--> Abstract: Petroleum Potential of the East Greenland Shelf; #90063 (2007)

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Petroleum Potential of the East Greenland Shelf

 

Gautier, Donald L.1, Flemming G. Christiansen2, Lars Stemmerik2, Torben Bistrup2, Jørgen A. Bojesen-Koefoed2, Kai Sørensen2 (1) United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (2) Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

For purposes of resource assessment, the East Greenland Shelf has been subdivided into several geologic areas, each of which has specific structural and stratigraphic conditions that affect geologic risk and control the sizes and numbers of undiscovered accumulations. One of these, the Danmarkshavn Basin, is commonly covered by sea ice and contains an undrilled sedimentary section more than 13km thick. Analysis of outcrops, potential field data, and limited seismic lines suggests that this stratigraphic succession includes thermally mature source rocks of Late Jurassic age, numerous reservoir and seal possibilities and various trapping geometries resulting from extensional tectonics, salt diapirism and inversion. In addition to sea ice, risks to oil exploration include uncertainty of hydrocarbon phase in potential traps, the chance that optimal source rock and reservoir facies are missing and the possibility of post-migration loss of oil during Cenozoic uplift. Exploration will entail extreme risk, but the East Greenland Shelf has an upside potential that permits the presence of a great petroleum province, with the possibility of billions of barrels of oil-equivalent hydrocarbons. Of course, the quantity of undiscovered resources is unknown; exploration will undoubtedly be one of the most challenging, interesting and perhaps rewarding enterprises of the petroleum industry during the next few decades.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California