Mesozoic stratigraphy, sedimentary evolution, and petroleum potential of the Jeanne d'Arc basin, Grand Banks of Newfounland

Abstract

The Jeanne d'Arc Basin, located at the northeastern part of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, is a Mesozaic failed-rift basin containing in excess of 22 km of sedimentary fill. Despite a period of vigorous exploration activity initiated by the discovery of the giant-class Hibernia oil field in 1979, the lithostratigraphic nomenclature is not yet standard. This has led to a plethora of lithostratigraphies used by various industry groups, government agencies, and academia, a situation that has caused communication problems. A new lithostratigraphic nomenclature is proposed for the Mesozaic rocks older than the Late Cretaceous Dawson Canyon Formation. The nomenclature consists of 17 formations (14 new), 3 members (new), and 2 markers (new). The sedimentary evolution of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin is a response to the structural framework of the basin and to regional tectonic episodes related to the breakup of Pangea. Two periods of rifting, the first dominated by deposition of evaporites and the second by coarse clastics, are separated by a tectonically quiet period characterized by the deposition of fine clastics and limestones. A two-stage transition to a passive continental margin followed when fine clastics and minor chalky limestones were deposited. Major reserves of oil have been discovered in the basin. The oil was generated after continental breakup in shales deposited at the end of the tectonically quiet period and is now trapped mainly in stacked sandstone reservoirs deposited during the second period of rifting. Geological and geochemical data indicate that perhaps as little as 10 percent of potential recoverable reserves have been discovered.

Re–Os elemental and isotopic systematics in crude oils

“…Modelling based on depositional history and apatite fission track data suggesting pulses during Early Cretaceous and from Paleocene-Eocene up to present day (Shimeld et al, 2005). This is an unbiodegraded, mid-mature oil (34.4EAPI) that has a Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Egret Member source (McAlpine, 1990) and shows characteristics typical of those of a marine clastic sourcerock (FowlerandBrooks,1990;Fowlerand McAlpine,1995).…”

Basin modeling meets rift analysis – A numerical modeling study from the Jeanne d'Arc basin, offshore Newfoundland, Canada

“…In the southern part, Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks are almost absent (Deptuck et al, 2003;Enachescu, 1992); only Tertiary rocks are present. In the central part sediments thicken northwards and in the northern part of the basin the sediments are completely preserved, with a total thickness of over 20 km (Deptuck et al, 2003;McAlpine, 1990).…”

“…This extension established orthogonal trans-basin faults, which are the youngest active tectonic elements affecting the basin (Enachescu and Fagan, 2005;Grant et al, 1986b;Hesse and Abid, 1998;. Salt movement started during Early Cretaceous and formed stratigraphical and structural traps (McAlpine, 1990;.…”

“…Physical and chemical parameters, which are characterizing the lithologies assigned to the strata, derived from the PetroMod Ò database. Deposition and erosion ages are compiled from Ascoli (1975), Bujak Davies Group, 1988a,b,c, Gradstein and Williams (1982, McAlpine (1990) and Williamson (1987).…”

“…1). It underwent syn-and post-rift processes during the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous (Grant et al, 1986a;Louden, 2002;McAlpine, 1990;. Several studies on the stratigraphy, structural evolution and geochemical characterization have been performed yet so far, but geodynamic modeling has not been quantified or implemented into a numerical basin model.…”