Structure and Petroleum Habitat of the of the Pay Khoy- Novaya Zemlya Foreland Fold Belt, Timan Pechora, Russia

Konstantin Sobornov

The study is based on integrated interpretation of geological and geophysical data on the Pay Khoy- Novaya Zemlya foreland fold belt. It strikes for 700 km off the southwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya extending onshore into north-eastern part of Timan Pechora. It is observed that in the northwestern part of the belt is dominated by transpressional deformations. It involves high-relief flower structures with limited shortening. Deeper Lower Paleozoic deposits are folded and truncated by the prominent pre-Frasnian unconformity. To the south-east of the fold belt gradually passes into a typical trust belt. Structuring there is controlled by multiple delamination of the Paleozoic-Triassic sedimentary section, thrust imbrications, and disharmonic folding. Estimated total amount of shortening across the fold belt there may exceed 50 km. Strike-slip deformations in this part of the fold belt have limited development. The lateral segmentation along the fold belt is likely due to two main reasons. Firstly, they may have resulted from the sinistral displacement on the Trans-Eurasian fault which is oriented obliquely to the fold belt. Secondly, it was preconditioned by the interpreted heterogeneity of the structural grain of the Pechora foreland juxtaposed against the fold belt. The northwestern segment of the foreland was more affected by the Caledonian folding. These resulted in mechanical stratigraphy of the foreland limiting thrusting. The structural segmentation of the fold belt provides different types of hydrocarbon plays. Of significant exploration interest is the Silurian-Lower Devonian carbonate play subcropping the pre-Frasnian unconformity exemplified be Titov and Trebs fields. The prominent tectonic thickening and subsequent erosion of the sedimentary section due to thrusting in the inner part of the Pay Khoy segment may account for a greater content of gas. Key words: Timan Pechora, fold belt, strike slip, petroleum habitat

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