--> ABSTRACT: Using Onshore Geology to Create an Informed Prediction of the Hydrocarbon Potential of a Frontier Offshore Arctic Region: The Laptev Shelf, East Arctic, by James Barnet, Chris Davies, Andrew Davies, and Mike Simmons; #90130 (2011)

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Using Onshore Geology to Create an Informed Prediction of the Hydrocarbon Potential of a Frontier Offshore Arctic Region: The Laptev Shelf, East Arctic

James Barnet, Chris Davies, Andrew Davies, and Mike Simmons
Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd, Abingdon, United Kingdom.

With growing interest in the hydrocarbon potential of the circum-Arctic, and extensive exploration already underway in the North American and West Eurasian sectors, increasing attention is turning to the comparatively underexplored basins of the East Arctic. The Laptev Sea covers part of a vast continental shelf to the north of East Siberia, one of the true frontier regions of the Arctic. No deep wells have been drilled offshore, although the shelf has been comparatively well-studied by geophysical methods. Stratigraphic predictions are based on study of onshore outcrops, including the Taimyr Peninsula, northern coast of mainland Siberia and New Siberian Islands.

Positive indications of future hydrocarbon discoveries on the Laptev Shelf have been proven by the discovery of hydrocarbon fields and shows in Jurassic-Early Cretaceous clastics of the Yenisey-Khatanga Trough and in Permian-Triassic clastics of the Lena-Anabar Basin. By analogy, these basins highlight Late Palaeozoic-Mesozoic potential in the neighbouring offshore. Late Early Cretaceous post-orogenic coal-bearing and lacustrine facies, along with Late Cretaceous-Palaeogene syn-rift coal-bearing continental facies, could represent the most significant hydrocarbon source rocks. Marine organic-rich facies of the PETM and Middle Eocene “Azolla” event may constitute oil-prone source rocks in restricted grabens. Late Cretaceous prograding clinoforms and Oligocene-Neogene fluvio-deltaic clastics delivered by the long-lived Lena, Olenek, Yana, Anabar and Khatanga rivers are likely to include thick reservoirs and seals.

We have conducted a study of the region using a global sequence stratigraphic model, drawing on data available in the public domain. This interpretation allows enhanced understanding of the shifting distribution of transgressive and regressive reservoir facies. When placed in a regional palinspastic framework, models of source rock deposition can also be developed, and used to better predict timing and extent of source rock deposition.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90130©2011 3P Arctic, The Polar Petroleum Potential Conference & Exhibition, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 30 August-2 September, 2011.