North Atlantic Conjugate Margins and Their Implication upon the Jurassic Petroleum Systems of the Porcupine, Jeanne D’Arc and Grand Banks Basins

Matt P. Jameson and Ron Borsato
Petroleum Geo-Services, Weybridge, United Kingdom.

The Irish and Canadian Atlantic Conjugate margins represent an underdeveloped region with proven potential for hydrocarbons. The Porcupine, Grand Banks (East Orphan and Flemish Pass) and Jeanne D’Arc basins share a tectonic history with three key rifting events in the late Triassic-early Jurassic, late Jurassic-early Cretaceous and late Cretaceous (Williams et al., 1999; Enachescu et al., 2005).

This abstract will outline three proven and potential plays in the Porcupine, Grand Banks and Jeanne D’Arc basins. The potential for Tithonian shallow and deep marine stratigraphic / combination plays has been highlighted by well 35/8-2 (Porcupine), DSDP #111 (East Orphan) and I-78 (Flemish Pass). The wells encountered productive submarine fan complexes and deltaic facies comprised of reworked Carboniferous and Jurassic siliciclastics and Jurassic carbonates. Regional interpretation of the Porcupine basin reveals regional and local unconformities with isopach maps revealing a compartmentalized, structurally controlled basin. Seismic data in the North and East Porcupine basin reveals Jurassic channel systems raising the potential of lowstand Jurassic plays (Bateman et al., 1999) similar to the productive Jeanne d’Arc formation fluvial sandstones (Richards et al., 2010).

Potential also exists for Middle - Upper Jurassic carbonates in the conjugate basins. The development of a middle - upper Jurassic carbonate bank was recorded by the Rankin Formation (Jeanne D'Arc), calcareous shales and limestones by well 35/8-2 (Porcupine) and time-equivalent beds of limestone and dolomite in wells G-70 and C-64 (Flemish Pass Basin) (Tucker et al., 1990; Foster et al., 1993). The Abernaki formation of the Scotia margin may present a structural and stratigraphic analogue, with carbonate development restricted to structural highs and interspersed by major deltaic complexes.

The Kimmeridgian is a key source rock interval in the Porcupine (Kimmeridge Clay), Grand Banks (Verill Canyon Equiv.) and Jeanne D’Arc (Egret) basins. The Porcupine and Grand Banks may also host, Oxfordian source rock equivalent to the Jeanne D’Arc Voyager formation, North Sea Heather formation (2-4 wt % TOC) and Lusitanian Cabaços formation (3 wt % TOC).

Similarities can be drawn between the structural evolution and petroleum systems of the Porcupine Basin, Grand Banks and Jeanne D’Arc basins. The influence of rifting in the Jurassic created the basin architecture necessary for the development of localized carbonate buildups, supported anoxic basinal conditions and influenced regional provenance of Jurassic reservoirs. Future conjugate margin research and the application of regional seismic data sets may reveal new hydrocarbon prospects and potential.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90130©2011 3P Arctic, The Polar Petroleum Potential Conference & Exhibition, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 30 August-2 September, 2011.