The North Atlantic Conjugate Margins: An Integrated Approach to Understanding Regional Prospectivity

Abstract

Exploration success in the North Atlantic Conjugate Margins (NACM) is far from symmetrical with a distinct bias towards Newfoundland’s Jeanne D’Arc and Flemish Pass Basins. Recent discoveries in the latter have reignited interest in the wider region, particularly the conjugate Basins offshore Ireland and Portugal where companies are currently chasing extensions to the prolific Upper Jurassic play. Fundamental to the development of a super-regional exploration concept is a unified stratigraphic framework and reconciliation of the North Atlantic breakup history. Both pose a significant challenge due to the paucity of data and complex rift-drift evolution. To address these uncertainties, a comprehensive mega regional dataset was assembled and a multi-disciplinary petroleum geological evaluation was undertaken. Based on a new North Atlantic deformable plate model, gross depositional environment maps were constructed and the processes controlling Mid-Late Jurassic clastic reservoirs have been defined allowing the mapping of reservoir facies distribution and quality in a palaeogeographic context; key elements for the understanding of regional reservoir distribution and preservation. A combined palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic approach to marine source facies prediction was tested against the subsurface database and was used to construct a series of predictive source facies distribution maps. Coupled with a regional maturity model a series of kitchen maps were created. This contribution summarises how an integrated approach honouring a diverse suite of data provides unique regional insights that have direct implications for exploration in the NACM.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90325 © 2018 AAPG Europe Regional Conference, Global Analogues of the Atlantic Margin, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2-3, 2018