--> Abstract: The Cretaceous Source Rock in the Vøring Basin off Mid-Norway: Just a Myth or High Potential?, by Maik Inthorn, Ute Mann, and Janine Zweigel; #90072 (2007)

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The Cretaceous Source Rock in the Vøring Basin off Mid-Norway: Just a Myth or High Potential?

Maik Inthorn, Ute Mann, and Janine Zweigel
SINTEF Petroleum Research, Trondheim, Norway

The presence or absence of an effective source rock remains an important risk-factor in the high-potential greater Vøring Basin area. The Late Jurassic sediments that are generally regarded as the most important source rock off mid-Norway are overmature in the central parts of the basin because of their deep burial. Therefore, the presence of a Creataceous source rock has been repeatedly discussed but has not been proven so far. In this respect, the global “Oceanic Anoxic Event” at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (OAE II) is of special interest, as improved preservation of organic matter during times of anoxic bottom water conditions may have resulted in sediment layers with high source rock potential. Beside geochemical data from wells off mid-Norway, new structural information, interpreted seismic sections, and paleo-water depth reconstructions were used to build a comprehensive source rock model using the software OF-Mod 3D. Based on the new data, special emphasis was put on modelling of the sedimentary architecture of the Cenomanian-Turonian sequence since earlier studies indicated that the enormous thickness of the Cretaceous in the Vøring Basin, i.e. the high siliciclastic input, may have diluted the organic matter regardless preservation conditions. The model allowed for testing the influence of several different conceptual settings on the quantitative distribution and quality of the potential Cretaceous source rock. Several scenarios of source rock deposition and their implication for future exploration will be presented.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece