CallForBidsNF00-1 - Jeanne d'Arc, South Whale, Magdalen Basins

GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
PALEOZOIC MESOZOIC CENOZOIC
CARBONIFEROUS TR. JURASSIC CRETACEOUS
TERTIARY
DEV.
NEOG
PALOEGENE
SENONIAN
M
E
L
M
L
E
L
M
OXFORDIAN
CALLOVIAN
BAJOCIAN
BAJOCIAN
TOARCIAN
PLIENSBACHIAN
SINEMURIAN
HETTANGIAN
RHAETIAN
STEPHANIAN
WESTPHALIAN
NAMURIAN
VISEAN
TOURNAISIAN
FAMENNIAN
FRASNIAN
GIVETIAN
CANYON FM.
VERRILL
ABENAKI
FM.
MIC MAC
FM.
MOHAWK FM.
IROQOUIS FM.
ARGO FM.
EURYDICE FM.
ABENAKI
FM
SHALE
IROQUOIS FM.
ARGO FM.
EURYDICE FM.
UNNAMED
PICTOU
CUMBERLAND GPS.
RIVERDALE-
CANSO GPS.
WINDSOR GP.
HORTON GP.
BASEMENT COMPLEX
SHALE
UPPER CARB
LR. SHALE
ARGO FM.
MIC
MAC
FM.
Comparative stratigraphy of Scotian Shelf,
Southern Grand Banks and Northern Grand
Banks.
CANYON FM.
VERRILL
MIC
MAC
FM.
SOUTH MARA
SOUTH
TEMPEST
After Northcor Energy Report 1984 & MacLean and Wade, 1990
MISSISAUGA FM.
CANYON FM.
VERRILL
TRANSGRESSIVE
REGRESSIVE
INTERMEDIATE DRIFTING
TRANSGRESSIVE
RIFT
TECTONIC
SEDIMENT
STAGES
LATE DRIFTING
EARLY DRIFTING
VALLEY
PRE-RIFT
Page 16
South Whale Subbasin
The South Whale Subbasin was the first to be drilled offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. Fourteen
wells were drilled between 1966 and 1974 and one well ( Narwhal F-99) was drilled in 1987. In this first
phase of Grand Banks exploration the companies primarily targeted the salt piercement features
involving the Lower Jurrassic Argo Salt. It appears, however, that the Argo salt movement may have
postdated the migration of hydrocarbons and no discoveries were made. There were several oil and gas
shows in the South Whale Subbasin but a source rock has yet to be identified by the limited drilling.
However, given that the South Whale Subbasin lies on trend with the Scotian Basin which has a rich gasprone
source rock in the Upper Jurassic Verill Canyon Shales, there is a very good chance of similar age
source rocks in the deeper parts of the South Whale. It is also possible that the Egret Member, that has
sourced the oil and gas discoveries
Figure 3.7
of the Jeanne d’Arc Basin may be
AGE
SCOTIAN SOUTHERN NORTHERN present in this area. Although
SHELF GRAND BANKS GRAND BANKS similarities to the Scotian Basin
Q
PLIOCENE
suggests that the area may be gas
MIOCENE
prone, large basement ridges
BANQUEREAU BANQUEREAU BANQUEREAU
(observed on seismic data) that run
OLIGOCENE
FORMATION FORMATION FORMATION parallel to the shelf may have
EOCENE
provided the restricted marine
conditions that favor the
PALEOCENE
development of oil-prone source
MAASTRICHTIAN
FOX HARBOUR
CAMPANIAN WYANDOT FM.
DAWSON DAWSON CANYON rocks. These ridges appear to have
SANTONIAN
DAWSON CANYON
CANYON FORMATION
CONIACIAN FORMATION
FORMATION
been the base for carbonate banks
OTTER BAY
TURONIAN
PETREL MBR
PETREL MBR
PETREL MBR
L
that grew within the Jurassic. These
CENOMANIAN SHORT- SABLE M. LOGAN SHORT- EIDER
BEN
NAUTILUS
ALBIAN LAND
CANYON LAND
NEVIS
SHALE
SHALE NASKAPI M. FM. SHALE
banks, interpreted on the basis of
APTIAN
AVALON
BARREMIAN
seismic character, may have
E
MISSISAUGA
HAUTERIVIAN MISSISSAUGA
FORMATION
CATALINA
VALANGINIAN FORMATION
porosity development creating the
HIBERNIA
BERRIASIAN
opportunity for structural /
TITHONIAN
JEANNE D’ARC
L KIMMERIDGIAN
stratigraphic plays.
The South Whale Subbasin
contains the equivalent of the
Micmac and Mississauga
sandstones that have been key
producers in the Scotian Basin.
Seismic data indicates the presence
of an Upper Jurassic reef front, that
is known to contain thick porous
intervals on the Scotian Shelf, but
which has never been drilled
offshore Newfoundland. Pan-
Canadian Petroleum recently
announced a major gas discovery
within such a reef front offshore
Nova Scotia. This “Deep Panuke”
discovery was tested by two wells,
both of which tested in excess of 50
million cubic feet per-day with the
flow rates limited by equipment.