--> Abstract: Transitional Zones of the Russian Arctic Seas and Their Oil and Gas Potential, by A. P. Pronkin, V. I. Savchenko, and A. Stoupakova; #90096 (2009)

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Transitional Zones of the Russian Arctic Seas and Their Oil and Gas Potential

Artur P. Pronkin1, Valeriy I. Savchenko1, and Antonina Stoupakova2
1FSUGC "Yuzhmorgeo", Gelendzhik, Russia.
2Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.

State Scientific Center FSUGC “Yuzhmorgeologia” is conducting comprehensive geophysical surveys (seismic, gravimetric, magnetic, geochemical surveys) in the transitional zones: from 1993 as pilot methodological works, and from 1998-1999 - as standard surveys. Since 2004 “Yuzhmorgeologia” has come back to the Arctic having conducted the surveys within the northern portion of the Ob Bay, in the area between the Geophysicheskaya Prospect and the group of the Tambey fields. Seismic reflections were recorded to the depth to 8 sec with the geophone offset onshore (the Gydan Peninsula). Similar technology of surveys made possible for the first time to receive the data on the structure of the Paleozoic sediments here which turned out to be quite simple.

The Pechora Sea offshore being the part of the Barents Sea Oil and Gas Province has been studied only to the sea depth of 5m. Yuzhmorgeologia in the result of its work identified a new large structural element - the Lotsman Swell (the Bolvanovsko-Lotsman Swell) of north-eastern strike and confining the extension of the Kolva Megaswell towards the open sea. The Lotsman Swell is likely to extend beyond the shallow part of the Pechora Sea.

The Baidaratskaya Bay of the Kara Sea is located within rather complex tectonic center, the place of joining of the cymmerides of Pai-Khoy, the sediments of the Western Siberian Platform and Southern Kara Depression and probably, of the Pechora Plate of the ancient Eastern European Platform; the Urals Hercynides are coming rather close to the southern coast of the Baidaratskaya Bay. If we consider the bay seabed structure from the positions of the lineament tectonics, then positive magnetic anomaly is of special interest, which is crossing the Baidaratskaya Bay almost in its middle point from the south from the Polar Urals region to the north and coming to the Bovanenkovo, Krusenstern and South Krusenstern fields. It could be assumed that this magnetic field anomaly is reflecting a depth fault or most likely the system of depth faults and is linked with possible northern extension of the Urals -Oman lineament.
The works on the Enisey Bay of the Kara Sea started with the 2D CMP survey only in 2007 on a rare grid of seismic lines. The generated data provide the information to 8-10 sec. Here the Mesozoic thickness almost horizontal in occurrence (Cretaceous-Jurassic) can be identified which is closely reminding the marginal parts of the structures of the East Siberian Platform.
In 2008 in the Khatanga Bay of the Laptevs Sea 2D CMP surveys were started which confirmed a wide development of the salt tectogenesis processes in the area.

 

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