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.
Erosional valleys at a major Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous unconformity offshore Germany and The Netherlands: potential reservoirs or deteriorated seals?
Correspondence: [email protected]
-
Published:January 01, 2018
-
CiteCitation
Marco Wolf, Annelieke Vis, Annemiek Asschert, 2018. "Erosional valleys at a major Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous unconformity offshore Germany and The Netherlands: potential reservoirs or deteriorated seals?", Mesozoic Resource Potential in the Southern Permian Basin, B. Kilhams, P. A. Kukla, S. Mazur, T. McKie, H. F. Mijnlieff, K. van Ojik
Download citation file:
- Share
Abstract
Joint results of two independent international studies on the erosional impact of the ‘Late Cimmerian Unconformity’ (LCU), a Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous erosional event, are presented. The potential impact on the reservoir and sealing potential of adjacent strata are discussed. Results are based on a seismic mapping campaign in the NE part of the Dutch offshore region and the Central German North Sea sector. The geological evolution of potential traps at the level of the LCU was studied to obtain a better understanding of reservoir potential. Erosion or leaching of the evaporitic Triassic intervals at the LCU caused a locally strong topographical relief with prominent elongated depressions along Permian salt structures (interpreted as erosional valleys). The infill of the erosional valleys may consist of remnants of initial strata as breccia or material from nearby eroded strata, possibly Lower Triassic sandstone or clays. These valleys may be overlain conformably by Upper Jurassic–Early Cretaceous sediments or may be filled with a combination of both. The lithological composition of the infill determines the sealing or the reservoir potential of the valleys, which is essential for further evaluation of the resource exploration possibilities in this locality and across the basin.
- Atlantic Ocean
- bottom features
- Central Europe
- chemically precipitated rocks
- Cretaceous
- erosion
- erosion features
- Europe
- evaporites
- facies
- genesis
- geophysical methods
- geophysical profiles
- geophysical surveys
- Germany
- Jurassic
- Lower Cretaceous
- Mesozoic
- Netherlands
- North Atlantic
- North Sea
- ocean floors
- offshore
- petroleum
- regional
- reservoir rocks
- sealing
- sedimentary rocks
- seismic methods
- seismic profiles
- stratigraphic units
- surveys
- three-dimensional models
- two-dimensional models
- unconformities
- Upper Jurassic
- valleys
- Western Europe