3D seismic analysis of an Upper Palaeozoic carbonate succession of the Eastern Finnmark Platform area, Norwegian Barents Sea

doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2006.09.001

Sedimentary Geology

Volume 197, Issues 1–2, 1 April 2007, Pages 79-98

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2006.09.001 Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper presents 3D seismic data to enhance our understanding of the seismic stratigraphy and buildup developments of the Finnmark Platform. We focus on carbonate buildup distributions and platform geometry in space and upper Palaeozoic time. Multi-attribute analysis, neural network techniques and the use of inverted impedance data reveal seismic anomalies that can be linked with significant geological geometries such as buildups, subtle prograding clinoforms, karstified surfaces or platform breaks. The seismic expressions show a platform development mainly driven by climatic changes and differential subsidence. Seismic data indicate the first progradation of a low angle warm-water carbonate ramp during Mid Carboniferous times. A gradual change from a low angle (mixed) carbonate ramp to a more restricted carbonate shelf with a marked break and slope occurs during Upper Carboniferous/Lower Permian (Gipsdalen Group). Large buildups on the platform are identified both as individual mounds and unique continuous complexes (e.g. network of polygonal ridges as well as a 30-km long barrier complex). Multi-attribute analysis reveals a distinct karst event on top of the Gipsdalen Group. Climatic cooling during the Lower Permian (Bjarmeland Group) resulted in an even more restricted platform as seen in the seismic data with developments of 200-m high bryozoan mounds in deeper waters of the platform slope. Further cooling during Mid Permian (Tempelfjorden Group) resulted in a major chert event with development of a series of spiculitic chert mounds.

Introduction

The Upper Carboniferous and Permian carbonate successions of the Arctic shelf regions of Norway and northeast Greenland have been studied over the last 30 years (e.g. Rønnevik, 1981, Cecchi, 1992, Pickard et al., 1996, Stemmerik et al., 1999). Late Palaeozoic carbonate strata elsewhere in the world are prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs such as the Caspian Sea (Ulmishek, 2001), the Permian Basin (Hills, 1984) or the Timan-Pechora Basin (Artyushkov and Baer, 1986). Therefore, the progress in our understanding of the Arctic shelf areas such as on the Finnmark Platform (Fig. 1) has to a large extent been driven by exploration research (e.g. Nilsen et al., 1992, Bugge et al., 1995, Ehrenberg et al., 1998a, Larssen et al., 2002, Samuelsberg et al., 2003). On the platform a Mid Carboniferous–Lower Permian biogenic succession was deposited in a period of global ice-house climates characterized by high-amplitude, high-frequency sea level fluctuations, triggered by ice sheet waxing and waning on the southern Gondwana continent (Crowell, 1999). The Upper Permian succession is less influenced by these high-amplitude sea level fluctuations, as from Artinskian times the ice-house period ceased accompanied by a general sea level rise.

Our study focuses on the geology and geophysics of the Upper Palaeozoic carbonate platform of the Finnmark Platform which was part of a widespread carbonate province covering the entire Arctic shelf region (Golonka et al., 2003). It can be traced from Arctic Canada (Beauchamp, 1992), across northern Greenland (Stemmerik et al., 1995), the Norwegian and Russian Barents Sea into the Timan Petchora area of northern Russia (Antoshkina, 1998). Here, this enormous carbonate province turns south, and it can be traced from the Uralian foredeep to the Caspian region. The Norwegian Barents Sea carbonate province spans some 60 Ma, during which time this area drifted from a 25°N to 40°N palaeo-latitude (Scotese and Langford, 1995, Stemmerik, 2000).

This paper presents the geological evolution of the Eastern Finnmark carbonate platform using seismic sequence stratigraphy based on well and 3D seismic data (Fig. 1). It focuses on the history of the platform development in space and time including platform geometry, extension of the margin and distribution of buildups. The presented 3D seismic study combined with earlier published interpretations (Nilsen et al., 1992, Bugge et al., 1995, Larssen et al., 2002, Samuelsberg et al., 2003) allow demonstrating the interplay between tectonics, climate, sea level change and sediment accommodation space that results in a complicated platform geometry.

Section snippets

Geological framework

Major tectonic, climate and related sea level changes including glaciations are well documented for a number of periods in the geological past (e.g. Frakes et al., 1992) influencing the buildup of margin platforms during the Precambrian and Palaeozoic. To create a geological framework for the development of the Finmark platform, the tectonic and paleogeographic reconstruction is summarized below.

Data and methodology

Three exploration wells from the Eastern Finnmark Platform (Fig. 1) (7128/6-1 and 7128/4-1 on the proximal platform and well 7229/11-1 located adjacent to the Nordkapp Basin) have been used for correlating the seismic stratigraphy. Detailed lithostratigraphical studies based on well logs and core data are incorporated in this study (Bugge et al., 1995, Blendinger et al., 1997, Ehrenberg et al., 1998a, Ehrenberg et al., 1998b, Larssen et al., 2002). 3D seismic allows us to extrapolate point

Well log sequence analysis

Well log analysis (sonic, gamma-ray, density, neutron porosity) and synthetic seismogram generation at well sites resulted in an accurate correlation between wells and seismic (Fig. 4, Fig. 5). Fig. 4 shows an overview of the three exploration wells, including the lithofacies and their correlation with our synthetic seismograms as well as the lithostratigraphy from Larssen et al. (2002). Ehrenberg et al. (1998a) divided the carbonate interval in wells 7128/4-1 and 7128/6-1 in nine different

Conclusions

Detailed interpretation of 3D seismic data improves the understanding of the Upper Palaeozoic seismic stratigraphy of the Eastern Finnmark Platform and extends the work previously done by Bugge et al. (1995) and Samuelsberg et al. (2003). Advanced techniques as multi-attribute analysis and automated seismic facies recognition allow the identification of subtle geometries from the seismic data. As such, this study focuses on carbonate platform geometry and positioning of the margin as well as on

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Statoil ASA (Operator) and the Area G partners (Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS and Eni Norge AS) for providing the well and 3D seismic data. We are grateful to Statoil Nord-Norge for financing this project and for providing guidance during scientific meetings. We kindly acknowledge the use of software supplied by Schlumberger, GMT, Hampson and Russell and dGB Opendtect. Special thanks go to Geir Elvebakk and Lars Stemmerik for field work guidance on Svalbard and to Steve

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