CR/15/124; Draft 0.1 Last modified: 2016/03/30 17:22 Palaeozoic Petroleum Systems of the Central North Sea/Mid North Sea High Energy and Marine Geoscience Programme Commissioned Report CR/15/124 CR/15/124; Draft 0.1 Last modified: 2016/03/30 17:22 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ENERGY AND MARINE GEOSCIENCE PROGRAMME COMMISSIONED REPORT CR/15/124 Palaeozoic Petroleum Systems of the Central North Sea/Mid North Sea High A A Monaghan & S. Arsenikos, E Callaghan, R Ellen, C Gent, S The National Grid and other Hannis, A Henderson, G Leslie, K Johnson, M Kassyk, T Kearsey, Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database rights A Kim, G Kimbell, M Quinn, W McLean, D Millward, T Pharaoh, 2015. Ordnance Survey Licence M Sankey, N Smith, C Ugana, C Vane, C Vincent, P Williamson No. 100021290 EUL. Keywords Palaeozoic; CNS, petroleum systems. Front cover Core from well 43/17- 2 at 3170 m in sandstone and mudstone of the Millstone Grit Formation. BGS©NERC. All Rights Reserved 2016 Bibliographical reference MONAGHAN A A AND THE PROJECT TEAM. 2015. Palaeozoic Petroleum Systems of the Central North Sea/Mid North Sea High. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/15/124. 105pp. Copyright in materials derived from the British Geological Survey’s work is owned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and/or the authority that commissioned the work. You may not copy or adapt this publication without first obtaining permission. Contact the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Section, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, e-mail [email protected]. You may quote extracts of a reasonable length without prior permission, provided a full acknowledgement is given of the source of the extract. Maps and diagrams in this book use topography based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © NERC 2015. All rights reserved Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2015 CR/15/124; Draft 0.1 Last modified: 2016/03/30 17:22 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The full range of our publications is available from BGS shops at British Geological Survey offices Nottingham, Edinburgh, London and Cardiff (Welsh publications only) see contact details below or shop online at www.geologyshop.com BGS Central Enquiries Desk Tel 0115 936 3143 Fax 0115 936 3276 The London Information Office also maintains a reference collection of BGS publications, including maps, for consultation. email [email protected] We publish an annual catalogue of our maps and other publications; this catalogue is available online or from any of the Environmental Science Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham BGS shops. 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To the fullest extent permitted by law The British Geological Survey shall not be liable for any direct indirect or consequential loss or damage of any nature however caused which may result from reliance upon or use of any information contained in this report. Requests and enquiries should be addressed to Alison Monaghan, 21CXRM Palaeozoic Project Leader, [email protected]. Foreword and acknowledgements This report is a published product of the 21st Century Exploration Road Map (21CXRM) Palaeozoic project. This joint industry-Government-BGS project comprised a regional petroleum systems analysis of the offshore Devonian and Carboniferous sequence in the North Sea and Irish Sea. Project sponsors are thanked for data donations and their involvement at Technical Steering Committee meetings, both of which have contributed to this synthesis. John Collinson, Colin Jones and Peter Dolan are thanked for donation of commercial reports. Seismic companies (CGG, Dolphin, PGS, Spectrum, TGS, Western-Geco/Schlumberger) are thanked for allowing reproduction of selected seismic lines and for agreeing to the release of a set of 5 km resolution grids. Christian Mathieu (OGA), Tiffany Parsons (Centrica), Paul Herrington (MOL UK) and Henry Allen (21CXRM) are thanked for technical review of this report. Contents Foreword and acknowledgements ................................................................................................ i Contents ........................................................................................................................................... i Summary ..................................................................................................................................... viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 2 Overview of Palaeozoic petroleum systems in Quadrants 25–44: stacked heterolithic plays ................................................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Source rock, typing, maturity and migration overview .................................................. 8 2.3 Reservoir overview ....................................................................................................... 17 3 Review of the Permian petroleum system .......................................................................... 20 3.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Fields, shows, discoveries ............................................................................................ 20 3.3 Source rocks ................................................................................................................. 21 3.4 Reservoir rocks ............................................................................................................. 21 3.5 Seal rocks ...................................................................................................................... 23 3.6 Traps ............................................................................................................................. 24 3.7 Maturity, migration and charge .................................................................................... 24 3.8 Risks ............................................................................................................................. 24 4 Review of the Westphalian petroleum system – Southern North Sea gas fields ............ 25 i 4.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 25 4.2 Fields, shows, discoveries ............................................................................................ 26 4.3 Source rocks ................................................................................................................. 26 4.4 Reservoir rocks ............................................................................................................. 26 4.5 Seal rocks ...................................................................................................................... 26 4.6 Traps ............................................................................................................................. 26 4.7 Maturity, migration and charge .................................................................................... 26 4.8 Risks ............................................................................................................................. 27 5 Results: Lower–mid Carboniferous petroleum systems ................................................... 27 5.1 Extent maps and selected depth and isopach maps ...................................................... 30 5.2 Lower–mid Carboniferous clastic and basinal plays on the southern margin of the Mid North Sea High ....................................................................................................................... 38 5.3 North Dogger Basin - Quadrant 29 Basin - West Central Shelf ................................... 54 5.4 Devonian-Carboniferous Mid North Sea High ............................................................. 62 5.5 Auk-Flora Ridge ........................................................................................................... 67 5.6 Forth Approaches ......................................................................................................... 69