Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008
Chapter J of The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Professional Paper 1824
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Fishing boat in the Ilulissat Icefjord, Disko Bay, West Greenland, which is about 250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. The fjord is notable for its prolific iceberg production; the fast-moving tidal glacier Sermeq Kujalleq (also called Jakobshavn Isbrae) is a major outlet of the Greenland ice sheet. Photo by Flemming G. Christiansen, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland- East Canada Province, 2008
By Christopher J. Schenk
Chapter J of The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal Edited by T.E. Moore and D.L. Gautier
Professional Paper 1824
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey William H. Werkheiser, Acting Director
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2017
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Suggested citation: Schenk, C.J., 2017, Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008, chap. J of Moore, T.E., and Gautier, D.L., eds., The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1824, 31 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1824J.
ISSN 2330-7102 (online) iii
The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Chapters
A. Introduction to the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) Professional Paper By Donald L. Gautier and Thomas E. Moore
B. Methodology for Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources for the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal By Ronald R. Charpentier
North America
C. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Chukchi Borderland Province, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird and David W. Houseknecht
D. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Hope Basin Province, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird, David W. Houseknecht, and Janet K. Pitman
E. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Arctic Alaska Petroleum Province, 2008 By David W. Houseknecht, Kenneth J. Bird, and Christopher P. Garrity
F. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Yukon Flats Basin Province, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird and Richard G. Stanley
G. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Northwest Canada Interior Basins Province, Arctic Canada, 2008 By Marilyn E. Tennyson and Janet K. Pitman
H. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Franklinian Shelf Province, Arctic Canada and North Greenland, 2008 By Marilyn E. Tennyson and Janet K. Pitman
I. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Sverdrup Basin Province, Arctic Canada, 2008 By Marilyn E. Tennyson and Janet K. Pitman
Greenland
J. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland- East Canada Province, 2008 By Christopher J. Schenk iv
K. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Greenland Rift Basins Province, 2008 By Donald L. Gautier
North Atlantic Ocean
L. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Jan Mayen Microcontinent Province, 2008 By Thomas E. Moore and Janet K. Pitman
Eurasia
M. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Mezen’ Basin Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
N. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Timan-Pechora Basin Province, Russia, 2008 By Christopher J. Schenk
O. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Barents Basins Province and the Novaya Zemlya Basins and Admiralty Arch Province By Timothy R. Klett
P. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the North Kara Basins and Platforms Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
Q. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Northern West Siberian Mesozoic Composite Total Petroleum System of the West Siberian Basin Province, Russia, 2008 By Christopher J. Schenk
R. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Yenisey-Khatanga Basin Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
S. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Northwest Laptev Sea Shelf Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
T. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Lena-Anabar Basin Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman v
U. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Tunguska Basin Province, 2008 By Christopher J. Wandrey and Timothy R. Klett
V. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Lena-Vilyui Basin Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
W. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Laptev Sea Shelf Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
X. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Zyryanka Basin Province, 2008 By Timothy R. Klett and Janet K. Pitman
Y. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the East Siberian Sea Basin Province, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird, David W. Houseknecht, and Janet K. Pitman
Z. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Vilkitskii Basin Province, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird, David W. Houseknecht, and Janet K. Pitman
AA. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Long Strait Province, Russian High Arctic, 2008 By Kenneth J. Bird, David W. Houseknecht, and Janet K. Pitman
Arctic Ocean
BB. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Amerasia Basin Petroleum Province, 2008 By David W. Houseknecht, Kenneth J. Bird, and Christopher P. Garrity
CC. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Lomonosov- Makarov Province, Central Arctic Ocean, 2008 By Thomas E. Moore, Kenneth J. Bird, and Janet K. Pitman
DD. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the Eurasia Basin Province, Eastern Arctic Ocean, 2008 By Thomas E. Moore and Janet K. Pitman vi
Contents
Abstract...... 1 West Greenland-East Canada Province Description...... 1 Province Boundary Definition...... 1 Tectonic Evolution of the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 1 West Greenland-East Canada Province Stratigraphy...... 6 Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System...... 7 Assessment Unit Definitions...... 8 Eurekan Structures AU Description...... 8 Geologic Model for Assessment...... 9 Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Probability...... 9 Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Undiscovered Fields...... 10 Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data...... 11 Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU Description...... 11 Geologic Model for Assessment...... 11 Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Probability...... 12 Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Undiscovered Fields...... 15 Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data...... 15 Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU Description...... 15 Geologic Model for Assessment...... 16 Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Probability...... 16 Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Undiscovered Fields...... 18 Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data...... 18 Baffin Bay Basin AU Description...... 18 Geologic Model for Assessment...... 19 Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Probability...... 20 Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Undiscovered Fields...... 20 Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data...... 20 Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU Description...... 21 Geologic Model for Assessment...... 21 Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Probability...... 22 Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Undiscovered Fields...... 23 Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data...... 24 Assessment Results...... 24 References...... 27
Appendixes
[Available for download at https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1824J] 1. Input data for Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. 2. Basin evolution chart for the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. 3. Input data for Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. 4. Basin evolution chart for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. 5. Input data for Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. 6. Basin evolution chart for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. vii
7. Input data for Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. 8. Basin evolution chart for the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. 9. Input data for Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit. 10. Basin evolution chart for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit. 11. Detailed assessment results for Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. 12. Detailed assessment results for Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. 13. Detailed assessment results for Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. 14. Detailed assessment results for Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. 15. Detailed assessment results for Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit.
Figures
1. Map showing locations of West Greenland-East Canada Province and its five assessment units...... 2 2. Diagram of the main tectonic events affecting the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 3 3. Schematic maps showing stages in the tectonic evolution of the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 4 4. Regional cross sections of the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 5 5. Stratigraphic column for the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 6 6. Total Petroleum System map for the West Greenland-East Canada Province...... 7 7. Seismic profile serving as a geologic model for assessment of the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit...... 9 8. Burial-history diagram for the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit...... 10 9. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit...... 11 10. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for the assessment of the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 12 11. Burial-history diagram for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 13 12. Burial-history diagram for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 13 13. Modeling of thermal maturation of a series of grabens along the central part of the Northwest Greenland margin...... 14 14. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 15 15. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for the assessment of the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 16 16. Burial-history diagrams for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 17 17. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit...... 18 18. Seismic section and related data used as geologic model for the assessment of the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit...... 19 19. Burial-history diagram for the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit...... 21 20. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit...... 21 21. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for assessment of Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit...... 22 22. Burial-history diagram for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit...... 23 23. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit...... 23 viii
Table
1. Assessment results (conventional undiscovered resources) for the West Greenland- East Canada Province...... 26 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal Edited by T.E. Moore and D.L. Gautier U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1824
Chapter J Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008
By Christopher J. Schenk Abstract The province includes the area of sedimentary rock between the Greenland craton on the east and the Canadian craton The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed on the west. The boundary was drawn to include all areas the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the having potential for undiscovered petroleum resources, as West Greenland-East Canada Province as part of the USGS follows: (1) the north boundary was drawn at the edge of the Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal program. The province lies tectonic zone marked by the mostly onshore fold and thrust in the offshore area between western Greenland and eastern belt of Eurekan age; (2) the southwest boundary was drawn Canada and includes Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Lancaster for this study at the northern edge of the Saglek Basin that Sound, and Nares Strait west of, and including, part of Kane delimits the north boundary of the Labrador continental Basin. A series of major tectonic events led to the formation of margin; (3) the southern boundary was drawn at the northern boundary of transitional crust associated with the Labrador several distinct structural domains that are the geologic basis Sea; and (5) the southeastern boundary was an arbitrary line for defining five assessment units (AU ) in the province, all separating a southwestern Greenland continental margin of which are within the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total from the northwestern Greenland continental margin. As Petroleum System (TPS). Potential petroleum source rocks drawn, portions of the province, Total Petroleum System, and within the TPS include strata of Ordovician, Lower and Upper assessment units extend south of the Arctic Circle (fig. 1). Cretaceous, and Paleogene ages. The five AUs defined for The province boundary was drawn to include the area being this study—the Eurekan Structures AU, Northwest Greenland assessed and has no political significance. Rifted Margin AU, Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU, Baf- fin Bay Basin AU, and the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU— encompass the entire province and were assessed for undis- Tectonic Evolution of the West Greenland-East covered, technically recoverable resources. The estimated Canada Province mean volumes of undiscovered resources for the West Greenland- East Canada Province are 10.7 billion barrels of oil, 75 trillion The tectonic evolution of the West Greenland-East cubic feet of gas, and 1.7 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. Canada Province is complex (fig. 2) and includes multiple For the part of the province that is north of the Arctic Circle, phases of rifting, transpressional and transtensional move- the estimated mean volumes of these undiscovered resources ment along regional transform faults, opening of Baffin Bay are 7.3 billion barrels of oil, 52 trillion cubic feet of natural Basin, counterclockwise movement of Greenland away from gas, and 1.1 billion barrels of natural-gas liquids. eastern Canada as the Labrador Sea and Norwegian Sea opened along spreading ridges (fig. 3), and compression and inversion of extensional structures in the northern part of West Greenland-East Canada Province the province as Greenland rotated into Arctic Canada dur- ing the Eurekan orogeny (Grant, 1982; Reideger and others, Description 1984; Grant and others, 1986; Balkwill, 1987; Rowley and Lottes, 1988; DePaor and others, 1989; Roest and Srivastava, Province Boundary Definition 1989; Chalmers, 1991; Chalmers and others, 1993; Chian and Louden, 1994; Jackson and Reid, 1994; Chian and others, The West Greenland-East Canada Province, as defined 1995; Chalmers and Holt-Laursen, 1995; Arne and others, for this study, encompasses an area of about 940,000 km2 1998; Chalmers and Pulvertaft, 2001; Funck and others, 2006, and includes Davis Strait, Baffin Bay, Lancaster Sound, and 2007; Geoffroy, 2001; Geoffroy and others, 2001; Saalmann Nares Strait west of, and including, most of Kane Basin (fig. 1). and others, 2005; Wilson and others, 2006) . The kinematics of 2 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
110 W 100 W 0 W 80 W 70 W 0 W 0 W 40 W 30 W 20 W Ellesmere Island
KANE 80 BASIN Lancaster Sound B D 70 ES AU
NGRM Study area 7 A Baffin AU Bay Baffin MB GREENLAND Island BB BBB NCRM AU A' Nuussuaq AU peninsula CANADA GUFZ Figure 1. Map showing locations of West AU Disko Island Greenland-East Canada Province and its K five assessment units (AUs; red lines). Province includes Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Davis ARCTIC CIRCLE Cumberland Sound, and Nares Strait west Strait H of and including Kane Basin. Note that three Cumberland NGRM of the AUs extend south of the Arctic Circle Sound AU (yellow lines). ES AU, Eurekan Structures 0 Hudson AU; NGRM AU, Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU; NCRM AU, Northeast Canada Strait SB Rifted Margin AU; BBB AU, Baffin Bay Ungava Basin AU; GUFZ AU, Greater Ungava Fault Bay Zone AU. Black solid lines are locations of regional cross sections shown in figure 3. Labrador Red circles are locations of burial history Sea 0 200 M LES models. D, Devon Basin; MB, Melville Basin Graben; BB, Baffin Bay Basin; K, Kermuit Labrador B' 0 200 K L METERS well; H, Hellefisk well; SB, Saglek Basin. the Greenland and Canada cratons were, according to Harrison rifting in the margin of West Greenland and eastern Canada, and others (1999), strongly influenced by the migration and although such rifting has been suggested (J.C. Olsen, oral impingement of a mantle plume that caused thermal uplift and comm., 2007). Rifting between Greenland and Canada first subsequent plate movements during the Neogene. occurred in the Early Cretaceous (~140 to 130 Ma), based on The area between Greenland and Canada might have synrift sedimentary sequences interpreted from the southern been a zone of crustal weakness in the Precambrian, although West Greenland and Labrador Shelf margins. Rifting was there is no evidence of weakness at present. Paleozoic sedi- apparently related to the extension between Africa and North mentary rocks most likely were deposited across this area America to the south, and may also be related to the Thulean prior to rifting, and have been speculated as forming the deep mantle plume (the ancestral Icelandic plume) that came into sequence observed on seismic sections along the West Green- existence at that time; thermal doming associated with this land margin (Chalmers and others, 1999). The significance of mantle plume may have caused uplift and subsequent rifting a possible Paleozoic section in the province is that Ordovician between West Greenland and eastern Canada. The early Late strata might contain petroleum source rocks and reservoir Cretaceous was characterized by a period of thermal relaxation rocks. and subsidence (sag) and by the deposition of widespread Jurassic rifting is known from the southern Labrador stratigraphic units, including potential Cenomanian-Turonian Shelf in Labrador, such as the rifting event that formed the and Campanian petroleum source rocks. This sag event was Jeanne d’Arc Basin. However, there is no evidence of Jurassic followed by another phase of rifting in the Late Cretaceous Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 3
Age, Baffin West Greenland East Labrador Davis Strait Source Far-field in Ma Bay Canada margins Sea rocks events 0 Basin Magnetic chrons Uplift Neogene 20
13 Cenozoic
19 14 40 20 21 formation NNE Spreading
23 22 Basin Paleogene Transpression
24 Norwegian Greenland Sea opens Paleogene 27 25
0 ENE Spreading
29 28 rocks olcanic Transpression 30 31
80 Rifting Rifting Turonian subsidence
100 Thermal Thermal subsidence Cenomanian Cretaceous Mesozoic Rifting 120 Rifting opens Early Cretaceous South Atlantic
140 (part)
Jurassic 1 0
Figure 2. Diagram of the main tectonic events affecting the West Greenland-East Canada Province. Modified from Saalmann and others (2005). and early Paleogene (Dam and others, 2000; Larsen and tectonic evolution of this province was the result of the timing, Pulvertaft, 2000), then again by thermal subsidence and location, and movement of the Thulean mantle plume that passive margin sedimentation. The first evidence of seafloor caused uplift, extension, and cratonic movement in the Late spreading, in an east-northeast direction, was identified in Cretaceous and Paleogene (Harrison and others, 1999; Funck Paleogene sediments (about magnetic chron 27, ~ 60 Ma) and others, 2007). As Greenland progressively drifted north from the Labrador Sea. Seafloor spreading was followed by and northwest during the Paleogene and collided with northern a change in spreading direction to north-northeast, concomi- Canada, compressional structures formed during the Eurekan tant with the development of the Ungava transform fault and orogeny. The northern part of the province is characterized the development of the postulated oceanic basin that forms by these late compressional structures, which served to invert the floor of Baffin Bay (between magnetic chrons 24 and earlier extensional structures formed during rifting (Jackson 13, ~ 56–33 Ma). There is some indication that much of the and others, 1992). 4 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal 1,000 KIL METERS , late Paleocene- B
Davis Strait
Davis Strait 0 CANADA GREENLAND , Mid-Paleocene; A Bay GREENLAND Baffin Island Baffin Directions of relative plate motion Between North America and Greenland Between North America and Eurasia
Baffin Island BASIN F RELAND BASIN F RELAND Island ictoria Island ictoria Island Banks Island Banks CANADA Bear Lake CANADA Great Middle late Eocene (Duchesnean, Chadronian) chrons before 13 Late Paleocene-early Eocene (Thanetian, Wasatchian) chrons 25, 24 Late Paleocene-early Eocene (Thanetian, Wasatchian) D. B. Axial line of rift zone Oceanic spreading ridge fault zone strike-slip faults Transform dentified limit of compressive deformation E PLANAT ON
Davis Strait CANADA GREENLAND GREENLAND Bay Baffin
Baffin Island , middle late Eocene. From Harrison and others (1999). Baffin Island D Flood basalt, picrite and other igeneous rocks Region of thermal uplift Orogenic belt, area of inversion structures BASIN BASIN F RELAND F RELAND Island , middle Eocene; Island ictoria ictoria C CANADA Island Schematic maps showing stages in the tectonic evolution of the West Greenland-East Canada Province. Schematic maps showing stages in the tectonic evolution of West Banks
CANADA Great Bear Lake Great Bear Lake Great Middle Eocene (Bridgerian, Uintan) chrons 21, 20 Middle Paleocene (latest Danian, Selandian) chrons 27n, 26 Figure 3. early Eocene; C. A. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 5
For this study, the West Greenland-East Canada Province Neogene sediments; and (5) the Ungava transform fault zone was divided into five broadly defined structural domains is characterized by complex structures that were initially related to important tectonic features: (1) the northern part extensional; these structures were subsequently affected by of the province is dominated by Eurekan compressional both transtension and transpression processes as the Ungava structures; (2) the West Greenland and (3) Eastern Canada fault zone evolved into a transform zone (Sorensen, 2006; conjugate margins are dominated by rift-related extensional Skaarup and others, 2006). These broadly defined structural structures and sag-related and passive margin sediments domains form the basis for the five assessment units defined in (fig. 4); (4) the central, deeper part of Baffin Bay represents this study. The geologic evolution of these structural domains another structural domain that may or may not reflect oceanic is postulated to have a direct bearing upon the potential for crust or extremely thin continental crust (A. Shah, written generation, migration, trapping, and preservation of petroleum commun., 2008) overlain by 8–14 km of Paleogene and in this province.
A A Baffin Bay structure cross section A' WEST EAST 660 km 4 Baffin Island Greenland Line of section approx. lat. 72 N. 2 2 Baffin Bay
Sea level C2 C3 C4 B1c5 C8 C9 0 0
2 2.00 2.70 2.30 2.20 1.95 2.00 2.81 2.48 3.24 2 2.38 2.37 2.65
4 Continental crust Continental crust Miles 3.18 2.95 2.64 3.16
Kilometers 3.03 3.95 3.03 3.43 6 5.95 3.89 4.20 6.50 5.19 4 6.22 6.64 5.72 6.81 8 6.93 10 ceanic crust 6
B' S UT EAST B 5 B Baffin Bay to Labrador Sea structure cross section RT WEST 5 660 km
C6 Sea level C7 C1 B1 30 C10 35 32 7 8 D1 9 15 6 5 0 0 2.20 2.3 2.10 2.25 2.10 3.08 1.95 2.30 4.78 2.20 4.19 2.38 3.26 2.65 2.29 3.11 2.54 2.76 2.10 2.70 3.43 2.33 Miles 4.16 3.47 3.50 3.52 5 3.03 6.00 2.77 2.55 4.81 3.89 5.37 6.19 Kilometers 4.20 6.20 3.70 6.50 5.72 6.37 9.25 5 6.88 6.54 7.88 8.05 10 6.93 ceanic crust 7.68 Continental crust 7.50 Mantle 15 10 Figure 4. Regional cross sections of the West Greenland-East Canada Province. Numbers within cross sections represent seismic velocities, in kilometers per second. Lines of section shown in figure 1. From Menzies (1982). 6 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
West Greenland-East Canada potential source rocks in these settings, although they have not Province Stratigraphy yet been sampled by drilling. Following rifting, thermal relaxation in the Late Cretaceous The Cretaceous through Neogene stratigraphy reflects the led to the sag phase, with deposition more constant and tectonic evolution of the West Greenland-East Canada Prov- widespread across the conjugate rifted margin. The sequences ince (fig. 5). Rifting in the Early Cretaceous is reflected in the developed during the sag phase include the Markland Forma- lower part of the sedimentary section in which the Kitsissut and tion on the Canada margin and the Kangeq sequence on the Appat sequences on the West Greenland margin and the Bjarni West Greenland margin (fig. 5). Included in these sequences sequences on the southeastern part of the Canada margin are the postulated Cenomanian-Turonian and Campanian reflect clastic deposition in grabens and half grabens developed petroleum source rocks that are considered to be the most when Greenland separated from Canada. Facies of this rift likely potential source rocks in this province. Coarse-grained sequence most likely include alluvial fan, fluvial, fan-delta, clastics in the sag phase include marginal marine sandstones deltaic, and shallow lacustrine sandstones and mudstones. that have been drilled and sampled on the West Greenland Lacustrine mudstones such as those postulated on the Canada margin, the so-called Fylla sandstones (Dalhoff and others, margin and coeval strata on the West Greenland margin are 2003). These marginal marine sandstones have excellent
West Greenland Labrador Shelf, stratigraphic model
Geochronologic Labrador Shelf Southern West Greenland Shelf Age, scale Formation Formation se uence Unconformities Ma Pleistocene Shelf Basin RT S UT Pliocene Plio Pleistocene succ. 5 Saglek Fm., upper Upper Miocene Saglek Fm., Manitsoq Fm. Miocene Neogene lower Base of 24 Mokami Fm., upper Neogene ligocene Mokami Fm., lower 34 Cenozoic Leif Mbr. Kangamiut Fm. Eocene Middle Kenamu Fm. Palaeogene Eocene 55 Gudrid Mbr. Paleocene Cartwright Fm. 65 Gudrid Mbr. Lower Maastrichtian Cretaceous 71 Freydis Markland Fm. Mbr. Campanian Kangeg sequence
84 Upper Santonian Fylla sand 86 Coniacian 89 Freydis Markland Fm. Turonian Mbr. 94 Cenomanian Middle 99 Cretaceous
Albian Upper Bjarni Fm. Cretaceous Appat sequence 112 E PLANAT ON Lower Aptian Hiatus Base of Bjarni Fm. Kitsissut Appat 121 Alexis Mudstone sequence Lower Sills dykes Barremian Fm. Basalt 127 Hauterivian Petroleum source rock 132 alanginian Marine sandstone Basalts 137 Berriasian Fluvial or lacustrine deposits 142 Palaeozoic PC Palaeozoic Precambrian Mesozoic Palaeozoic Precambrian
Figure 5. Stratigraphic column for the West Greenland-East Canada Province. Modified from Sorensen (2006). Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 7 reservoir properties. Deep-marine slope and fan sandstones, uplift that has been documented from many onshore locations depositionally downdip from the Fylla sandstones, are pos- around the Arctic and North Atlantic (Japsen and Chalmers, tulated to be potential reservoirs on the margins (Dam and 2000; Japsen and others, 2005). Sonderholm, 1994). The Campanian-Maastrichtian sequence is largely fine- grained, and might contain potential petroleum source rocks, Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total as well as potential reservoir rocks represented by marginal Petroleum System marine sandstones to deep marine slope and fan sandstones. Paleogene strata are largely fine-grained, but include several A petroleum system is defined by the extent of migration slope and fan sandstones that also might form petroleum res- of all petroleum from a pod or pods of thermally mature petro- ervoirs (Dam, 2002). Mudstones of the Campanian apparently leum source rock. With seven wells drilled in the 940,000-km2 constitute one of the most extensive seal-rock units in the area of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, the defini- province. The Paleocene was a time of widespread volcanic tion of petroleum systems in this province is based on limited activity in the central part of the province, when several kilo- information (fig. 6). Several possible petroleum source rocks meters of plume-related volcanic rocks were extruded region- have been suggested or interpreted from geochemical data and ally. The Neogene was a time of widespread clastic input geological arguments in the province, including Paleogene, along passive margins of the province, indicative of Neogene Lower and Upper Cretaceous, and Ordovician rocks.
Arc tic C ircle
Figure 6. Total Petroleum System map for the West Greenland-East Canada Province. After Bojesen-Koefoed and others (1999). 8 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Oil seeps described from onshore west Greenland and the possibility that several source rocks could have supplied offshore eastern Canada provide excellent evidence that, petroleum to reservoirs and traps in this province, a Mesozoic- at least in those areas, a petroleum system is or was active Cenozoic composite Total Petroleum System was defined to (Christiansen and Pulvertaft, 1994; Christiansen and others, encompass the possibility that all or some of these sources 1996; Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 1998). An oil seep off- have reached thermal maturity and contributed petroleum to shore of Scott Inlet in northeastern Canadian waters (Balkwill reservoirs in the five assessment units, described below. and others, 1990) has been inferred to most likely have an Upper Cretaceous marine shale source (Fowler and others, 2005), similar to the Upper Cretaceous shales of the Kanguk Formation that are exposed on Ellesmere Island. Assessment Unit Definitions Oil seeps and oil-stained rocks that are widely distrib- uted in Albian to Paleogene rocks on Nuussuaq peninsula The assessment units defined for this study closely follow and Disko Island of West Greenland have been subjected to the structural domains outlined in the discussion of the tec- intensive geochemical analysis, and five oil types have been tonic evolution of the West Greenland-East Canada Province defined across this area (Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 1998, (fig. 1). The structural evolution of these areas largely affected 1999, 2004, 2007; Pedersen and others, 2006). The first oil, the size, number, and timing of formation of potential petro- called the Marraat oil, is considered to be the best character- leum traps and petroleum generation and migration. The ized of the five oils, and is typical high wax oil sourced from a Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit was defined to encom- deltaic mudstone with high terrigenous organic matter content. pass all structures in the northern part of the province that Extracts from thermally immature Paleocene mudstones from were affected by Paleogene compression and inversion as Nuussuaq are considered correlative with the oil from the oil seeps. The second oil, the Kuugannguaq oil, is found on Disko Greenland rotated counterclockwise and progressively col- Island, and is a high wax oil with a source interpreted to be lided with Canada. The Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin high in terrigenous organic matter content. Biomarkers show Assessment Unit includes all extensional structures developed that the oil was sourced by rocks no younger than Santonian, along the West Greenland continental margin during Creta- and the oil was interpreted to be sourced by deeply buried ceous and early Paleogene rifting. Likewise, the Northeastern coals and carbonaceous mudstones of the Albian-Cenomanian Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit was defined to include Atane Formation that have been intensively studied in outcrop extensional structures of the same age along the conjugate (Pedersen and others, 2006). The third oil recognized in the margin of northeastern Canada. The Baffin Bay Basin AU seeps, the Itilli oil, is low wax oil, typical of oil from a marine includes potential reservoirs within the thick sedimentary mudstone. No source rocks of this type are known from the section developed on Baffin Bay Basin crust during the late outcrops, but the inference was made that the marine source Paleogene and Neogene. The Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU rock might have been shale similar to the Cenomanian- encompasses structural traps developed within the Ungava Turonian Kanguk Formation such as those exposed on Ellesmere transform fault zone. The definition of AU boundaries was Island (Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 1998). The remaining based partly on a series of gravity and magnetic maps (P. Brown, two oils were interpreted to have local sources. Mixing of written comm., 2008). these several oils was also inferred from analyses of the seeps. Other potential source rocks from the province have been postulated. Synrift lacustrine and (or) marine petroleum source Eurekan Structures AU Description rocks may have been deposited in Early Cretaceous grabens and may have reached thermal maturity and sourced reservoirs The Eurekan Structures AU (ES AU, fig. 1) encompasses in the synrift section. Currently, however, there is no evidence all reservoirs in traps in the northern Baffin Bay area that of Early Cretaceous source rocks in this province because of might have been affected by Eurekan compressional deforma- a lack of drilling. It has also been speculated that rifting may tion. Most structures in the AU began as extensional structures have begun in this province as early as the Jurassic, and, if so, in the Cretaceous and possibly were affected by strike-slip petroleum source rocks of that age could be present in these deformation associated with southwest splays of the Nares extensional structures. Further, there is the possibility that Fault System in the Paleogene. Finally, these structures were Ordovician organic-bearing shales might have been a source affected by compression associated with the Eurekan orogeny for petroleum in this province based on a reported dredge sample of a potential Ordovician source rock from the south- (Jackson and others, 1992) in the Eocene, as Greenland rotated eastern part of the province (GEUS, Geological Survey of counterclockwise and collided with Canada. The northern and Denmark and Greenland, oral commun., 2007), and a sample southern limits of the AU are broadly defined as the limit of from an outcrop in southwest Greenland (fig. 6). Eurekan compression. Total area of the Eurekan Structures There are sufficient indications, geologically, that the AU is about 146,000 km2, and includes most of Kane Basin, principal elements of a petroleum system do exist, given the Kap York Basin, Glacier Basin, North Water Basin, Lady Ann oil seeps on the margin of West Greenland. To encompass Basin, Lancaster Sound Basin, and others (Harrison, 2005). Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 9
Geologic Model for Assessment excellent evidence of petroleum generation from organic- bearing rocks, and the seeps include what are interpreted to be The geologic model for assessment of the Eurekan Cretaceous and Paleogene oils (Bojesen-Koefoed and others, Structures AU largely involves Early Cretaceous and Late 1999). At present there are no oil and gas discoveries or wells Cretaceous to Paleogene grabens and half-grabens filled with a with shows in the Eurekan Structures AU. Outcrops of Upper typical synrift facies, including potential source and reservoir Cretaceous rocks nearest to this AU that are interpreted as rocks (fig. 7). Upper Cretaceous sag strata may include source potential source rocks are on Ellesmere Island (fig. 4; Bojesen- rocks of Cenomanian-Turonian and Campanian ages. Model- Koefoed and others, 1998), and we assume that those rocks ing indicates that, with burial during the passive margin phase, extended across this margin. The charge probability was esti- maturation probably commenced in early Paleogene time, fol- mated to be 0.5 for a field of minimum size (50 million barrels lowed by migration into reservoirs within structures and into of oil equivalent, MMBOE) to be present within the AU. This stratigraphic reservoirs, including slope and fan reservoirs. value for charge probability was calibrated with the charge Eurekan compression in the late Paleogene resulted in the probabilities of all AUs defined within the Circum-Arctic inversion of some of the earlier extensional structures, possibly Resource Appraisal Program. causing the loss of some petroleum from previous accumula- Rocks Probability.—Structural traps have been described tions (Lowell, 1995; MacGregor, 1995). Modeling also indi- from the Eurekan Structures AU (Brent and others, 2006), and cates that, in addition to oil, gas generation is possible within there is reason to believe that adequate reservoir rocks and the deeper extensional structures if source rocks are present. seals are present within these structures based on limited drill- Assessment of geologic risk is necessarily based on the pres- ing along the West Greenland margin south of this AU. The ence of adequate petroleum source rocks and on petroleum being probability of adequate reservoirs rocks, traps, and seals for preserved in structural traps following inversion. the presence of a minimum field size (50 MMBOE) in this AU was estimated at 1.0. Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Timing and Preservation Probability.—Burial history Probability modeling indicates that generation from potential Cretaceous source rocks possibly began in the Paleogene, and generation Charge Probability.—Several petroleum source rocks are might continue today in some of the deeper grabens within hypothesized to be present in the West Greenland-East Canada the Eurekan Structures AU (fig. 8). Source rocks in deeper Province (Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 1999, 2004, 2007). grabens might have generated earlier than indicated by the Postulated source rocks include organic-bearing Ordovician model. The main geologic risk in this AU is to what degree mudstones (Macauley and others, 1990), Lower Cretaceous the compressive phase of deformation related to the Eurekan synrift mudstones, Upper Cretaceous marine mudstones, and orogeny in the Paleogene affected petroleum that might have Paleogene mudstones and possibly coals. Oil seeps in West resided in structures in this AU. Compression may have Greenland, on Nuussuaq peninsula and Disko Island, provide resulted in the inversion of preexisting extensional structures,
S UT WEST Sea level RT EAST 0
1 MT BT MT 2 BT MK Basement 3 M L
Time, in seconds Time, 4
5
0 2 4 M LES
6 0 2 K L METERS
Figure 7. Seismic profile serving as a geologic model for assessment of the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit (ES AU in fig. 1). LK, Lower Cretaceous unconformity; MK, Middle Cretaceous unconformity; BT, base Cenozoic unconformity; MT, middle Cenozoic unconformity. From Rice and Shade (1982). 10 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal thereby possibly causing re-migration of oil and gas updip Numbers of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—The from traps formed earlier. Published reports (for example, median density of oil and gas fields from theStructural MacGregor, 1995) suggest that structural inversion could Setting-Compressional Analog Set is 0.24 fields/1,000 km2. have a detrimental effect on trapped petroleum. Given this Given that field density and the total Eurekan Structures AU 2 possibility—although some traps could have remained intact area of 146,000 km , the median number of undiscovered oil and unaffected—the timing and preservation probability that a and gas fields greater than minimum size is estimated to be field of minimum size is present within the AU was estimated 35. The maximum number of undiscovered oil and gas fields was calculated using a field density of 1.0 fields/1,000 2km , at 0.5. resulting in a maximum number of fields of 150. Using these The geologic probability of the presence of a field of values, the probability distribution of the number of undiscov- minimum size in the Eurekan Structures AU is the product of ered oil and gas fields greater than 50 MMBOE in this AU is the three geologic probabilities discussed above, for an overall a minimum of 1, a median of 35, and a maximum of 150. The geologic probability of 0.25. This suggests that there is a oil/gas mix of undiscovered fields is uncertain owing to a lack 25 percent chance for the proper geologic conditions to form of data. Limited burial history modeling indicates that oil and at least one oil or gas field of minimum size (50 MMBOE gas probably would be generated from the deeper grabens and recoverable) in this AU. The assessment input data for this AU extensional structures. The median oil/gas mix was estimated is summarized in appendix 1, and the basin evolution chart is to be 50 percent, and the estimated range is from 10 percent at in appendix 2. The events chart summarizing the elements of the minimum to 90 percent at the maximum. Given this distri- the petroleum system is shown in figure 9. bution, the number of undiscovered oil fields was calculated to be 1 at the minimum, 16 at the median, and 135 at the maxi- mum. The same distribution was calculated for undiscovered Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of gas fields. Consideration was made for prospects described Undiscovered Fields from this AU (Brent and others, 2006). Sizes of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—The devel- The Structural Setting-Compressional Analog Set of the opment of the probability distribution for undiscovered oil U. S. Geological Survey analog database (Charpentier and and gas field sizes was estimated using theStructural Setting- others, 2008) was used as the primary geologic analog set as a Compressional Analog Set. The median oil field size in the guide to the estimation of numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil Structural Setting-Compressional Analog Set was about and gas fields within the Eurekan Structures AU. TheWorld 120 million barrels of oil (MMBO); accordingly, this size was Averages Analog Set was used as a guide for the estimation of adopted as the median size of undiscovered oil fields in the coproduct ratios and ancillary data (see appendix 2). Eurekan Structures AU. The largest expected oil field size is
Age, in millions of years ago 100 0 MES Z IC CEN Z IC Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene 0 Recent
1,000 Tertiary
2,000 Figure 8. Burial- history diagram for the Eurekan Upper
Structures Burial depth, in meters Cretaceous Assessment Unit 3,000 (ES AU in fig. 1), based on seismic section from Smith il and others (1989). Location of model is 4,000 Lower in Devon Basin, at Cretaceous point D in figure 1. 4,462 Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 11
West Greenland-East Canada Province Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit
250 200 150 100 75 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MESOZO C CENOZO C Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene L. M. U. L. M. U. L. U. Paleocene Eocene ligocene Miocene Plio. Source rock Reservoir rock Seal rock verburden rock Trap formation events Maturation migration
Petroleum system Tectonic event Rift-sag Rift-sag Strike-slip Inversion Basin type Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin
Figure 9. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit (ES AU in fig. 1). L., Lower; M., Middle; U., Upper; Plio., Pliocene. estimated to be about 1 billion barrels of oil (BBO) based on Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin the median size of the largest field sizes given in theStructural AU Description Setting-Compressional Analog Set. Adopting this figure for the largest expected oil field size leads to a calculated maximum The Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU (NGRM oil field size (at zero probability of occurrence) of about 5 AU, fig. 1) encompasses all reservoirs in structural and BBO. The probability distribution for undiscovered oil fields stratigraphic traps along the rifted continental margin of is 50 MMBO at the minimum, 120 MMBO at the median and West Greenland that were formed during rifting and post-rift 5 BBO at the maximum. Undiscovered gas field sizes were thermal relaxation and sag. The AU is bounded by basement calculated by multiplying the undiscovered oil field sizes by 6, rocks of the Greenland craton to the east, the boundary of the leading to a minimum of 300 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG), Eurekan Structures AU to the north, the boundary of the Baffin a median of 720 BCFG, and a maximum of 30 trillion cubic Bay Basin AU to the west, and an arbitrary boundary to the feet of gas (TCFG) for undiscovered gas field sizes. south that is an extension of the northern limit of the Labrador Sea and the southwest Greenland margin (fig. 1). The area of the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU is approximately Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data 286,000 km2. The AU is divided into two portions, separated by the northern end of the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU Estimates of coproduct ratios (gas/oil ratio, natural gas (GUFZ AU ). The boundary with the Greater Ungava Fault liquids (NGL)/gas ratio, liquids/gas ratio) and ancillary data Zone AU is not well established, as the extent of strike-slip for the Eurekan Structures AU were made using summaries deformation that extends laterally from the Greater Ungava of these data from the World Averages Analog Set in the Fault Zone is uncertain. world analog database (appendix 1). Using this analog set, the median gas/oil ratio was 1,000 cubic feet of gas per barrel Geologic Model for Assessment of oil (CFG/BO), the median NGL/gas ratio was 25 barrels of natural gas liquids per million cubic feet of gas (BNGL/ The geologic model used for the assessment of the North- MMCFG), and the median liquids/gas ratio was 25 barrels west Greenland Rifted Margin AU includes the formation of of liquids per million cubic feet of gas (BLIQ/MMCFG). extensional structures in the Early Cretaceous and in the Late Drilling depths for undiscovered fields were estimated from Cretaceous-Paleogene as Greenland progressively rifted from eastern Canada (fig. 10). The numerous grabens and half-gra- the available seismic data, and water depths within the AU bens mapped along this margin were filled with synrift facies were estimated from publicly available bathymetric maps of that included potential petroleum source rocks and reservoir northern Baffin Bay. Drilling depths for undiscovered oil fields rocks. Sag-phase reservoirs of the passive margin include mar- ranged from a minimum of 500 m, to a median of 2,000 m, to ginal marine to deep marine slope and fan sandstones of Creta- a maximum of 5,000 m. For undiscovered gas fields, drilling ceous and Paleogene age (Skaarup and others, 2000, 2006; depths ranged from a minimum of 500 m, to a median of Dalhoff and others, 2003; Gregersen and Skaarup, 2007). 2,500 m, to a maximum of 7,000 m. Estimates of water depths Most likely source rocks include Cenomanian-Turonian, for undiscovered oil and gas fields are a minimum of 0 m, a Campanian, and Paleogene organic-bearing strata. Petroleum median of 600 m, and a maximum of 1,000 m. generated from the maturation of source rocks during burial 12 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
WEST EAST 00 MS TWT 10 K L METERS
Aasiaat asin lulissat lulissat igh lulissat Graben Disko Graben igh
Figure 10. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for the assessment of the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit (NGRM AU, fig. 1). From Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), written commun., 2007. by synrift and passive margin sediments might have migrated Other potential reservoirs include nonmarine, deltaic, and shelf into traps in extensional structures and into stratigraphic traps sandstones (Pedersen and Pulvertaft, 1992; Midtgaard, 1996; within the sag section. Because maturation followed trap Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 2001; Pedersen and others, 2006), formation, timing is not a geologic risk in this AU. and Paleogene slope and basin-floor fan sandstones (Dam, 2002; Dam and Sonderholm, 1994, 1998a,b; Dam and others, 2000). A small probability also exists that Paleozoic carbon- Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit ates and Lower Cretaceous sandstones with adequate reservoir Probability properties are preserved in deeper grabens. Seals are present as intraformational mudstones, and also might be formed by Charge Probability.—Several petroleum source rocks are the juxaposition of reservoir sandstones against basement and hypothesized to be present in the West Greenland-East Canada nonreservoir lithologies. Province. Petroleum source rocks might include organic-bearing Timing and Preservation Probability.—Timing is not Ordovician mudstones, Lower Cretaceous synrift mudstones, considered to be a source of geologic risk in the Northwest Middle and Upper Cretaceous marine mudstones, and Paleogene Greenland Rifted Margin AU. Petroleum generated in the mudstones. Oil seeps on Nuussuaq peninsula and Disko Island, deeper, thermally mature grabens could have migrated updip onshore West Greenland, indicate that, at least locally, a petroleum into synrift and postrift reservoirs, with no further tectonic system was or is active. Several oil types are interpreted from deformation affecting the preservation of petroleum in existing these seeps, including Cretaceous oils and a Paleogene oil. Four traps. Timing of petroleum generation is indicated by two burial- wells drilled within the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU history models, one representing the Hellefisk well (fig. 11), were classified as dry holes (Chalmers and Pulvertaft, 1992; Pul- and the other a pseudowell modeled for the deep part of the vertaft, 1997). The probability of the presence of source rocks to Melville Bay graben (fig. 12). The Hellefisk model indicates adequately charge a field of minimum size is estimated at 0.5 for that generation at the well site occurred in latest Cretaceous this AU. This value for charge probability was calibrated against time, but generation would have occurred earlier in the adjacent charge probability for all other AUs defined in the Circum-Arctic grabens, as the well was drilled on structure. The model from Resource Appraisal effort, and reflects the charge risk in AUs Melville Bay graben indicates that generation might have begun defined across the Arctic. earlier, given the thickness of strata in this graben. In addition, Rocks Probability.—Exploratory drilling in the Northwest if the deeper part of the Melville graben contains a Paleozoic Greenland Rifted Margin AU, although limited, has demon- section, it is possible that Ordovician source rocks, if present, strated that Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) sandstones exhibit would have matured even earlier. Modeling by GEUS of several excellent reservoir properties (Preuss and Dalhoff, 2001). grabens in this extensional margin using extensive seismic Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 13 mapping illustrates the heterogeneous maturation of potential that there is a 50 percent chance for the proper geologic condi- source rocks, as the pods of mature source rocks are restricted tions to form at least one oil or gas field of minimum size (50 to the grabens (fig. 13). MMBOE recoverable) in this AU. The assessment input data The geologic probability of the presence of a field of for this AU are summarized in appendix 3, and the basin evo- minimum size in the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU lution chart is shown in appendix 4. The events chart summa- is the product of the three geologic probabilities discussed rizing the petroleum system elements in this AU is presented above, for an overall geologic probability of 0.5. This suggests in figure 14.
Age, in millions of years ago 121 100 0 MES Z IC CEN Z IC Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene 0 Pleistocene
1,000 ligocene- Pliocene Eocene 2,000 Upper Paleocene 3,000
Kangeq Formation 4,000
SR B
Burial depth, in meters il 5,000 Appat- Figure 11. Burial-history Kitsissut Gas diagram for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin 6,000 Assessment Unit (NGRM AU Deep in fig. 1), based on data from sequence Hellefisk well located at point 7,302 H in figure 1.
Age, in millions of years ago 100 0 MES Z IC CEN Z IC Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene 0 Neogene Recent 1,000
2,000 Eocene
3,000
4,000 il 5,000 Figure 12. Burial-history Paleocene diagram for the Northwest 6,000 Greenland Rifted Margin Gas
Burial depth, in meters Assessment Unit (NGRM AU, 7,000 fig. 1), based on seismic data Source rock showing deepest part of 8,000 Melville Bay Graben. Location of the modeled pseudowell is 9,000 Lower Cretaceous at point MB in figure 1. Seismic data from Whittaker and 10,000 10,326 others (1997). 14 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
0 25 50 MILES
0 25 50 KILOMETERS
Figure 13. Modeling of thermal maturation of a series of grabens along the central part of the Northwest Greenland margin. Ro, vitrinite reflectance, in percent (%). From Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, written. commun., 2007.
Greenland Report_Figure 13.ai Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 15
West Greenland-East Canada Province Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System orthwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit
250 200 150 100 75 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MESOZO C CENOZO C Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene L. M. U. L. M. U. L. U. Paleocene Eocene ligocene Miocene Plio. Source rock Reservoir rock Seal rock verburden rock Trap formation events Maturation migration
Petroleum system Tectonic event Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin Basin type Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin Figure 14. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit (NGRM AU in fig. 1). L., Lower; M., Middle; U., Upper; Plio., Pliocene.
Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of that have been mapped on seismic data in this AU and the Undiscovered Fields sizes of potential “mound” prospects within the AU (Dalhoff and others, 2003). Given a “largest expected oil field size” The assessment of the Northwest Greenland Rifted of about 2 BBO, the maximum oil field size at zero probabil- Margin AU utilized the Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set from ity is calculated to be about 10 BBO. Using an equivalence the analog database, because this set of analogs reflects the factor of 6, the corresponding gas field sizes are 300 BCFG sizes and numbers of traps associated with rift-sag systems. at the minimum, 660 BCFG at the median, and 60 TCFG at The Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set was used to estimate the maximum. numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil and gas accumulations. The coproduct ratios and the ancillary data were based on data from the World Averages Analog Set (see appendix 3). Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data Numbers of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.— Coproduct ratios (gas/oil, NGL/oil, liquids/gas) were The distribution of numbers of undiscovered oil and gas estimated from the World Averages Analog Set. Median gas/oil fields is based on the density of oil and gas fields from the ratio for undiscovered fields was estimated to be 650 CFG/ Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set. The median density of BO; median NGL/gas ratio was estimated to be 20 BNGL/ oil and gas fields from theArchitecture-Rift-Sag Analog MMCFG; and median liquids/gas ratio in undiscovered gas 2 Set is 0.21 fields/1,000 km . Combining this figure with the fields was estimated to be 20 BLIQ/MMCFG. Drilling depths 2 Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU area of 286,000 km , for undiscovered fields were estimated from the available seis- the median estimate is 60 undiscovered oil and gas fields. The mic data, and water depths within the AU were estimated from maximum number of undiscovered fields was calculated using publically available bathymetric maps of Baffin Bay. Drilling 2 a density of 0.9 fields/1,000 km , which yields a maximum depths for undiscovered oil fields ranged from a minimum of of 250 undiscovered oil and gas fields. The distribution of 500 m to a median of 2,000 m and to a maximum of 5,000 m. undiscovered fields was 1 at the minimum, 60 at the median, For undiscovered gas fields, drilling depths ranged from a and 250 at the maximum. Modeling indicates that petroleum minimum of 500 m to a median of 2,500 m and to a maximum in this AU comprises more oil than gas (Mathiesen, 2000; of 9,000 m. Estimates of water depths range from a minimum fig. 13), and the mode of the oil/gas mix was estimated at 60, of 0 m to a median of 400 m and to a maximum of 800 m. with a minimum of 10 percent and a maximum of 90 percent reflecting the inherent uncertainties. The distribution of oil/ gas mix was used to estimate 1 oil field at the minimum, 30 Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU Description oil fields at the median, and 225 oil fields at the maximum; and 1 gas field at the minimum, 27 gas fields at the median, The Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU (NCRM AU, and 225 gas fields at the maximum. fig. 1) encompasses all reservoirs within the extensional, rifted Sizes of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.–Sizes of continental margin of northeast Canada. The AU is bounded to undiscovered oil fields were estimated from theArchitecture- the west by the cratonic rocks of Baffin Island, to the north by Rift-Sag Analog Set. Median undiscovered oil field size was the common boundary with the Eurekan Structures AU, to the estimated to be 110 MMBO based on the size distribution in east by the common boundary with the Baffin Bay Basin AU, the analog data. The “largest expected oil field size” was esti- and to the south with the province boundary at the northern mated to be about 2 BBO, given the structures and prospects end of the Labrador Shelf. The area of the Northeast Canada 16 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Rifted Margin AU is about 111,000 km2. The rifted margin of Source rocks might include organic-bearing Ordovician mud- northeast Canada is narrower than the conjugate rifted margin stones, Lower Cretaceous synrift mudstones, Upper Cretaceous of West Greenland (fig. 1). marine mudstones, and Paleogene mudstones. The only evidence for petroleum in the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU is the oil seep offshore from Scott Inlet along Baffin Island (Balkwill and Geologic Model for Assessment others, 1990), which has been interpreted to consist of oil with a The geologic model for the assessment is for petroleum likely Cretaceous marine source (Fowler and others, 2005). The generated from Cretaceous and possibly Paleogene source probability of the presence of adequate source rocks in this AU rocks within the deeper parts of the grabens and half grabens was estimated to be 0.5. This value for charge probability was and from within the sag section to migrate into synrift and calibrated against charge probabilities for all other AUs defined in post-rift reservoirs (fig. 15). Most likely reservoirs are in the the Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal program. Upper Cretaceous post-rift section and Paleogene marginal Rocks Probability.—Using limited drilling results from the marine to slope and fan sandstones, which are thought to be West Greenland margin as an analog, the reservoirs and traps similar to the reservoirs postulated for the Northwest Green- should be adequate for the presence of an oil or gas field of mini- land Rifted Margin AU. Generation is postulated to have mum size in the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU, so the prob- begun in the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene in most grabens, ability is estimated to be 1.0. Given the smaller area of this AU and the petroleum would have migrated into synrift and relative to the West Greenland margin, however, there probably postrift reservoirs. Given the similarity with the margin of are fewer fields and therefore less chance of having larger sizes of West Greenland, the petroleum accumulations in this AU are fields relative to the West Greenland Rifted Margin AU. Outcrops expected to display a slight preference for oil over gas, except on the southeast coast of Baffin Island might indicate the types of reservoir and seal lithologies that could be expected in grabens in in the deeper grabens. This expectation is similar to the oil/gas this AU (Beh, 1974; Burden and Langille, 1990). mix for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU. Timing and Preservation Probability.—The structures related to the extensional events in the Cretaceous and early Paleogene Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit formed before petroleum source rocks reached the thermal Probability windows necessary for generation. There were no subsequent tectonic events that would have been detrimental to preservation of Charge Probability.—Several petroleum source rocks are petroleum. Timing is considered to be favorable in this AU, similar hypothesized in the West Greenland-East Canada Province. to that for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU. Additional
Seconds 1.0
1,000 Lower Miocene
2.0 Middle ligocene
2,000 Upper Eocene Lower Eocene Top volcanics 3.0
Depth, in meters 3,000
4,000
4.0
5,000 Precambrian
0 K L METERS
0 M LES
Figure 15. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for the assessment of the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit (NCRM AU in fig. 1). From Klose and others (1982). Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 17 evidence for this comes from the several gas discoveries reported The geologic probability of the presence of a field of from the Labrador margin immediately south of this AU (Balk- minimum size in the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU is the will and others, 1990). From a burial-history model constructed product of the three geologic probabilities discussed above, for an for the Saglek Basin immediately to the south of this AU (Rolle, overall geologic probability of 0.5. This suggests that there is a 50 1985; Issler and Beaumont, 1987), generation is interpreted have percent chance for the proper geologic conditions to form at least occurred in the Paleogene (fig. 16). The margin of the Baffin Bay one oil or gas field of minimum size (50 MMBOE recoverable) in represented by this AU has a thinner sedimentary section than the this AU. The assessment input data are summarized in appendix northern Labrador margin, but the Saglek Basin might be a partial 5, and the basin evolution chart is in appendix 6. The events chart analog for the petroleum system possible in the Northeast Canada for the petroleum system elements in the Northeast Canada Rifted Rifted Margin AU. Margin AU is shown in figure 17.
HEKJA 0-71 Rift age 113 Ma; β 1.15 δ 1.3 A Rift age 63 Ma; β 1.72 δ 3.0 B 0 0
1 1
2 2 C 2 48 Ma 3 0 C 3 Depth, in kilometers 84 Ma Depth, in kilometers 4 4 7 C 1 0 C 5 5 0 50 100 150 0 40 80 120 160 Age, in millions of years ago Temperature, in degrees Celsius
C RT WEST S UT EAST B Cross-section through HEKJA 0-71 well B' 0
2 40 Ma E PLANAT ON RIFT 1 1.37 β A- reaction zone 4 113 Ma δ 2.0 55 Ma 95 Ma RIFT 1 β 1.15 Significant oil generation zone RIFT 1 β 1.38 113 Ma δ 1.3 Gas condensate 6 113 Ma δ 1.7 RIFT 2 β 1.72 RIFT 2 β 1.36 63 Ma δ 3.0 2.0
Depth, in kilometers 63 Ma δ 8
10 0 20 40 60 80 100 Distance, in kilometers
Figure 16. Burial-history diagrams for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit (NCRM AU in fig. 1). Data are from location SB in figure 1. A, Burial history curve; B, temperature model for burial history curve; C, cross section through Hekja well area. A-I reaction zone refers to the interval from initial generation to peak generation of oil. From Issler and Beaumont (1987). 18 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
West Greenland-East Canada Province Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System orthwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit
250 200 150 100 75 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MESOZO C CENOZO C Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene L. M. U. L. M. U. L. U. Paleocene Eocene ligocene Neogene Plio. Source rock Reservoir rock Seal rock verburden rock Trap formation events Maturation migration
Petroleum system Tectonic event Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin Basin type Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin
Figure 17. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit (NCRM AU in fig. 1). L., Lower; M., Middle; U., Upper; Plio., Pliocene.
Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of is 50 MMBO at the minimum, 110 MMBO at the median, Undiscovered Fields and 5 BBO at the maximum. Given a scale factor of 6, the corresponding undiscovered gas field sizes were 300 BCFG The Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set was used to estimate at the minimum, 660 BCFG at the median, and 30 TCFG at numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil and gas fields. The the maximum. Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set and the World Averages Analog Set were used to estimate co-product ratios and ancillary data. Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data These were the same analog sets used in the assessment of the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU (see appendixes 3, 4). Coproduct ratios were estimated using the coproduct ratios Numbers of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—The within the Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set. Ancillary data median oil and gas field density from theArchitecture-Rift- were derived from the World Averages Analog Set. Median gas/ Sag Analog Set is 0.21 fields/1,000 km2. This field density, oil ratio for undiscovered fields was estimated to be 650 CFG/ combined with the AU area of 111,000 km2, was used to BO; median NGL/gas ratio was estimated to be 20 BNGL/ calculate a median number of 20 undiscovered oil and gas MMCFG; and median liquids/gas ratio in undiscovered gas fields. The maximum number of undiscovered fields was 100, fields was estimated to be 20 BLIQ/MMCFG. These values which reflects a density of 0.9 fields/1,000 2km , the same are similar to those used in the West Greenland Rifted Margin density used for the maximum number of undiscovered oil AU. Estimates of drilling depths for undiscovered fields were and gas fields in the West Greenland Rifted Margin AU. The based on the available seismic data, and water depths within distribution of numbers of undiscovered oil and gas fields is 1 the AU were estimated from publically available bathymetric at the minimum, 20 at the median, and 100 at the maximum. maps of northern Baffin Bay and the northeast Canada margin. The oil/gas mix was interpreted to be the same as that for Drilling depths for undiscovered oil fields ranged from a the conjugate West Greenland margin, and was estimated to minimum of 500 m to a median of 2,000 m and to a maximum be 60 percent at the median, with a range of uncertainty of of 5,000 m. For undiscovered gas fields, drilling depths ranged 10 percent at the minimum to 90 percent at the maximum. from a minimum of 500 m to a median of 2,500 m and to a Using these estimates, the distribution of undiscovered oil maximum of 7,000 m. Estimates of water depth in the AU for fields was calculated to be 1 at the minimum, 11 at the median, undiscovered oil and gas fields ranged from a minimum of 0 m and 90 at the maximum. For undiscovered gas fields, the to a median of 500 m and to a maximum of 1,000 m. minimum was calculated to be 1 field, the median 9 fields, and 90 fields at the maximum. Baffin Bay Basin AU Description Sizes of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—Sizes of undiscovered oil and gas fields were estimated using the The Baffin Bay Basin AU (BBB AU, fig. 1) was defined Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set. The median oil accumulation to encompass all potential oil and gas reservoirs that could be size is estimated at 110 MMBO, as that reflects the median size within the 8 to 14 km–thick wedge of Paleogene and Neogene of the Architecture-Rift-Sag Analog Set. The largest expected strata that occupies Baffin Bay Basin. The crust underlying oil field size was estimated to be about 800–900 MMBO, so Baffin Bay Basin, which formed between magnetic chrons the maximum oil field size at zero probability is estimated 24 and 13, or 58 to 33 Ma (Saalmann and others, 2005), is to be 5 BBO. The distribution of undiscovered oil field sizes variously thought to be oceanic crust formed in a spreading Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 19 center or crust that reflects upwelling of mafic mantle material sections with possible source rocks, and reservoirs in the (Reid and Jackson, 1997) or extremely attenuated continen- lowstand, transgressive, and highstand systems tracts. tal crust. The Baffin Bay Basin AU is bounded on the north Source rocks might include the Azolla horizon of Eocene age by the Eurekan Structures AU, to the east and south by the (Brinkhuis and others, 2006). Given burial by several kilome- Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin and Greater Ungava Fault ters of overburden, petroleum possibly was generated from Zone AUs, and to the west by the Northeastern Canada Rifted late Paleogene or Neogene source rocks, and petroleum may Margin AU. Magnetic and gravity maps greatly aided in defin- have migrated into a wide range of possible reservoirs, includ- ing these boundaries; the Baffin Bay Basin AU area is about ing incised valley systems, shelf-edge deltaic systems, shore- 252,000 km2. line systems, and slope and basin-floor systems (fig. 18). A possible geologic analog might be provided by a similar clas- Geologic Model for Assessment tic sequence offshore Kalimantan, Indonesia (Peters and oth- ers, 2000). Potential structural traps are related to listric faults The geologic model for this AU includes the southward soling on mudstones, rollovers along faults, and stratigraphic progradation of Paleogene and Neogene clastic sediments into traps including slope and basin-floor fan sandstones enclosed Baffin Bay Basin from a mostly northerly orogenic source, in mudstones. Both oil and gas might have been generated forming the thick clastic wedge. Sea level changes dur- from petroleum source rocks within this system possibly from ing deposition resulted in sequence boundaries, condensed condensed sections within several of the sequences.
Relative Site 645 percent Lithologic (A) (B) Age 0 40 80 unit 0 Reflectors Depth (mbsf) L. Pleistocene Seismic to Holocene IA S.F. (R ) unit a 56 100 Early to b 102 L. Pleistocene IB c 1a 3.0 d 166 e 190 200 L. Pliocene f 1 to II g h 333 1b 300 E. Pleistocene i N REC ER R1 388 a b 400 c d Middle 566 Miocene e 640 500 3.5 f to IIIA g late 724 2 600 Pliocene h 798 i 850
700 R2 913 a 1,032 800 b 1,091 Depth, in meters below seafloor Middle IIIB c Miocene 1,174 d 1,221 900 4.0 e 1,280 f Early to travel time, in seconds Two-way g 3 1,000 middle IIIC h Miocene i 1,100 R3 1,565 a b E PLANAT ON c Clay 4.5 4 Silt Sand
WEST Site 645
2.5 EAST 3.0
3.5 R1
4.0 R2
4.5 R3 5.0
Two-way traveltime, in seconds Two-way 5.5
Basement 0 2 M LES
0 2 K L METERS Figure 18. Seismic section and related data used as geologic model for the assessment of the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit (BBB AU in fig. 1). From Arthur and others (1989). E., early; L., late; mbsf, meters below seafloor; R1, R2, and R3 are reflectors used by Arthur and others (1989) in mapping; the lithologic units (IA, IB, and so on) were also defined in the earlier study of this area (Arthur and others, 1989). 20 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of Probability Undiscovered Fields Charge Probability.—The formation of Baffin Bay Basin The Revised Deltas Analog Set (D. Houseknecht, written began in late Paleogene, so the only possible petroleum source commun., 2008) was used to estimate numbers and sizes of rocks possible are late Paleogene or possibly Neogene in age if undiscovered oil and gas fields. This data set included deltaic buried sufficiently for thermal maturation. The organic mate- analogs of the world with the salt-dominated deltas removed rial is postulated to be both terrestrial (type III) and marine algal from the analog set, making the analog more comparable to oil-prone (type II). The only oil with a possible Paleogene source the succession postulated to exist in Baffin Bay Basin. The in the West Greenland-East Canada Province is the Maarrat oil, World Averages Analog Set was used to estimate coproduct interpreted from a seep on Nuussuaq peninsula on the West Green- ratios and ancillary data (see appendix 7). land rifted margin (Bojesen-Koefoed and others, 1999). A similar Numbers of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—Numbers Paleogene or younger source might be present in Baffin Bay of potential undiscovered oil and gas fields were estimated using Basin. The charge probability of the Baffin Bay Basin AU was the Revised Deltas Analog Set. The median density of oil and gas slightly lower (0.4) than the other AUs in the province because of fields in theRevised Deltas Analog Set is 0.15 fields/1,000 km2, the uncertain presence of a limited number of petroleum source and this density was used along with the AU area of 252,000 km2 rocks. This value for charge probability was calibrated against to calculate a median number of 40 undiscovered oil and gas charge probability for all other AUs defined in the Circum-Arctic fields. The maximum number of 140 undiscovered oil and gas Resource Appraisal program. fields was calculated using a density of 0.54 fields/1,000 km2. Rocks Probability.—The geologic model suggests that The probability distribution for undiscovered oil and gas the sedimentary wedge in the Baffin Bay Basin is characterized fields was 1 at the minimum, 40 at the median, and 140 at the by numerous growth faults that create traps, and that base level maximum. Although subject to much uncertainty, the oil/gas mix changes resulted in coarse-grained sediment being transported in this AU is estimated to range from 10 percent at the minimum across the shelves into deep water locations where the strata could to 50 percent at the median and to 90 percent at the maximum. potentially form reservoirs and stratigraphic traps. Seals are largely Using these values, the number of oil fields was calculated to be provided by intraformational mudstones and juxtaposition of 1 at the minimum, 20 at the median, and 125 at the maximum. reservoirs against listric faults, but uncertainty over the adequacy This is the same probability distribution used for undiscovered of such seals constitutes one of the main sources of geologic risk gas fields. in this AU. Reservoir quality is interpreted to be good, however, Sizes of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—Sizes of assuming that the Eurekan orogeny produced quartzose sediment undiscovered oil and gas fields were estimated using the that was deposited in the sedimentary system in Baffin Bay Basin. Revised Deltas Analog Set. The median oil accumulation Timing and Preservation Probability.—The geologic size was estimated to be 120 MMBO, as that size reflected model indicates that timing is favorable in the Baffin Bay the median of the Revised Deltas Analog Set. The “largest Basin AU, as the reservoir rock and traps were in place prior expected oil field size” was estimated to be about 1 BBO to thermal maturation and migration, and the traps have not based on the analog data set, leading to a maximum oil been subjected to deformation that would have disturbed the accumulation size at zero probability of 6 BBO. The fluid-rock system. Petroleum generated during burial and distribution for undiscovered oil and gas fields is 50 MMBO maturation of source rocks would have migrated into traps that at the minimum, 120 MMBO at the median, and 6 BBO at already existed. A simple burial-history model of the clastic the maximum. Given a scale factor of 6, the corresponding sequence in Baffin Bay Basin (fig. 19) indicates that matura- undiscovered gas field sizes were 300 BCFG at the minimum, tion of Paleogene strata would have begun in latest Paleogene 720 BCFG at the median, and 36 TCFG at the maximum. time. The overall geologic probability in this AU is the product Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data of the three geologic probabilities, or 0.28, which suggests there is a 28 percent chance of there being at least one oil or Coproduct ratios were estimated using the coproduct ratio gas accumulation of minimum size (50 MMBOE) in the AU. summaries within the Revised Deltas Analog Set. Ancillary data The assessment input data are summarized in appendix 7, and were derived from the World Averages Analog Set. Median gas/ the basin evolution chart is in appendix 8. The events chart oil ratio for undiscovered fields is estimated at 1,600 CFG/BO; summarizing the petroleum system elements in this AU is median NGL/gas ratio was estimated at 15 BNGL/MMCFG; and shown in figure 20. median liquids/gas ratio in undiscovered gas fields was estimated Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 21
Age, in millions of years old 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 CEN Z IC 0 Paleogene Neogene
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000 Cenozoic
7,000
Burial depth, in meters 8,000
9,000 E PLANAT ON Figure 19. Burial-history diagram 10,000 Oil for the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment 11,000 Gas Unit (BBB AU in fig. 1). Location of 12,000 model is at point BB in figure 1.
West Greenland-East Canada Province Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System affin ay asin Assessment Unit
250 200 150 100 75 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MESOZO C CENOZO C Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene L. M. U. L. M. U. L. U. Paleocene Eocene ligocene Miocene Plio. Source rock Reservoir rock Seal rock Figure 20. Total Petroleum verburden rock System events chart for the Trap formation Baffin Bay Basin Assessment events Maturation migration Unit (BBB AU in fig. 1). L., Lower;
Petroleum system Tectonic event pening of oceanic basin M., Middle; U., Upper; Plio., Basin type Passive margin Pliocene. at 20 BLIQ/MMCFG. Drilling depths for undiscovered fields were rotated counterclockwise into northern Canada. The Ungava estimated from the available seismic data, and water depths within Fault is part of a regional transform fault system that the AU were estimated from publicly available bathymetric maps accommodated continental separation between Greenland of northern Baffin Bay. Drilling depths for undiscovered oil fields and Canada and the formation of Baffin Bay Basin and ranged from a minimum of 500 m to a median of 2,000 m and to a Labrador Sea. The Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU is bounded maximum of 5,000 m. For undiscovered gas fields, drilling depths to the north by the Baffin Bay Basin AU, to the west by the ranged from a minimum of 500 m, a median of 2,500 m, and a Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU, to the east by the West maximum of 9,000 m. Estimates of water depths for undiscovered Greenland Rifted Margin AU, and to the south by the province oil and gas fields range from a minimum of 0 m, a median of boundary (fig. 1). The area of the Greater Ungava Fault Zone 1,500 m, and to a maximum of 2,200 m. AU is about 145,000 km2.
Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU Description Geologic Model for Assessment
The Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit (GUFZ The geologic model used in the assessment involves AU, fig. 1) encompasses all petroleum reservoirs in the petroleum source rocks within the extensional and Ungava Fault Zone, a complex fault zone with a history of transtensional basins that were buried deep enough to reach extension, transtension, and transpression (Sorensen, 2006; thermal maturity and the windows for oil and gas generation Skaarup and others, 2006); deformation occurred as the (fig. 21). Petroleum migrated updip and vertically into synrift Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay Basin opened and Greenland fluvial and deltaic sandstones and post-rift marginal marine 22 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal S.P. No. Ik-1 S UT WEST 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 RT EAST 0
1
Ap Ka Eo Eo 2 Pc Davis Strait High Pc Ap
3 Ka Ikermiut-1 Continental crust Two-way travel time, in seconds Two-way 4 Ap
Ungava Fracture Zone Deep sequence 5
0 10 M LES
0 10 K L METERS Figure 21. Seismic profile serving as geologic model for assessment of Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit (GUFZ AU in fig. 1). From Chalmers (1991). S.P. No., shot point number from seismic survey; Ap, Appat sequence; Ka, Kangeq sequence; Pc, Paleocene sediment; Eo, Eocene sediment. to deep marine slope and fan sandstones. Subsequent strike- Rocks Probability.—The proximity of the Greater Ungava slip movement along the Ungava Fault System might have Fault Zone AU to the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU is remigrated previously reservoired fluids, causing a loss of interpreted to indicate that there is no geologic risk associated with petroleum from some structures. Both oil and gas are predicted the presence of adequate reservoir rocks, traps, and seals. The con- to have been generated within this AU. cept is that the fault zone is characterized by numerous structures that serve as potential traps, and that base level changes resulted in coarse-grained sediment being transported across the shelves into Geological Analysis of Assessment Unit deep water where the strata form reservoirs and stratigraphic traps. Probability Seals are largely provided by intraformational mudstones and juxtaposition of reservoirs against listric faults. Reservoir qual- Charge Probability.—Several petroleum source rocks ity is expected to be good, assuming that quartzose sediment was are hypothesized in the West Greenland-East Canada Prov- deposited in the sedimentary system. ince. Source rocks might include organic-bearing Ordovician Timing and Preservation Probability.—The possibility mudstones, Lower Cretaceous synrift mudstones, Middle and of recurrent movement along the Ungava Fault Zone indi- Upper Cretaceous marine mudstones, and Paleogene mud- cates potential risk with respect to timing and preservation of stones. Oil seeps on Nuussuaq peninsula and Disko Island, petroleum accumulations, as previously reservoired petro- onshore West Greenland, indicate that, at least in those areas, leum might have been remobilized and lost from the system. a petroleum system is or was active. Several oils types are Two wells drilled on structure in this AU were classified as interpreted from these seeps, including Cretaceous oil and dry holes, but they might not have been optimally located on Paleogene oil. Two wells drilled within the Greater Ungava structures to be an adequate test of the presence of petroleum Fault Zone AU are classified as dry holes. Given the uncer- (Chalmers and Pulvertaft, 1992). tainty about the presence of source rock to charge a field of Burial-history modeling indicates that potential source minimum size in this AU, the charge probability was set at 0.5. rocks would have reached adequate thermal maturity for This value for charge probability was calibrated against charge generation in about Late Cretaceous time (fig. 22). As some probabilities for all other AUs defined in the Circum-Arctic fault movement postdated the generation, fluids might have Resource Appraisal program. remigrated from structural traps. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 23
The geologic probability of the presence of a field of Numbers of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—The minimum size in the Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU is the Architecture-Strike-Slip Analog Set was used to estimate product of the three geologic probabilities discussed above, undiscovered oil and gas field sizes. The median oil and for an overall geologic probability of 0.30, which suggests gas field density in theArchitecture-Strike-Slip Analog Set that there is a 30 percent chance for the proper geologic is 0.35 fields/1,000 km2, and, along with the total AU area conditions to form at least one oil or gas field of minimum size (145,000 km2), the median number of undiscovered oil and gas (50 MMBOE recoverable) in this AU. The assessment input data are summarized in appendix 9, and the basin evolution fields in the AU was calculated to be 50. Using a maximum chart is shown in appendix 10. The events chart for the timing oil and gas field density of 1.05 yielded a maximum number of petroleum system elements in this AU is shown in figure 23. of 150 oil and gas fields. The distribution for numbers of undiscovered fields is 1 at the minimum, 35 at the median, and 150 at the maximum. The uncertainty of the oil/gas mix Estimation of Sizes and Numbers of led to the estimation that the median oil/gas mix is 50 percent, Undiscovered Fields with a minimum of 10 percent and a maximum of 90 percent. The Architecture-Strike-Slip Analog Set is used to Using this distribution, the number of oil fields was calculated estimate numbers and sizes of undiscovered oil and gas fields, to be 1 at the minimum, 25 at the median, and 135 at the as well as for the estimation of coproduct ratios. The World maximum. Numbers of undiscovered gas fields have the same Averages Analog Set is used to estimate ancillary data. probability distribution.
100 Age, in millions of years old 0 MES Z IC CEN Z IC Cretaceous Paleogene Neogene 0 Recent
1,000 Miocene Paleogene
2,000 Paleocene
3,000
4,000 Upper
Burial depth, in meters Cretaceous
5,000 E PLANAT ON Oil 6,000 Gas Lower Cretaceous 6,630 Figure 22. Burial-history diagram for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit (GUFZ AU in fig. 1). Data are from Kermuit well located at point K in figure 1.
West Greenland-East Canada Province Mesozoic-Cenozoic Composite Total Petroleum System Greater Ungava Fault one Assessment Unit
250 200 150 100 75 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MESOZO C CENOZO C Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene uaternary L. M. U. L. M. U. L. U. Paleocene Eocene ligocene Miocene Plio. Source rock Reservoir rock Seal rock verburden rock Trap formation events Maturation migration
Petroleum system Tectonic event Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin Basin type Rift-sag Rift-sag Passive margin
Figure 23. Total Petroleum System events chart for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit (GUFZ AU in fig. 1). L., Lower; M., Middle; U., Upper; Plio., Pliocene. 24 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Sizes of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Fields.—The Archi- The Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin AU extends tecture-Strike-Slip Analog Set was used in the estimation of south of the Arctic Circle. For the total area of the AU, the sizes of undiscovered oil and gas fields. The median oil field mean undiscovered oil resource is 4,903 MMBO, with an F95 size in the Architecture-Strike-Slip Analog Set was about of 0 MMBO and an F5 of 19,465 MMBO. The mean volume 100 MMBO; this value was adopted as the median oil field of undiscovered nonassociated gas resource is 27,235 BCFG, size. The largest expected oil field size was estimated to be with an F95 of 0 BCFG and an F5 of 109,082 BCFG. The about 1 BBO, and this leads to a maximum oil field accumu- largest expected oil field size in the AU is about 2,273 MMBO, lation size at zero probability of 5 BBO. Undiscovered gas and the largest expected gas field size is about 13,222 BCFG. accumulation sizes are scaled to the oil field sizes, and thus For only that area of the AU north of the Arctic Circle, the are 300 BCFG at the minimum, 600 BCFG at the median, and mean undiscovered oil resource is 2,746 MMBO, with an F95 of 0 MMBO and an F5 of 10,900 MMBO. The mean volume 30 TCFG at the maximum. of undiscovered nonassociated gas resource is 15,251 BCFG, with an F95 of 0 BCFG and an F5 of 61,086 BCFG. The larg- Coproduct Ratios and Ancillary Data est expected oil field size in the AU is about 2,273 MMBO, and the largest expected gas field size is about 13,222 BCFG. Coproduct ratios were estimated using the Architecture- Detailed assessment results are given in appendix 12. Strike-Slip Analog Set, and the ancillary data were estimated The Northeast Canada Rifted Margin AU extends south using the World Averages Analog Set. Median gas/oil ratio for of the Arctic Circle. For the total area of the AU, the mean undiscovered fields is estimated to be 1700 CFG/BO; median undiscovered oil resource is 1,431 MMBO, with an F95 of NGL/gas ratio was estimated to be 16 BNGL/MMCFG; 0 MMBO and an F5 of 5,847 MMBO. The mean volume of and median liquids/gas ratio in undiscovered gas fields was undiscovered nonassociated gas resource is 7,369 BCFG, with estimated to be 20 BLIQ/MMCFG. Drilling depths for undis- an F95 of 0 BCFG and an F5 of 31,192 BCFG. The largest covered fields were estimated from the available seismic data, expected oil field size in the AU is about 860 MMBO, and and water depths within the AU were estimated from publicly the largest expected gas field size is about 4,759 BCFG. For available bathymetric maps. Drilling depths for undiscovered only that area of the AU north of the Arctic Circle, the mean oil fields ranged from a minimum of 500 m to a median of undiscovered oil resource is 850 MMBO, with an F95 of 2,000 m and to a maximum of 5,000 m. For undiscovered gas 0 MMBO and an F5 of 3,470 MMBO. The mean volume of fields, drilling depths ranged from a minimum of 500 m to a undiscovered nonassociated gas resource is 4,374 BCFG, with median of 2,500 m and to a maximum of 8,000 m. Estimates of an F95 of 0 BCFG and an F5 of 17,577 BCFG. The largest expected oil field size in the AU is about 860 MMBO, and the water depths for undiscovered oil and gas fields ranged from a largest expected gas field size is about 4,759 BCFG. Detailed minimum of 0 m to a median of 500 m and to a maximum of assessment results are given in appendix 13. 800 m. The Baffin Bay Basin AU is entirely north of the Arctic Circle. For the AU, the mean undiscovered oil resource is 1,555 MMBO, with an F95 of 0 MMBO and an F5 of Assessment Results 8,470 MMBO. The mean volume of undiscovered nonassoci- ated gas resource is 9,338 BCFG, with an F95 of 0 BCFG and The assessment results for the five AUs in the West an F5 of 50,598 BCFG. The largest expected oil field size is Greenland-East Canada Province are summarized in table 1. about 1,346 MMBO, and the largest expected gas field size is The upper part of table 1 reflects the assessment of the full about 8,044 BCFG. Detailed assessment results are given in geographic extent of each AU (fig. 1). Three of the AUs in this appendix 14. study extend south of the Arctic Circle, so the resources above The Greater Ungava Fault Zone AU extends south of the Arctic Circle. For the total AU area, the mean undiscovered the Arctic Circle were allocated from the undiscovered oil and oil resource is 1,675 MMBO, with an F95 of 0 MMBO and gas volumes calculated for the entire AU area (lower part of an F5 of 8,514 MMBO. The mean volume of undiscovered table 1). nonassociated gas resource is 9,892 BCFG, with an F95 of The Eurekan Structures AU is entirely north of the Arctic 0 BCFG and an F5 of 50,625 BCFG. The largest expected oil Circle. The mean undiscovered oil resource is 1,133 MMBO, field size in the AU is about 1,193 MMBO, and the largest with an F95 of 0 MMBO and an F5 of 6,626 MMBO. Given expected gas field size is about 7,164 BCFG. For only that the AU probability of 0.25 for the chance of a field of minimum area of the AU north of the Arctic Circle, the mean undiscov- size, there is a 50 percent chance that no oil resources exist ered oil resource is 991 MMBO, with an F95 of 0 MMBO and in this AU (table 1). The mean volume of undiscovered an F5 of 5,037 MMBO. The mean volume of undiscovered nonassociated gas resource is 6,806 BCFG, with an F95 of nonassociated gas resource is 5,852 BCFG, with an F95 of 0 BCFG and an F5 of 39,428 BCFG. The largest expected oil 0 BCFG and an F5 of 29,950 BCFG. The largest expected oil field size is about 1,086 MMBO, and the largest expected gas field size in the AU is about 1,193 MMBO, and the largest field size is about 6, 485 BCFG. Detailed assessment results expected gas field size is about 7,164 BCFG. Detailed assess- are given in appendix 11. ment results are given in Appendix 15. Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 25
The total mean undiscovered oil estimate for the five AUs this province, but also on the geologic probabilities assigned defined in this study are 10,697 MMBO for undiscovered oil, to assessment units during the assessment of all Arctic basins. 74,853 BCFG of undiscovered gas, and 1,655 MMB of undis- In this manner the probabilities were consistently applied covered NGL resources (table 1). throughout the Arctic on this assessment project. The total mean undiscovered oil estimate for the areas of The assessment results presented here reflect the state the AUs that are north of the Arctic Circle are 7,275 MMBO of geologic knowledge of the West Greenland-East Canada for undiscovered oil, 51,816 BCFG of undiscovered gas, and Province at the time of the assessment. Future drilling and 1,152 MMB of undiscovered NGL resources (table 1). evaluation of the petroleum systems within the province will The geologic probabilities for the five AUs in this study greatly add to the geologic knowledge base, and will lead to a were determined based on a consideration of the geology of refinement of these assessment results. 26 The 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal
Table 1. Assessment results (conventional undiscovered resources) for the West Greenland-East Canada Province.
[AU, assessment unit; BCF; billion cubic feet; MMB, million barrels; TPS, total petroleum system. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas fields, all liquids are included under the natural gas liquids (NGL) category. F95, 95-percent probability of at least the amount tabulated, and so on for F50 and F5. Fractiles are additive under the assumption of perfect positive ocrrelation. N/A, not applicable. Numbers do not exactly add to totals because totals were added by statistical aggregation]
Total Oil (MMB) Gas (BCF) NGL (MMB) petroleum AU Largest ex- Field systems and prob- pected oil type assessment ability field size F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean units Assessment results—entire province; Mesozoic-Cenozoic composite total petroleum system Eurekan 0.25 Oil 1,086 0 0 6,626 1,133 0 0 10,490 1,784 0 0 285 48 Structures AU Gas 6,485 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 39,428 6,806 0 0 1,055 181 Northwest 0.5 Oil 2,273 0 464 19,465 4,903 0 280 18,728 4,548 0 6 423 102 Greenland Rifted Margin Gas 13,222 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1,946 109,082 27,235 0 45 2,475 606 AU Northeast 0.5 Oil 860 0 0 5,847 1,431 0 0 5,591 1,325 0 0 128 30 Canada Rifted Margin Gas 4,759 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 31,192 7,369 0 0 704 164 AU Baffin Bay 0.28 Oil 1,346 0 0 8,470 1,555 0 0 16,128 2,934 0 0 244 44 Basin AU Gas 8,054 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 50,598 9,338 0 0 1,126 206 Greater 0.3 Oil 1,193 0 0 8,514 1,675 0 0 18,771 3,622 0 0 329 64 Unavaga Fault Gas 7,164 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 50,625 9,892 0 0 1,073 209 Zone AU Total con- 10,697 74,853 1,655 ventional resources Assessment results—north of Arctic Circle; Mesozoic-Cenozoic composite total petroleum system Eurekan 0.25 Oil 1,086 0 0 6,626 1,133 0 0 10,490 1,784 0 0 285 48 Structures Gas 6,485 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 39,428 6,806 0 0 1,055 181 AU Northwest 0.5 Oil 2,273 0 260 10,900 2,746 0 157 10,488 2,547 0 4 237 57 Greenland Gas 13,222 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1,090 61,086 15,251 0 25 1,386 339 Rifted Margin AU Northeast 0.5 Oil 860 0 0 3,470 850 0 0 3,318 787 0 0 76 18 Canada Gas 4,759 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 17,577 4,374 0 0 418 97 Rifted Margin AU Baffin Bay 0.28 Oil 1,346 0 0 8,470 1,555 0 0 16,128 2,934 0 0 244 44 Basin AU Gas 8,054 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 50,598 9,338 0 0 1,126 206 Greater 0.3 Oil 1,193 0 0 5,037 991 0 0 11,105 2,143 0 0 195 38 Unavaga Gas 7,164 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 29,950 5,852 0 0 635 124 Fault Zone AU Total con- 7,274 51,815 1,153 ventional resources Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008 27
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Appendixes
Appendixes are available online only, and may be accessed at https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1824J.
Appendix 1. Input data for Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. Appendix 2. Basin evolution chart for the Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. Appendix 3. Input data for Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 4. Basin evolution chart for the Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 5. Input data for Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 6. Basin evolution chart for the Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 7. Input data for Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. Appendix 8. Basin evolution chart for the Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. Appendix 9. Input data for Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit. Appendix 10. Basin evolution chart for the Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit. Appendix 11. Detailed assessment results for Eurekan Structures Assessment Unit. Appendix 12. Detailed assessment results for Northwest Greenland Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 13. Detailed assessment results for Northeast Canada Rifted Margin Assessment Unit. Appendix 14. Detailed assessment results for Baffin Bay Basin Assessment Unit. Appendix 15. Detailed assessment results for Greater Ungava Fault Zone Assessment Unit.
Menlo Park and Lafayette Publishing Service Centers, California and Louisiana Manuscript approved for publication July 14, 2017 Edited by Claire Landowski Layout and design by James E. Banton and Cory D. Hurd Bird and Stanley—Geology and Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the West Greenland-East Canada Province, 2008—Professional Paper 1824 ISSN 2330-7102 (online) https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1824J