Chapter 40 Baffin Fan and its inverted rift system of Arctic eastern Canada: stratigraphy, tectonics and petroleum resource potential

Abstract

Baffin Fan is a 12 km-thick sedimentary wedge of Eocene to Pleistocene age in northwestern Baffin Bay, with size and resource potential comparable to Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin. A widespread Moho detachment originating in Mesoproterozoic strata may have influenced development of Cretaceous–Palaeogene horst blocks and half-grabens throughout the region, and their transformation by later phases of inversion. Reflection profiles indicate 12 depositional sequences in lower Palaeozoic and Cretaceous to Pleistocene strata. Notable is syntectonic sedimentation with possible volcanism and rifting in the Cretaceous–Danian. Sequences associated with inversion in the later Paleocene and Eocene display out-of-graben thrust anticlines formed over horst blocks in Lady Ann and Lancaster Sound basins. The Oligocene to mid-Miocene is associated with fluvial–deltaic systems, replaced since then by glacial–interglacial sequences including submarine canyons and deepwater fans. Exploration targets are located in Lancaster Sound, and a Baffin Bay fairway that runs 220 km northwestward to east of Coburg Island. Sixty-five per cent of prospects are located under Neogene cover. Fourteen are each greater than 70 km2, and five are between 334 and 592 km2. Based on drilling success rates elsewhere and the existence of a petroleum system, 12 of the 40 mapped structures may contain hydrocarbons in significant quantity.

The Quaternary Lancaster Sound trough‐mouth fan, NW Baffin Bay

“…The proposed age models are tested by two methods. First, Harrison et al (2011) tied seismic units of Baffin fan to ODP Site 645 by using several industry seismic reflection profiles from the 1970 s. One profile (their figure 21c) crosses our seismic profile at two points (Fig. 3).…”

“…Several half grabens developed during Cretaceous–Palaeocene rifting, and fluvial–deltaic sediments were deposited in the grabens from Eocene to Pliocene. A major depocentre is the Baffin Fan off Lancaster Sound in northwest Baffin Bay and this fan, over 2.5 km thick, was deposited from Eocene to Pleistocene (Harrison et al ., 2011).…”

“…2. Crossovers with Harrison et al (2011) are labelled by arrows. The enlarged uninterpreted seismic profiles are available in the online Supporting information, Fig.…”

A new model for the Paleogene motion of Greenland relative to North America: Plate reconstructions of the Davis Strait and Nares Strait regions between Canada and Greenland

“…The E‐W oriented Lancaster Sound Basin deepens northward. It is bounded by a major fault ‐ the Peary Channel Fault, documented as a normal fault with a vertical displacement exceeding 8 km [ Kerr , 1980; Harrison et al , 2011]. The Peary Channel Fault has been mapped offshore using multichannel seismic data, but has no exposure onshore [ Okulitch and Trettin , 1991].…”

New insights into the stratigraphy and petroleum potential of the Baffin shelf's Cretaceous rocks

“…Subsequent geophysical studies in the Labrador Sea and in Baffin Bay outlined the history of seafloor spreading between Greenland and North America (Srivastava et al, 1981;Srivastava and Falconer, 1982). Jackson and Taylor, 1972;Jackson and Davidson, 1975;Jackson et al, 1975;Dawes, 1976;Miall et al, 1980;Henderson et al, 1981;Dawes and Kerr, 1982;Rolle, 1985;Ioannides, 1986;MacLean et al, 1990;Chalmers et al, 1993;Oakey, 2005;Harrison et al, 2011;Oakey and Chalmers, 2012). Jackson and Taylor, 1972;Jackson and Davidson, 1975;Jackson et al, 1975;Dawes, 1976;Miall et al, 1980;Henderson et al, 1981;Dawes and Kerr, 1982;Rolle, 1985;Ioannides, 1986;MacLean et al, 1990;Chalmers et al, 1993;Oakey, 2005;Harrison et al, 2011;Oakey and Chalmers, 2012).…”