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Recipients of autologous haemopoietic stem-cell transplants (auto-HSCT) have an increased risk of herpes zoster and herpes zoster-related complications. The aim of this study was to establish the efficacy and safety of an inactivated varicella zoster vaccine for the prevention of herpes zoster after auto-HSCT.

Proven Infracambrian hydrocarbon plays occur in various parts of the world, including Oman, the former Soviet Union, India, Pakistan and Australia. Organic-rich strata also occur in NW Africa, and gas shows originating from Infracambrian hydrocarbon source rocks are known from well Abolag-1 in the Mauritanian part of the Taoudenni Basin. The distribution of Infracambrian source rocks in North Africa is patchy and deposition commonly occurred in half-graben and pull-apart basins. In these intra-shelf basins, marine, organic-rich shales and limestones were deposited beneath the turbulent wave zone, away from the coarse siliciclastic Pan-African molasse detritus. On the West African Craton (including the Taoudenni Basin) organic-rich horizons were also deposited earlier, in pre- and syn-Pan-African times between 0.5 and 2 Ga (Ga is 109years). The long-lasting sedimentation history in this area contrasts with that of the Pan-African regions, such as Oman, which lies in the Pan-African province of the East African Orogen, where preserved sediments are rarely older than 640 Ma. Infracambrian black phyllites in the Anti-Atlas region of Morocco were deposited on a continental slope of a short-lived ocean lying to the north of the West African Craton. Hydrocarbons generated during Infracambrian times from these deposits, however, have a low preservation potential. Infracambrian organic-rich and/or black-pyritic deposits in North Africa are proven in the Taoudenni Basin, the Anti-Atlas and the Ahnet Basin. Thick carbonate successions exist in the Taoudenni Basin, indicating deposition in areas some distance from contaminating coarse siliciclastic hinterland influx. Infracambrian strata may also occur in the Tindouf Basin. However, their deep burial and consequent early maturation history may be unfavourable for the preservation of Infracambrian-sourced hydrocarbons in this area. Local development of Infracambrian source facies may also occur in the Reggane, Ahnet, Mouydir and Iullemeden basins, as indicated by black shales in wells MKRN-1 and MKRS-1 in the Ahnet Basin. Generally, however, these basins appear to be close to the active Pan-African orogenic belt and, consequently, probably received large quantities of coarse siliciclastic sediment, largely of continental facies, which may have diluted any significant hydrocarbon source potential.

Silurian organic-rich (hot) shales were the source of large amounts of hydrocarbons in northern Gondwana, with supergiant and giant fields in the Middle East and North Africa. A study of these black shales has been conducted in Jordan, where they represent the source for the Risha gas field. Two organically enriched horizons occur in the Silurian in Jordan, termed the lower hot shale and the upper hot shale. Deposition of the transgressive lower hot shale occurred during the early Llandoverian and was restricted to the earliest Silurian paleodepressions. Three lower hot shale depocenters have been identified in Jordan; they are located in the western Risha, eastern Wadi Sirhan, and Jafr areas. The eastern Risha area was part of a larger scale paleohigh covering northeast Jordan, most of Syria and Iraq, and north-central Saudi Arabia (Qusaiba area). At least in Jordan, the high coincides with the depocenter of the latest Ordovician glaciation. Sedimentation of the upper hot shale occurred around peak sea level during the late Llandoverian and/or early Wenlockian and was limited to the distal parts of the shelf (Risha area), in front of the prograding silty-sandy deltaic front. Thermal maturity increases from immature in the Southern Desert outcrops to late or postmature in northern Jordan. Organic richness and pyrolysis data deteriorate significantly with increasing thermal maturity because of hydrocarbon generation. Prior to maturation, maximum organic richness is interpreted to have considerably exceeded 10% with good S2 (remaining generative potential) yields, as reflected in the values of the immature lower hot shale in the shallow borehole BG-14 in the Southern Desert outcrop area and exploration well Hunt JF-1 in the Jafr area. Identification and isopach mapping of the lower hot shale is based on its characteristic uranium enrichment. The gamma-ray/ total organic carbon correlation coefficient increases with increasing maturity, suggesting that uranium is less vulnerable to maturity effects than the organic matter itself. The gamma-ray log, therefore, can be used as a proxy for the prematuration organic richness, representing a suitable basis for cross-basin comparisons of original organic richness trends. A two-phase generation of hydrocarbons is interpreted for both the Risha and Wadi Sirhan areas, with the first as a pre-Hercynian phase in the Carboniferous and the second as a less intense generation phase during the Mesozoic to early Tertiary. In contrast, gas generation of the Silurian-sourced giant fields in the central part of the Arabian Peninsula and Iran was restricted to the post-Hercynian. In Jordan, both structural and stratigraphic play concepts are envisaged, including fault, paleohigh, and channel plays. Key elements that need attention in future exploration of the Silurian plays in Jordan are Ordovician reservoir quality and timing of maturation. Poor permeabilities have been reported from wells in both the Risha and Wadi Sirhan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many organic‐rich, low‐carbonate hemipelagic shales, there is a stable and close correlation between the uranium and TOC contents. In this paper, we present a number of case studies using our own data and that from previous publications to investigate black shales with (1) good, (2) fair‐to‐good and (3) poor U/TOC correlations. U/TOC ratios in the different black shale units are compared to each other, and possible reasons for the observed variations are discussed.

Organic geochemical and petrological investigations were carried out on Cenomanian/Turonian black shales from three sample sites in the Tarfaya Basin (SW Morocco) to characterize the sedimentary organic matter. These black shales have a variable bulk and molecular geochemical composition reflecting changes in the quantity and quality of the organic matter. High TOC contents (up to 18wt%) and hydrogen indices between 400 and 800 (mgHC/gTOC) indicate hydrogen‐rich organic matter (Type I‐II kerogen) which qualifies these laminated black shale sequences as excellent oil‐prone source rocks. Low Tmaxvalues obtained from Rock‐Eval pyrolysis (404–425 MC) confirm an immature to early mature level of thermal maturation.