Late Cretaceous – Tertiary sediments offshore central West Greenland: lithostratigraphy, sedimentary evolution, and petroleum potential

1985 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1001-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flemming Rolle
Keyword(s):  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Sedimentary Sequences ◽  
Sedimentary Evolution ◽  
Petroleum Generation ◽  
Exploratory Wells

Five dry exploratory wells were drilled through Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments on the West Greenland shelf in 1976 and 1977. Two of these entered Precambrian basement, two bottomed in Paleocene or Upper Cretaceous basalt, and one in Campanian mudstone. On the basis of samples and logs supplied to the Geological Survey of Greenland the sedimentary sequence has been divided into seven new formations: the Campanian Narssarmiut Formation, consisting of coarse basement wash and black mudstone; the Campanian to Eocene Ikermiut Formation, consisting of marine organic-rich mudstone; the Upper Paleocene to Eocene Hellefisk Formation, comprising shallow-marine to paralic sandstone and mudstone; the Eocene Nukik Formation, consisting of turbiditic sandstone and mudstone; the Eocene to Oligocene Kangâmiut Formation of shelf to shallow-marine clean and argillaceous sandstone; the Oligocene to Neogene Manîtsoq Formation, consisting of coarse paralic to fan delta sandstone; and the Neogene Ataneq Formation, consisting of protected shallow-marine mudstone.The sedimentary evolution of the area fits well with earlier proposed models for the tectonic evolution of the Baffin Bay–Labrador Sea region.Potential petroleum source rocks are present in the Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene mudstone, and, even though they are largely immature in the drilled sections, they are expected to have entered the petroleum generation zone in the deeper parts of the basin. Their potential is mainly for gas, but some oil potential is also present. No reservoir rocks were encountered in the deeper parts of the sedimentary sequences, and the porous sandstones that occur higher in the sequence lack seals.

Sequence stratigraphy of source and reservoir rocks in the Upper Permian and Jurassic of Jameson Land, East Greenland

1998 ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Stemmerik ◽  
Gregers Dam ◽  
Nanna Noe-Nygaard ◽  
Stefan Piasecki ◽  
Finn Surlyk
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Stratigraphy ◽  
Middle Jurassic ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Upper Permian ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
East Greenland ◽  
Reservoir Rocks

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Stemmerik, L., Dam, G., Noe-Nygaard, N., Piasecki, S., & Surlyk, F. (1998). Sequence stratigraphy of source and reservoir rocks in the Upper Permian and Jurassic of Jameson Land, East Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 180, 43-54. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v180.5085 _______________ Approximately half of the hydrocarbons discovered in the North Atlantic petroleum provinces are found in sandstones of latest Triassic – Jurassic age with the Middle Jurassic Brent Group, and its correlatives, being the economically most important reservoir unit accounting for approximately 25% of the reserves. Hydrocarbons in these reservoirs are generated mainly from the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay and its correlatives with additional contributions from Middle Jurassic coal, Lower Jurassic marine shales and Devonian lacustrine shales. Equivalents to these deeply buried rocks crop out in the well-exposed sedimentary basins of East Greenland where more detailed studies are possible and these basins are frequently used for analogue studies (Fig. 1). Investigations in East Greenland have documented four major organic-rich shale units which are potential source rocks for hydrocarbons. They include marine shales of the Upper Permian Ravnefjeld Formation (Fig. 2), the Middle Jurassic Sortehat Formation and the Upper Jurassic Hareelv Formation (Fig. 4) and lacustrine shales of the uppermost Triassic – lowermost Jurassic Kap Stewart Group (Fig. 3; Surlyk et al. 1986b; Dam & Christiansen 1990; Christiansen et al. 1992, 1993; Dam et al. 1995; Krabbe 1996). Potential reservoir units include Upper Permian shallow marine platform and build-up carbonates of the Wegener Halvø Formation, lacustrine sandstones of the Rhaetian–Sinemurian Kap Stewart Group and marine sandstones of the Pliensbachian–Aalenian Neill Klinter Group, the Upper Bajocian – Callovian Pelion Formation and Upper Oxfordian – Kimmeridgian Hareelv Formation (Figs 2–4; Christiansen et al. 1992). The Jurassic sandstones of Jameson Land are well known as excellent analogues for hydrocarbon reservoirs in the northern North Sea and offshore mid-Norway. The best documented examples are the turbidite sands of the Hareelv Formation as an analogue for the Magnus oil field and the many Paleogene oil and gas fields, the shallow marine Pelion Formation as an analogue for the Brent Group in the Viking Graben and correlative Garn Group of the Norwegian Shelf, the Neill Klinter Group as an analogue for the Tilje, Ror, Ile and Not Formations and the Kap Stewart Group for the Åre Formation (Surlyk 1987, 1991; Dam & Surlyk 1995; Dam et al. 1995; Surlyk & Noe-Nygaard 1995; Engkilde & Surlyk in press). The presence of pre-Late Jurassic source rocks in Jameson Land suggests the presence of correlative source rocks offshore mid-Norway where the Upper Jurassic source rocks are not sufficiently deeply buried to generate hydrocarbons. The Upper Permian Ravnefjeld Formation in particular provides a useful source rock analogue both there and in more distant areas such as the Barents Sea. The present paper is a summary of a research project supported by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy (Piasecki et al. 1994). The aim of the project is to improve our understanding of the distribution of source and reservoir rocks by the application of sequence stratigraphy to the basin analysis. We have focused on the Upper Permian and uppermost Triassic– Jurassic successions where the presence of source and reservoir rocks are well documented from previous studies. Field work during the summer of 1993 included biostratigraphic, sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic studies of selected time slices and was supplemented by drilling of 11 shallow cores (Piasecki et al. 1994). The results so far arising from this work are collected in Piasecki et al. (1997), and the present summary highlights the petroleum-related implications.

THE GEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF THE SCOTT PLATEAU

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. J. Stagg
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Structural Evolution ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Carbonate Sedimentation ◽  
Sea Bed ◽  
Adjacent Part ◽  
Water Depths

The Scott Plateau and the adjacent Rowley Terrace cover about 130,000 km2 beyond Australia's Northwest Shelf in water depths ranging from 300 m to 3000 m. The regional geology and structural evolution of the area have been interpreted from about 13,000 km of seismic reflection profiles.The Scott Plateau forms a subsided oceanward margin to the Browse Basin. For much of the period from the Carboniferous to the Middle Jurassic, preceding the breakup which formed this part of the continental margin, the Scott Plateau was probably above sea level shedding sediment into the developing Browse Basin. After breakup in the Bathonian to Callovian, the plateau subsided, until by the Late Cretaceous open marine conditions were prevalent over most of the area, with the probable exception of some structurally high areas which may have remained emergent until early in the Tertiary. Carbonate sedimentation commenced in the Santonian and has continued to the present, with major hiatuses in the Paleocene and Oligocene. Analysis of magnetic and seismic data indicates that, over much of the plateau, economic basement of possible Kimberley Block equivalents is probably no more than 3 to 4 km below sea bed. To the south of the Scott Plateau, the Rowley Terrace is underlain by a wedge of at least 6 km of Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments of the northeast- trending Rowley Sub - basin. The Rowley Sub -basin connects with the Beagle Sub-basin to the southwest and probably connects with the Browse Basin to the northeast. It has been largely unaffected by episodes of faulting, except in the southwest where faulting and folding are pronounced. The petroleum potential of the Scott Plateau is not rated highly. The potential hydrocarbon-bearing sediments here are probably no younger than Palaeozoic. These are quite likely to be only 2 to 4 km thick, and any hydrocarbons generated within them would probably have been lost during the protracted period of emergence and erosion that preceded breakup. The hydrocarbon potential appears to be greater in the Rowley Sub-basin, where Triassic to Cretaceous shale and siltstone source rocks, and Triassic to Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoir rocks are expected to be present. However, the potential of these sequences is downgraded because hydrocarbon shows in exploration wells on the adjacent part of the Northwest Shelf have been only minor, and by the apparent scarcity of suitable traps. Exploitation of any hydrocarbons would be costly owing to the great water depths.

PETROLEUM GEOLOGY OF WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES

1977 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Middle Devonian ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Early Carboniferous ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Marine Deposits ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Petroleum Generation

The only area of Western New South Wales considered to have petroleum potential is the intracratonic, fault-bounded Darling Basin, which evolved during Late Silurian to Early Carboniferous time and which contains up to 7000 m of sediments. Initially deposition was controlled by a shallow marine transgression from the east. Regression during the Middle Devonian was followed by basin-wide extension of alluvial sedimentation, which prevailed until the Early Carboniferous. Strike slip movements during Late Devonian time along old basement trends fragmented the basin into distinct troughs. Movements along the same trends during the Carboniferous modified the troughs' configuration. Permian, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sag-like downwarps in various parts of the region had negligible effect on bedding attitudes.The only play of the Basin thought to have a chance for significant petroleum generation and entrapment lies in the Lower and (?) Middle Devonian, where marginal marine deposits flank highs created by strike slip movements. This play is regarded as one of high risk for modest returns, but its continued exploration seems warranted in view of proximity to markets and to the Moomba-Sydney pipeline.

THE PETROLEUM POTENTIAL OF THE GUNNED AH BASIN AND OVERLYING SURAT BASIN SEQUENCE, NEW SOUTH WALES

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.S. Hamilton ◽  
C.B. Newton ◽  
M. Smyth ◽  
T.D. Gilbert ◽  
N. Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitrinite Reflectance ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
North West ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Oil Generation ◽  
Origin Of Oil ◽  
Auto Fluorescence

The Permo-Triassic Gunnedah Basin has good potential for the discovery of commercial petroleum. Gas shows have been reported from the Porcupine-Watermark, Black Jack and Digby Formations, and from the basal sandstone of the Purlawaugh Formation in the overlying Surat Basin sequence. Gas flowed on drill stem test from the Porcupine-Watermark Formation in the Wilga Park No. 1 discovery well although the find was sub-commercial. An oil show was observed in Lower Permian volcanics, and oil staining has been observed in the Pilliga Sandstone in several wells. The origin of oil staining in the Pilliga Sandstone is unknown, however, and may have been the result of diesel contamination during drilling operations.Structural style within the basin sequence is characterised by north-south and north-north-west/south- south-east trending anticlines which formed in response to periodic compressive and left lateral strike-slip movements along the main Hunter Mooki Thrust Fault. These anticlines are attractive exploration targets.Westerly-derived quartz-rich sandstones occur at several stratigraphic levels within the Black Jack Formation and within the upper Digby Formation. Sandstones of the western bed-load fluvial system (lower Black Jack Formation) are most prospective with thick sections (up to 8 m) giving permeabilities from several hundred to several thousand millidarcies. Marine reworked easterly-derived sandstones up to 12 m thick in the Black Jack and Watermark Formations have minor reservoir potential with permeabilities in the order of tens of millidarcies. All potential reservoirs within the sequence are considered to be adequately sealed. Regionally extensive shaly units deposited either by marine incursion or lacustrine inundation overlie most reservoir horizons; remaining reservoirs are capped by intraformational shales.Organic petrology and geochemistry indicate the best potential source rocks within the Gunnedah Basin are floodplain, lacustrine and shallow marine facies of the Purlawaugh, Napperby, Watermark, Maules Creek and Goonbri Formations. The shallow marine Arkarula Sandstone Member within the Black Jack Formation also has significant potential for oil generation. Vitrinite reflectance, liptinite auto-fluorescence and TAI values indicate Lower Permian sediments are marginally mature to mature for oil generation. Combining the data on source quality and quantity with thermal maturity, the Permian sediments - in particular the Watermark Formation - have the best potential for generating oil.

scholarly journals The drilling of stratigraphic borehole Umiivik-1, Svartenhuk Halvø, West Greenland

1996 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
K.J Bate ◽  
F.G Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Marine Sediments ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Lower Tertiary

Svartenhuk Halvø is one of the few areas onshore West Greenland where Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary marine sediments are exposed (Fig. 1). Geological studies in the area have been made intermittently since the late 1930s but have intensified since 1990 as part of the Survey's overall effort to assess the petroleum potential of the Disko - Nuussuaq - Svartenhuk Halvø area and adjacent offshore basins.

GEOCHEMICAL TOOLS FOR EVALUATING PETROLEUM GENERATION IN MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC SEDIMENTS OF THE McARTHUR BASIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger E. Summons ◽  
Dennis Taylor ◽  
Christopher J. Boreham
Keyword(s):  
Vitrinite Reflectance ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Petroleum Generation ◽  
Early Palaeozoic ◽  
Geochemical Analyses ◽  
Rock Eval

Maturation parameters based on aromatic hydrocarbons, and particularly the methyl-phenanthrene index (MPI-1), are powerful indicators which can be used to define the oil window in Proterozoic and Early Palaeozoic petroleum source rocks and to compare maturities and detect migration in very old oils . The conventional vitrinite reflectance yardstick for maturity is not readily translated to these ancient sediments because they predate the evolution of the land plant precursors to vitrinite. While whole-rock geochemical tools such as Rock-Eval and TOC are useful for evaluation of petroleum potential, they can be imprecise when applied to maturity assessments.In this study, we carried out a range of detailed geochemical analyses on McArthur Basin boreholes penetrating the Roper Group source rocks. We determined the depth profiles for hydrocarbon generation based on Rock-Eval analysis of whole-rock, solvent-extracted rock, kerogen elemental H/C ratio and pyrolysis GC. Although we found that Hydrogen Index (HI) and the Tmax parameter were strongly correlated with other maturation indicators, they were not sufficiently sensitive nor were they universally applicable. Maturation measurements based on saturated biomarkers were not useful either because of the low abundance of these compounds in most Roper Group bitumens and oils.

CONTINENTAL SHELF BASINS ON THE WEST TASMANIA MARGIN

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M.G. Moore ◽  
J.B. Willcox ◽  
N.F. Exon ◽  
G.W. O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Continental Slope ◽  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Fault System ◽  
The West ◽  
Shallow Marine

The continental margin of western Tasmania is underlain by the southern Otway Basin and the Sorell Basin. The latter lies mainly under the continental slope, but it includes four sub-basins (the King Island, Sandy Cape, Strahan and Port Davey sub-basins) underlying the continental shelf. In general, these depocentres are interpreted to have formed at the 'relieving bends' of a major left-lateral strike-slip fault system, associated with 'southern margin' extension and breakup (seafloor spreading). The sedimentary fill could have commenced in the Jurassic; however, the southernmost sub-basins (Strahan and Port Davey) may be Late Cretaceous and Paleocene, respectively.Maximum sediment thickness is about 4300 m in the southern Otway Basin, 3600 m in the King Island Sub-basin, 5100 m in the Sandy Cape Basin, 6500 m in the Strahan Sub-basin, and 3000 m in the Port Davey Sub-basin. Megasequences in the shelf basins are similar to those in the Otway Basin, and are generally separated by unconformities. There are Lower Cretaceous non-marine conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones, which probably include the undated red beds recovered in two wells, and Upper Cretaceous shallow marine to non-marine conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones. The Cainozoic sequence often commences with a basal conglomerate, and includes Paleocene to Lower Eocene shallow marine sandstones, mudstones and marl, Eocene shallow marine limestones, marls and sandstones, and Oligocene and younger shallow marine marls and limestones.The presence of active source rocks has been demonstrated by the occurrence of free oil near TD in the Cape Sorell-1 well (Strahan Sub-basin), and thermogenic gas from surficial sediments recovered from the upper continental slope and the Sandy Cape Sub-basin. Geohistory maturation modelling of wells and source rock 'kitchens' has shown that the best locations for liquid hydrocarbon entrapment in the southern Otway Basin are in structural positions marginward of the Prawn-1 well location. In such positions, basal Lower Cretaceous source rocks could charge overlying Pretty Hill Sandstone reservoirs. In the King Island Sub-Basin, the sediments encountered by the Clam-1 well are thermally immature, though hydrocarbons generated from within mature Lower Cretaceous rocks in adjacent depocentres could charge traps, providing that suitable migration pathways are present. Whilst no wells have been drilled in the Sandy Cape Sub-basin, basal Cretaceous potential source rocks are considered to have entered the oil window in the early Late Cretaceous, and are now capable of generating gas/condensate. Upper Cretaceous rocks appear to have entered the oil window in the Paleocene. In the Strahan Sub-Basin, mature Cretaceous sediments in the depocentres are available to traps, though considerable migration distances would be required.It is concluded that the west Tasmania margin, which has five strike-slip related depocentres and the potential to have generated and entrapped hydrocarbons, is worthy of further consideration by the exploration industry. The more prospective areas are the southern Otway Basin, and the Sandy Cape and Strahan sub-basins of the Sorell Basin.

Tectono-sedimentary evolution and source rock distribution of the mid to Late Cretaceous succession in the Great South Basin, New Zealand

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tusar Sahoo ◽  
Peter King ◽  
Kyle Bland ◽  
Dominic Strogen ◽  
Richard Sykes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Rock ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Seismic Facies ◽  
Basin Evolution ◽  
Seismic Attribute ◽  
Sequence Stratigraphic ◽  
Interval Maps ◽  
South Basin ◽  
Sedimentary Evolution ◽  
Petroleum Generation

The Great South Basin, off New Zealand’s southeast coast, has attracted renewed exploration interest from major petroleum companies since 2005. The distribution of the mid Cretaceous to Paleocene source rocks (coals and coaly mudstones) is a critical component in evaluating basin prospectivity. This paper delineates source rock distribution from seismic facies characterisation, and presents a series of updated paleogeographic maps over the initial (Cretaceous) phases of basin evolution. Basin evolution has been analysed from mapped sequence stratigraphic boundaries and isochron maps. Seismic facies were characterised based on the amplitude, continuity, and stacking pattern of the reflection packages. The identified facies were calibrated with well data for age, gross lithology, and gross depositional environment. Areas of source rock deposition were demarcated using seismic attribute interval maps, from which a series of updated paleogeographic maps was prepared. Four second-order sequences have been identified within the Cretaceous succession. The lower two sequences are mainly fault bounded and were deposited in a syn-rift phase. In contrast, the upper two sequences reflect a change in basin character from rifting to a post-rift thermal sag phase. Source facies within both the syn- and post-rift sequences were deposited in mainly non-marine to marginal marine settings, although there is also the possibility of lacustrine source rocks in isolated syn-rift depocentres. The wide geographic spread of source rock intervals within the Cretaceous sequences allows for a variety of petroleum generation and exploration play scenarios.

scholarly journals Provenance of Cretaceous and Paleocene sandstones in the West Greenland basins based on detrital zircon dating

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 29-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Scherstén ◽  
Martin Sønderholm
Keyword(s):  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Sediment Provenance ◽  
Offshore Area ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Hydrocarbon Reservoir ◽  
General Terms

The extensive and very deep? Jurassic/Cretaceous–Palaeogene sedimentary basins offshore West Greenland have a significant petroleum exploration potential. This is particularly true for the offshore region west of Disko and Nuussuaq where a live petroleum system has been documented for many years. At present, stratigraphic knowledge in this area is almost nonexistent and analogue studies from onshore areas and offshore exploration wells to the south are therefore crucial to understanding the distribution and quality of possible reservoir rocks in the Disko–Nuussuaq offshore area. One of the main risk parameters in petroleum exploration in this region is the presence of an adequate reservoir rock. Tectonostratigraphic considerations suggest that several sand-prone stratigraphic levels are probably present, but their pro v enance and reservoir quality are at present poorly known both onshore and offshore. A sediment provenance study including zircon provenance U-Pb dating and wholerock geochemical analysis was therefore initiated by the Geological Survey of Den mark and Greenland (GEUS) in preparation for the Disko West Licensing Round 2006 (Scherstén et al. 2007). The main aims of this study were to:1. Characterise the source areas and dispersal patterns for the various sandstone units of Cretaceous–Paleocene age in the Nuussuaq Basin and compare these with sandstone units in selected West Greenland offshore exploration wells (Figs 1, 2), employing advanced zircon provenance U-Pb dating using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS; cf. Frei et al. 2006). 2. Detect possible changes in sediment source with time, e.g. local versus regional sources. Zircon as a provenance tool is receiving increasing attention and has proven to be a powerful indicator of clastic sedi- ment sources, a tracer of the Earth’s oldest materials, and a tracer of continental crust-forming processes (Froude et al. 1983; Williams & Claesson 1987; Dodson et al. 1988; Fedo et al. 2003; Hawkesworth & Kemp 2006). Zircon is common in continental rocks and it is assumed that its distribution in sediments will normally represent the source rocks. Although there are several complications, the sediment zircon U-Pb age frequency should in general terms mirror the relative proportions of different source materials. This ass umpt ion is particularly important if exotic components can be identified, as their frequency will provide an estimate of the exotic influx: it may also be essential in trac ing sediment paths that affect the detrital compositions and subsequent diagenetic history of possible hydrocarbon reservoir rocks.

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