--> ABSTRACT: An Overview of Petroleum Systems in the Scotian Basin, Offshore Nova Scotia, Canada, by David A. Dolph, John R. Hogg, Nancy J. Harland, Garth E. Syhlonyk, and Dave G. Mackidd; #90906(2001)

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David A. Dolph1, John R. Hogg2, Nancy J. Harland1, Garth E. Syhlonyk1, Dave G. Mackidd1

(1) PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd, Calgary, AB
(2) PanCanadian Petroleum, Calgary, AB

ABSTRACT: An Overview of Petroleum Systems in the Scotian Basin, Offshore Nova Scotia, Canada

The Scotian Basin, under offshore Nova Scotia's southern continental shelf and slope, covers a total area of over 130,000 km2. Since the first well drilled by Mobil Oil on Sable Island in 1967, over 160 wells have been drilled to date within the basin. All economic hydrocarbon discoveries are concentrated within the shelfal Sable Subbasin and include significant gas and modest condensate and oil reserves.

Exploration, and the resulting discoveries, have historically focused on rollover anticlines and deep seated geopressured structures within the clastic rich Mesozoic section. Recent exploration activity along the previously unproven Jurassic Abenaki carbonate bank has shown encouraging results. As well, there has been a very strong interest for land parcels along the length and breadth of the Scotian Shelf continental margin slope in water depths up to 3,500 metres. Unproven play types within the slope will focus primarily on salt-related structures with clastic reservoirs of Cretaceous and Early Tertiary-aged subaqueous channel, channel levee, submarine fan and turbidite deposits.

With the recent active licensing over much of the Scotian Basin, these unproven petroleum systems will be enhanced through a focus on 2D and 3D seismic acquisition and near term drilling of defined prospects. Reserve potential on many of the deepwater licences appear significantly larger than economic threshold levels suggesting a very exciting period for future exploration offshore Nova Scotia.

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