--> Abstract: Modeling the Burial and Temperature History of the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin with Respect to Hydrocarbon Generation, by Robert Ondrak, Volker Dieckmann, Lloyd R. Snowdon, Lavern Stasiuk, and Brian Horsfield; #90039 (2005)

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Modeling the Burial and Temperature History of the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin with Respect to Hydrocarbon Generation

Robert Ondrak1, Volker Dieckmann1, Lloyd R. Snowdon2, Lavern Stasiuk2, and Brian Horsfield3
1 GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
2 Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, AB
3 Geoforschungszentrum, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

The Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin is a major petroleum province in Canada for oil, gas, and gas hydrates. The area has experienced a complex tectonic history with several phases of folding, faulting and uplift. In addition, large variations of sediment accumulation rate due to changing source areas and extreme variations in surface temperature caused by several glaciation periods further complicate the basin history. We model burial, temperature and pressure histories using 1-/2-D basin modeling integrating detailed geological and geochemical information. Newly published vitrinite reflectance data allow a more reliable calibration of the thermal history of parts of the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin, in particular the area of extremely rapid Pliocene-Pleistocene sedimentation. To match the low maturity of the wells with modeled vitrinite reflectance we need a relatively low basal heat flow (40-45 mW/m2) in combination with very low surface temperatures associated with deep permafrost. Different glaciation scenarios were used to elucidate the effect of deep permafrost formation on the maturation of organic matter in zones of very rapid deposition during the Quaternary. As a result, we can show that the coincidence of maximum burial and deep permafrost formation during the Quaternary can retard significantly organic matter maturation, allowing a good fit of measured and modeled vitrinite reflectance values. Furthermore, advanced hydrocarbon generation models characterized by distributions of frequency factors and activation energies highlight new temporal and spatial aspects for oil and gas formation in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005