Study details a glance
Biostratigraphy
Review
New
Biostratigraphy
Analyses
Palaeoenvironments
& Facies
14
Wells
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Key points
- The Flemish Pass is a frontier exploration basin with substantial proven oil reserves.
- Technically compatible with our Orphan Basin multiclient study, and the integrated Future Geoscience Southern Flemish Pass Basin study.
- New biostratigraphic analyses (micropalaeontology, nannopalaeontology & palynology) run on >2,000 samples to verify, test, and improve stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations in legacy datasets, with samples kindly provided by the C-NLOPB.
Introduction
The Flemish Pass is a frontier exploration basin with substantial proven oil reserves. It has attracted major investment in Exploration Licenses following significant oil discoveries at Mizzen, Bay du Nord, Harpoon, etc. There are various public domain accounts of the stratigraphy of the Flemish Pass, however, examination of the underlying biostratigraphic framework indicates substantial scope for improvement. There are often several fundamentally different age interpretations for key wells, some possibly influenced by lithostratigraphic assumptions. Following recent commitments there is a need to maximize the information gleaned from limited well penetrations, resolve the many ambiguities, and formulate a more robust stratigraphic framework. Biostratigraphy works extremely well in this area, but its interpretative value has not been maximized. A thorough stratigraphic review that utilizes all biostratigraphic disciplines is overdue. A review of palaeoenvironments is also warranted, with particular scope for improved understanding in the Jurassic. PetroStrat is conducting a multi-client (or non-exclusive) study in Eastern Newfoundland. We aim to produce a consistent and up-to-date sequence chronostratigraphic framework for the entire Grand Banks area. Our study on the Flemish Pass comprises part of a larger supra-regional study covering the entire Grand Banks area.
Project
This study commenced with a compilation of released biostratigraphy data and a review of released biostratigraphy slides, conducting re-analysis where necessary. Following “gap analysis” we will access samples from the C-NLOPB and run >2,000 new analyses (micropalaeontology, nannopalaeontology & palynology, as required) to verify, test, and improve interpretations. We will include fifteen wells, fourteen in the Flemish Pass plus one key well in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin (Voyager J-18) to enable tying the stratigraphic framework into the Jeanne d’Arc region. New analyses will focus between the base Tertiary unconformity and TD. Pre-existing data from the Cenozoic will also be reviewed and updated Cenozoic interpretations presented. Another objective of this project will be characterizing environments of deposition, via detailed integration of quantitative biodata.
Deliverables
• Summary logs and correlation panels incorporate chronostratigraphy, biozones, bioevents, and candidate sequence stratigraphic surfaces (identified via integration of biostratigraphic and log criteria), all calibrated to GTS 2016.
• Accompanying report text discusses degrees of interpretational certainty/uncertainty, explains major revisions relative to earlier interpretations, and outlines the palaeoenvironmental history of each well location.
• All new data will be presented graphically and available digitally as .csv files, StrataBugs .sbg/.dex files, or as an ODM report.
Benefits
The benefits of licensing this study will be:
• Reduced uncertainty, and increased confidence in regional correlations. Reliable data enables confident calibration of seismic, following identification of sequence boundaries based on integration of biostratigraphic and log criteria, and quantification of the magnitude of unconformities.
• Greater understanding of the sediment supply, basin fill, and depositional setting in terms of the evolution of palaeoenvironments, which will influence source/seal/reservoir distribution.
• Fully compatible with PetroStrat’s Orphan Basin non-exclusive study, and forthcoming studies in Southern Newfoundland.
• Exceptional value for money, when compared with proprietary rates.
