In their paper, Ekweozor and Okoye (1980) marshalled geochemical arguments in support of an earlier proposition by Weber and Daukoru (1975) favoring the Akata shales as the main source of hydrocarbons in the Niger delta. Our own petrographic, chemical, and geologic data are, however, at variance with those of Ekweozor and Okoye, and cast doubt on the validity of their conclusions.

In interpreting their bitumen data (e.g., their Tables 3 and 4, reproduced as Tables 1 and 2) Ekweozor and Okoye proposed that any shales shallower than 2,900 m (9,500 ft) in the offshore areas and 3,375 m (11,000...

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