Geodynamic Origin, Structure and Petroleum Systems of the Russian Arctic Sedimentary Basins

Sergey S. Drachev¹, Konstantin Kleshchev², Nikolay A. Malyshev³, and Anatoly M. Nikishin^4
1Exploration, ExxonMobil International Ltd., Leatherhead, United Kingdom.
²All-Russian Research Geological Oil Institute, Moscow, Russia.
³Russian State Oil Company (Rosneft), Moscow, Russia.
⁴Geological Department, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.

Eastern Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and western Chukchi seas occupy a large part of the Eurasian Arctic epicontinental shelf in the Russian Arctic. According to recent studies, this huge region consists over 40 sedimentary basins of variable age and genesis which are thought to bear significant undiscovered hydrocarbon resources. Apart of the East Barents and South Kara shelves with proven world-class gas and gas condensate resources, the rest of the basins are undrilled and explored with rather sparse grid of regional 2D seismic lines.

Most of the sedimentary basins were formed and developed in a rift and postrift setting and were modified through a series of inversions. Important tectonic events controlling basins’ formation and their petroleum systems are: (1) Caledonian orogeny, (2) Late Devonian/Early Carboniferous rifting, (3) Late Palaeozoic Baltica/Siberia collision, (4) Triassic and Early-Mid Jurassic rifting, (5) Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous opening of the Canada Basin, (6) Verkhoyansk-Chukotkan-Brookian Late Mesozoic orogeny, and (7) opening of the Eurasia Oceanic Basin.

Using available regional seismic lines calibrated with borehole data and onshore geology in the areas with no exploration drilling occurred so far, as well as recent Arctic-wide magnetic, bathymetry and gravity grids we were able to provide more confident characterization of the regional structural elements of the Russian Arctic shelf and to constrain timing of basins’ formation, their structural styles, litho-stratigraphy and possible hydrocarbon systems and play elements in yet undrilled basins.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90096©2009 AAPG 3-P Arctic Conference and Exhibition, Moscow, Russia