Ice ages: subsidence, uplift and tilting of traps - the influence on petroleum systems

The proposed project will model the isostatic response of Cenozoic glaciations in the Barents Sea region and northern North Sea to constrain its potential impact on existing petroleum systems. With greatly improved geological boundary conditions, that is (1) more complete knowledge on timing and extent of glaciations through the Plio-Pleistocene, (2) improved understanding and quantification of glacial depositional and erosional processes, and (3) expanded knowledge on the interaction between the Fennosca ndian, the Barents Sea, and Kara Sea ice sheets and their crustal influence through the last glacial cycle, a better understanding of the processes responsible for affecting the petroleum systems can be achieved. Redistribution of sediment mass in the Bar ents Sea and North Sea as a consequence of late Cenozoic glaciations can have a negative effect on reservoir quality. Detailed control on the glacial erosion, sediment deposition and ice load (i.e. the glacial history) is therefore an important but poorly understood factor for identification of the remaining hydrocarbon resources in both regions. With the use of industry 3D seismic data in combination with existing/new borehole information, 2D seismic, and onshore data the proposed research opens a new av enue for better understanding of the history of the marine based parts of these ice sheets. This will provide a new baseline for modeling the isostatic response of Cenozoic glaciations addressing a major issue for the petroleum industry, that is their pot ential impact on the stability of the existing petroleum reservoirs.