Oil to Source Rock Correlation and Implications for Petroleum System Analysis

Abstract

The presence of natural oil-seeps and old, accessible well sites along the coast of western Newfoundland have refocused the interest on early Paleozoic Cow Head and Northern Head Groups. Part of the Humber Arm Allochthon, these groups contain viable source rocks for hydrocarbon exploration. Most oil seeps and old wells containing light oil are concentrated around the Parson's Pond area, an inlet located in the thrust belt of the northeastern Canadian Appalachians. The former passive continental margin represented by these slope and rise deposits contains potential source and reservoir rocks. These rocks were imbricated in thrust sheets consisting of repeated late Cambrian to Ordovician strata. Total organic content (TOC) concentrations of up to 10.35% and high hydrogen index (HI) values of over 840 [mg HC/g TOC] demarcate the Green Point Formation of the Cow Head Group and the Middle Arm Point Formation of the Northern Head Group as viable sources. However, the nature of the connection between these source rocks and produced hydrocarbons and oil seeps is not well understood. Here, we present a systematic source rock analysis of the Cow Head and Northern Head Group in conjunction with detailed biomarker analysis to identify specific characteristics of the source rock as well as live oil and oil seep samples. These are utilized to establish oil families, which will be used for oil-to-source correlation and thermal maturity models for the expelled hydrocarbons. The results will give further input for a complete basin model and a better understanding of the petroleum system.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90259 ©2016 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 19-22, 2016