--> Abstract: Petroleum Potential in Southern Fram Strait?, by T. Nielsen and W. Jokat; #90096 (2009)

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Petroleum Potential in Southern Fram Strait?

Tove Nielsen1 and Wilfried Jokat2
1The National Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, Denmark.
2Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany.

The southern Fram Strait holds a 3500 m deep basin area known as the Molloy Basin. It is bordered towards south by the Hovgaard Ridge, towards north by the Spitzbergen and Molloy Fracture Zones and towards east by the Knipovich Ridge.

In 2002 AWI acquired a series of reflection seismic lines across the Molloy Basin and the adjacent Northeast Greenland continental slope, tying to ODP site 909. Interpretation of these seismic data have revealed a more than 2 km thick sedimentary section within the Molloy Basin, in where a range of DHI’s are observed, e.g. bright-spots, flat-spots, gas clouds and chimneys. Also a BSR is found indicating the presence of gashydrates.

At ODP Site 909, located in the Molloy Basin at the northern flank of the Hovgaard Ridge, drilling was terminated at 1062 mbsf for safety reasons due to increasing concentrations of free hydrocarbons, interpreted to be of thermogenic origin.

The possible presence of hydrocarbons in the Molloy Basin might add information to the present uncertainty regarding the tectonic development of the Fram Strait.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90096©2009 AAPG 3-P Arctic Conference and Exhibition, Moscow, Russia