the presentation

Exploration in the
Norwegian Sea;
from play models to
deep sea sub basalt
outcrops
Abryl Ramirez
Nils Rune Sandstå
Robert Williams
11.12.2013
Outline
• The role of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
• Undiscovered resources; Play analysis and plays in the Norwegian Sea
• Exploration activities in the Norwegian Sea
• Exploring the unexplored and NPD projects 2014
• Summary
• Access to data www.npd.no
The role of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
• «A prerequisite for that the authorities
can play an important part in resource
management, is to have a good
understanding of the resource base
• A comprehensive understanding of the
geology of the Norwegian Continental
Shelf has always been an essential
objective for the Norwegian
authorities
• It has therefore always been an
objective for the Norwegian
authorities to have the best overall
knowledge of the entire shelf. "
The geological exploration of the
Norwegian continental shelf - who
should be responsible?
Fredrik Hagemann, former
Director General
The role of Norwegian Petroleum Directorate – NPD
• ”The NPD shall contribute to creating the greatest possible value for society from oil and
gas activities by means of prudent resource management, based on safety, emergency
preparedness and safeguarding the natural environment.”
Why undiscovered resources?
• Producing estimates of undiscovered resources on the NCS is a key part of the
NPD’s work.
• These calculations are important for the choices made by government with
regard to offshore exploration.
• The estimates of undiscovered resources are based on the NPD’s knowledge and
on information from the industry’s exploration of the NCS.
Method: Play Analysis
• A play is characterized by geological factors collectively present in a clearly
delineated area (basin), both stratigraphic and geographic:
• Reservoir, source and cap rocks.
• Mapped and unmapped prospects, discoveries and fields can be found within a
single play.
• A play is confirmed when a discovery is made in it and uncertainty no longer
prevails over whether the geological factors function.
• The resource estimates will normally increase when a play has been confirmed.
• A confirmed play is characterized by a discovery which has proven producible
petroleum. The discovery does not need to be commercial.
• If producible petroleum has still not been confirmed, the play remains
unconfirmed.
• Confirmation of the play is then associated with a probability.
Input to play analysis
• Unique database: The NPD has an extensive and unique prospect database that
includes more than 1500 prospects
• Company data
• NPD data
• Well data
• Seismic data
• Input to assessment
• The key inputs are the number of possible prospects, their size distribution and the
probability of success and hydrocarbon phase.
• Statistical methods :
• The results are calculated stochastically using Monte Carlo simulation. The results for
the individual plays are then aggregated to give a total quantity, and are presented as a
probability distribution. NPD currently uses the GeoX software.
The relationship between basin, play, discovery and
prospect
• A play is a geographically
delineated area where several
geological factors are present so
that producible petroleum could
be proven. These factors are:
C
U
U
C
U: unconfirmed play
C: Confirmed play
8
• Reservoir rock
• Trap
• mature source rock and migrations
paths exist in order that petroleum
may be provable.
Plays on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
Status
Area
Number
Confirmed
Unconfirmed
North Sea
24
19
5
Norwegian Sea
22
11
11
Barents Sea
27
10
17
Total
73
40
33
Examples of some plays in the Norwegian Sea:
Plays in the Norwegian Sea
Vøring Basin
Vøring
Marginal High
A
Dønna Terrace
Close to
6705/10-1
«Asterix»
North-west
Nordland
Ridge
Trøndelag Platform
Close to
Skarv
Victoria
6605/8-1
Stetind
South-east
Paleogene
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Neogene
2000
Upper Triassic
Lower and
? Middle Triassic
Intra Permian?
?
Eocene
Millisecond (ms)
?
4000
?
Paleocene
?
Upper
Cretaceous
?
Lower
Cretaceous
6000
Source rock
Intrusion
To deep in regards to
i.a. reservoar quality
Jurassic
A
Aasta
Hansteen
Triassic
Vøring Basing
80 km
Skarv
8000
Åsgard
10
A’
Modified from NPD Bulletin No. 8
Basement
Quaternary
A’
Plays in the Norwegian Sea
 Eocene (nheo-1) 
--------Sub-basalt:
Perm-JurassicPaleocene
----- nhpp,pc-1 ------
Paleocene (nhpc-4)
-------
---------- Upper Cretaceous(nhku-4) ------------
-- Upper Creta.(nhku-2) --
L. Creta.(nhkl-2)
L-M. Jurassic
 nhjl,jm-3 
L-M.Jurassic(nhjl,jm-2)
Vøring Basin
Vøring
Marginal High
Close to
6705/10-1
«Asterix»
Northwest
Nordland
Ridge
Close to
Skarv
Victoria
6605/8-1
Stetind
South-east
Quaterny
Neogene
2000
nhjl,jm-3
Paleogene
Cretaceous
Jurassic
nhpp,rr-1
?
nhpp,pc-1
Millisecond(ms)
?
4000
nheo-1
Eocene
?
nhpc-4
Paleocene
?
nhku-4
?
Upper
Cretaceous
nhkl-2
Lower
Cretaceous
6000
Source rock
Intrusion
80 km
8000
Upper Triassic
Lower and
? middle Triassic
Intra Permian?
nhku-2
To deep in regards to
i.a. reservoar quality
Jurassic
nhjl,jm-2
nhpp,pc-1
A
Aasta
Hansteen
Triassic
nheo-1
Vørin Basin
Skarv
nhjl,jm-3
nhpc-4
nhku-2
Åsgard
Nhjl,jm-2
11
nhkl-2
nhku-4
A’
nhpp,rr-1
Modified from NPD Bulletin No. 8
Basement
A
Dønna Terrace
Pre-Jurassic
 nhpp,rr-1 
Trøndelag Platform
A’
Resource growth 2003-2013
16/2-6
Johan
Sverdrup
Barents Sea
North Sea
Norwegian
Sea
Number of exploration wells
Proven and undiscovered liquid and gas resources in the
Norwegian Sea
Proven and undiscovered liquid and gas resources in the
Norwegian Sea
PL 705 Repsol –
DoD 2015
PL 527 Chevron
PL 704 E.ON –
DoD 2017
PL 598 Chevron –
DoD 2015
PL 604 Suncor –
DoD 2014
PL 600 Dana –
DoD 2014
PL 602/603 Statoil –
DoD 2014
PL 599 BG –
DoD 2014
PL 702/703 OMV –
DoD 2015
PL 596 Exxon –
DoD 2017
Trondheim
Exploration activities in the Norwegian Sea
Key wells
• 6603/5-1 S (Dalsnuten)
• 6608/2-1 S (Sverdrup)
• The well did not encounter
reservoir rocks in the Late
Cretaceous
• The well did not encounter
reservoir rocks in the Late
Cretaceous
• Jurassic was not reached
• Jurassic was not reached
• High temperature gradient was
measured
• Dry well 2013
• Dry well 2010
Aasta
Hansteen
Exploring the unexplored and NPD projects 2014
ROV 2013 - collaboration NPD/UiB
Priority 2
Priority 1
ROV 2013, Priority 1
ROV dive
Interpreted
top basal
ROV 2013 – Priority 1
ROV 2013 – Sub basalt outcrops
• Movie
20
ROV 2013 - Priority 1: 7 dives
Igneous
Igneous
Igneous
Igneous
Igneous
Igneous
Late Campanian
Early Maastricht
Igneous
Late
Cretaceous
Igneous.
Igneous
Scale m
21
Late Campanian
Late
Cretaceous
Igneous
Late
Cretaceous
Maastricht
Igneous
ROV 2013 – Priority 1: selected bioevents
Terrestrial spore
Late Cretaceous marker
Open marine microplankton
Late Campanian marker
Open marine microplankton
Early Maastrichtian marker
• Organic matter little influenced by heat flow and volcanic activity
22
ROV 2013, Sum up priority 1
Late Cretaceous
ROV dive
Interpreted
top basalt
Exploring the unexplored and NPD projects 2014
Vøring Basin
Vøring
Marginal High
A
Dønna Terrace
Close to
6705/10-1
«Asterix»
North-west
Nordland
Ridge
Trøndelag Platform
Close to
Skarv
Victoria
6605/8-1
Stetind
South-east
Paleogene
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Neogene
2000
Upper Triassic
Lower and
? Middle Triassic
Intra Permian?
?
Eocene
Millisecond (ms)
?
4000
?
Paleocene
?
Upper
Cretaceous
?
Lower
Cretaceous
6000
Source rock
Intrusion
To deep in regards to
i.a. reservoar quality
Jurassic
A
Aasta
Hansteen
Triassic
Vøring Basing
80 km
Skarv
8000
Åsgard
24
A’
Modified from NPD Bulletin No. 8
Basement
Quaternary
A’
NPD projects 2014
Shallow drillholes 2014 - Møre Marginal High
Drilling
Coring
Trondheim
Summary
• Overall, the petroleum system in the Norwegian Sea is working
• Jurassic and Triassic reservoir rocks are prospective in eastern part (like Åsgard, Njord,
Skarv)
• Late Cretaceous reservoir rocks are prospective in central part (like Aasta Hansteen)
• Sub basalt exploration is time demanding
• 2015: The first drill or drop decision in sub basalt area
• NPD possesses large amounts of new data from the southern part of the Gjallar Ridge
• Samples range from Cretaceous clay stone to igneous rocks
• Still large areas to explore, with only a limited number of wells drilled in the
deeper part of the Norwegian Sea
Access to data: www.npd.no
www.npd.no
Thank you for the attention!
28
www.npd.no