About the project
The NE Atlantic Ocean was born after a continental break up of the former continent of "Laurasia". The brakeup resulted in voluminous magmatism and volcanoes. Evidence of this is found offshore Norway, in the Vøring and Møre Margins. The knowledge of the Paleogene geology of the Vøring and Møre basins has been limited, as there have been few exploration boreholes in the region and hardly any core data. This has changed.
The International Ocean Discovery Program (more about/link to IODP) drilled 21 boreholes on the Møre and Vøring margins in August and September 2021 to study Paleogene magmatism and paleoclimate. The exploration budget had a cost of c. 15 MUSD.
The IODP expedition sampled the first sub-basalt sequences in the Møre and Vøring basins, documenting the presence of granites and associated eroded sandstone interbedded with lava flows on the Kolga High. One kilometer of sediment cores of Paleocene and early mid-Eocene age were recovered at 15 holes, providing unique records of the basin stratigraphy. Additionally, 400 m of lava flows were recovered providing important constraints on the basin environment during the initial opening of the NE Atlantic Ocean.
Objectives
In the PALMAR project we will provide essential funding for post-cruise analyses, research, and integrated subsurface interpretation, including 3 PhD/PostDoc researchers. Of particular importance is to generate a consistent lithostratigraphy of each borehole. We will further complete a consistent and high-resolution core-log-seismic integration of the boreholes, facilitated by extensive wireline and core petrophysical IODP data and high-resolution 2D and 3D site survey data. The detailed borehole studies will be used as calibration for regional interpretation of the Paleogene basin stratigraphy and depositional processes, providing a framework for geodynamic modelling of basin development, paleoenviroment, and temperature history.
The implications of the research on basin prospectivity and global paleoclimate will be done in close collaboration with collaborating Norwegian exploration companies as the study area covers areas with large-scale exploration licenses and petroleum production from the Aasta Hansteen and Ormen Lange gas fields.
Background
The project is based on recent scientific core data acquired by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) in 2021, in combination with other data.
Financing
The full name of this project is Paleogene Basin Development on the Vøring and Møre Margins, shortened to PALMAR. The project is financed through the PETROMAKS programme from The Research Council of Norway, with the RCN project number 336293.
The project period for the project starts in 2023 with an end in 2026.
Cooperation
The PALMAR project is a collaborative research project between the universities of Oslo, Bergen, and Tromsø and two industry partners Equinor and Wintershall.
The project is led by Professors Planke and Faleide from University of Oslo, Department of Geosciences.