--> ABSTRACT: Petroleum Potential of West Greenland, by Martin Sønderholm, Jørgen Bojesen-Koefoed, James A. Chalmers, Flemming G. Christiansen, Finn Dalhoff, Gregers Dam, Ulrik Gregersen, Niels Erik Hamann, Anders Mathiesen, and Henrik Nøhr-Hansen; #90906(2001)

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Martin Sønderholm1, Jørgen Bojesen-Koefoed2, James A. Chalmers2, Flemming G Christiansen2, Finn Dalhoff2, Gregers Dam3, Ulrik Gregersen2, Niels Erik Hamann4, Anders Mathiesen2, Henrik Nøhr-Hansen2

(1) Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
(2) Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
(3) Dansk Olie og Naturgas A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark
(4) Nunaoil A/S, Nuuk, Greenland

ABSTRACT: Petroleum Potential of West Greenland

Today's technology is more than adequate to explore the areas offshore southern West Greenland that are being offered for licensing in 2001. The basins off southern West Greenland are comparable in size to the prospective areas of the North Sea.. However, only seven wells have been drilled and the seismic coverage is less than 65,000 km of 2-D seismic data. Recently, oils from Paleocene and possible Cenomanian-Turonian source rocks have been discovered onshore West Greenland. These discoveries have demonstrated that the region can be considered oil-prone. The seismic data indicate that the sedimentary basins contain up to 8-10 km of sediments and that at least two rifting events can be identified. The first event, possibly in the Early Cretaceous, formed one group of rotated fault-blocks. This was followed by thermal subsidence of the basin during the Late Cretaceous. A second rifting event, probably associated with the start of sea-floor spreading in the Labrador Sea, took place in the Campanian-Paleocene and formed a second generation of fault-blocks. The main play types hitherto identified are: Lower and Upper Cretaceous fault blocks (prospects similar in size to e. g. Brent or Statfjord), traps related to transpressional faulting and folding, and hanging-wall, basin-floor fans and similar traps in Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene and Lower Eocene sediments. Additional play-types and prospects are expected to be found as the density of seismic data increases. The electronic poster presents the geological evolution of West Greenland, seismic examples of possible plays and prospects, and onshore reservoir analogs.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado