Greenland-Norway Project 2018-2019: Permian Source Rock Study

The upper Permian (Wuchiapingian) Ravnefjeld Formation of the East Greenland Basin comprises a succession of basinal mudrocks that were deposited under fluctuating oxic/anoxic conditions. The formation contains intervals of oil-prone source rock and represents an onshore analogue of the correlative ‘lower Turbidite Unit’ of the Trøndelag Platform, mid-Norwegian Shelf. In the previous project phase, we presented sedimentological and geochemical analyses of the Ravnefjeld Formation from outcrop localities across a 315 km transect, from Jameson Land in the south, to Clavering Ø in the north.

This study builds upon the previous phase through the integration of additional sedimentological, geochemical (TOC, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis, GC-MS, SARA, C-isotopes, and U, Th and K) and vitrinite reflectance data. Palynological analysis of the Ravnefjeld Formation provides biostratigraphic age control and supports the proposed correlation with the ‘lower Turbidite Unit’.

Photomicrograph at x20 magnification under UV light.
Photomicrograph of a Ravnefjeld Formation mudstone at x20 magnification under ultraviolet light.

The project contributes further insights into the lateral variability of upper Permian source rock quality and thickness, which has implications for future exploration of the mid-Norwegian Shelf.

Completed: February 2020.

Contact(s): Adam Szulc

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