The reservoir geology and geophysics of the Hibernia field, offshore Newfoundland

Conference · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:5990894

Hurley, T J; Kreisa, R D; Taylor, G G; Yates, W R.L. ^[1]

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1. Mobil Oil Canada, Calgaary, Alberta (Canada)

The Hibernia field is located 315 km (195 mi) east of St. John's, Newfoundland. The field was discovered in 1979. Pre-production investment, which includes the construction of a concrete gravity base structure (GBS), is currently estimated at approximately $5 billion Canadian. The plateau production rate is expected to average 17,480 m{sup 3}/day (110,000 b/day). To date, there is no hydrocarbon production from offshore eastern Canada. Hibernia field is located in the northwest sector of the rifted Jeanne d'Arc basin. The integrated geological and geophysical interpretation of the field is based upon the results of 10 wells and 460 km{sup 2} (177 mi{sup 2}) of three-dimensional seismic data. The trap, as seismically defined, is an arcuate anticline created by rollover into the basin-bounding Murre fault. A complex system of faults divides the structure into numerous horsts and grabens. An estimated recoverable resource of 83 million m{sup 3} (525 million bbl) occurs in two Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. Berriasian- to Valanginian-age Hibernia sandstones are the primary reservoirs occurring at an average drill depth of 3,720 m (12,200 ft). Average porosity is 16%; permeability ranges up to 2 d. Sedimentological interpretation of core indicates that the dominant reservoir facies was deposited as high bed-load channels in a fluvially dominated deltaic complex. Reservoir sandstones are interpreted to be elongated and relatively continuous in a southwest-northeast direction. Concurrent crestal gas injection and downdip water injection will be used to maximize recovery. Barremian- to Albian-age Ben Nevis/Avalon sandstones are the secondary reservoirs and occur at an average drill depth of 2,345 m (7,700 ft). Core studies indicate deposition within transgressive shoreface and offshore shallow-marine environments. Thin bed stratigraphy predominates in this reservoir.

• OSTI ID: 5990894
• Report Number(s): CONF-9010204--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
ANTICLINES
CALCITE
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CANADA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATES
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEPOSITION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
ISLANDS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NEWFOUNDLAND
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POROSITY
PRODUCTION
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
RIFT ZONES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
STRATIGRAPHY
SURVEYS