Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T03:45:36.373Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of salt tectonics and overburden in the generation of overpressure in the Dutch North Sea area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2014

S. Nelskamp ,
J.M. Verweij  and
N. Witmans
S. Nelskamp*
Affiliation:
TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
J.M. Verweij
Affiliation:
TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
N. Witmans
Affiliation:
TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Princetonlaan 6, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands
*
Email: susanne.nelskamp@tno.nl

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In this paper we study the effects of timing of salt movement and mechanical compaction on the generation of overpressures in Mesozoic rocks. To that end we apply 2D basin modelling on two N-S trending cross sections in the Dutch Central Graben and Terschelling Basin, respectively. Several overpressuring scenarios were calculated by modifying the mechanical compaction of the sealing layer, the rate of sedimentation, and the timing of salt movement. Pressure and porosity measurements from several wells along the cross sections were used as calibration data. The results show that rapid sedimentation and early compaction of Pliocene to Quaternary mudstones explain most of the overpressures in the Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks. The modifications of the mechanical compaction of the Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group performed in this study could not explain the overpressure anomalies in the southern part of the Dutch Central Graben. Processes such as chemical compaction are probably more important in this respect. Overpressures in the Triassic are mainly controlled by the timing of salt movement and the closure of lateral seals. This study has lead to a better understanding of the processes that generate overpressures and those that are involved in their lateral distribution. The integration of modelling scenarios and information on the timing of seal formation enables to define new play concepts and is important for the assessment of possible drilling hazards as well.

Keywords

overpressureTerschelling BasinDutch Central GrabenreservoirsJurassicCretaceousTriassicsalt movementdisequilibrium compaction
Type
Research Article
Information
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences , Volume 91 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 517 - 534
Copyright
Copyright © Stichting Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 2012

References

Athy, L.F., 1930. Density, porosity and compaction of sedimentary rocks. American Association of Petroleum Geophysicists Bulletin 14: 1–24.Google Scholar
Benedictus, T., 2007. Determination of petrophysical properties from well logs of the offshore Terschelling Basin and southern Central North Sea Graben region (NCP-2A) of the Netherlands. TNO report no. 2007-U-R0169/A (Utrecht).Google Scholar
Broichhausen, H., Littke, R. & Hantschel, T., 2005. Mudstone compaction and its influence on overpressure generation, elucidated by a 3D case study in the North Sea. International Journal of Earth Sciences 94: 956–978.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Jager, J., 2003. Inverted basins in the Netherlands, similarities and differences. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 82: 355–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Jager, J., 2007. Structural setting. In: Wong, T.E., Batjes, D.A.J. & De Jager, J. (eds): Geology of the Netherlands. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) (Amsterdam): 1–23.Google Scholar
De Jager, J., Doyle, M.A., Grantham, P.J. & Mabillard, J.E., 1996. Hydrocarbon habitat of the West Netherlands Basin. In: Rondeel, H.E., Batjes, D.A.J. & Nieuwenhuijs, W.H. (eds): Geology of gas and oil under the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers (Dordrecht): 191–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Jager, J. & Geluk, M.C., 2007. Petroleum geology. In: Wong, T.E., Batjes, D.A.J. & De Jager, J. (eds): Geology of the Netherlands. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) (Amsterdam): 241–264.Google Scholar
DiPrimio, R. & Neumann, V., 2008. HPHT reservoir evolution: a case study from Jade and Judy fields, Central Graben, UK North Sea. International Journal of Earth Sciences 97: 1101–1114.Google Scholar
Donders, T.H., Weijers, J.W.H., Munsterman, D.K., Kloosterboer-van Hoeve, M.L., Buckles, L.K., Pancost, R.D., Schouten, S., Sinninghe Damste, J.S. & Brinkhuis, H., 2009. Strong climate coupling of terrestrial and marine environments in the Miocene of northwest Europe. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 281: 215–225.Google Scholar
Geluk, M.C., 2007. Triassic. In: Wong, T.E., Batjes, D.A.J. & De Jager, J. (eds): Geology of the Netherlands. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) (Amsterdam): 85–106.Google Scholar
Glennie, K.W., 1986. Development of N.W. Europe's southern Permian gas basin. In: Brooks, J., Goff, J.C. & Van Hoorn, B. (eds): Habitat of Palaeozoic Gas in N.W. Europe. Geological Society Special Publication (London): 3–22.Google Scholar
Hedberg, H.D., 1974. Relation of methane generation to undercompacted shales, shale diapirs and mud volcanoes. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 58: 661–673.Google Scholar
Hofmann, A.P., Price, A., Kaffenberger, G., Godderij, R. & Simpson, M., 2002. Hanze Chalk Oil Field – the Chalk Pearl in the Dutch North Sea. Abstract of the EAGE 64th Conference & Exhibition, Florence, Italy.Google Scholar
Holm, G.M., 1998. Distribution and origin of overpressure in the Central Graben of the North Sea. In: Law, B.E., Ulmishek, G.F. & Slavin, V.I. (eds): Abnormal pressure in hydrocarbon environments. AAPG Memoir v. 70: 123–144.Google Scholar
Hudec, M.R. & Jackson, M.P.A., 2007. Terra infirma: understanding salt tectonics. Earth Science Reviews 82: 1–28.Google Scholar
Kombrink, H., Doornenbal, J.C., Duin, E.J.T., Den Dulk, M., Van Gessel, S.F., Ten Veen, J.H. & Witmans, N., 2012. New insights into the geological structure of the Netherlands; results of a detailed mapping project. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 91–4: 419–446, this issue.Google Scholar
Kuhlmann, G., Langereis, C.G., Munsterman, D., Van Leeuwen, R.J., Verreussel, R., Meulenkamp, J.E. & Wong, T.E., 2006. Chronostratigraphy of Late Neogene sediments in the southern North Sea Basin and paleoenvironmental interpretations. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 239: 426–455.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luo, X.R. & Vasseur, G., 1996. Geopressuring mechanism of organic matter cracking: Numerical modelling. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 80: 856–874.Google Scholar
Mallon, A.J. & Swarbrick, R.E., 2002. A compaction trend for non-reservoir North Sea Chalk. Marine and Petroleum Geology 19: 527–539.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mann, D.M. & Mackenzie, A.S., 1990. Prediction of pore fluid pressures in sedimentary basins. Marine and Petroleum Geology 7: 55–65.Google Scholar
Mosbrugger, V., Utescher, T. & Dilcher, D.L., 2005. Cenozoic continental climatic evolution of Central Europe. PNAS 102: 14964–14969.Google Scholar
Moss, B., Barson, D., Rakhit, K., Dennis, H. & Swarbrick, R., 2003. Formation pore pressures and formation waters. In: Evans, D., Graham, C., Armour, A. & Bathurst, P. (eds): The Millennium Atlas: Petroleum Geology of the Central and Northern North Sea. Geological Society (London): 317–329.Google Scholar
Osborne, M.L. & Swarbrick, R.E., 1997. Mechanisms for generating overpressure in sedimentary basins: a reevaluation. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 81: 1023–1041.Google Scholar
Rattey, P.R. & Hayward, A.B., 1993. Sequence stratigraphy of a failed rift system: the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous basin evolution of the Central and Northern North Sea In: Parker, J.R. (ed.): Petroleum Geology of North-West Europe: Proceedings of the 4th Conference. The Geological Society (London): 213–249.Google Scholar
Remmelts, G., 1996. Salt tectonics in the southern North Sea, the Netherlands. In: Rondeel, H.E., Batjes, D.A.J. & Nieuwenhuijs, W.H. (eds): Geology of gas and oil under the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers (Dordrecht): 143–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sluijs, A., Schouten, S., Pagani, M., Woltering, M., Brinkhuis, H., Sinninghe Damsté, J.S., Dickens, G.R., Huber, M., Reichart, G.-J., Stein, R., Matthiessen, J., Lourens, L.J., Pedentchouk, N., Backman, J., Moran, K. & the Expedition Scientists , 2006. Subtropical Arctic Ocean temperatures during the Palaeocene/Eocene thermal maximum. Nature 441: 610–613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swarbrick, R.E., Seldon, B. & Mallon, A.J., 2005. Modelling the Central North Sea pressure history. Geological Society (London), Petroleum Geology Conference series v. 6: 1237–1245.Google Scholar
Ten Veen, J.H., Van Gessel, S.F. & Den Dulk, M., 2012. Thin- and thick-skinned salt tectonics in the Netherlands; a quantitative approach. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 91–4: 447–464, this issue.Google Scholar
Underschultz, J.R., 2007. Hydrodynamics and membrane seal capacity. Geofluids 7: 148–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underschultz, J.R., 2009. Identification of fault and top seal effectiveness through an integration of hydrodynamic and capillary analysis techniques. PhD thesis, Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Australia).Google Scholar
Van Adrichem Boogaert, H.A. & Kouwe, W.F.P., 1993. Stratigraphic nomenclature of the Netherlands, revision and update by RGD and NOGEPA, Section A, General. Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst 50: 1–40.Google Scholar
Vejbæk, O.V., 2008. On dis-equilibrium compaction as the cause for Cretaceous-Paleogene over-pressures in the Danish North Sea. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 92: 165–180.Google Scholar
Verweij, J.M., 2003. Fluid flow systems analysis on geological timescales in onshore and offshore Netherlands, with special reference to the Broad Fourteens Basin. PhD thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Amsterdam), 278 pp.Google Scholar
Verweij, J.M., 2006. Dual hydraulic behaviour of the Chalk in the Netherlands North Sea. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 89: 405–408.Google Scholar
Verweij, J.M., Souto Carneiro Echternach, M. & Witmans, N., 2009. Terschelling Basin and southern Dutch Central Graben. Burial history, temperature, source rock maturity and hydrocarbon generation – Area 2A. TNO (Utrecht). Report number 034-UT-2009-02065.Google Scholar
Verweij, J.M., Souto Carneiro Echternach, M., Witmans, N. & Abdul Fattah, R., 2012. Reconstruction of basal heat flow, surface temperature, source rock maturity and hydrocarbon generation in salt-dominated Dutch Basins. In: Peters, K., Curry, D. & Kacewicz, M. (eds): Basin Modeling: New horizons in research and applications. AAPG Hedberg Series: 1–22.Google Scholar
Verweij, J.M. & Witmans, N., 2009. Terschelling Basin and southern Dutch Central Graben Mapping and modeling – Area 2A. TNO Built Environment and Geosciences (Utrecht). Report number TNO-034-UT-2009-01569, 65 pp.Google Scholar
Yang, Y. & Aplin, A.C., 2007. Permeability and petrophysical properties of 30 natural mudstones. Journal of Geophysical Research 112: 1911–1918.Google Scholar
Ziegler, P.A., 1990. Geological Atlas of Western and Central Europe (2nd edition). Shell Internationale Petroleum Maatschappij B.V.; Geological Society Publishing House (Bath), 239 pp.Google Scholar
Ziegler, P.A., 2005. Europe: Permian to Recent Evolution. In: Selley, R.C., Cocks, L.R.M. & Plimer, I.R. (eds): Encyclopedia of Geology. Elsevier: 102–125.Google Scholar