Exhumed hydrocarbon traps on the North Atlantic margin: Stratigraphy, palaeontology, provenance and bitumen distribution, an integrated approach

Andrews, Steven D.; Decou, Audrey; Braham, Bill; Kelly, Simon R. A.; Robinson, Paula; Morton, Andrew; Marshall, J.; Hyden, Fiona

doi:10.1111/bre.12424

Cited by 9 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…• We do not see field or analytical evidence for the so-called "exhumed hydrocarbon traps" model in North-East Greenland by Andrews et al (2020) based on dark colouration of sandstones. • A more likely model is a short-lived process with rapid generation, expulsion and alteration caused by intrusion of dykes and sills leaving only black coating of iron-oxides and minor particles of pyrobitumen.…”

Section: Highlightsmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Based on the debate in industry ensuing the original work of Price and Whitham (1997), the model is known to be controversial and to warrant validation and documentation. Unfortunately, we do not see acknowledgement of this by Andrews et al (2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Without considering regional and local thermal maturity data (e.g. distance to and thickness of sills, comparison of bitumen reflectance and vitrinite reflectance of mudstones within the so-called traps) it is impossible to consider the data and models presented by Andrews et al (2020) in a modern petroleum systems context. Similarly, porosity and permeability data both from the actual localities and from unaffected areas are critical for evaluating the migration and reservoir model.…”

Section: Models Need To Be Testedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the distribution of pyrobitumen seems irregular and controlled by a combination of several factors that cannot be assessed separately, but which may include distance to sills and dykes, distribution of source rocks, geometry of local hydrothermal systems, and the porosity and permeability of the sandstones at the time of intrusions. We have not tried to reproduce the detailed findings of Price and Whitham (1997) and recently reiterated by Andrews et al (2020) with respect to the distribution of pyrobitumen at the Laplace Bjerg location. However, based on our own fieldwork elsewhere on Traill Ø and Geographical Society Ø, we have not seen any evidence of previous horizontal contacts.…”

Section: More Likely Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Large volumes of thermally altered bitumen in East Greenland have been referred to as "palaeo oil field" in the first record from Laplace Bjerg (Marcussen et al, 1987) and later as large "exhumed hydrocarbon traps" on Traill Ø by Price and Whitham (1997), and similarly in the most recent follow-up study by Andrews et al (2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exhumed hydrocarbon traps in East Greenland: A comment on Andrews et al. (2020)

et al. 2020

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In a recent study, Andrews et al. (2020) describe "exhumed hydrocarbon traps" in NorthEast Greenland. The basic premise for their interpretation is that dark-coloured, pyrobitumen-bearing sandstones represent the remnants of once buried petroleum reservoirs. We do not see the necessary field or analytical evidence to support a model that has strong implications for resource evaluations. Andrews et al. (2020) have not considered previous published information on diagenetic and thermal maturity history of the area. A more probable model would include the intrusion of dykes and sills into a sedimentary succession with immature petroleum source rocks and reservoir-quality sandstones. The heating caused rapid generation of petroleum components and local hydrothermal circulation systems in adjacent porous sandstones. Any petroleum was rapidly destroyed leaving essentially only black grain-coatings and minor particles of pyrobitumen-essentially in one short-lived continuous process. The existence of new plays in the North Atlantic as proposed by Andrews et al. (2020) is in our opinion not substantiated as this requires analytical data from unaltered oils from the less mature parts of the sedimentary succession and considerations of thermal maturity and basin evolution. To draw conclusions that have a serious impact on resource evaluations based on the dark colouration of sandstones without comprehensive analytical data is, in our opinion, ill advised.

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Section: Highlightsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Models Need To Be Testedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: More Likely Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exhumed hydrocarbon traps in East Greenland: A comment on Andrews et al. (2020)

et al. 2020

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Greenland petroleum exploration history: Rise and fall, learnings, and future perspectives

Christiansen¹

2021

Resources Policy

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Middle–Late Triassic evolution of the Jameson Land Basin, East Greenland

Andrews

Morton²,

Decou

2020

Geol. Mag.

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The Jameson Land Basin lies within the Greenland–Norway rift, to the south of Triassic basins on the Halten Bank and East Greenland shelf, and can therefore offer insights into the development of these less-well-documented offshore basins and the wider North Atlantic. This study focuses on the stratigraphic development of the Jameson Land Basin. Broad-scale stratigraphic logging is augmented with heavy mineral analysis that constrains the dominant source catchments during this period. A thickness of over 1.5 km of Middle–Late Triassic strata fill the Jameson Land Basin, predominantly comprising continental deposits laid down during arid to semi-arid climatic conditions. The basal Pingo Dal Group thickens westwards into the Stauning Alper Fault, forming a typical syn-rift succession. Thickness variations have also highlighted the presence of an intrabasinal high and an associated unconformity between the Pingo Dal Group and the overlying Gipsdalen Group, which provides the first direct evidence for Middle–Late Triassic rifting in East Greenland. Thickness variations in the overlying Gipsdalen Group are more subdued, and the Fleming Fjord Group, and its formations, display remarkably tabular geometries, with little evidence for significant lateral facies variance; this is suggestive of reduced topography and a more regional thermal subsidence signature. Provenance data indicate sediment sourcing from both the western and eastern basin margins during the deposition of the Pingo Dal Group, above which the western source area becomes dominant, alongside some axial input from the south.

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Exhumed hydrocarbon traps on the North Atlantic margin: Stratigraphy, palaeontology, provenance and bitumen distribution, an integrated approach

Cited by 9 publications

References 39 publications

Exhumed hydrocarbon traps in East Greenland: A comment on Andrews et al. (2020)

Exhumed hydrocarbon traps in East Greenland: A comment on Andrews et al. (2020)

Greenland petroleum exploration history: Rise and fall, learnings, and future perspectives

Middle–Late Triassic evolution of the Jameson Land Basin, East Greenland

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