Mesozoic Resource Potential in the Southern Permian Basin
CONTAINS OPEN ACCESS
The Southern Permian Basin, as its name suggests, is a historical heartland for hydrocarbon production from the Palaeozoic Rotliegend interval. However, in this mature basin the Mesozoic presents further possibilities to offer resource security to NW Europe. Such opportunities include increasing efficiency in the production of discovered hydrocarbons, exploration for further hydrocarbons (both conventional and unconventional) and efficient exploration for, and production of, geothermal energy. All these potential resources require a grounding in technically sound geoscience, via traditional scientific observation and the application of new technologies, to unlock their value.
The main aim of this volume is to bring together the work of academics and industry workers to consider cross-border geoscience including contributions on Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and adjacent areas. The work presented intends to contribute to the development and discovery of further Mesozoic energy resources across the basin.
Deriving relationships between diapir spacing and salt-layer thickness in the Southern North Sea
Correspondence: [email protected]
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Published:January 01, 2018
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CiteCitation
Karina Hernandez, Neil C. Mitchell, Mads Huuse, 2018. "Deriving relationships between diapir spacing and salt-layer thickness in the Southern North Sea", Mesozoic Resource Potential in the Southern Permian Basin, B. Kilhams, P. A. Kukla, S. Mazur, T. McKie, H. F. Mijnlieff, K. van Ojik
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Abstract
In analytical models of salt diapirism, the initial salt-layer thickness and the post-deformation spacing of salt structures are key parameters. Here, 3D seismic data from The Netherlands offshore has enabled these parameters to be measured over large areas which can then be compared with model predictions. Estimates of the original salt-layer thickness were obtained by spatially filtering present thickness, using filters with varied spatial scales that remove local effects. Loss of evaporite minerals by dissolution or erosion during exposure, cannot be ruled out and, as such, thicknesses are minima. Spacing estimates were derived in two dimensions by locating the minimum separation of lines representing ridgelines of diapirs/walls. Because the length scale of spatial filtering was chosen based on the dependent variable, diapir spacing, the results are non-unique. Nevertheless, choosing an apparently optimal filter length of 50 km, a ratio between diapir spacing and original thickness from 12 to 20 is defined. This ratio is greater than has been reported for the pillow province of the UK North Sea Quadrant 44, which is as expected if pillows evolve into diapirs with progressive halokinetic deformation. This work is key to understanding the evolution of salt displacement, a necessity for unlocking remaining hydrocarbon resources.
- algorithms
- Atlantic Ocean
- Central Graben
- chemically precipitated rocks
- deformation
- diapirism
- diapirs
- displacements
- erosion
- Europe
- evaporites
- faults
- filters
- geophysical methods
- geophysical profiles
- geophysical surveys
- hydrocarbons
- mechanics
- models
- Netherlands
- North Atlantic
- North Sea
- organic compounds
- Paleozoic
- Permian
- petroleum
- prediction
- processes
- regional
- salt
- salt tectonics
- sedimentary rocks
- seismic methods
- seismic profiles
- solution
- spatial distribution
- surveys
- tectonics
- thickness
- three-dimensional models
- Upper Permian
- Western Europe
- Zechstein
- Broad Fourteens Basin
- Terschelling Basin
- Step Graben
- Cleaverbank Platform
- Central Offshore Platform