ABSTRACT
Eight ditch cutting samples were obtained from E-well, which is situated in the Niger Delta region. These samples were subjected to both lithological and chemostratigraphic analyses. Notably, the majority of the samples consisted of sand and shale deposits. The analysis of the samples included the determination of major oxides and trace elements. This analysis enabled the identification of several characteristics of the sediments, including their provenance, paleoredox condition, tectonic setting, and classification as sandstone deposits. The geochemical findings revealed that the predominant oxide, Silica (SiO2), had an average content of 90.41wt.%, significantly higher than other oxides. Additionally, the trace elemental ratios of V/Cr and U/Th suggested that the sediments were deposited in an oxygen-rich (oxic) environment. The source of the sediments was determined to be felsic rock based on bivariate plots of Ni versus TiO2, La/Sc versus Th/Co, and trace elemental ratios of Th/Sc, Th/Co, Cr/Th, and La/Sc. Additionally, when plotting K2O/Na2O versus SiO2 and Log (K2O/Na2O) versus Log (SiO2/Al2O3), the data points mainly fell within the passive margin zone, indicating the passive margin as the tectonic setting. The sedimentary classification schemes used identified the majority of the sediments as sublitharenite, with some containing high levels of iron (Fe-rich sand), and only a few falling into the category of quartzarenite.
