HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY, UNITED KINGDOM J R V Brooks 1, S Stoker 2 & T D J Cameron 2 1 Department of Trade and Industry,

HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY, UNITED KINGDOM

J R V Brooks1, S Stoker2

& T D J Cameron2

1 Department of Trade and Industry, UK

2 British Geological Survey

BritishGeologicalSurvey

1998

1983

1995

1990

1985

1980

1978

0

4 0

3 0

2 0

1 0

5 0

Cumulative production

Remaining recoverable reserves

Minimum estimated undiscovered recoverable reserves

Maximum estimated undiscovered recoverable reservesB

illio

n (

10 )

bar

rels

oil

equ

ival

ent

9

TO

TA

L O

IL, G

AS

AN

D C

ON

DE

NS

AT

E

62.7 BBOECUMULATIVEPRODUCTION

REMAININGRECOVERABLERESERVES

MAXIMUM UNDISCOVEREDRECOVERABLERESERVES

82.3 BBOE

1983

1998

UK ULTIMATE RECOVERABLE RESERVES

28.57.5

26.6

30.1 26.3

25.9

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Gas Field

California

500 km

UK

• UK is self-sufficient in oil and gas

• 204 offshore and 35 onshore fields currently

producing :- 136 oil, 87 gas and 16 condensate

• Producing reservoirs: Pre-Devonian basement

to Eocene

• Successful discretionary award scheme

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Paleohigh

>2 km

Water depth

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

UK PETROLEUM PROVINCES

• NORTH SEA OIL PROVINCE

• NORTH SEA GAS PROVINCE

• ONSHORE & IRISH SEA BASINS

• ATLANTIC MARGIN

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

NORTH SEAOIL PROVINCE

AGE MORAY FIRTH CENTRAL GRABEN VIKING GRABEN

Sandstone

Sandstoneand coal

Mudstone

Carbonate

Evaporite

Volcanics

Fracturedbasem ent

Producingreservoir

Sourcerock

NEOGENE

PALEOGENE

CRETACEOUS

JURASSIC

TRIASSIC

PERMIAN

CARBONIF-EROUS

DEVONIAN

PRE-DEVONIAN

PO

ST-

RIF

TS

YN

-R

IFT

PR

E-R

IFT

?

ESTABLISHED PETROLEUM PLAYS, NORTH SEA OIL PROVINCE

EASTSHETLANDPLATFORM

SCOTLAND

100 km 100 km

SCOTLAND

Mature Upper Jurassic source rocks

Post-rift

FIELDS ANDDISCOVERIES

NORTH SEAOIL PROVINCE

REGIONALSTRUCTURE

Syn-rift

Pre-rift

VIKINGGRABEN

VIK

ING

GR

AB

EN

MORAYFIRTH MORAY FIRTH

CE

NT

RA

L

GR

AB

EN

CEN

TRA

L

GR

AB

EN

Neogene to Quaternary

Eocene to Oligocene Upper JurassicPaleocene

Upper Cretaceous

Lower Cretaceous

Po

st-r

ift

Sy

n-r

ift

M iddle Jurassic

Triassic (fluvial facies)

Triassic (floodplain facies)

Perm ian (evaporites, carbonates)

Perm ian (aeolian, fluvial facies)

Ordovician to Carboniferous

Pre

-rif

t

Proven play

Potential play

W SW ENE0

West Central Graben East Central Graben

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

De

pth

(km

)

10 km

NORTH SEA OIL PROVINCE

Pre-rift: Devonian to Middle Jurassic -

Carboniferous in Central Graben underexplored

Syn-rift: Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous -

35% - 40% of undiscovered reserves

Post-rift: Upper Cretaceous to Eocene - Paleogene

heavy oil reserves underexplored

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

1974

1980

1990

1999

Cu

mu

lati

ve v

olu

me

(mm

bo

e)

Year of discovery

M & U Jurassic, Central North Sea

Courtesy Asset Geoscience Ltd

L Cretaceous, Moray Firth

SELECTED CREAMING CURVES, NORTH SEA OIL PROVINCE

EASTSHETLANDPLATFORM

SCOTLAND

100 km 100 km

SCOTLAND

Mature Upper Jurassic source rocks

Post-rift

FIELDS ANDDISCOVERIES

NORTH SEAOIL PROVINCE

REGIONALSTRUCTURE

Syn-rift

Pre-rift

VIKINGGRABEN

VIK

ING

GR

AB

EN

MORAYFIRTH MORAY FIRTH

CE

NT

RA

L

GR

AB

EN

CEN

TRA

L

GR

AB

EN

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

NORTH SEAGAS PROVINCE

MID NORTH SEA HIGH

ENGLAND

SOUTHERNNORTH

SEA BASIN

100 km

Triassic reservoir

L Perm ian play

Carboniferous play

Permian reservoirCarboniferous reservoir

PETROLEUM PLAY DISTRIBUTION, NORTH SEA GAS PROVINCE

NORTH SEA GAS PROVINCE

Lower Permian discoveries still being made. The

NW Europe fairway has ultimately recoverable

reserves of 159 tcf

Seven Carboniferous fields contribute 5% of UK

gas production - fairway is in early stage of

exploration

Dep

th (

km)

bel

ow

sea

leve

l

M id NorthSea HighSouthern North Sea Basin

50 km

Murdoch Ridge

Base Permian unconformity2

4

6

Alluvial/coal m easure facies

Deltaic facies

Basinal facies

Shallow marine/deltaic facies

Braided fluvial facies

Alluvial red bed facies

Lacustrine/coal m easure facies

Marginal marine facies

Upper Permian to Mesozoic

Westphalian (Pennsylvanian)

Late Permian (m udstone)

Namurian (Miss.-Penns.)

Late Permian (aeolian sandstone)

Proven play Potential play

Dinantian (Mississippian)

Devonian

NS

Dev

D

D?D

NN

WW

WN

D

Dev

CARBONIFEROUS PLAYS, NORTH SEA GAS PROVINCE

CARBONIFEROUS PLAYS

Majority of discoveries have been made in

simple structural traps

Recent successes in combined structural /

stratigraphic plays, e.g. hanging wall

traps

Stratigraphic and deeper traps unexplored

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

UK ONSHOREAND IRISH SEA

BASINS

Southern NorthSea Basin

London-Brabant

High

MidlandsEast

East IrishSeaBasin

CheshireBasin

WessexBasin

WealdBasin

IRISH SEA

ENGLAND

WytchFarm

100 km

Permian-Mesozoic basin

High

Licensed blocks

Gas Field

Significant recentgas discovery

Oil Field

Significant recentoil discovery

MidlandsMicrocraton

Paleozoic prospects

X

UK ONSHORE AND IRISH SEA PETROLEUM PROVINCES

Caernarfo

n

Bay Basin

Basin

Cardig

an Bay

UK

FRANCE

PETROLEUM PLAYS, CAERNARFON BAY BASIN, IRISH SEA

De

pth

(k

m)

Quaternary

Paleogene

Triassic mudstone/evaporite

Triassic sandstone

Upper Permian

Lower Permian sandstone

Lower Permian conglomerate

Carboniferous

Precambrian to Lower Paleozoic

Metamorphosed basementHas no reservoir or source potential

Caernarfon Bay Basin

R

R

S

S

R

R

S

Reservoir unit

Regional seal

Source rock unit

Potential plays

10 km

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall T

rough

ATLANTIC MARGIN

ATLANTIC MARGIN

RockallTrough

RockallBank

HattonBasin

Scotland

Shetland

FaroeIslands

Igneous centre

Oil field

Licensed acreageSouth and eastlim its of basalt Newly designated

acreage

0-2 km

>2 km

Water depth

250 km

UK ATLANTIC MARGIN

Continent-O

cean

boundary

Hatton B

ank

Wyville-

Thomson

Transfer FSB

FSB Faroe-Shetland Basin

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

0-2 km

Licensed blocks

>2 km

Water depth

Oil Field

Condensate Field

Gas Field

Continent-O

cean

Boundary

Rockall Tro

ugh

ATLANTIC MARGIN

Jurassic

Basin-floor sandstone

Lower Cretaceous

UKFaroesNW Schiehallion/

Foinaven playVictory

playClair play

SE

50 km

? ?

Paleocene

Upper Cretaceous

Lower Eocene to Recent

Upper Paleocene to Lower Eocene

Paleogene basalt

0

2

4

6

8

10

Dep

th (

km)

Permian to Triassic

Pre-Permian undifferentiated

Proven play

Potential play

PETROLEUM PLAYS IN THE FAROE-SHETLAND BASIN

ShetlandIslands

FaroeIslands

Minimum extent of Jurassic source rocks

Newly designatedacreage

Mid-Eocene fan complexwith channel axes

Fan sediment entry points

Thick Paleogenebasalt

100 km

Igneous centre

High

Line of section

MID-EOCENE FAN COMPLEX, FAROE-SHETLAND BASIN

Mioceneinversion axisRon

a Rid

ge

FSB

FAROES

UK

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Dep

th (

km)

Potential play

Paleocene

Cretaceous

Jurassic and older

Basin-floor sandstoneM Eocene to Recent

U Paleocene to L Eocene

Faroe-Shetland BasinMiocene inversion

axis NESW

20 km

PETROLEUM PLAYS IN THE FAROE-SHETLAND BASIN

NEWLY DESIGNATED AREA

Igneous centre

ShetlandIslands

FaroeIslands

High

Line of section

Minimum extent of Jurassic source rocks

Newly designatedacreage

Mid-Eocene fan complexwith channel axes

Fan sediment entry points

Thick Paleogenebasalt

100 km

FAROE-SHETLAND BASIN

Mioceneinversion axisRon

a Rid

ge

FSB

FAROES

UK

00

2

4

6

Dep

th (

km)

De

pth

(km

)

Rockall Trough

W E

Middle Eocene to Recent

Lower Eocene

Mid Cretaceous

Precambrian to Lower Cretaceous (to Barremian)

Basin-floor sandstone

Shallow-marine sandstone

Paleogene volcanics/sills

Paleocene

Upper Cretaceous (post-rift)

Post-rift Syn-rift

Pre-rift

2

4

6

Potential play

10 km

Gapin

sectionapprox.150 km

PETROLEUM PLAYS IN THE ROCKALL TROUGH

RockallTrough

RockallBank

HattonBasin

Scotland

Shetland

FaroeIslands

Igneous centre

Line of sectionOil field

Licensed acreageSouth and eastlim its of basalt Newly designated

acreage0-2 km

>2 km

Water depth

250 km

UK ATLANTIC MARGIN

Continent-O

cean

boundary

Hatton B

ank

Wyville-

Thomson

Transfer FSB

FSB Faroe-Shetland Basin

6

4

2

0

Two

-way

tim

e (s

eco

nd

s)

Dykes

NW Hatton Basin Rockall Bank SE

50 km

Late Eocene to Recent

Lower to Middle Eocene Basin-floor sandstone

Potential play

Shallow-marine sandstone

Lower Eocene

Paleogene volcanics/volcaniclastic sediments

Permian to Cretaceous (conjectural)

Tilted fault blocks

proved in Irish

sector

Sub-Paleocene structure beneath Hatton Basin is conjectural

PETROLEUM PLAYS IN THE HATTON BASIN

RockallTrough

RockallBank

HattonBasin

Scotland

Shetland

FaroeIslands

Igneous centre

Line of sectionOil field

Licensed acreageSouth and eastlim its of basalt Newly designated

acreage0-2 km

>2 km

Water depth

250 km

UK ATLANTIC MARGIN

Continent-O

cean

boundary

Hatton B

ank

Wyville-

Thomson

Transfer FSB

FSB Faroe-Shetland Basin

1998

1983

1995

1990

1985

1980

1978

0

4 0

3 0

2 0

1 0

5 0

Cumulative production

Remaining recoverable reserves

Minimum estimated undiscovered recoverable reserves

Maximum estimated undiscovered recoverable reservesB

illio

n (

10 )

bar

rels

oil

equ

ival

ent

9

TO

TA

L O

IL, G

AS

AN

D C

ON

DE

NS

AT

E

62.7 BBOECUMULATIVEPRODUCTION

REMAININGRECOVERABLERESERVES

MAXIMUM UNDISCOVEREDRECOVERABLERESERVES

82.3 BBOE

1983

1998

UK ULTIMATE RECOVERABLE RESERVES

28.57.5

26.6

30.1 26.3

25.9

HISTORICAL PREDICTIONS OF UK OIL PRODUCTION

1

2

3

4

0

2010

2015

2020

200

5

2000

199

5

1990

1985

1980

197

5

1970

1965

Mill

ion

bar

rels

oil

per

day

OIL

UKOOA: 1996

Actual production (DTI 1999)

Wood Mackenzie: 1977, 1985, 1989 & 1993

Daly : 1996et al.

• UK daily production averaging 3MMBOE to 2010

• Buoyant NW Europe economy

• Exciting potential for small, medium and large

companies

• Government committed to facilitating innovative

thinking, cost reduction and licence trading

Scotland

IrelandIRISH SEA

NORTH SEA

England

Shetland

FaroeIslands

Permian or younger paleohigh

Field

Atlantic Margin

UNDISCOVERED: ?30 BBOE

North Sea Oil Province

North Sea Gas Province

UK Onshore& S+W of UK

ATLANTIC MARGIN

• Around 65% of undiscovered reserves lie

within 50 km of existing infrastructure

• Frontier basins of Atlantic Margin offer

greatest potential for major new reserves -

gas potential not yet assessed by DTI