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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2006; v. 254; p. 169-186;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2006.254.01.09
© 2006 Geological Society of London

Lower Cretaceous deep-water sandstone plays in the UK Central Graben

R. J. Milton-Worssell1, S. J. Stoker2 & J. E. Cavill3

1 Department of Trade and Industry, Energy Resources and Development Unit, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET, UK Richard.Milton-Worssell{at}dti.gsi.gov.uk
2 British Geological Survey, Gilmerton Core Store, 376 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7QS, UK
3 British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA, UK

Up to the present, exploration of the UK Lower Cretaceous deep-water sandstone play has been confined largely to the Moray Firth basins. The Lower Cretaceous of the Central Graben area has been modelled previously as predominantly shale-prone, and hence unattractive to exploration. There is a growing realization that this may not be the case. Since seismic imaging of Lower Cretaceous sandstones is known to be poor whether hydrocarbon-bearing or water-wet, a robust depositional model must be constructed from well and regional geological data in order to predict sandstone distribution and geometry, and hence to aid identification of potential hydrocarbon traps. Of the hundreds of wells drilled in the Central Graben area that targeted deeper Jurassic-Triassic reservoirs, virtually all have been located on the flanks of the graben, or on intra-graben highs. However, 71 of these wells have proved sandstones or traces of sandstone within the Lower Cretaceous, giving grounds for optimism that more substantial deep-water sandstone developments may be present within the graben depocentres. Twenty-six leads have been identified within these depocentres; most of these are located within stratigraphic traps in interpreted detached basin floor fans.





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S. J. Stoker, J. C. Gray, P. Haile, I. J. Andrews, and T. D. J. Cameron
The importance of stratigraphic plays in the undiscovered resources of the UK Continental Shelf
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2006; 254: 153 - 167.
[Abstract] [PDF]