Numerical 3D modeling of burial and temperature history, source rock maturity, and hydrocarbon generation in the onshore northeastern Netherlands

Abstract

Numerical 3D basin modeling is used to reconstruct the burial and temperature histories in onshore northeastern Netherlands, incorporating the four main geological structural elements Groningen Platform, Lauwerszee Trough, Friesland Platform, and Lower Saxony Basin. The structural framework is based on recently published open access depth surface data; public temperature and vitrinite reflectance data from 28 wells are used to evaluate burial and temperature histories. Four modeled burial histories and the maturity evolution of the structural elements are presented. The hydrocarbon generation in major source rock intervals in the Carboniferous, Jurassic, and Cretaceous is simulated using recently published kinetic and literature data. Modeling results indicate highest present-day temperatures and maturities of the Paleozoic sedimentary succession in the Lauwerszee Trough and the Lower Saxony Basin, where the deepest burial occurred. Two major phases of deep burial and subsequent uplift occurred in Carboniferous to Permian times and from the Triassic to the Jurassic. Both intervals strongly influenced the maturation and transformation of kerogen from Paleozoic source rocks. The highest modeled maturities of the Mesozoic groups are observed in depressions between salt diapirs in the Lower Saxony Basin. Out of the two major source rock intervals within the Mesozoic, the Cretaceous Wealden Shale generated hydrocarbons from Late Cretaceous times.

Influence of Quaternary glaciations on subsurface temperatures, pore pressures, rock properties and petroleum systems in the onshore northeastern Netherlands

“…The Zechstein Group acts as the main seal for Palaeozoic hydrocarbons, while the Rotliegend Group acts as the reservoir in the 3D model when simulating hydrocarbon accumulations on the Groningen Platform. Recently published bulk kinetics for Westphalian coals from Froidl et al (2020a) and for the Coevorden Formation from Froidl et al (2020b) were used for the petroleum generation of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic source rocks in the area (Amberg et al, 2022).…”

“…The recently published 3D basin model studying the burial and thermal history of the northeastern Netherlands from Carboniferous times on by Amberg et al (2022) was used and extended to incorporate ice loading and unloading during Pleistocene glacial stages (Fig. 3).…”

“…The upper thermal boundary conditions, the paleowater depth and the sediment-water interface temperature (SWIT) were adjusted from the original model for Quaternary times (Amberg et al, 2022). Paleobathymetric data, indicating the submerged amount of an ice sheet below sea level, was taken from Sachse & Littke (2018).…”

“…Rondeel et al, 1996;Duin et al, 2006;Wong et al, 2007;Littke et al, 2008;Doornenbal & Stevenson, 2010;Nelskamp, 2011;Scheck-Wenderoth & Maystrenko, 2013;Strozyk et al, 2017;Kley, 2018). Large-scale 3D basin models studying the geological and thermal history and the petroleum systems in Central Europe have been conducted by Schroot et al (2006), Munoz et al (2007), Uffmann & Littke (2011), Abdul Fattah et al (2012), Verweij et al (2012a), Bruns et al (2013), Bruns et al (2016), Mohnhoff et al (2016), Sachse & Littke (2018), and Amberg et al (2022). Significant hydrocarbon accumulations are the large Schoonebeek oil field and the giant Groningen gas field, both discovered as early as 1943and 1959, respectively (De Jager & Geluk, 2007.…”

“…The recently published 3D basin and petroleum systems model of the northeastern Netherlands (Amberg et al, 2022) was used as the basis for this study. As there is no published 3D basin model with implemented glaciations for the northeastern Netherlands, the 3D model presented in this study integrates the sequential Pleistocene ice sheet advances and retreats leading to mechanical loading and unloading of the underlying sedimentary basin.…”