Taymyr Fold Belt Petroleum Potential: A New Insight from MT Prospecting

Denis Yakovlev

Taymir fold belt lies between the Arctic Ocean and Siberian platform covering area of about 0.7 mln sq. km. Oil seeps and discoveries made in the adjacent Enisey-Khatanga basin suggest that the Taymyr fold belt has active petroleum systems. The existing geophysical data indicates that total thickness of Paleozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary cover locally may exceed 20 km. New seismic surveys provided good deal of subsurface data, but complex geological setting and lack of well calibration resulted in poorly constrained and controversial interpretations. Magneto-telluric (MT) survey conducted by Nord-West Ltd. provided subsurface resistivity background which permitting the development of more accurate subsurface interpretation. Large evaporitic diapirs and zones of Paleozoic reefs were interpreted based largely on the new MT data in the inner part of the fold belt for the first time. The latter may represent important exploration objectives. In the thrust belt front the new data helped delineating potential exploration sweet-spots in the Mesozoic clastic section and in buried Paleozoic highs. The results of the Taymyr fold belt study demonstrate high value-adding potential of implementation of the MT prospecting for licensing and petroleum exploration in the frontier areas.

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