The role of palaeorelief in the control of Permian facies distribution over the Mid North Sea High, UK Continental Shelf

Mulholland, Philip; Esestime, Paolo; Rodriguez, Karyna; Hargreaves, Phillip

doi:10.1144/sp471.8

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…2). In this area, Namurian to middle Dinantian strata sub-crop the base-Permian unconformity (Patruno et al, 2018;Mulholland et al, 2018). This unconformity is folded and faulted, and perhaps was not completely peneplained during the Zechstein transgression, The Southern Permian Basin developed in the foreland of the Variscan foldbelt and was bounded and defined by massifs including local highs such as the Mid North Sea High (Doornenbal et al, 2019).…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sedimentology, Palaeogeography and Diagenesis of the Upper Permian (Z2) Hauptdolomit Formation on the Southern Margin of the Mid North Sea High and Implications for Reservoir Prospectivity

Garland

Tiltman

Inglis

2023

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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This paper provides an updated understanding of the reservoir stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeogeography and diagenesis of the Upper Permian Hauptdolomit Formation of the Zechstein Supergroup ("Hauptdolomit") in a study area on the southern margin of the Mid North Sea High. The paper is based on the examination and description of core and cuttings data from 25 wells which were integrated with observations based on existing and new 3D seismic.Based on thin-section petrography of cuttings and core from the wells studied, it is evident that Hauptdolomit microfacies are distributed in a relatively predictable way, and well-defined platform interior, platform margin, slope and basin settings can be distinguished. Platform margins are typically characterised by the development of ooid shoals and, to a lesser-extent, by microbial build-ups. High-energy back-shoal settings are characterised by a more complex combination of peloid grainstones, thrombolitic and microbial build-ups, and fine crystalline dolomites. Lower energy lagoons which developed further behind the platform margin are characterised by a variety of microfacies types; fine crystalline dolomites are common in this setting as well as peloidal facies and local microbial build-ups. Intertidal and supratidal settings are typified by increased proportions of anhydrite and the development of laminated microbial bindstones (stromatolites). Platform margins are in general relatively steep and pass into slope and basinal settings. Only a few wells have penetrated Hauptdolomit successions deposited in a slope setting, and these successions are characterised by a range of resedimented shallow-water facies together with low-energy laminated dolomicrites and fine crystalline dolomites. Slope zones in the study area are interpreted from seismic data to be typically 1-1.5 km in width. Basinal Hauptdolomit deposits have been strongly affected by post-depositional diagenesis and are dedolomitised to variable degrees. The original depositional facies are rarely preserved.Diagenetic studies show that dolomitisation has affected almost the entire Hauptdolomit Formation throughout the study area in both basinal and platform settings. The dolomite is considered to result from seepage-reflux processes and is an early diagenetic phase. Mouldic porosity is present in many facies types as a result of dissolution, especially in ooid grainstones,

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Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sedimentology, Palaeogeography and Diagenesis of the Upper Permian (Z2) Hauptdolomit Formation on the Southern Margin of the Mid North Sea High and Implications for Reservoir Prospectivity

Garland

Tiltman

Inglis

2023

Journal of Petroleum Geology

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“…Many challenges remain in the detailed understanding of correlation and distribution of Paleozoic strata, based on sparse data and in sequences where facies distribution, extent and thickness exert a strong control on the petroleum system. The impact of facies variations in Zechstein carbonates and anhydrites over the Mid North Sea High to reservoir and seal intervals is described by Mulholland et al (2018). The importance of Rotliegend-age sandstones preserved in areas of low palaeorelief is also highlighted and the predicted extent of each play type is discussed.…”

Section: Stratigraphical and Facies Complexitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several papers are focused on Paleozoic plays outside the extent of mature Jurassic (Kimmeridge) North Sea source rocks (e.g. Besly 2018; Mulholland et al 2018;Pullan & Butler 2018;Ter Borgh et al 2018a, b). In some areas, Paleozoic play elements such as those described in papers by Marshall et al (2018), Patruno et al (2018) and others provide an additional source beneath existing Jurassic and younger plays (e.g.…”

Section: Paleozoic Plays Of Nw Europe Conference and Aim Of This Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Schoonebeek gas field; see Peryt et al 2010). The Zechstein carbonate play has proved to be successful in onshore areas of the Cleveland Basin, UK and the acquisition of new seismic data over the Mid North Sea High has suggested that some similar opportunities may exist there too Mulholland et al 2018). Farther north, the Zechstein is a reservoir in the Carnoustie, Ettrick and Claymore fields (Glennie et al 2003).…”

Section: Exploration History: Permianmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Paleozoic plays of NW Europe: an introduction

Monaghan

Underhill

Marshall

et al. 2018

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Despite successful production from Carboniferous and Permian reservoirs in the Southern North Sea and onshore Netherlands and Germany, Paleozoic hydrocarbon plays across parts of NW Europe remain relatively under-explored onshore and offshore. This volume brings together new and previously unpublished knowledge about the Paleozoic plays of NW Europe. Improvements in seismic data quality and availability tied to previously unpublished well datasets form the basis for improved understanding of local to regional structural interpretations, depositional environments and basin history. New interpretations move significantly away from generalized basin development models, with improved definition of structural traps and source rock basins feeding to better constrained, locally variable burial, uplift, maturation and migration models. Particularly notable are the significant mapped extents and thickness of Paleozoic source, reservoir and seal rocks. Areas previously dismissed as regional highs and platforms are dissected by Paleozoic basins with evidence for mature source rocks into basin centres. Numerous potential Paleozoic plays or play elements result within thick organic-rich and variably mature successions. Outside or below existing Jurassic and Southern North Sea to onshore Netherlands and German Permian-Carboniferous plays, Paleozoic plays in frontier areas offer significant additional exploration opportunities.

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“…A number of papers have been published recently, drawing attention to hitherto overlooked targets for Zechstein hydrocarbon exploration (e.g. Mulholland et al 2018;Grant et al 2019). Around the Mid North Sea High, intra-Zechstein clinoform foresets represent an attractive exploration target (Patruno et al 2018).…”

Section: Future Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights on subsurface energy resources in the Southern North Sea Basin area

Doornenbal

Kombrink

Bouroullec

et al. 2019

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The Southern North Sea Basin area, stretching from the UK to the Netherlands, has a rich hydrocarbon exploration and production history. The past, present and expected future hydrocarbon and geothermal exploration trends in this area are discussed for eight key lithostratigraphic intervals, ranging from the Lower Carboniferous to Cenozoic. In the period between 2007 and 2017, a total of 95 new hydrocarbon fields were discovered, particularly in Upper Carboniferous, Rotliegend and Triassic reservoirs. Nineteen geothermal systems were discovered in the Netherlands onshore, mainly targeting aquifers in the Rotliegend and Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous formations. Although the Southern North Sea Basin area is mature in terms of hydrocarbon exploration, it is shown that with existing and new geological insights, additional energy resources are still being proven in new plays such as the basal Upper Rotliegend (Ruby discovery) for natural gas and a new Chalk play for oil. It is predicted that hydrocarbon exploration in the Southern North Sea Basin area will probably experience a slight growth in the coming decade before slowing down, as the energy transition further matures. Geothermal exploration is expected to continue growing in the Netherlands onshore as well as gain more momentum in the UK. Since the publication of the Petroleum Geological Atlas of the Southern Permian Basin (SPB) (Doornenbal & Stevenson 2010), which gave a comprehensive overview based on more than 150 years of petroleum exploration and research from onshore UK to Poland, the basin has continued to see successful exploration wells drilled together with a diversification of drilling targets. This paper summarizes the activities over the period 2007-17 to give an update on new exploration insights. The focus of this paper is more limited than the entire SPB Atlas area and concentrates on its western part between latitudes

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The role of palaeorelief in the control of Permian facies distribution over the Mid North Sea High, UK Continental Shelf

Cited by 6 publications

References 35 publications

Sedimentology, Palaeogeography and Diagenesis of the Upper Permian (Z2) Hauptdolomit Formation on the Southern Margin of the Mid North Sea High and Implications for Reservoir Prospectivity

Sedimentology, Palaeogeography and Diagenesis of the Upper Permian (Z2) Hauptdolomit Formation on the Southern Margin of the Mid North Sea High and Implications for Reservoir Prospectivity

Paleozoic plays of NW Europe: an introduction

New insights on subsurface energy resources in the Southern North Sea Basin area

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