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Trias North – Reconstructing the Triassic northern Barents shelf

The sedimentary rocks in the Barents Sea from the Triassic Period (250-200 mil years ago) may contain petroleum reservoirs, but our knowledge of the geological history of this area is limited. Along the Norwegian coastline some areas have been explored, while others have not. Trias North is a knowledge-building project aiming to investigate the geological development of rocks in and around the Barents Sea.

The Barents Sea is a part of the Arctic Ocean in the Hight North. Illustration photo: Colourbox.no, NASA

About the project

The geological history of the rocks in the Barents Sea remains enigmatic in several aspects. While increased knowledge has been gained in some areas along the Norwegian coastline, which have been investigated in connection with oil exploration, other areas are closed to exploration and remain poorly understood.

Trias North is a knowledge-building project aiming at gaining deeper insight into important geological questions like: How did sediments end up here? What controlled where they were deposited and which processes affected them after deposition? At what rates did the sediments accumulate and where did they come from? What environments developed, and where are the old sandy beaches?

A geological map of the Barents Sea. Purple color indicates sandstones from the Triassic time-period, while blue areas are younger (Jurassic-Cretaceous). See larger version of this map. Figure: Anell et al., 2014.

The reservoir properties of sandstones from the Triassic are well known further west around Longyearbyen, where studies of CO2 capture and storage have been carried out. However, a thorough study and description of the sandstone layers on land east o, for example, Edgeøya is needed to get a fuller understanding of the geology of the area.

Our project aims to analyze the sedimentological, stratigraphical and structural setting of the region and perform detailed studies of the sedimentary systems to establish better temporal links between source areas, sediment routing, sedimentary sinks, and what happened with the sediments after deposition. We also want to undertake tectonic analysis to better understand large-scale driving forces of sag/warp basins and highs versus fault system development. Increased knowledge about the geological history of the area is not only of academic interest but also important in evaluating possible oil and gas exploration in the northern and eastern areas of the region.

Objectives

Trias North will explore the Triassic basin development and sedimentary infill of the northern Barents Shelf by integrating geological studies onshore Svalbard with offshore seismic data analysis and numerical and analogue modelling. The scientific objectives are to:

Analyze shallow-shelf infill by clinoform migration across regional sag/warp-type basins;
Investigate the fluvial and shallow marine depositional systems of the migrating shelf;
Evaluate the role of growth faulting in the distribution of reservoir sandstones, and assess the implications for prospectivity;
Analyze the provenance of clastic material of the reservoir sandstones by isotopes and chemical signatures, and their burial histories linked to diagenesis;
Investigate impacts on the sedimentary system of the interaction between shelf progradation, basin and high development, and faulting;
Explore tectonic reactivation of deep-seated zones of weakness and correlate this to far-field stress configurations.

A general objective for the project is knowledge-transferring and competence building. This is achieved by recruiting PhD students and postdoctoral fellows (comprising the equivalent of 20 research years). Junior scientists will represent a fundamental part of the research team.

The research team

The Trias North-project includes researchers from a variety of universities and research institutes in Norway and abroad. The University of Oslo (UiO) is hosting the project, which is led by professor Alvar Braathen at the Department of Geosciences. Other scientists on the UiO team are Ingrid Anell, Roy Gabrielsen, Jan Inge Faleide, Ivar Midtkandal, Helge Hellevang, Johan Petter Nystuen, Per Aagaard and Knut Bjørlykke.

Other research partners are:

University of Bergen (William Helland-Hansen, Tore Grane Klausen, Christian Haug Eide)
University Centre in Svalbard (Snorre Olaussen, Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora, Mark Mulrooney)
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Atle Mørk)
NORSAR (Isabelle Lacomte)
Uni Research (Simon Buckley)
University of Utrecht (Dimitrios Sokoutis, Ernst Willingshofer)
University of Parma (Fabrizio Storti, Kei Ogata, Fabrizio Balsamo, Cristian Cavozzi)
Polish Academy of Science (Krzysztof Krajewski, Urszula Czarniecka)
University of Nebraska (Harmon Maher)
Geological Survey of Canada (Asthon Embry)

Financing

Full project name is Reconstructing the Triassic northern Barents Shelf; basin infill patterns controlled by gentle sags and faults. The project is funded by the Rsearch Council of Norway (NFR) in the PETROMAKS-programme. The project number is 234152.

The project has also got funding from the following industrial partners:

The Trias North project started up in 2014 and will end 2018.

Olaussen, Snorre; Grundvåg, Sten-Andreas; Senger, Kim; Anell, Ingrid; Betlem, Peter & Birchall, Thomas [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2023). Svalbard Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Barents Sea” . Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57. doi: 10.1144/M57-2021-36. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
The Svalbard Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (SCTSE) is located on the northwestern corner of the Barents Shelf and comprises a Carboniferous–Pleistocene sedimentary succession. Due to Cenozoic uplift, the succession is subaerially exposed in the Svalbard archipelago. The oldest parts of the succession consist of Carboniferous–Permian mixed siliciclastic, carbonate and evaporite, and spiculitic sediments that developed during multiple phases of extension. The majority of the Mesozoic succession is composed of siliciclastic deposits formed in sag basins and continental platforms. Episodes of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous contraction are evident in the eastern part of thearchipelago and in nearby offshore areas. Differential uplift related to the opening of the Amerasian Basin and the Cretaceous emplacement of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province created a major hiatus spanning from the Late Cretaceous and early Danian throughout the SvalbardCTSE. The West Spitsbergen Fold and Thrust Belt and the associated foreland basin in central Spitsbergen (Central Tertiary Basin) formed as a response to the Eurekan Orogeny and the progressive northward opening of the North Atlantic during the Paleogene. This event was followed by the formation of yet another major hiatus spanning the Oligocene–Pliocene. Multiple reservoir and source-rock units exposed in Svalbardprovide analogues to the prolific offshore acreages in the SW Barents Sea, and are important for the de-risking of plays and prospects. However, the archipelago itself is regarded as a high-risk acreage for petroleum exploration. This is due to Paleogene contraction and late Neogene uplift of the western and central parts in particular. There is an absence of mature source rocks in the east, and the entire region is subjected to strict environmental protection
Haile, Beyene Girma; Czarniecka, Urszula; Xi, Kelai; Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra; Jahren, Jens & Braathen, Alvar [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Hydrothermally induced diagenesis: Evidence from shallow marine-deltaic sediments, Wilhelmøya, Svalbard. Geoscience Frontiers. ISSN 1674-9871. 10(2), p. 629–649. doi: 10.1016/j.gsf.2018.02.015. Full text in Research Archive
Buckley, Simon John; Ringdal, Kari; Naumann, Nicole; Dolva, Benjamin; Kurz, Tobias Herbert & Howell, John Anthony [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). LIME: Software for 3-D visualization, interpretation, and communication of virtual geoscience models. Geosphere. ISSN 1553-040X. 15(1), p. 222–235. doi: 10.1130/GES02002.1. Full text in Research Archive
Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra; Osmundsen, Per Terje; Braathen, Alvar; Ogata, Kei; Anell, Ingrid Margareta & Mulrooney, Mark Joseph [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Architecture of growth basins in a tidally influenced, prodelta to delta-front setting: The Triassic succession of Kvalpynten, East Svalbard. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. doi: 10.1111/bre.12410. Full text in Research Archive
Lord, Gareth Steven; Mørk, Mai Britt Engeness; Mørk, Atle & Olaussen, Snorre (2019). Sedimentology and petrography of the Svenskøya Formation on Hopen, Svalbard: an analogue to sandstone reservoirs in the Realgrunnen Subgroup. Polar Research. ISSN 0800-0395. 38. doi: 10.33265/polar.v38.3523. Full text in Research Archive
Eide, Christian Haug; Schofield, Nick; Lecomte, Isabelle; Buckley, Simon John & Howell, John Anthony (2018). Seismic interpretation of sill complexes in sedimentary basins: Implications for the sub-sill imaging problem. Journal of the Geological Society. ISSN 0016-7649. 175(2), p. 193–209. doi: 10.1144/jgs2017-096. Show summary
Application of 3D-seismic reflection-data to igneous systems in sedimentary basins has led to a revolution in the understanding of mafic sill-complexes. However, there is considerable uncertainty on how geometries and architecture of sill-complexes within the subsurface relates to those imaged in seismic reflection-data. To provide constraints on how sill-complexes in seismic data should be interpreted, we present synthetic seismograms generated from a seismic-scale (22x0.25 km) outcrop in East Greenland constrained by abundant field-data. This study highlights how overlying igneous rocks adversely affect imaging of underlying intrusions and rocks by decreasing seismic amplitude, frequency and making steeply dipping features near-impossible to image. Furthermore, seismic modelling in this study shows that, because of the high impedance contrast between siliciclastic host-rock and dolerites, very thin (1-5 m) intrusions should in principle be imaged in reflection-seismic data at 3 km depth. However, comparison with actual seismic data with well-data shows significant amounts of un-imaged sill intrusions, and this is likely due to limited seismic resolution, overburden complexity, inadequate velocity-models, and interference between reflections from closely spaced sills and sill-splays. Significant improvements to sill imaging and interpretation could be made by better predicting occurrence and geometry of sill intrusions and including these in velocity models.
Eide, Christian Haug; Muller, Reidar & Helland-Hansen, William (2018). Using climate to relate water-discharge and area in modern and ancient catchments. Sedimentology. ISSN 0037-0746. 65(4), p. 1378–1389. doi: 10.1111/sed.12426. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Models relating sediment supply to catchment properties are important in order to use the geological record to deduce landscape evolution and interplay between tectonics and climate. Water-discharge (Qw) is an important factor in the widely used BQART-model of Syvitski and Milliman (2007), which relates sediment load to a set of measureable catchment parameters. Although many of the factors in this equation may be independently estimated with some degree of certainty in ancient systems, water-discharge (Qw) certainly cannot. An analysis of a world database of modern catchments (Milliman and Farnsworth, 2011) shows that the commonly applied equation relating catchment area (A) to water-discharge (Qw=0.075A0.8), does not predict water-discharge from catchment area well in many cases (R2=0.5 and an error spanning c. 3 orders-of-magnitude). This is because the method does not incorporate the effect of arid and wet climate on river water-discharge. The inclusion of climate-data into such estimations is an opportunity to refine these estimates, because generalized estimates of palaeoclimate can often be deduced on the basis of sedimentological data such as palaeosol types, mineralogy and palaeohydraulics. This paper investigates how the relationship between catchment area and river discharge vary with four runoff categories (arid, semiarid, humid, and wet) which are recognizable in the geological record, and modifies the coefficient and exponent of the abovementioned equation according to these classes. Our modified model yields improved results in relating discharge to catchment area (R2=0.95 and error spanning 1 order-of-magnitude) when core-, outcrop- or regional palaeoclimate reconstruction data are available in non-arid systems. Arid systems have an inherently variable water-discharge, and catchment area is less important as a control due to downstream losses. The model here is sufficient for many geological applications and makes it possible to include variations in catchment humidity in mass-flux estimates in ancient settings.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Lecomte, Isabelle; Faleide, Jan Inge & Leutscher, Johan (2018). Integrating facies-based Bayesian inversion and supervised machine learning for petro-facies characterization in the Snadd Formation of the Goliat Field, south-western Barents Sea. Geophysical Prospecting. ISSN 0016-8025. 67, p. 1020–1039. doi: 10.1111/1365-2478.12654. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Seismic petro‐facies characterization in low net‐to‐gross reservoirs with poor reservoir properties such as the Snadd Formation in the Goliat field requires a multidisciplinary approach. This is especially important when the elastic properties of the desired petro‐facies significantly overlap. Pore fluid corrected endmember sand and shale depth trends have been used to generate stochastic forward models for different lithology and fluid combinations in order to assess the degree of separation of different petro‐facies. Subsequently, a spectral decomposition and blending of selected frequency volumes reveal some seismic fluvial geomorphological features. We then jointly inverted for impedance and facies within a Bayesian framework using facies‐dependent rock physics depth trends as input. The results from the inversion are then integrated into a supervised machine learning neural network for effective porosity discrimination. Probability density functions derived from stochastic forward modelling of endmember depth trends show a decreasing seismic fluid discrimination with depth. Spectral decomposition and blending of selected frequencies reveal a dominant NNE trend compared to the regional SE–NW pro‐gradational trend, and a local E–W trend potentially related to fault activity at branches of the Troms‐Finnmark Fault Complex. The facies‐based inversion captures the main reservoir facies within the limits of the seismic bandwidth. Meanwhile the effective porosity predictions from the multilayer feed forward neural network are consistent with the inverted facies model, and can be used to qualitatively highlight the cleanest regions within the inverted facies model. A combination of facies‐based inversion and neural network improves the seismic reservoir delineation of the Snadd Formation in the Goliat Field.
Haile, Beyene Girma; Klausen, Tore Grane; Czarniecka, Urszula; Xi, Kelai; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2018). How are diagenesis and reservoir quality linked to depositional facies? A deltaic succession, Edgeøya, Svalbard. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 92, p. 519–546. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.11.019.
Braathen, Alvar; Midtkandal, Ivar; Mulrooney, Mark; Appleyard, Tyler Ross; Haile, Beyene Girma & van Yperen, Anna Elisabeth (2018). Growth-faults from delta collapse - structural and sedimentological investigation of the Last Chance delta, Ferron Sandstone, Utah. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 30(4), p. 688–707. doi: 10.1111/bre.12271.
Line, Lina Hedvig; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2018). Mechanical compaction in chlorite-coated sandstone reservoirs - Examples from Middle - Late Triassic channels in the southwestern Barents Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 96, p. 348–370. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.05.025. Full text in Research Archive
Haile, Beyene Girma; Klausen, Tore Grane; Jahren, Jens; Braathen, Alvar & Hellevang, Helge (2018). Thermal history of a Triassic sedimentary sequence verified by a multi-method approach: Edgeøya, Svalbard, Norway. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 30(6), p. 1075–1097. doi: 10.1111/bre.12292.
Mulrooney, Mark; Rismyhr, Bjarte; Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Leutscher, Johan; Olaussen, Snorre & Braathen, Alvar (2018). Impacts of small-scale faults on continental to coastal plain deposition: Evidence from the Realgrunnen Subgroup in the Goliat field, southwest Barents Sea, Norway. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 95, p. 276–302. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.04.023. Full text in Research Archive
Ogata, Kei; Mulrooney, Mark ; Braathen, Alvar; Maher, Harmon; Osmundsen, Per Terje & Anell, Ingrid Margareta [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Architecture, deformation style and petrophysical properties of growth fault systems: the Late Triassic deltaic succession of southern Edgeøya (East Svalbard). Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 30(5), p. 1042–1073. doi: 10.1111/bre.12296. Full text in Research Archive
Mulrooney, Mark Joseph; Larsen, Leif; Van Stappen, Jeroen; Rismyhr, Bjarte; Senger, Kim & Braathen, Alvar [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2018). Fluid flow properties of the Wilhelmøya Subgroup, a potential unconventional CO2 storage unit in central Spitsbergen. Norwegian Journal of Geology. ISSN 2387-5844. 99(4), p. 85–116. doi: 10.17850/njg002. Full text in Research Archive
Olaussen, Snorre; Larssen, Geir Birger; Helland-Hansen, William; Johannessen, Erik P.; Nøttvedt, Arvid & Riis, Fridtjof [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Mesozoic strata of Kong Karls Land, Svalbard, Norway; a link to the northern Barents Sea basins and platforms. Norwegian Journal of Geology. ISSN 2387-5844. 98(4), p. 1–69. doi: 10.17850/njg98-4-06.
Klausen, Tore Grane; Muller, Reidar; Slama, Jiri; Olaussen, Snorre; Rismyhr, Bjarte & Helland-Hansen, William (2017). Depositional history of a condensed shallow marine reservoir succession: stratigraphy and detrital zircon geochronology of the Jurassic Stø Formation, Barents Sea. Journal of the Geological Society. ISSN 0016-7649. 175(1), p. 130–145. doi: 10.1144/jgs2017-024.
Klausen, Tore Grane; Torland, Jonas Aas; Eide, Christian Haug; Alaei, Behzad; Olaussen, Snorre & Chiarella, Domenico (2017). Clinoform development and topset evolution in a mud-rich delta - the Middle Triassic Kobbe Formation, Norwegian Barents Sea. Sedimentology. ISSN 0037-0746. 65(4), p. 1132–1169. doi: 10.1111/sed.12417. Show summary
Clinoform surfaces are routinely used to mark transitions from shallow waters to deep basins. This concept represents a valuable tool for screening potential reservoir intervals in frontier basins where limited data are available. Variations in the character of clinoform geometries and shoreline and shelf-edge trajectories are indicators of a range of different factors, such as palaeobathymetry, changes in relative sea-level and sediment supply. Applications of conceptual and generalized models might however lead to erroneous assumptions about the supply of coarse-grained material to the delta front and basin when superficial similarities between clinoform geometries are not treated holistically. The present study examines the mudstone-dominated Middle Triassic Kobbe Formation – a potential hydrocarbon reservoir interval in the Barents Sea, where prodeltaic to deltaic deposits can be examined in cores, well logs and two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic data. Despite pronounced acoustic impedance contrast to the surrounding shale, channel belt networks are not observed close to the platform-edge in seismic datasets, even at maximum regressive stages. However, sub-seismic prodeltaic deposits observed on the shallow platform indicate that prodeltaic deposits were sourced directly from the delta plain. Clinoform surfaces with different geometries and scale are observed basinward of the palaeo platform-edge of underlying progradational sequences, correlative to mudstone-dominated prodeltaic core sections. Results indicate that platform-edge deltas developed at discrete sites in the basin due to normal regression, but the positions of these deltas are not directly relatable to variations in clinoform geometries. Transitions from third-order to fourth-order clinoform geometries record discrete transgressive–regressive cycles but are not necessarily good indicators of sandstone deposition. Because of prolonged periods with high accommodation, channel avulsions were frequent and only very fine-grained sandstone was deposited in heterolithic units at the delta front. Sandstones with good reservoir properties are predominantly found along basin margins.
Maher, Harmon; Ogata, Kei & Braathen, Alvar (2017). Cone-in-cone and beef mineralization associated with Triassic growth basin faulting and shallow shale diagenesis, Edgeøya, Svalbard. Geological Magazine. ISSN 0016-7568. 154(2), p. 201–216. doi: 10.1017/S0016756815000886. Full text in Research Archive
Mulrooney, Mark; Leutscher, J & Braathen, Alvar (2017). A 3D structural analysis of the Goliat field, Barents Sea, Norway. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 86, p. 192–212. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.05.038.
Eide, Christian Haug; Klausen, Tore Grane; Katkov, Denis; Suslova, Anna & Helland-Hansen, William (2017). Linking an Early Triassic delta to antecedent topography: Source-to-sink study of the southwestern Barents Sea margin. Geological Society of America Bulletin. ISSN 0016-7606. 130(1-2), p. 263–283. doi: 10.1130/B31639.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Present-day catchments adjacent to sedimentary basins may preserve geomorphic elements that have been active through long intervals of time. Relicts of ancient catchments in present-day landscapes may be investigated using mass-balance models and can give important information about upland landscape evolution and reservoir distribution in adjacent basins. However, such methods are in their infancy and are often difficult to apply in deep-time settings due to later landscape modification. The southern Barents Sea margin of N Norway and NW Russia is ideal for investigating source-to-sink models, because it has been subject to minor tectonic activity since the Carboniferous, and large parts have eluded significant Quaternary glacial erosion. A zone close to the present-day coast has likely acted as the boundary between basin and catchments since the Carboniferous. Around the Permian-Triassic transition, a large delta system started to prograde from the same area as the present-day largest river in the area, the Tana River, which has long been interpreted to show features indicating that it was developed prior to present-day topography. We performed a source-to-sink study of this ancient system in order to investigate potential linkages between present-day geomorphology and ancient deposits. We investigated the sediment load of the ancient delta using well, core, two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic data, and digital elevation models to investigate the geomorphology of the onshore catchment and surrounding areas. Our results imply that the present-day Tana catchment was formed close to the Permian-Triassic transition, and that the Triassic delta system has much better reservoir properties compared to the rest of Triassic basin infill. This implies that landscapes may indeed preserve catchment geometries for extended periods of time, and it demonstrates that source-to-sink techniques can be instrumental in predicting the extent and quality of subsurface reservoirs.
Anell, Ingrid Margareta & Midtkandal, Ivar (2017). The quantifiable clinothem – types, shapes and geometric relationships in the Plio-Pleistocene Giant Foresets Formation, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 29, p. 277–297. doi: 10.1111/bre.12149.
Wysocka, A; Welc, F & Czarniecka, Urszula (2016). Sedimentary environment of the Early Pleistocene gravels of the Edfu Formation from the Saqqara archaeological site (Egypt) – preliminary results. Quaternary studies in Poland. ISSN 1641-5558. 33(1), p. 69–78. doi: 10.1515/squa-2016-0007.
Bojanowski, Maciej J.; Czarniecka, Urszula; Gąsiński, Arkadiusz; Jokubauskas, Petras; Kobylińska, Urszula & Kobyliński, Zbigniew [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Petrography of the prehistoric and medieval pottery from gords of western part of the Prussian lands. Archaeologica Hereditas. ISSN 2451-0521. p. 113–146.
Klausen, Tore Grane; Müller, Reidar; Slama, Jiri & Helland-Hansen, William (2016). Evidence for Late Triassic provenance areas and Early Jurassic sediment supply turnover in the Barents Sea Basin of northern Pangea. Lithosphere. ISSN 1941-8264. 9(1), p. 14–28. doi: 10.1130/L556.1.
Ringdal, Kari; Buckley, Simon John; Lecomte, Isabelle; Anell, Ingrid Margareta & Braathen, Alvar (2016). From photorealistic outcrop models to synthetic seismic images. In Buckley, Simon John; Naumann, Nicole; Kurz, Tobias Herbert & Eide, Christian Haug (Ed.), 2nd Virtual Geoscience Conference, Proceedings Volume. Uni Research AS. ISSN 978-82-8361-004-8.
Nyberg, Björn; Eide, Christian Haug; Buckley, Simon John & Howell, John Anthony (2016). Advances in the automated geometric extraction and analysis of geological bodies from virtual outcrops. In Buckley, Simon John; Naumann, Nicole; Kurz, Tobias Herbert & Eide, Christian Haug (Ed.), 2nd Virtual Geoscience Conference, Proceedings Volume. Uni Research AS. ISSN 978-82-8361-004-8. p. 67–68.
Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Lecomte, Isabelle; Braathen, Alvar & Buckley, Simon John (2016). Synthetic seismic illumination of small-scale growth faults, paralic deposits and low-angle clinoforms: A case study of the Triassic successions on Edgeøya, NW Barents Shelf. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 77, p. 625–639. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.07.005.
Klausen, Tore Grane; Ryseth, Alf Eivind; Helland-Hansen, William & Gjelberg, Helge Kollsete (2016). Progradational and backstepping shoreface deposits in the Ladinian to Early Norian Snadd Formation of the Barents Sea. Sedimentology. ISSN 0037-0746. 63(4), p. 893–916. doi: 10.1111/sed.12242.
Gabrielsen, Roy Helge; Sokoutis, Dimitrios; Willingshofer, Ernst & Faleide, Jan Inge (2016). Fault linkage across weak layers during extension: an experimental approach with reference to the Hoop Fault Complex of the SW Barents Sea. Petroleum Geoscience. ISSN 1354-0793. 22(2), p. 123–135. doi: 10.1144/petgeo2015-029.
Lecomte, Isabelle; Lubrano-Lavadera, Paul Louis Francois; Botter, Charlotte; Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Buckley, Simon John & Eide, Christian Haug [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2016). 2(3)D convolution modelling of complex geological targets – beyond 1D convolution. First Break. ISSN 0263-5046. 34(5), p. 99–107.
Gabrielsen, Roy Helge; Braathen, Alvar; Kjemperud, Magnus Vestheim & Valdresbåten, Marie Lovise (2016). The geometry and dimensions of fault-core lenses. Geological Society Special Publication. ISSN 0305-8719. 439. doi: 10.1144/SP439.4.

View all works in Cristin

Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Serck, Christopher Sæbø; Zuchuat, Valentin & Braathen, Alvar (2020). Structural influence on Triassic deposition on the Northern Barents Shelf.
Friestad, Espen; Eide, Christian Haug & Lecomte, Isabelle (2019). Synthetic seismic modelling of fluvial channels in the Blackhawk Formation as an analogue to the Triassic Barents Sea.
Buckley, Simon John; Ringdal, Kari; Dolva, Benjamin; Lecomte, Isabelle; Anell, Ingrid Margareta & Braathen, Alvar (2018). A virtual field trip to seismic-scale outcrops of the Triassic, Edgeøya, Svalbard. Show summary
Large-scale cliff sections on Edgeøya, an island in the eastern part of the Svalbard Archipelago, comprise mostly Triassic sedimentary successions, and are onshore outcrops of formations found on the offshore Barents Shelf. These outcrops are of high interest for studying the subsurface geology found offshore on the Barents Shelf, using seismic-scale features such as small-scale growth faults, paralic deposits and low-angle clinoforms (Anell et al., 2016). At Kvalpynten, an outcrop at the southern end of Edgeøya, these features can be observed, providing the opportunity to compare offshore seismic data with the outcrop expression using seismic modelling. Synthetic seismic modelling provides a means of aiding interpretation of seismic data by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing resolution, scale and level of detail of modelled onshore structures (Lecomte et al., 2015). This can give valuable insights into potential resolution and survey parameter issues, as well as limitations with seismic data. Developments in digital outcrop modelling techniques, such as lidar and photogrammetry, now allow the accurate and high-resolution capture of large and inaccessible outcrop sections, at scales comparable with seismic vertical resolution. This opens up new possibilities for generating georeferenced input to synthetic seismic modelling, which allows generation of highly visual end products for educational purposes. This contribution presents a virtual field trip to the Triassic outcrops at Kvalpynten. The dataset is based on virtual outcrop models collected using boat-based photogrammetry, covering over 10km of continuous cliff sections. The 3D outcrop model is combined with geological interpretations, logs, field photos and information panels, as well as regional elevation data to set the context of the trip. In addition, synthetic seismic data are fused with the virtual outcrop models to highlight the scale of the exposures compared to offshore seismic data. The combined dataset is explored in LIME, a high performance viewer designed for displaying disparate geospatial and field datasets (http://virtualoutcrop.com/lime).
Czarniecka, Urszula; Haile, Beyene Girma & Krajewski, Krzysztof (2018). Middle Triassic siliciclastic deposits of Svalbard as a part of source to sink framework of the Arctic.
Eide, Christian Haug; Lecomte, Isabelle; Schofield, Nick; Buckley, Simon John & Howell, John Anthony (2018). Seismic Interpretation of Mafic Sill-Complexes in Sedimentary Basins . Show summary
Application of 3D-seismic reflection-data to igneous systems in sedimentary basins has led to a revolution in the understanding of mafic sill-complexes. However, there is considerable uncertainty on how geometries and architecture of sill-complexes within the subsurface relates to those imaged in seismic reflection-data. To provide constraints on how sill-complexes in seismic data should be interpreted, we present synthetic seismograms generated from a seismic-scale (22x0.25 km) outcrop in East Greenland constrained by abundant field-data. This study highlights how overlying igneous rocks adversely affect imaging of underlying intrusions and rocks by decreasing seismic amplitude, frequency and making steeply dipping features near-impossible to image. Furthermore, seismic modelling in this study shows that, because of the high impedance contrast between siliciclastic host-rock and dolerites, very thin (1-5 m) intrusions should in principle be imaged in reflection-seismic data at 3 km depth. However, comparison with actual seismic data with well-data shows significant amounts of un-imaged sill intrusions, and this is likely due to limited seismic resolution, overburden complexity, inadequate velocity-models, and interference between reflections from closely spaced sills and sill-splays. Significant improvements to sill imaging and interpretation could be made by better predicting occurrence and geometry of sill intrusions and including these in velocity models.
Nystuen, Johan Petter (2018). How Old are the Mountains in South Norway.
Osmundsen, Per Terje (2018). Linking onshore and off shore structures and their role in basin development on the continental margin.
Gabrielsen, Roy Helge (2018). Sum up and looks into the future.
Braathen, Alvar (2018). Brittle structures in southern Norway.
Faleide, Jan Inge (2018). Barents Sea basin evolution - in time and space.
Eide, Christian Haug; Klausen, Tore Grane; Katkov, Denis; Suslova, Anna & Helland-Hansen, William (2017). Linking an Early Triassic delta to antecedent topography: source-to-sink study of the southwestern Barents Sea margin.
Olaussen, Snorre (2017). Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic key sequence stratigraphic surfaces onshore offshore Arctic Norway; guidelines for prediction of facies development.
Haile, Beyene Girma; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2017). New insights about thermally driven diagenetic changes due to the emplacement of magmatic sills into reservoir sediments at Wilhelmøya (Svalbard): Implications for reservoir quality.
Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Braathen, Alvar; Røhnert, Daniela; Ogata, Kei; Osmundsen, Per Terje & Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2017). Findings of five field foragings. Sandbody distribution, clinoform geometries and depositional environments of Edgeøya, Svalbard.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Lecomte, Isabelle & Faleide, Jan Inge (2017). Quantitative Seismic interpretation strategies for petrofacies discrimination within the Triassic: A Goliat Case Study.
Buckley, Simon John; Ringdal, Kari; Dolva, Benjamin; Lecomte, Isabelle; Eide, Christian Haug & Anell, Ingrid Margareta [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Digital outcrop modelling results and workflows for derived synthetic seismic imaging.
Mulrooney, Mark; Rismyhr, Bjarte; Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Leutscher, Johan; Olaussen, Snorre & Braathen, Alvar (2017). Impacts of small‐scale faults on continental to coastal plain deposition: Evidence from the Realgrunnen Subgroup in the Goliat field, Southwest Barents Sea, Norway.
Braathen, Alvar (2017). Trias North – from ambitions to results – did we answer the key questions?
Eide, Christian Haug; Klausen, Tore Grane & Helland-Hansen, William (2017). An integrated view of sedimentary systems in the Triassic Barents Sea.
Line, Lina Hedvig; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2017). Diagenesis and Reservoir Quality of Anisian and Carnian channels in the southwestern Barents Sea.
Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna (2017). Sedimentary architecture of halfgrabens and grabens fill; Kvalpynten, SW Edgeøya.
Maher, Harmon; Braathen, Alvar; Mulrooney, Mark; Ogata, Kei; Osmundsen, Per Terje & Senger, Kim [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Regional fracture systems & local fracture domains in Svalbard's diabase sills .
Faleide, Jan Inge (2017). Barents shelf tectonic evolution – recent advances .
Czarniecka, Urszula (2017). Westerly-sourced siliciclastic deposits in the Triassic of Svalbard as a part of the source to sink framework of the Arctic.
Braathen, Alvar; Mulrooney, Mark; Haile, Beyene Girma; Appleyard, Tyler Ross; van Yperen, Anna Elisabeth & Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2017). “Delta collapse” – Edgeøya delta system compared to the Ferron delta (Utah) .
Ogata, Kei; Mulrooney, Mark; Braathen, Alvar; Maher, Harmon; Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna & Anell, Ingrid Margareta [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2017). Architecture, deformation style and petrophysical properties of a Late Triassic growth fault system in southern Edgeøya, East Svalbard.
Line, Lina Hedvig; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2017). Diagenesis and Reservoir quality of Anisian and Carnian channels in the southwestern Barents Sea.
Helland-Hansen, William; Eide, Christian Haug; Klausen, Tore Grane & Braathen, Alvar (2017). Internasjonal forskningsgruppe studerer triaslagrekken på Svalbard og i Barentshavet med nytt blikk: Ny forståelse av et gigantisk elve- og deltasystem.
Czarniecka, Urszula (2017). Provenance signature of the westerly-sourced siliciclastic deposits in the Triassic of Svalbard.
Line, Lina Hedvig & Jahren, Jens (2017). Reservoir quality of Anisian and Carnian channels on the southwestern Barents Shelf.
Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna; Osmundsen, Per Terje; Braathen, Alvar; Ogata, Kei; Anell, Ingrid Margareta & Husteli, Berit [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2017). Sedimentary architecture of siliciclastic, syntectonic graben and halfgraben fill in Kvalpynten, Edgeøya, Svalbard. Show summary
An array of ten grabens/ half-grabens and their associated syntectonic basin fill (averaging approx. 700 m across) are exposed along a 9 km cliff section at Kvalpynten, Edgeøya, offering a unique opportunity to study the silisiclastic architecture of listric graben basin fill. The exposures at Kvalpynten provide a unique opportunity to correlate fault-controlled sedimentary architecture on the scale of meters to hundreds of meters with detailed facies relationships, and thus fault-induced differential accommodation with the depositional environments that filled it. The basins developed in the Late Triassic, during the deposition of the Early Carnian to Early Norian deltaic successions of Tchermakfjellet and De Geerdalen formations which is approximately the onshore equivalent to the offshore Snadd Formation. The lowermost part of the ca 400 m high Kvalpynten cliff section reveals a number of NW–SE striking growth faults with 50–100 m offset, which bound basins filled with shale and sandstone wedges. Up section, the growth faults tip out, and are buried by undeformed deltaic deposits. Integrated field studies including sedimentology and structural geology combined with surfaces mapping on a photogrammetric virtual outcrop model allowed incremental reconstruction of the grabens/ half-grabens evolution. Four transgressive surfaces were identified and mapped, allowing correlation of the sandstone packages between each basin. The sequence of faulting has been defined with respect to the mapped flooding surfaces. Faulting clearly occurred in several phases as evident by the syn-kinematic fault’s control on sediments of different ages, and from the occurrence of later forming faults rotating earlier formed fault blocks. In general, early faults defined a relatively symmetrical basin configuration whereas later phases of movement were localized mainly along south-dipping faults. This gave rise to a change to more asymmetric basins and to the formation of asymmetric, composite sedimentary bodies with stacked shoreface and offshore transition deposits. Locally, fault crests were eroded. Our sedimentological observations suggest that tidal processes were dominant during sandstone deposition within the grabens/half-grabens, expressed by the widespread occurrence of tidal bar and tidal flat deposits.
Haile, Beyene Girma; Klausen, Tore Grane; Czarniecka, Urszula; Xi, Kelai; Jahren, Jens & Braathen, Alvar [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Diagenesis of Upper Triassic sandstones, Edgeøya, Svalbard.
Line, Lina Hedvig; Jahren, Jens & Hellevang, Helge (2017). Reservoir characterization of Triassic sandstones in the southwestern Barents Sea.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Lecomte, Isabelle; Faleide, Jan Inge & Leutscher, J (2017). Integrating prestack inversion, machine learning, and forward seismic modelling for petrofacies characterization: A Barents Sea case study.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Faleide, Jan Inge & Lecomte, Isabelle (2017). Petrofacies characterization using prestack inversion and neural networks within the Snadd Formation of the Goliat Field, SW Barents Sea. Show summary
The studied Goliat Field is the first oil field to be in production in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea despite an exploration history spanning over three decades. The reserves within Triassic Snadd Formation were not included in PDO (Plan for Development and Operations). This was due to poorer reservoir properties compared to the Realgrunnen Subgroup and the Kobbe Formation which together constitute the primary reservoir target in the Goliat Field. The field has an expected life time of 15 years. However, this life time can potentially be extended by applying quantitative seismic reservoir characterization techniques within more challenging minor reservoir intervals like the Snadd formation. Fluid discrimination by geophysical technique in uplifted Barents Sea areas has additional challenges as a result of a reduction in the seismic fluid sensitivity associated with rock stiffening (overconsolidation) due to prior deeper burial and quartz cementation. A multidisciplinary approach involving geology, rock physics, and geophysics has been used for petrofacies characterization from long offset prestack angle gathers and petrophysical well logs. A rock physics feasibility and AVA forward modelling reveal the sensitivity of the defined petrofacies classes to different elastic properties. The optimum prestack inversion method is subsequently selected based on the rock physics feasibility. The output from the inversion is used to derive the PEIL (Pseudo-Elastic Impedance), PI (Poisson Impedance), and LMR (Lambda-Mhu-Rho) attributes. These derived prestack attributes are then combined with poststack trace attributes in a neural network analysis. Neural networks utilize the non-linear relationships between the parameters to further optimize the inverted result and to predict the effective porosity, gamma ray, and resistivity log responses. Finally probability density functions (PDFs) extracted from the best well log training dataset are applied to a composite seismic attribute volume from which probability estimates of the classified petrofacies are obtained. Geological interpretations are then inferred based on the seismic geomorphological character observed from the different attributes. Probability maps obtained from this integrated approach has the potential to guide petrophysical reservoir modelling workflows and optimization of reservoir drainage strategies.
Eide, Christian Haug; Schofield, Nick; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Howell, John Anthony (2017). Basin-scale architecture of deeply emplaced sill complexes.
Flesland, Malin; Rotevatn, Atle; Lecomte, Isabelle & Eide, Christian Haug (2017). Understanding seismic imaging and controls on sill intrusions using lidar data from East Greenland.
Line, Lina Hedvig & Jahren, Jens (2016). Reservoir characterization of Middle – Upper Triassic Kobbe and Snadd Formations in the southwestern Barents Sea.
Line, Lina Hedvig & Jahren, Jens (2016). Reservoir quality of Middle – Late Triassic sandstones in the southwestern Barents Sea: How can we predict distribution of high reservoir quality at a sub-seismic scale?
Braathen, Alvar (2016). Svalbardfjell løser oljegåten i Barentshavet. [Business/trade/industry journal]. Apollon.
Maher, Harmon; Senger, Kim; Ogata, Kei; Braathen, Alvar; Mulrooney, Mark & Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Mesozoic Regional Stress Field Evolution in Svalbard.
Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna; Osmundsen, Per Terje; Braathen, Alvar; Mulrooney, Mark & Olaussen, Snorre (2016). Three-dimensional model of facies distribution within a Triassic half-graben, SW Edgeøya, Svalbard.
Eide, Christian Haug (2016). Magmatiske intrusjoner på Øst-Grønland. geoforskning.no.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Faleide, Jan Inge & Lecomte, Isabelle (2016). Prestack Simultaneous Inversion to Predict Lithology in the Realgrunnen Subgroup of the Goliat Field, SW Bareants Sea.
Yenwongfai, Honore Dzekamelive; Mondol, Nazmul Haque; Faleide, Jan Inge & Lecomte, Isabelle (2016). Quantitative seismic reservoir characterization within the Realgrunnen Subgroup and the Havert Formation in the Goliat Field, SW Barents Sea.
Mueller, Steven & Kürschner, Wolfram Michael (2016). The Carnian Pluvial Phase in the Boreal.
Paterson, Niall William & Mangerud, Gunn (2016). Heading towards a refined palynozonation for the late Middle - Late Triassic of the Barents Sea area.
Ogata, Kei; Mulrooney, Mark; Braathen, Alvar; Maher, Harmon; Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra Anna & Anell, Ingrid Margareta [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2016). Field-based characterisation and analogue modelling of the South Edgeøya growth faults systems.
Eide, Christian Haug; Klausen, Tore Grane; Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Suslova, Anna; Katov, Denis & Helland-Hansen, William (2016). Source-to-sink and mass-balance of the entire Triassic Barents Sea - Ideas, Plans and preliminary results.
Braathen, Alvar (2016). The Trias North project - status per May 2016.
Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Lecomte, Isabelle; Braathen, Alvar & Buckley, Simon John (2016). Synthetic seismic expression of the onshore Kvalpynten case study: Growth-faults. Low-angle prograding deltaic system.
Eide, Christian Haug & Klausen, Tore Grane (2016). Source-to-Sink and sediment balance of the Triassic Barents Sea: Changes in paleogeography and reservoir properties in response to contrasting sediment supply.
Mørk, Atle (2016). The geology of North Eastern Svalbard as studied summer 2015.
Haile, Beyene Girma; Klausen, Tore Grane; Hellevang, Helge; Jahren, Jens & Bjørlykke, Knut (2016). Burial diagenesis of De Geerdalen Formation control by depositional facies distribution, Edgeøya, Svalbard.
Mulrooney, Mark; Braathen, Alvar & Leutscher, J (2016). Structural Architecture of the Goliat Field, SW Barents Sea, Offshore Norway.
Buckley, Simon John; Ringdal, Kari; Lecomte, Isabelle; Anell, Ingrid Margareta; Braathen, Alvar & Eide, Christian Haug (2016). Virtual outcrops to synthetic seismic modelling.
Gac, Sebastien & Faleide, Jan Inge (2016). Contractional structures in the Barents Sea: Insights from numerical modeling.
Line, Lina Hedvig & Jahren, Jens (2016). Reservoir characterization of Middle – Upper Triassic Kobbe and Snadd Formations in the southwestern Barents Sea. The role of chlorite coating.
Gabrielsen, Roy Helge; Sokoutis, Dimitrios; Willingshofer, Ernst & Faleide, Jan Inge (2016). Experiments on horizontal and vertical fault linkage and its relevance for the Hoop Fault Complex.
Haile, Beyene Girma; Hellevang, Helge & Jahren, Jens (2018). Reservoir quality of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic sediments, NW Barents Shelf. Understanding porosity evolution through diagenesis and sedimentology. Universitetet i Oslo. ISSN 1501-7710.
Eide, Christian Haug & Friestad, Espen (2018). Synthetic seismic modelling of fluvial channels in the Blackhawk Formation as an analogue to the Triassic Barents Sea. Universitetet i Bergen.
Eide, Christian Haug & Løvestad, Aasmund Olav (2018). Mudstone-rich fluvial systems as reservoirs: The Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation, Eastern Utah. Universitetet i Bergen.
Solvang, Ole-Marius; Eide, Christian Haug; Helland-Hansen, William; Mangerud, Gunn & Olaussen, Snorre (2017). Sedimentological and petrographical investigations of the Early Triassic Vardebukta Formation on western Spitsbergen. Universitetet i Bergen.
Flesland, Malin; Eide, Christian Haug & Lecomte, Isabelle (2017). Controls on architecture and seismic imaging of igneous intrusions: Examples from LIDAR outcrop data on Traill Ø (East Greenland) and seismic data from the conjugate Møre Margin. Universitetet i Bergen.
Støen, Simen Jenvin; Mørk, Atle & Olaussen, Snorre (2016). Late Triassic sedimentology and diagenesis of Barentsøya, Wilhelmøya and eastern Spitsbergen. NTNU.
Harstad, Trond Svånå; Mørk, Atle & Olaussen, Snorre (2016). Sandstone Provenance of the De Geerdalen Formation, Svalbard – Emphasis on Petrography and Chromum Spinel Compostions. NTNU.
Johansen, Sondre Krogh; Mørk, Atle & Olaussen, Snorre (2016). Sedimentology and facies distribution of the Upper Triassic De Geerdalen Formation in the Storfjorden area and Wilhelmøya, eastern Svalbard. NTNU.
Haugen, Turid; Mørk, Atle & Olaussen, Snorre (2016). A Sedimentological Study of the De Geerdalen Formation with Focus on the Isfjorden Member and Palaeosols. NTNU.