A 3D Evaluation of the Petroleum Systems of the West Barents Sea Based on a Global Sequence Stratigraphic Model

Oliver Ralph

A comprehensive data set derived from the public domain has been used to address the distribution of petroleum elements across the tectonically complex West Barents Sea. The region has been explored since the 1980’s, with multiple hydrocarbon fields discovered during initial exploration. However, exploration outside the Hammerfest Basin has generally been less successful, with only small accumulations discovered. Recent discoveries along the eastern margin of the Bjørnøya Basin represent the most significant discoveries in the region for a decade. The tectonic history of the West Barents Sea has had a profound influence on the deposition of reservoir and source rocks. A number of source rock and reservoir-quality intervals have been proven from the middle Paleozoic to the Cretaceous. Key unconformities that can be correlated to major tectonic events are recognised in the stratigraphy. One such feature is the base Quaternary unconformity. This is caused by Paleogene uplift associated with the opening of the north-east Atlantic, and Pliocene-Holocene repeated glacial erosion and isostatic re-equilibration. This affected petroleum systems by reactivating structures, removing overburden and causing the redistribution of hydrocarbons. Regional play evaluations require the integration of large volumes of data and interpretations from a wide variety of sources. Advances in computer hardware and software, in particular Petrel 2012 from Schlumberger Information Solutions, enables us to build 3D geological models at a scale appropriate for regional exploration. The software allows for the loading and manipulation of the data required for play evaluation, and offers an environment where all data and interpretations are fully integrated. Exploration in the region for over three decades has produced a vast amount of data, much of which is available in the public domain, thereby facilitating a review of the regions geological history and its petroleum systems. The data has been interpreted using our sequence stratigraphic model and a database of publicly available information, the results of which have been used to produce a regional 3D model. Through applying proprietary palinspastic reconstructions, we have gained an insight and understanding into the potential extents and quality of the various petroleum elements following uplift.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90177©3P Arctic, Polar Petroleum Potential Conference & Exhibition, Stavanger, Norway, October 15-18, 2013