Overpressure Conditions and Reservoir Compartmentalization on the Scotian Margin – Study Overview

Carla Dickson1 and Grant Wach1

1Basin & Reservoir Lab, Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

STUDY OBJECTIVE SELECT OVERPRESSURE SYSTEMS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION ON SCOTIAN MARGIN METHODOLOGY & TECHNIQUES ANALOGOUS OUTCROP TO SCOTIAN MARGIN – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Investigate and define overpressured systems of Scotian Margin: ATLANTIC CONJUGATE MARGIN • Began in 1959 – 3 distinct exploration cycles PHASE 1: Petrophysical Analysis & Data Compilation
• Conditions that lead to development of overpressure Serious risk element in many basins including: Northern North Sea Basin • 207 wells total: 127 exploration wells • Well by well analysis within areas of known overpressure
• Map regional distribution and pressure gradient at high resolution • Scotian Margin (Nova Scotia) • 23 significant discoveries • Create overpressure versus depth log composite curve
• Develop a risk methodology for use in developing the resources • Jeanne d’Arc Basin (Newfoundland) • 8 commercial discoveries • Seismic-well tie of overpressure zones (Sable 3D MegaMerge database)
• Porcupine Basin (Ireland) • Total 2D Seismic: 400,954 km • Test existing screening methodologies and criteria on Scotian Margin
• Northern North Sea Basin (UK & Norway) • Total 3D Seismic: 29,512 km2 PHASE 2: Seal and Porosity Analysis
RESERVOIR CONNECTIVITY & COMPARTMENTALIZATION Atlantic Ocean
• Eastern Venezuela Basin • Record Bids: • Clay mineralogy (XRD and SEM) and petrology
Defined by: • Shell Canada Ltd (2012) $970,000,000 • Reservoir and seal intervals identified
• Structural features Porcupine Basin • BP Exploration Operating Ltd (2012) $1,049,999,999 • Fission Track Analysis (time permitting) – maturation time
• Stratigraphic features Europe • Vitrinite reflectance (time permitting) – maximum temperature history
• Integrity and strength of seals (top and bottom) PHASE 3: Overpressure Mapping
Jeanne d’Arc Basin REGIONAL GEOLOGY • 3D seismic interpretation and mapping of identified overpressure zones
Reservoir Establish Describe Determine • Passive, mainly non-volcanic, conjugate margin • Identify potential seismic attributes that could indicate overpressure
Architecture Competence Compartments Connections • 250 Ma of continuous sedimentation • Integrated with petrophysical and reservoir quality analysis
of Seal Within between • Northeast of Appalachian Orogen • Sable 3D MegaMerge and Play Fairway Analysis
Reservoir Compartments • 280,000 km2 PHASE 4: Risk Methodology
Scotian Margin • Risk methodology specific to Scotian Margin
• Half in waters <200 m deep
• Half in waters 200 to >4000 m deep • Increase identification of overpressure zones
North America • Maximum sediment thickness: 24 km • Behaviour of overpressured zones in the subsurface
Fluvio-aeolian • Reduced drilling costs and improved reservoir and productivity evaluation
• paleo-St. Lawrence provided continuous sediment supply Figure 6: Major tectonic features of the Scotian Basin including sub-basins, platforms, and ridges (NRC, 2010).
Basal unconformity • Series of platforms and depositional centres • Efficient drilling program
• Basin rifting, sediment loading and subsidence leading to • Application to other basins worldwide Figure 14: Coastal outcrop of SW Trinidad showing alternation of siltstone-sandstone associated with
Volcanic rocks deltaic depositional environments, similar to the Scotian Margin (modified from Dawson Energy, 2013).
complex faulting POTENTIAL CAUSES OF OVERPRESSURE – SCOTIAN MARGIN
Evaporitic playa lake deposits • Depositional systems represented:
• Synrift (1) Closed system for hydrocarbon generation and migration
Shallow lake (rare evaporites)
• Carbonate (2) Rapid burial Gas show
Gulf of Mexico Salt (marine-origin) • Fluvial-deltaic-lacustrine (3) Shale diagenesis
Oil show
Salt (unknown origin) • Deep water • More likely a combination of the above causes
• Extensive salt and minor anhydrite deposits • Multiple pressure regimes Overpressure
Marine deposits
• Overpressures identified in several wells drilled
Evaporitic marine-influenced playa
SALT DEFORMATION – OVERPRESSURE TRIGGER?

1000 km • Thick salt deposits from evaporation of shallow seas (Argo Fm)
Figure 16: Coastal outcrop of SW Trinidad with fault possibly
Eastern Venezuela Basin • Significant sediment loading after deposition causes Figure 10: Kaolinite and smectite observed Figure 11: Seismic-well tie from Central formed by rapid burial causing loading (Price, 2013).
displacement of salt vertically and horizontally with SEM (Mas, et al. 2002). Netherlands Basin (Dawson Energy, 2012).
Figure 1: Seismic interpretation indicating structural compartmentalization on the • Creates effective structures for trapping oil and gas Figure 15: Coastal outcrop of SW Trinidad
Scotian Margin (modified from CNSOPB, 2012). Figure 4: Several basins on the Atlantic conjugate margin with overpressure systems. (Inset) Stratigraphy of select basins in the North Atlantic (modified from Leleu & Hartley, 2010). with fault that has Fe-rich mineralization,
CURRENT ENERGY PROJECTS – SCOTIAN MARGIN representing potential reservoir
compartmentalization (Price, 2013).
PRESSURE versus DEPTH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS GENERALIZED STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SCOTIAN MARGIN
• Cyclic pro-delta and delta sediment
Abnormal pressures are above or below hydrostatic pressure, • Eastern Venezuela Basin
and cannot exceed lithostatic pressure. • Reservoir compartmentalization
Hydrostatic Pressure: fluid pressure at given depth is a result • Overpressure
of the weight of the overlying fluid. • Sediment deformation :
• flame-structures Figure 17: Coastal outcrop of Trinidad with sediment
• Industry standard = 0.465psi/ft • ball-and-pillow structures deformation, evidenced by flame-structure (Dickson, 2012).
Lithostatic Pressure: result of the weight of the overburden
(fluid and matrix).
DEPOSITIONAL COMPONENTS OF A DELTAIC SYSTEM

Wells that have identified overpressure:

• Citadel H-52 • SW Banquereau F-34
• Emma N-03 • Tuscarora D-61
• Hesper P-52 • W Esperanto B-78
• Louisbourg J-57
Figure 9: Well-seismic-lithostratigraphy correlations with gas and oil shows, and
Figure 7: (Top) Seismic line through salt deformation structure and overpressure occurrences (modified from CNSOPB, 2012).
(Bottom) interpretation as “turtles” (modified from CNSOPB, 2012). Figure 12: Deep Panuke offshore oil platform (CBC, 2011)
Cohasset Panuke (1992-1999) Deep Panuke Sable Offshore Energy Project
• Canada’s first offshore oil project • Production from offshore field 250km • 6 natural gas fields: Venture, South
• LASMO Nova Scotia Ltd. with Nova SE of Halifax Venture, Thebaud, North Triumph,
Scotia Resources (Ventures) Ltd. • Production scheduled to begin 2013 Glenelg, and Alma
• EnCana (merged PanCanadian Energy • Production life of 13 years • Estimated 3 Tcf recoverable gas and
Corp. & Alberta Energy Company Ltd.) • 892 Bcf natural gas recoverable 74.8 MMbbl condensate
acquired LASMO’s ownership and reserves • Production began 1999
became operator 1996 • Peak production rate 300MMscf/d • Subsea pipeline from Thebaud
• Produced 44.5 MMbbls • Ship to markets in Canada and United central facilities to processing plant
Shale (or other low-permeability lithology) • Peak production October 1993 of States at Goldboro, Nova Scotia
Pressure curve 37,500 bpd • Fractionation at Point Tupper
Figure 2: Hydrostatic and Lithostatic pressure gradient curves
indicating relationship between depth and pressure (modified from Figure 3: Pressure distribution patterns in sedimentary basins (modified from Tackett &
Tackett & Puckette, 2012). Puckette, 2012).

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following for their
support with this continuing study: ExxonMobil,
Imperial Oil, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore
Petroleum Board (CNSOPB), Basin & Reservoir
Lab, Dr. Grant Wach, Dr. Marcos Zentilli, Dr.
Dave Brown, Dr. Bill Richards, Kristie McVicar,
Darragh O’Connor, and Allison Grant.
References
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Price, C. (2013, February). Advanced Petroleum Geoscience Field School. Trinidad and Tobago.
Richards, B., Fairchild, L., Vrolijk, P., & Hippler, S. (2008). Reservoir Connectivity Analysis, Hydrocarbon Distribution, Resource Potential, and Production Performance in the Clastic Plays of the Sable Subbasin, Scotian Shelf. Central Atlantic Conjugate Margins Figure 18: Deltaic depositional system representative of Scotian Margin and Trinidad. (Top Right)
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Tackett, J., & Puckette, J. (2012). Lithologic Controls of Pressure Distribution in Sedimentary Basins (Article #40898). Search and Discovery. Formation of faults over time in deltaic system, and deposition of sealing shale allowing for occurrences of
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Figure 5: Generalized stratigraphy of the Scotian Margin (modified from MacLean & Wade, 1993). Figure 8: Interpretation of salt deformation from progradational loading (roho system and counter-regional system) (CNSOPB, 2012). Figure 13: (Left) Cohasset Panuke offshore platform, (Centre) Deep Panuke offshore platform, (Right) SOEP offshore platform (CNSOPB, 2013) overpressure (CNSOPB, 2013).