Petroleum Geology of the North Sea

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1 Petroleum Geology of the North Sea Basic Concepts and Recent Advances EDITED BY K.W. GLENNIE Honorary Professor, Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen; Formerly Shell UK Exploration and Production FOURTH EDITION b Blackwell Science

2 Foreword to the Fourth Edition, xiii M.J. FISHER, Chairman of JAPEC, Director Nevis Associates, 34-West Argyle Street, Helensburgh, G84 8DD (formerly Geology Manager BP Exploration (EXE), 150 St Vincent Street, Glasgow) Foreword to the First Edition, xiv R. STONELEY, Formerly Chairman of JAPEC and Professor in the Department of Geology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BP Acknowledgements, xv Some Oil Industry Abbreviations and Conversion Factors, xvi 1 Historical Review of North Sea Exploration, 1 T.P. BRENNAND, Formerly Managing Director, Shell China Ltd, Beijing, China B. VAN HOORN, Chief Geologist, Shell Deepwater Development, Inc., Houston, Texas K.H. JAMES, Chief Geologist, Advance Exploration Organization, Conoco, Inc., Houston, Texas, offshore K.w. GLENNIE, Honorary Professor, Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, King's College, University ofaberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 2UE 1.1 Introduction, Licensing of offshore acreage, General factors governing the growth of new knowledge, Main phases of North Sea exploration, The period before 1959, The period , The period , The period , The period , The period , The period since 1993, Future trends, Concluding remarks, Acknowledgements, Key references, Compilations and publications of North Sea conferences, Appendix: North Sea fields: basic data, 30 2 Origin, Development and Evolution of Structural Styles, 42 K.W. GLENNIE, Honorary Professor, Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 2UE J.R. UNDERHILL, Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Geology & Geophysics, The University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW 2.1 Outline of the structural framework of the North Sea, 42

3 vi Contents Introduction and rationale, Sources of data, Evolutionary outline, Major structural features, Pre-Devonian history, Precambrian beginnings, The Caledonian plate cycle, Post-Caledonian structure and basin development, The Variscan plate cycle, Post-Variscan basin development: the North Sea in an intraplate setting, Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Key references, Appendix: seismic cross-section, 82 3 Devonian, 85 R.A. DOWNIE, Downie GeoScience Ltd, 62 Durward Avenue, Glasgow, G41 3UE 3.1 Introduction, Regional setting, Tectonostratigraphic summary, Orcadian Basin, Basin overview, Stratigraphic summary, Reservoir potential, Source-rock quality, Thermal history and hydrocarbon generation, Summary of hydrocarbon plays, The Central North Sea, Basin overview, Stratigraphic summary, Reservoir potential, Potential source rocks, Summary of hydrocarbon plays, Other areas, Midland Valley of Scotland and Forth Approaches Basin, Northumberland Trough/Scottish Border Basin, Southern North Sea, Southern Britain/Welsh Borders, West of Shetland, Acknowledgements, Key references, Carboniferous, 104 B.M. BESLY, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University ofkeele, Keele, Staffordshire (currently Sedimentologist, Shell Expro, Strand, London, WC2R 0DX) 4.1 Introduction, General background, Historical development, Nature of previous geological study, Stratigraphic methodology, Stratigraphic nomenclature, Overview, Tectonic setting, Palaeoclimate, Sedimentary cyclicity and sequence stratigraphy, Regional palaeogeographical development, Tournaisian, Visean, Namurian, 111

4 vii Early-mid-Westphalian, Mid-late Westphalian and Stephanian, Carboniferous geology of the North Sea: introduction, Moray Firth and Forth Approaches areas, Stratigraphy and facies, Petroleum geology, Mid North Sea High and south Central Graben, Stratigraphy and facies, Petroleum geology, Southern North Sea, Tectonic framework, Carboniferous subcrop pattern, Lithostratigraphy and facies, Petroleum geology, Outstanding problems in Carboniferous exploration, Geophysical resolution and interpretation, Stratigraphic and sedimentology problems, Acknowledgements, Key references, Lower Permian Rotliegend, 137 K. w. GLENNIE, Honorary Professor, Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 2UE 5.1 Introduction, Distribution and stratigraphy, Rotliegend and hydrocarbons, Colour, The Lower Rotliegend, The Upper Rotliegend, Southern Permian Basin, Moray Firth and Northern Permian Basins, Historical development, Climate, Basin formation, Zechstein transgression, Hydrocarbon occurrences, Gasfields, Oilfields, Acknowledgements, Key references, Upper Permian Zechstein, 174 J.c.M. TAYLOR (deceased October 1997), Former Consultant, L'Escargot, 41 High Tree Road, Reigate, Surrey 6.1 Introduction, Generation of structure, Cap rocks, Structural information, Reservoir rocks, Source rocks, General, Distribution and general character, Outline of depositional pattern and typical facies, First Zechstein cycle, Kupferschiefer Formation, Zechsteinkalk Formation and equivalents, Werraanhydrit Formation and equivalents, Second Zechstein cycle, Hauptdolomit Formation and equivalents, 187

5 viii Contents Stassfurt evaporite equivalents, Third Zechstein cycle, Plattendolomit Formation and equivalents, Third Zechstein cycle evaporites, Leine Halite Formation and equivalents, Fourth and fifth Zechstein cycles, Regional variations, Mid North Sea-Ringkebing-Fyn High, The Western Shelf, Long Forties High and Forth Approaches Basin, Central Graben, Moray Firth, Interpreting Zechstein stratigraphy and lithology from seismic sections, Relevance to sequence stratigraphy, Salt behaviour halokinetics and dissolution, Initiation of movement, Growth of salt structures, Arrest of diapir growth, Preferential movement of particular salts, Examples of halokinesis in the Southern North Sea, Structural effects of evaporite dissolution, Application to hydrocarbon exploration, Practical problems, Identification of cycles, Drilling problems, Hydrocarbon occurrences in Zechstein carbonates, Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Hydrocarbon potential of the Zechstein conclusions, Acknowledgements, Key references, Triassic, 212 M.J. FISHER, Director, Nevis Associates, 34 West Argyle Street, Helensburgh, Scotlan G84 8DD D.c. MUDGE, David Mudge Associates, 6 Kilmardinny Crescent, Glasgow, G61 3NR 7.1 Introduction, The Southern North Sea Basin, The Bacton Group, The Haisborough Group, The Penarth Group, Economic geology, The Central North Sea Basin, The Norwegian-Danish Basin, Denmark, United Kingdom Central North Sea, Inner Moray Firth, Economic geology, The Northern North Sea Basins, The Cormorant Formation, The Hegre Group, The Statfjord Formation, Economic geology, Adjacent areas, Summary and conclusions, Acknowledgements, Key references, 244

6 8 Jurassic, 245 J.R. UNDERHILL, Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Geology & Geophysics, The University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW 8.1 Introduction, Stratigraphic basis for Jurassic correlation, Lithostratigraphic-based schemes, Chronostratigraphic-based schemes, Lower Jurassic stratigraphy and sedimentation, The Viking Graben, The Inner Moray Firth, The Central Graben, Southern North Sea and onshore exposures, Middle Jurassic stratigraphy and sedimentation, Introduction, The Viking Graben, Development and significance of the 'Mid Cimmerian Unconformity', Late Jurassic stratigraphy and sedimentation, Structural development and evolution of the Late Jurassic extensional province, Stratigraphic nomenclature, Deposition of the Humber Group, Field analogues in Greenland, Postdepositional control on Jurassic prospectivity, Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Key references, Cretaceous, 294 CD. OAKMAN, Colin Oakman Associates, 62 First Avenue, Netherlea, Glasgow, G44 3UB (Formerly Technical Director, Reservoir Research, Glasgow) M.A. PARTINGTON, Petroleum Development Oman pic, P.O. Box 81, Muscat, Postal Code 113, Sultanate of Oman 9.1 Introduction, Tectonic models, The onset of Cretaceous tectonic styles, The Late Cimmerian event, New regional compression models, Residual extensional models, Cretaceous halokinesis, Palaeogeographic evolution, Global controls, Pre-Cretaceous geology, The onset of Cretaceous deposition, The Hauterivian-Barremian transgression, Apto-Albian style change, The early Chalk sea, The mature Chalk sea, The death of the Chalk sea, Stratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, Lithostratigraphy, 306! Other stratigraphic tools, Sequence stratigraphy, The Early Cretaceous of the Southern North Sea, West Netherlands Basin, Vlieland and West (Lower) Saxony basins, Broad Fourteens Basin and Dutch Central Trough, Sole Pit area of the United Kingdom offshore, The Early Cretaceous of the Central and Northern North Sea area, 312 ix

7 9.6.1 Tectono-sedimentological models in the Central North Sea, Scapa Field, Britannia Field, Inner Moray Firth Basin, Captain Field, The Norwegian Central Trough, The Danish Sector, The Valdemar play, The Viking Graben, Agat Field, The Late Cretaceous chalk, Chalk literature review, Primary chalk sediment biogenic components, Primary chalk sediment non-carbonate components, Primary chalk sediment redeposited facies, Geometry and distribution of redeposited chalks, Early burial history of chalk sediments, Late burial history of potential reservoir chalks, Selected matrix reservoir models, Reservoir significance of pressure solution and fracturing, Selected fracture-reservoir models, Fields in Late Cretaceous and Danian Chalk, The Norwegian fields, The Danish-sector fields, Off-trend fields Machar, the J-Block complex and Harlingen, Further potential of the Chalk play, Acknowledgements, Key references, Cenozoic, 350 M.B.J. BOWMAN, Technology Leader, Reservoir Description, British Petroleum Exploration Operating Co., Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 7LN 10.1 Introduction, Exploration and production history, Regional tectonic framework, Stratigraphy, Lithostratigraphy, Biostratigraphy, Sequence stratigraphy, Stratigraphic evolution, Palaeocene-early Eocene (T2O-T5O), Mid- to late Eocene (T60-T98), Hydrocarbon source and migration, Reservoirs, Pattern of fill, Depositional geometry, Reservoir quality, Prospectivity, Tertiary plays, Mature field operations, The future, Key references, Source Rocks and Hydrocarbons of the North Sea, 376 C. CORNFORD, Integrated Geochemical Interpretation Ltd, Hallsannery, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5HE 11.1 Introduction, Elements of hydrocarbon genesis, Source rocks accumulation and identification, 378

8 XI Depositional environments, Quantity of organic matter, Type of organic matter, Hydrocarbon yields from source rocks, Recognizing source rocks using wireline logs, Maturation of kerogens, Measured maturation, Calculated maturation, Generation of hydrocarbons, Oil and gas windows, Source-rock volumetrics and estimating the 'charge to trap', Estimating volume generated in the source rock, Migration, Discharge (step 1 of expulsion), Drainage (step 2 of expulsion), (Secondary) migration, Tertiary migration remigration and seal development, Timing of migration, Oil and gas accumulation, Hydrocarbon types, Intra-reservoir alteration, Stratigraphic and geographical distribution of source rocks, Lower Palaeozoic, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary, North Sea hydrocarbons, Oils, Gas in the northern oil province, Gas in the southern gas province, Gas in other areas, Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Key references, North Sea Plays: Geological Controls on Hydrocarbon Distribution, 463 H.D. JOHNSON, Enterprise Oil Professor of Petroleum Geology, Department of Geology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BP M.J. FISHER, Director, Nevis Associates, 34 West Argyle Street, Helensburgh, Scotland, G84 8DD 12.1 Introduction, Northern and Central North Sea plays, Pre-rift plays of the Northern and Central North Sea, Syn-rift plays of the Northern and Central North Sea, Posl-rift plays of the Northern and Central North Sea, Summary of the Northern and Central North Sea plays and hydrocarbon resources, Remaining hydrocarbon potential in the Northern and Central North Sea, Southern North Sea plays, Carboniferous play, Permian Rotliegend sandstone play, Zechstein carbonate play, Triassic play, 520

9 xii Contents Remaining hydrocarbon potential in the Southern North Sea, Other Mesozoic plays, Western British Isles plays, Wessex Basin plays, Basins and plays south-west of the British Isles, Basins and plays offshore western and northern Ireland, North Celtic Sea Basin plays, East Irish Sea Basin plays, Faeroe/Shetland Basin plays and adjacent areas, Acknowledgements, Key references, 547 References (courtesy of C. Cornford), 549 Index, 613

Hydrocarbon plays of the Mid North Sea High: an integrated seismic and basin modelling study

Hydrocarbon plays of the Mid North Sea High: an integrated seismic and basin modelling study Stephen Corfield, Julian Moore, Maurice Bamford, Andrew Barnwell and Patrick Barnard -OGA Frontier exploration