Polar Petroleum Potential: Regional Effect of Ice Cap in Optimizing Petroleum Potential in Polar/Artic Region

Surajeet Rath
Geology, ONGC Ltd', kolkata, India.

Exploring the physical and geographical conditions prevailing at Artic/Polar regions, we come across two distinct temperature regime propagating in opposite direction i.e. one is the hot hydrocarbon fluid migrating upward from the place of more heat ( source rock/bottom part of the reservoir) to relatively low heat in the upper part of the reservoir due to their lightness and to be the part of convection current to carry heat from lower strata to higher strata where as the other one propagates from the surface of the earth below ice cap which is under extreme cold conditions down to interior part of the earth under relatively warmer conditions in a manner like reverse convection current. Under favorable geologic conditions propagation of these two opposite temperature regime will meet each other creating a depth bound transitional zone of natural preservation and liquid hydrocarbon will be condensed there after and ceased to move further and there will be no surface seepage irrespective of seal to arrest the hydrocarbon. This natural area of perseverance will lie in the transitional area of these two heat regimes.

The above scenario can be illustrated in a simple triangular diagram with three vertex representing cold temperature regime of ice cap, hot temperature regime of upward migrating hydrocarbon fluid and geologic control.
Moving through the triangle will give us ample information and interpretations about the fluid migration in hot regime, migration with respect to geologic control, rate of migration and its variation through movement from hot regime to cold regime, decrease in rate and speed of migration towards cold regime, accumulation and preservation irrespective of seal and ideas about seepage. The triangle will also throw some light regarding the depth bound transitional area of hydrocarbon perseverance.

So the simple triangular diagram with actual data input will give us an immense tool for delineating an area regionally which is perennially under ice cap situated in Polar/Artic region. An exploration strategy for the aforesaid depth bound zone where excellent quantity of fluid hydrocarbon barred of seepage to the surface can be worked out for future exploration and exploitation strategy in the area.

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