar \Vri,i .,..r1 Br,riabr. rr rh, rrufrl,_ca.r.r.n
o?-L.l*. elf,"r,
(D) ar rh. KiLi.o u:l sc,.nrl., ..,,1(
6tleen ",,a -r,,,i:". "-,'j" ,,ong rhe
shore of rlrc Ia\. trc,,r Buri,.ri.ai,n.t
^:r..-(r) rn the f.icinirv of the ]irhrrku oil scepage in the Rivcr.
Semliki \rallcv,
south_
thn la\c arrd:t rh, nurtl, rr, nd
'"
nr,,,
-.rrrst.,ol
I he o,l uc, urrrn"c ar Kil ir,, i.. nt ,rsl,hrlric"i,i.
"r",i'n"r,"".'''
r1o". ,, hn..+.
r't,,: uii_:ino,.,.qn",.a ,"na
at Kibuku currr.lirrs a mulc p.r,rfErrir r.rr,, r,
.... Onll ,r
,l(ibrlo uar,rh, irrllrlg 1,. .";a'i" f.r," h<"n c..l.eu"rirc. llcr< an orl_
$ater emu]sl,'n
rrrs ubtaincd lr,i" 611s ef rh.
rrhich ma-(. rlrc .dec of rhc Ri,r Depr,.ssioir bor"hoies driil:;'i,l ,l" tn.,l,_rnn.
,g.ino
the fiuh-7ur.:rr a"sard,,i r,,* .,,116,111.. A,ff,,
j"dlln' "rr,o*r,,r"
";i.fn"l,]'i"-t'J'rr",lp.,t
W,Ii.;;i]';
,,^
',,..,1""
{rilJed on tt,c crr..r ot *hL.rL "".. 1,i .r,"i ,,-". .";"i;.,;; ,;'i"
i. r..,,,,., .
"r,r_if,lj;"n,,-,,Cr,,on.
trrs vre\ rs no lnnscr h,id \.,,,d ,.d rlr.
i_ ,i;;i hJ o-,

At Kibuku a nunb-cl of hnrcrrol,.c

".",
.\\er. ar;tt,.j. rn.re"irr'rtl ,"i.'oi oU,.in,ng
geological rntorma(ion rhrn irr rtr, rl,,p"
[rlrii,". ,,tr
Il thc gra\imptr.c.slimplion uJ rh( thlc\n.i"
"r ",.ii;,,t.^pt""i,ri,r.
of rh. ,.drnrcnt. in tlris area"tholds
,hir- th..._q*,r,.,.,,i ir.-i","r
,", ,",
fl::S.
L,l:,:r"y
u\r,, ,,,v(s
ln \re\\ i.t rh(. kio\\n c\isrencc
":,,ie.;ii'il'';"il;i,i,.
tsa,'1r.
oi
ot
d.p,\
cr ihe
iJuuaba pnd oI l.ekn Aiberr rddirior.al r.ork
"il_.hrln"
,r
Xiluiu
,,,,ula
rrp..,i'ro'f.t,.
1.,.,;n.a.
t.r
,is po$ibl. .{t.u rhar tocat;rrr.. b.nczrtr rh. t"t""".;irj ,"p:., i"l[,"".]i".r, io n ,,, ,t,"
l,ghr
ol oil exrrara,i,,rr. r.rrnr,r, rn o,.cur Ir",rodical\-,.";;'ii;,i.'Oj]'ii"
r",,,i""
of off-shore,uil rr:rpc. hn\\, \ (r. u oull Lc a i"",,.r .i ."..iim'L;i,
:"
rc resuIs ul hu,h surta.. m.,n-inB Jnd d"illine
,ndicar. rheir.ar diff]culry ol
corr<latiorr and l.encc ,rr d,.rlrrnrr,"'.r. I"."t p" 1.,;;;g,:;
ff,i' "i if,""i"li,,l ffl.
Lnorrr,;n.,r,. ?t;,-pt.iyol.,:,. F".ri,"..,iJ:r,"i"il'il"x,i""1",,i
""f\,
*:'l'l:ll::mrrrt,r
rn;rr I'1. c.rrctat(d r( 1J,.v.l) \vi.r ,r, \liddl( Sragc ol
rhc
haiso
Series
rn rhc. (-ong,,. rt.<persorrnc. t,14qr.. ihi. .
"r'
,.i;;;.
a",i.'"'r,,o, ura
regr<sstor, ul thn l.rkr maroin.
"".i,
"nd hrr I,eqn r*ign.d ro,h. i ui.rr n'_ f,,,,,".;r^
intcrplurial (d. Heinzclin.']q:5t.
to srrch bnal. lrorevcr. is rlqrecrnd rn .irher
\r,ich
pin(r,.,,rd,i,",,n"r"
..q,.,*'i"'i"iiiii.,"", i,,,r."
lli",y:\l^l^T:[:r.
rvuuKU
u('renorcS. lt r\ naqc,t,t. rl rr.rh. qnrire ,uccn"sion
ar Waki lies
Kaiso Bonc Bed horizurr. 6ur ,.me .t rr . KiL,,\,
'ii"e belorr thc
b,;"hoi;:',.J
n,,r"il"
r,,", n.,ry
fluvirrilr deposirs .rrd crnnor. rh(r, t..,. t1c ,rr*j n.f""'if,"'
'iiel.
ii"i,"
, ,r.*
the Kibuku lcqucnce is enrin,r

rl.,,rc ,hc Bone

rt musr be.a.sumcJ rhar rhcre'r.,r" .o"L;,,rou. Il.cJ i,o,ir.".",,1,;.'il''"""il', ,rf,f,av,
Ioter Semliki \ralt.r.
";J,_;;,:;;; "i"X""i""''U.,t. ", ,r,.
rarur.o ul all bcds in ric scqu.n(e. it srnrn. highlv
,"-I.:f ,1" hnriculcr Ath.rr,
probaLle
'{r,,._
conln,.u.r)
ir-,.i,",i',i*
ri"""
:i11-,^i.,l":rl-!*e
(u tlrc lnlerDla\',,1 .hrnorn^ clirnatc arrd
"h"lto"',,irh
.uuJc(r
Iocal \\arping crused_bI unsrablr
bcdrock.. Such condirlons
-"1 i,"1t 1,,. h."; i",
hJdrocarbons.
"if,j"'f"1iilt." or

ll.

";,;;iI';;'i#'i,Jj,",,,

,trt

It_ is notc*ortly
.""oia"i-'i,i_
a hrgh conrr nr of tigniric matcricl. The "or".'
or-ilp;;;:,.tih
froduci;,n
carbon tracrion, in r-csh\\.2r(r trtr" ,.n6'6o*
Jap"*"
by Srnrin and proLopnr iqlr rrqs+r. r h"- nFc,-i','i;;;",;';;

"lr*,
;ii"',.'iifl rr"a-_
i' :;,,:li"iliion or

[^.-;;;;,t, ffil;'lj. j.iii]"";

"r,ch

28

hydrocarbons miLy have been, horvo,er, strictly limited b)" the lcnticularityl of the
sands, and particularly by the prevalence of silt and clay frrctions in thc sand
horizons.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .. .

This account of the prospectirig for oil in Uganda is complied from reports madc

l)y various omcers of the Geological Survey of llganda. Thcsc reports, mostly
unpuLli'hrd. [,ut availablc for reierrn.n ar Ih, h^adqu'rIe-. ^f thc Gcological
Su.r-et ol Uganda in Ertel-,bc, protiJ. addirional Jqtril.,,n r numbcr oI poinrs.
Gratiiul ackn'ou'ledgmert is madc to the Board of Dircctors of the African and
Euiopean Investment Company Limitcd of Johannesburg for permission to make
use of reports originally submitted to the Governmcnt of Uganda. Acknorvledgment
is also made to the Directors oI British Petrolcum Company I-imitcd and of the
Shell Group for permission to publish t$'o rnalyses.

BRowN, J.

x{.

..

1951

1952
1955a

BIBLIOGRAPHY
.. Rcpot on a \risit to tle Belg;an Co.go and !
'l'ra1,eBe oler ihe Albert IUft- Li pub- Reot.

..
..

195sb
1955c

BULLAR,],

D. C,

..

1935

1936

E.

lurr-anp,
H.

bo,,n',

G.

r.

1951

R.Pt.

Ug44da-

Gravimctic SuNey of Plrt of BuDyoro D;strict. U pub. Re?l.

Geal. Su-.. Uganda.
cmviiv \'leas,,rements in the Murc|ison Falls National Pa i.

Ut.;,b. R. t'. u. 11. .cut!. t {.n \a.

Gravity Mc.sureme.ts in North-\Vest Ankole. UnPuL. Rcft.
t,ol .\u,r- t gr\,hGrayity lleasLlrements in East Africa. Bull. No.2, Geol. SanLlsan.fa- pp- 28)9Graviry XleasDrements in East ,\lrice. PL;]. Ttd s. RoJ. Soc.

/or.l':,:57.

pp..1,15 5JL

X{onthly Nores. R,l,-,4rr/- Sd.. Geoph. Suppl.4 No.

1.

32. 1. pp- 3744The Us,nda Section ot rhe \\rcstcrn

Mag. 33.6.

On drc Noi,nal Fault;,g ol Ritt Vallcy Structures. G.o/. Mal'.

19+S

e.

Cr l-

L"

C.
t937

BL,sx,

Ruwenzori Expedilion, Grarity Nleasurcmcnts.

..

llift.

Geal-

pp. 377 385.

or nri^-^u-, l.

1955

I.

1945

Le loss6 Tcctoni!uc soDS le Parallale d'Ishango. /rs/. d.s

fat,' hal dh ( ll l-rpl"r.. u P.\.4.. l, lIL
On thc Faultins of ]tift Valley Structucs. Gcol. Mrg. 82. 3.

1954

Etablissement

DntrY,

.-

pP. t16

Ducl-^ux, F. s, al.
HAnnn,

N....

"

t.r 7.

1949a

d'ur Riseau g6naral dc Strtions gralinatriques

cn Afrique. O.R.S.T-O.M. Paris.
Report on Borehole LibukD No. 1. Unfub. Repl. Geol. Suro.

1949h

Repirt on Borehole Kibuku No.

19+9c
19+9d

2. urlttr. Rept. Ceat. Swa.

Report o! Borclrole Kibulu No. 3. U,Qtb. Re?t. Gcol. Sw .
1,61 on Bo,.loh K Iuku \o. 4. t lut,. RcPt. C?ot. Sutr.

N. ..

HaRRrs,

A. T. and
LtrPERsoNNn, J.
..

Report on Borehole Kibuku No.

Usa a.
A h. Rept. Geot. Swa. Usdlda

1950
1950

lo

FfoPwooD,

Johnson, D.

R. J.
McCoNN:ELr-, R. B.

1930

'JoHNsoN

LEPrnsoNNE, J.

1949

l{cCoN^TLL, R. B.

1951

1950
I,
i

1953

1956

P,\xc!TER, R. C.
l

PENNY,

F. W.

c. R.
SHAND, S. J.
SwArN, F. M.
PurN,rM,

PRoKoPovrcE, N.

Wrlus,

BatLEy

19+9
1950

193940

194s. pp. 4

..

Nore. on rhe CFoioCI ot rhp Nolhern pa.r ot.\e Rurren,ori

Mog.88. +. pp. ,4a 2su.
. Ivrounta,ns.'C,ol.
re.ronrque ta. A]ben Semtjkr_La. tdouard. ,4,n.

;rc. G,:ol- de BetE. 72. DD. t{ L2.

.. Rift aqd Shieid Srru.ru-;:n
Easr {frica. (.R. Xy lth Int.
G?al. Cahp-X[\,t, Da. 199 207.
.. Rcport on Borehotus i(,bulu Nos 6 7 t ' Nvrl'ab:m i
R"pt. Gpor- skft . { pando.
'/'t
.. Nu_trs on rhe Nort-hcrq f.rmincrion ot itp \tpsre,n R;fr.
Rec. G,ol. S"fr. t.)sa Ja. pF. +g-52.
.. NorG on rhF C^".I"g:
Lorr Muz;zi valhy, foro.
"rli.Usanda.
Unpub. Jtept. Geal. Sutx.
A.m.

C^pat..

S-

D.

pl,d;

Ja 1e47, pp. s_e.

!
. Ata. fppt.
Rt?t. Gaol. Sulr. t Baddo tu /048. pi. J4 Jo.
.. I(ppofls ol rhc {fricar anJ Lurope,n invpqm(nr Co Lrd.
{r gdnda Oil Con, esron.r on r+ 6tes of rhr C.ol. Surv.
.

Usanda.

Prot. Nat. Acad. S.. 1+. 5. o. 4tl

Rift Vallcy Ihprp"sion.. C;at. Mag.

1954

Sr.rtisrrphic Disrr:bJrjol o. L poid SubsrrnLUs ;n Ceda- Cre.k

MinnAou. Butt. C.ot. !or.4,r. 05. pp. jj81 11,,8.
-Bog.
''Ea:l,i{liSan
P'rreaur and Ritr vartc)-.. Crrnesie Jnsrirure

t936

..

ol \!

a6,h

19s1b
1951c
1951d

1952^
1952b

..
..
..
..

Rept. ceot. S1ro.

t<diso A-ea. Untub. Rppt. Ccot. Su,b. t

G(ology"of rhe Ndaisa \tct. Urr.ub. Ii.tt. Cnt. 5,,r. satdd.
'UparJa.
Logs oi- Borcholes I(ibuku No;. e 1t. I putr. Rcpt.'Ceot.
Su,a- aRarda.

O"rracods nom Lake AILprr

Sufl. Utd

a.

Bicin ltraa. Uat b. Rcft. C?ot.

Logs of-Boreholes I(buku Nos.

Aht - R.l\t. Geol. Sw

1925

''|crroreum.in

1930

(out ol
Rift Valeys

r. t Eattja tor

t2 13.
ta

o-

_a-nd

Unpub. Re?t. Geot.

20. o.t d..t0.

Ugnd^. Mph. ya. t,

prinr).

pp.323-353.
1931

UO1L

qolocy of,.h"

Sum. Uganda.

1920

j3.4. pp. r07 Jj2.

ngton.

Gcology of the K;buku lvasa Arca.

Usa da.

E. J.

6.

1928
1936

1951a

W^YLA^'D,

Sun).

Pr;in,e de lorm2riols Jage,nioccr. ini.leur dans le foss{

trcrolqup du Lac Ab(fl Fr de tr Br.sc Semliti,Conqn
-- ""
Belgc).. ,{,,, sot. ciot. de B"ts. 77. pp. B s, iji.
^
uponorprorogr
AsFt,. o Ritr \'atte\.. t. R. Xyth lnt.
Geot. Cone_ II. pp. J5+ 37j.

1953

1951

5. Unrub. Re?t. Geot.

Cpot. Swu.

Lake Victoria. C.R. XVth

lkt. ceat.

Sann. Prog. Geal. Suru. Usatda lo/ ,earc 1919 to

30

Uganda

Co g.

1929.

II.

x
pr

rEl
<tr
.1

.F
,H

A5 EE:
.E ii E"' !-i-'
:6:
F E'i* :!
s:oE
EE <:

L
E

*iE[t!'a i:*
"E,
E:6; !;:3

o
EI
o

:g}!$Eiig ffii3

FI

z
r5

D
r'I
Fi

z
a
z

!E

;6
:5

5S

'* Esi

p;i

6F

e-.=i !,9-$i
:u
6 t<' .{< :B

E:r;;:+?xi.l; :cs?
,

?9:

ah

r:l
(.,)

zo
o
,l

Fl
rI1

z
t
r.l

o
o
.I

3l

Appendix

II

LIST OF OIL AND GAS INDICATIONS (AFTER WAYLAND)

-\aru.coI sordc.nd pos;ion

1.. . ,. i.,,-.. , ro.ot,to...di.iD..r.pn,,r,ro

o',1.1Le',\o.\l'...'1...,1.
2.. 'f\o mlles doNnn.rxn ol No. ^..t.1'oro
3.. '1\ro ,nilcs upstream .l No. 1 .
.1

Fi.ld

amnr ,d,.- -"r.h

trir.,..,.
ro . rL

Sh.,ll 61,. uf

o'1

..

9..

t,

10

._

1l

..

1t ..
12..
15 ..

vcry

Sddr dav risht bank ol rr"r L,cr*- ttt*.r,"". r]1r.

ol Victoria
",
Pn F.t
F.l near \\,0(i
^-ile Rivcr a|23'
ar 21' I
l'Lr l:.\ ne . \\.k tu\rr.,rr, lSrndlrr,,.
I rr tr.,r nErr \\'xt k,\.r.Lr r2 I
Pn 1, c.ntre of \\,.[i llill it 30'
\Vrtcrcourse E. of $al{i Hltl
Pir l, $esr s'de !l \\ rl, ttitl Jr l1
llt 4, !r{ sid( of \lJl, llrll .tr.12
I-,,lresh, rr .Jn.l .irurrrcJ Nrh p. r,, fl,nr re.,t, Top olsrlin. tavcr undcr boulJcr beds. riibir.
Grcr-drab san(ly clrr' !ndc.lr ins nain fo$;lncrous

ho, tzon (6onc

aann

namfin br\.r

oil rlnlj.

No o,l ar2+';oil rin,rs.t:10,.

Slleht hut dhrnrdrace of6il.
vcrr dccidcd oil rinls ard nhs.

Lars.

qux,,rir\.r

rnspGstcd oit,

b;j

crlt s,ndr !lr\ h.h\:(n r,5ro.u,d Nluirk.L

L lht
I ' bu'
bull \ind\
. rd cray
.lrr.. L..
h,. ..
\ rcd-c.rth
nn-, ..'h
dh .a.
.-i bol
r^, ;.
,
bchr
r,4-,
and
bouldcr

tre.l in bed ot
sircxm S. of l4uirnkom. r]rout rtncc-.ruartcs oI a milo trom f..r

.t

..

18 ..

Good

\n' (approx.) scarF S.

orti.iso To.iaffals

No

dc.id.d oil rinss.

oil. "Sak .l lic[

consists

of

magnesiuD sulDhatc aDd chlo

ridc \'nh tr:ccs ol sodium

19 ..
20 .,

21

._

22 ..

23..

24 ,.
25._
26 ..
21 ..

28..

29 .,
30 ..
31 ..
32 .,

33,.
34 ..
t

35 ..

Sr.d' clays con$itur;rs l.cal b.sr oasedimcnt.rics in sullcr S. ototd

\digo track (noN x. cicphrnt D.th) . 1e$ Lur.tred \a.ds trom b,ce

ol i'n
BJr' ...'. ,'d\....,, L-,. ot,.{,J r,*,, ,.",,,, r, .rr .,in
not trrlrom lj $ (arrprox.)sc.rD
s.,d\,...,,ajr.\,;;.,....
ro".k,,,'
1rt..,,,r
..
Loon \rnd\.h\ GrlinLr n.,
e'ifi,.lJr \.xh .' c.'o , r,,tJt,\ t2 bjov .Jrta,-, I rj.;, r_l] oi
) Jl
. l:. - ( da,p, \1-.,, \roro\o
'r...'
v^-v{'r'rrr
L,LF . h , l.'! p.ledrj,hta,.,,
,,*,,r'.r-- 'oi!
1'1. l -',L\\:.. r,",-,t.,,._
i, orlrl. r t,\ rco
'
. nl..mPn.ile', L. dJ\.j\'
s-' l\ .,.. hfr. ..- Jo.1 \]i, rol' n .-. r."i.".,...,;
P. xl-CofEo Lfu!k cro!ie. i
'".

ior' r d. "n;n., roo',i,.,nh.',.t..o.\r,b,;a"R,\,.

..
,
\lo'.',,-r.-\ ;. ,or". sr-ro\'r t\ -pnj,h,\ ot i.,."Er R, I
C,mn, undc.lvlnr fo$ilitr.o!! brd ',
..nd o . I'o r ' i .-p .in-d .1er:t, \.o:(i ..rri.rC.",;
lurl
c,-..b'o{rEfl' tla,'t
{ .,,,,..romt(i ,p Fe,C.,np ..
u'o.\".r..LIJ,L rne.j'd'r!, .....1\,,p-rjr r,'h,re,J,,.
{.bdf4,
1.RPr
'of ,{...rrrcr ( "n.lcLtr
lld
I
PJh bLrr "ad pJr'. .onEt, a.tu.,
- i".,. .^",;
,,o,,, Ki.el. l{o{ c.,.
l] ..
rrc'd
t,r
i 1., I.rJ' F , of
'..-\.quJir/
",J
Bed
TLf
^'seE'
.-"d..o.^.t,o\,. K,t ,., ,, ,.,..c, ,!o,,,,k
c, r I'r. ,otr -d ."'J,,o,., i,
i\il ur , , .nn -n, ", oj.
Kibuh hd 6cNccn Xihuku a.d sneor34

32

Small

,cuov oil

i.ss.

Verr decided oil rinrs

Disiinci!.ll.N "il fri-.

Small bro$n nlD

oa

oil.

I-ignnc and somc bro$n oil.

Sftall .jnss brown oil,

App

cndix ll-corttinue

d-

Naturc ofSaDDle and posnion if, lricld

Softlightcolourcdsandnonener.footol\carpD,\'Kibuku ..
Vcrr soit srndnonc, appxr.nrly carbon2ccous, rvin a sliehd-L
rl. .'-u. .n. ll. . lor , rr{,, .. r. ,'r. Iii r.

31

C,1t,.,r'1.,.d,a,.

lr,J'..\,(.,Li.-

Solt srer'-srcen pebLlc bcd,

beh nd l;lbrku

41 ..
42 ..

43..

*i.ny ro louch, in trcd ol srrc.m r

''NaturarPutty
''Naturalpu(y" apet,orcum-sotrrrcd
kx.I.,rcnh.
aperolcum-sotrIcdlx.li.,lcnti.rlartcdabo!cl,
Cox$e yclnN to bun. saD dsron. (sort),ho!s.10 ..

YiclG irridcsc.nr oil frlms when

Pebble bed r6o!d 41

clst into Nxtcri quantiry ol

A.gill..eous sDdstonc.bo\e 42

ci,i

i"riiiiii r--

"..iiri.:;,i

45.. \\-,',1 '-mp,,''.oue5"Lri,

iJ

i,, ,.r,r.1,:q

.1.1. ,.

-op".". .

44 Nns

50
51

52

\rtcr

and oil, rhc

colle.icd

L\p r' -L,ii.'r

r.n.
h.llo\ p'' ^\cc- \r,1.L..' .nd
'd
',
S'rn!]n un' ,"fla[.lr\.
^.".x r.
Loml 6rse (isegi llcds r6.ur x nri lt $. ol K rs.si C.mD ..
..
l(-.en\'(Confono""13' -.' Jlr.'1n."D''
Sand,v arsill3ccous deposit j,nrcti..ing \nL r.d-c.rth rbove, in brnt
\.^rqr.k'
-.'4 .. ql.,''.\^ F-.' lo " ra,l
Slabbr cal..reous volcani. tulTr, Iiigorongo Can! N. of l<6ins.

48
49

Cnrbor ilioride, sulphur dioxide,

nitos.n and Dcthan..

Mixrurc of

p.

YcltovxDdred 6roNr precipitrtes in pool liom \rhich

ri
Good briBht ycllorv oil 61n.

Ch rnel

1(rn,n. Otr SmrA.n:

.. 56'8 percent.
.. ,12 5 per.cnt.
.. 0.7 pcrccnr.
. .. 0 31 pcr..Dt.

(m rsolublc in acdonO
i;;";. ."r.,1r" ;" .1,r"'"i!".j
Ash.od non-bitumjnoris orgxni. nritter..

"Pdroleum

,q"p;;i,i;;

This oil,

\fic.

Calo.inc v.luc 10'322 snr.ll calorlcs or 18 s98

dricd, sas lound to harc , sp.ci6c srdliry oI

rnd rvhen subjcctcd to frrctional distil-

l.tion yielded rhe rollorvine results:

t""_

11

150-300'c ..

835

300

s5.6
30.9

Residue(Cohc.Dd Pitch)

Tho hish c loriEc value and the lorv sulphu..ontent arc of inlerest."
IiDpcrial Institurc.

l,allsn:

Krnwr OrL StrEPAcE:

"On eraporaiing 6c cthercal

.\rr..t

i,r order io rc.over ihc oil

Ms rcmored br nltario.- fhe oil {as a dark browr liquid havins

lll

sd.ll quantny ot sulphur scrnrricd out, and

rhe char.ctcrisric odour of

petoleum, a spe.inc

sr:vityor0.906.r15 s'C, and a nash point of 114'C. Thcoilhndihe chlrrcteristic propcriies ol crud. pet.oleum
vhi.h had losi ns morc rolalilc consrnucnh Lry .\posu.c t, air.'
,4,alyrir: Impcrhl l,stitDtc,
33