| Title | Saglek Basin in the Labrador Sea, east coast Canada; stratigraphy, structure and petroleum systems |
| |
| Author | Jauer, C D ;
Oakey, G N; Williams, G; Wielens, J B W H; Haggart, J W |
| Source | Baffin Bay special issue; Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology vol. 62, no. 4, 2014 p. 232-260, https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.62.4.232 |
| Year | 2014 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130113 |
| Publisher | GeoScienceWorld |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Eastern offshore region |
| Area | Saglek Basin; Labrador Sea |
| Lat/Long WENS | -70.0000 -45.0000 67.0000 55.0000 |
| Subjects | stratigraphy; structural geology; fossil fuels; marine geology; tectonics; structural analyses; structural features; structural basins; structural interpretations; tectonic setting; basin analyses;
stratigraphic correlations; seismic interpretations; hydrocarbons; hydrocarbon potential |
| Illustrations | location maps; profiles; plots; stratigraphic columns |
| Program | GEM: Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Baffin Bay Sedimentary Basins - Canadian Arctic Petroleum Systems East (CAPSE) |
| Released | 2015 03 24 |
| Abstract | Saglek Basin is the more northerly of the two major sedimentary basins along the Labrador margin of the Canadian east coast in which exploration drilling was undertaken in the 1970s-early 1980s. Saglek
Basin has an area of over 100,000 km2, and contains a clastic-dominated succession of late Cretaceous to Pleistocene age. Nine wells were drilled in Saglek Basin, with only one significant discovery. The Hekja O-71 well, drilled in the northern half
of the basin just east of Frobisher Bay, flowed natural gas with condensates and has reserves estimated at approximately 6.51 x 1011 m3 (2.3 Tcf).
A new interpretation of seismic and marine Bouguer gravity data shows the very strong influence of
reactivated basement structures on the overlying section. Earthquake activity along the Labrador Sea seismic zone is proposed as a possible cause for episodic venting of thermogenic natural gas through pre-existing fracture networks. This may account
for the observations of persistent oil slick features on the sea surface observed in satellite radar data. The presence of these oil seep indicators in the southern part of the basin implies the existence of a second petroleum system that is more oil
prone.
Source rock analysis indicates that three formations in the post-rift succession of the basin have petroleum source potential. Previous studies have raised the issue of inadequate thermal maturation of these rocks in downgrading the
petroleum potential of the basin. An integrated 4-D basin modelling study, that shows significant natural gas generation, estimated that volumes of 2.83 x 109 m3 (100 Tcf) could occur, along with a minor oil component, in self-sourced petroleum
kitchens in some reservoirs and from sites deeper in the basin. Three separate prospect fairways are interpreted along the western side of the basin. Collectively, these observations suggest the petroleum potential of the Saglek Basin may be
significantly higher than estimated previously. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
The Saglek Basin lies offshore of south-east Baffin Island and north-east Labrador, covering an area of about 100,000 square kilometres. This basin holds
the northernmost petroleum discovery to date in the eastern Canadian Arctic, although there has been no subsequent drilling in the basin since 1982. Our studies show that several large, as yet untested, subsurface features that likely contain
petroleum accumulations exist in at least three parts of the basin. Although large volumes of natural gas with minor amounts of light oil (condensate) have been found locally in the basin, there is good geological evidence to suggest that significant
amounts of oil are also likely to exist. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 292736 |
|
|