Neogene tectonic evolution of the Gulf of Hammamet area,Northeast Tunisia offshore

This paper discusses the Neogene tectonic evolution of the Tunisia offshore Gulf of Hammamet basin. Based on seismic and well data, this basin was created during the Miocene and is currently trending NE–SW. During the Neogene, the study area was affected by geodynamic interactions controlled simultaneously by convergence of the Eurasia and Africa plates and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. These interactions generated compressive and extensional regimes which led to a variety of structures and basin inversions.The middle Miocene extensional regime created horst and graben structures (e.g. the Halk El Menzel graben). The two major compressive phases of the Tortonian and post Villafranchian age created different structures such as Ain Zaghouan and Fushia structures and the Jriba trough, and led to the reactivation of the old normal faults as reverse faults. During the Plio-Pleistocene and the Quaternary times, the Gulf of Hammamet was affected by an extensional regime related to the Siculo-Tunisian rift, which led to the development in the area of several sedimentary basins and new normal fault patterns.The Gulf of Hammamet shows several basins ranging in age from the Tortonian to the Quaternary, which display different structural and stratigraphic histories. Two main groups of sedimentary basins have been recognized. The first group has Tortonian–Messinian sedimentary fill, while the second group is largely dominated by Plio-Quaternary sediments. The shortening during the Tortonian and post Villafranchian times has led to the tectonic inversion of these basins. This shortening could be correlated to the Europe–Africa collision.Despite the large number of hydrocarbon discoveries, the Gulf of Hammamet remains under-explored, in particular at deeper levels. This study aims to guide future exploration and to highlight some new play concepts.