Structural reconstructions of the Eastern Barents Sea at Meso-Tertiary evolution and influence on petroleum potential

Abstract

Barents Sea basin is the most explored and studied by the regional and petroleum geologists on the Russian Arctic shelf and has approved gas reserves. However, there are many questions in the petroleum exploration, one of them is the structural reconstruction. During its geological evolution, Barents Sea shelf was influenced by the Pre-Novaya Zemlya structural zone that uplifted several times in Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The main goal of the research is to clarify the periods of structural reconstructions of the Eastern Barents shelf and its influence on the petroleum systems of the Barents Sea shelf. A database of regional seismic profiles and offshore borehole data collected over the past decade on the Petroleum Geology Department of the Lomonosov Moscow State University allows to define main unconformities and seismic sequences, to reconstruct the periods of subsidence and uplifts in Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The structural reconstructions on the Eastern Barents Sea in the Triassic-Jurassic boundary led to intensive uplifts and formation of the huge inversion swells, which is expressed in erosional truncation and stratigraphic unconformity in the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic strata. In the Jurassic period, tectonic subsidence reigned on the shelf, when the uplifts including the highs of Novaya Zemlya were partially flooded and regional clay seal and source rocks – Upper Jurassic «black clays» – deposited on the shelf. The next contraction phase manifested itself as a second impulse of the growth of inversion swells in the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Cenozoic uplift of the Pre-Novaya Zemlya structural zone and the entire Barents Sea shelf led to significant erosion of the Mesozoic sediments, on the one hand, forming modern structural traps, and on the other, significantly destroying the Albian, once regional seal.

Sequence stratigraphy and palaeogeography of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous in the Eastern Barents Sea

“…Black shales with high TOC content dominated across most of the basin (Kiryukhina & Kiryukhina, 2013; Suslova, 2013) (Figure 22). In the Kimmeridgian to early Berriasian (unit J3), the GBSB started to fill with sediments and a large clastic wedge was deposited in the South Barents Sea basin (Suslova et al., 2021), which most likely was the result of the late Cimmerian orogenic event in Verkhoyansk fault and thrust belt (Nikishin et al., 2019) expressed in the region by resumed uplift of Novaya Zemlya and Admiralty High (Figure 22).…”

“…The main rifting episode in the Eastern Barents Sea occurred in pre‐Frasnian time, resulting in deep sag south and North Barents Sea basins (Henriksen, Ryseth, et al., 2011; Stoupakova, 2011). A series of regional uplifts and inversions occurred at the Permian–Triassic (Brunstad & Rønnevik, 2024) and Triassic–Jurassic boundaries (Müller et al., 2019), in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (Henriksen, Ryseth, et al., 2011; Suslova et al., 2021). The Novaya Zemlya fold and thrust belt formed during the Hercynian orogeny and re‐emerged later due to the Early Cimmerian phase (Henriksen, Bjørnseth, et al., 2011; Korago et al., 2022).…”

“…Early Cretaceous evolution of the northern part of the Barents Sea shelf was controlled by magmatic and tectonic activity associated with the opening of the Canada Basin in the Hauterivian–Barremian (Ford & Golonka, 2003; Grantz et al., 2011; Lawver et al., 2002). The onset of tectonic activity such as HALIP, uplift of Novaya Zemlya in the Early Cretaceous caused a high sedimentation rate and the clinoform progradation on the shelf (Mordasova et al., 2017; Suslova et al., 2021). Uplifted parts of the GBSB, such as Persey and Pinegin highs (Figure 1), created steep slopes where large‐scale clastic wedges were formed (Kairanov et al., 2018).…”

Assessment of Oil and Gas Potential in Vychegda Trough in Connection with the Identification of Potential Petroleum Systems

“…The Early Cretaceous period corresponded to the regressive phase of the Late Jurassic basin not only in many large basins of the world [57][58][59], but also in the Vychegda Trough. Clastic sediments represented by siltstones and sands were accumulated in marginalmarine conditions.…”

Using the tectophase conceptual model to assess late Triassic–Early Jurassic far-field tectonism across the South-central Barents Sea shelf

“…Even though seismic analyses can be used to complement basin study, BSS seismic coverage is not homogenous and at times largely inaccessible (e.g., Russian BSS). However, seismically imaged Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic BSS reflectors used to address structural and tectonostratigraphic aspects in various parts of the BSS can be found in studies like those of Henriksen et al (2011Henriksen et al ( , 2023, Stoupakova et al (2011), Müller et al (2019, Gilmullina et al (2021), Suslova et al (2021), andLundschien et al (2023).…”