The Barents Sea

Barents sea is an area of particular interest for Tectonor. We have particularly studied the Plio-Pleistocene glaciations and erosion, and the effect on the petroleum systems in the area (cf. Riis & Fjeldskaar, 1992; Elverhøi et al., 1993; Rasmussen & Fjeldskaar, 1995; Stephenson et al., 1995; Siegert & Fjeldskaar, 1996; Landvik et al., 1998; Løtveit et al., 2009, Amantov et al. 2011).

Extensive petroleum exploration was taking place in the Barents Sea in the 1970's and the 1980's, first in the Norwegian sector and later in the Russian Barents Sea. This exploration led to the acquisition of abundant seismic reflection data and the drilling of more than 60 wells in the Norwegian Barents Sea and more than 30 wells in the Russian Barents Sea by the early 1990's. Large gas fields were soon discovered in the Norwegian Barents Sea (Hammerfest Basin) but later exploration has not been that successful. Only one area has been set into production (the Snøhvit field development). Commercial quantities of oil have recently been discovered in the Goliath field. In contrast, the exploration in the Russian sector has resulted in discoveries of several giant gas fields (e.g. Shtockman). Large oil fields have been found in the Pechora Sea in the SE part of the Barents Sea.

Base Pleistocene of the Barents Sea

The reason for the different exploration success rates in the western and eastern Barents Sea is not well understood. The conditions for developing petroleum systems are present in the entire Barents Sea, with numerous levels of source rocks and potential traps. The problems of finding commercial hydrocarbon deposits in the Norwegian Barents Sea have been attributed to glacial erosion and uplift causing seal failure and expulsion of hydrocarbons from previously filled traps. The uplift has further caused a cooling of potential source rocks, turning off the hydrocarbon generation. There are major geological differences between the western and eastern Barents Sea. The western Barents Sea is characterized by broad platform areas cut by fairly narrow rifts. In contrast, the Eastern Barents Sea is a very broad and deep sag basin with little internal structuring. Currently, the nature and origin of these differences are not well documented and understood.

Top basement of the Barents Sea