Submarine fans in a developing extensional regime: their significance in the North Sea hydrocarbon province

Conference · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6375522

Watson, M P

The North Sea basin provides a classic example of long-term development of an extensional basin. Major tectono-sedimentary sequences can be broadly matched to pre-, syn- and post-rift phases of the Viking and Central grabens. Development of submarine fan systems within the basin can in turn be related to this framework. Submarine fans developed in the Viking graben within the syn-rift tectonic setting during the late Jurassic. The major controlling factor at this time is considered to be internal tectonics of the graben with subordinate influence from sea level changes. Small, coarse, scarp-fed fans formed a sediment apron along the fault-controlled graben margins. Finer-grained, rather better developed fan systems were also formed during this period, reflecting the relative importance of different controlling influences. The post-rift cycle in the North Sea basin is characterized by Late Cretaceous-Tertiary thermal subsidence of the graben as well as the former rift margins. The major influences on fan development in this phase were external tectonics in the source area, and, of equal importance, sea level changes which controlled sediment input to deeper parts of the basin. Late Paleocene and early Eocene fans developed in association with major prograding delta systems. The variability in space and time of submarine fan types in the North Sea highlights the importance of identifying the most appropriate fan model. This is critical to reservoir distribution in field development, as well as in future exploration where predictive models will be required to identify time periods and areas most likely for the development of submarine fans.

• Research Organization: BP Petroleum Development Ltd., Dyce, Scotland
• OSTI ID: 6375522
• Report Number(s): CONF-8405216-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 68:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ATLANTIC OCEAN
DEPOSITION
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH SEA
OFFSHORE SITES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SURFACE WATERS
TECTONICS