Abstract: Nigerian inland basins, including the Anambra, Bida, Sokoto, Benue Trough, and Chad Basins, contain large Late Cretaceous–Paleogene sedimentary successions. In the past, descriptive lithostratigraphic and classical sequence stratigraphic techniques have been used to interpret these sedimentary successions. Although these frameworks have helped us better understand depositional systems and stratigraphic stacking patterns, they often lack quantitative constraints on the physical processes governing sediment transport and basin fill. This study integrates advances in process-based sequence stratigraphy with quantitative paleo-hydrodynamic modeling to offer a more physically grounded interpretation of stratigraphic architecture in Nigerian inland basins. Changes in flow velocity, sediment supply, basin slope, entrainment thresholds, relative sea-level fluctuations, and tectonic subsidence all affect depositional sequences, as demonstrated by the combination of sediment transport mechanics, hydrodynamic energy analysis, and accommodation dynamics. Physical concepts like the Shields criterion, Reynolds number, and flow regime analysis can be used to reconstruct paleoflow conditions from sedimentological indicators like grain-size distributions, bedform geometries, channel morphometry, and facies associations. The results demonstrate that reservoir heterogeneity, sandbody continuity, shoreline trajectories, and systems tract development are all significantly impacted by hydrodynamic forcing. This process-based framework improves the prediction of stratigraphic traps, sediment bypass zones, and reservoir connectivity, particularly in structurally complex and unexplored basins. The study offers a predictive model for hydrocarbon exploration and resource evaluation by connecting quantifiable sedimentary parameters to basin-scale stratigraphic evolution. By converting stratigraphic interpretation from a descriptive methodology into a quantitative, physics-based framework for basin analysis, the approach improves stratigraphic interpretation.

Keywords: Sequence stratigraphy, Paleo-hydrodynamics, Nigerian inland basins, Reservoir prediction, Anambra Basin

Pages: 30-56

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