Oil and Gas

Participants will learn to:

1. Illustrate the broad tectonic setting and evolution of the SW Barents Sea region.
2. Characterise a wide range of carbonate and clastic depositional processes and products and their recognition in the subsurface.
3. Validate facies distributions with respect to regional correlations.
4. Assess the large-scale controls with particular emphasis on high-resolution sequence stratigraphy on basin floor, slope and associated deltaic systems.
5. Characterise regional petroleum systems in terms of spatial distribution of reservoir development, the nature of permeability baffles and barriers, seal, trap and source rock distribution.
6. Evaluate regional scale links and make well constrained predictions of reservoir presence and potential quality.
7. Predict regional basin infill depositional elements and the implications for reservoir modelling, as well as exploration and development risks.

The field-based component will investigate a variety of carbonate and clastic depositional systems ranging in age from Carboniferous-Tertiary. Attendees will examine superbly-exposed, often seismic-scale sequences from a variety of basins and explore the contrasting reservoir components that are developed within different tectonic and climatic regimes. Comparison with subsurface examples from the North Sea, Barents Sea, and other Arctic Basins will be made throughout the course. Stratal relationships will be analysed in the field at vertical scales of tens of metres and horizontal scales of kilometres. All observations and analyses will be placed in a context of subsurface data from core, wireline log and seismic profiles. Participants will be able carry out field analysis of a wide variety of carbonate and clastic systems and use data to determine patterns of relative sea level change and correlate between successions.

Course themes:

1. Middle Carboniferous continental and shallow marine successions denote the onset of major rifting forming north-south orientated rift-basins across Central Svalbard. The post-rift transition into the Permian is characterised by a variety of shallow marine carbonates. Such carbonates may have reservoir potential.

2. Triassic sequences are dominantly of shallow marine and shelfal origin and notably preserve shales with high organic content (Botnheia Formation) that may prove to be a prolific source rock in the Barents Sea. Major uplift in the Late Triassic led to incision and continental-shallow marine deposition extending into the Early Jurassic. Reservoir units in the Tromsø and Hammerfest Basins of the SW Barents region are are of similar paralic to shallow marine origin (Havert, Klappmyss, Kobbe, Snadd, Fruholmen, Tubåen, Nordmela and Stø Formations).

3. Middle-Jurassic to Early Cretaceous deposits were formed in response to marine transgression across Svalbard with further deposition of high TOC shales as well as a variety of shallow marine and deltaic units. Petroleum systems related to the Late Jurassic (Hekkingen) source rock are considered dominant in the SW Barents Sea. Uplift in the Early Cretaceous is marked by a regional unconformity with fluvial deposits overlying shelfal mudstones. Adventdalen Group successions are considered analogous to Brent Group units in the North Sea.

Approximate Itinerary (dependent on weather, sea conditions and polar bears):

Arrival into Longyearbyen based on flight availability.

Day 1: Ship departure

• Transfer to ship for afternoon departure.

Days 2-6:

• Localities in Van Keulenfjorden, Van Mijenfjorden, and the inner Isfjorden area.
• Return to Longyearbyen harbour on the evening of day 6.
• Overnight onboard.

Day 7: Departure and return home

The course is designed not only for exploration and development geologists working the Barents Sea and Arctic regions, but is also relevant to all subsurface geoscientists who wish to broaden and deepen their knowledge of carbonate and clastic plays. Tuition will provide a broad working knowledge of these systems for graduate and inexperienced staff, while providing further insights to experienced workers.