Abstract The A1-NC198 exploration well was drilled in the Kufra Basin in 2007 by RWE Dea and represented only the third well in a large, 400 000 km 2 frontier basin. Despite being dry and lacking any hydrocarbon shows, the well provides important data to improve the understanding of the regional petroleum play. In the 1980s and 1990s the basin's prospectivity was questioned largely because of supposed (1) lack of structuration, (2) lack of source rock and (3) thermal immaturity at Silurian level. Following a series of academic and industry studies over the past 10 years, these assertions can no longer be upheld. The analysis of available seismic has proven the existence of Murzuq-style fault blocks as well as late Ordovician glacial erosional relict buried hills, potentially forming suitable structural and stratigraphic traps. The presence of hot shale in the Kufra Basin is evidenced by typical seismic onlaps of strong amplitude reflectors at base Silurian levels, shallow drilling results and outcrop spectral gamma-ray evidence. A spore colouration study of A1-NC198 cuttings indicates a deep oil window maturity for the Silurian, implying potential oil generation in the basin if suitable Silurian source rocks exist. The stratigraphy of the A1-NC198 succession was analysed by means of biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy, which form the basis for improved well correlations within the basin.