Petroleum systems of the Po Basin Province of northern Italy and the northern Adriatic Sea; Porto Garibaldi (biogenic), Meride/Riva di Solto (thermal), and Marnoso Arenacea (thermal)

Abstract

This report was prepared as part of the World Energy Project of the U.S. Geological Survey. In the project, the world was divided into eight regions and 937 geologic provinces. The provinces have been ranked according to the discovered oil and gas volumes within each (Klett and others, 1997). Then, 76 "priority" provinces (exclusive of the U.S. and chosen for their high ranking) and 26 "boutique" provinces (exclusive of the U.S. and chosen for their anticipated petroleum richness or special regional economic importance) were selected for appraisal of oil and gas resources. The petroleum geology of these priority and boutique provinces is described in this series of reports. Asssessment results will be available later. The Po Basin Province ranks 68th in the world, exclusive of the U.S, with respect to ultimate recoverable hydrocarbons. The purpose of this effort is to aid in assessing the quantities of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids that have the potential to be added to reserves within the next 30 years. These volumes either reside in undiscovered fields whose sizes exceed the stated minimumfield-size cutoff value for the assessment unit (variable, but must be at least 1 million barrels of oil equivalent) or occur as reserve growth of fields already discovered. 2 Porto Garibaldi Total Petroleum System (#406001) (Miocene/Pliocene/Pleistocene biogenic gas); Po Basin Province (#4060); Europe (Region 4); Northern Italy and Northern Adriatic Sea (note that for the quantitative resource assessment, this total petroleum system is combined with Marnoso Arenacea); Meride / Riva di Solto Total Petroleum System (#406002) (Triassic thermal oil and gas); Po Basin Province (#4060); Europe (Region 4); Northern Italy and Northern Adriatic Sea; Marnoso Arenacea Total Petroleum System (no number assigned) (Tertiary thermal gas and oil); Po Basin Province (#4060); Europe (Region 4); Northern Italy and Northern Adriatic Sea. Note that for the quantitative resource assessment, this total petroleum system is included with 406001.

Fluid pressure, stress field and propagation style of coalescing thrusts from the analysis of the 20 May 2012 ML 5.9 Emilia earthquake (Northern Apennines, Italy)

“…, 2009), we conclude that a suprahydrostatic regime is required for the Ft reactivation, even if the Pf values are not sufficient to induce hydrofracturing, which requires Pf > σ 3 (Sibson, 1998). On the basis of the available geological data (Lindquist, 1999), the involved fluids could be the gas and brines hosted in the Cretaceous and Miocene terrains below the Po Plain. In addition, the evaporites (e.g.…”

“…, 2011). The anticlines associated to the thrust fronts are sites of active seeps of oil, methane and brine (Lindquist, 1999).…”

Methane-Derived Authigenic Carbonates (MDAC) in northern-central Adriatic Sea: Relationships between reservoir and methane seepages

“…Gas is trapped above the structural highs, where the inherited geometry led to different compaction triggering fluid migration within the Pleistocene succession. The isotopic composition of the gas in the Bonaccia field indicates a biogenic origin (Lindquist, 1999) and leakage from deeper gas sources up to the Plio-Pleistocene is not evident.…”

Combining stress transfer and source directivity: the case of the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

“…This is a strategic area for the Italian economy and a site of intensive petroleum extraction2 and gas storage (http://unmig.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it/unmig/pozzi/completo.asp). For this reasons, understand the physical processes involved in triggering of this seismic sequence, with particular attention on the role of fluids, and try to improve the risk assessment is particularly important in this part of Italy.…”