Sedimentary Basins Formation and evolution of sedimentary basins

& their geo-energy potential

Hanneke VERWEIJ Email: jmverweij@gmail.com

7-11 January 2013

Politecnico di Torino

Evolution of sedimentary basins

Sedimentary Basins Formation and evolution of sedimentary basins

& their geo-energy potential • Formation of sedimentary basins

– Mechanisms of basin formation – Classification of sedimentary basins – Characterization sedimentary basins

Evolution of sedimentary basins – Evolution plate tectonic setting – Fluids, porosity, permeability – Compaction – Burial history – Temperature and heat flow

• Geo-energy potential of sedimentary basins – Introduction – Geothermal energy potential – Introduction to petroleum systems

• Evolution of petroleum systems

Mechanisms of Basin formation

• Sedimentary basins are related to prolonged subsidence • Mechanisms for subsidence are related to processes in lithosphere • Lithosphere is composed of plates that are in relative motion to each

other

Basin formation is related to plate tectonics Multiple basin development related to changes in

plate tectonic setting

Plate tectonic evolution (Paleogeography from www.scotese.com )

Pangea, the supercontinent, begins to evolve

Paleozoic oceans between Euramerica and Gondwana began to close, forming the Appalachian and Variscan mountains. An ice cap grew at the South Pole; peat/ swamps near the Equator.

= location of ‘Spain’

Peat swamps along the equator

The continents that make up modern North America and Europe had collided with the southern continents of Gondwana to form the western half of Pangea. Ice covered much of the southern hemisphere; vast peat swamps formed along the equator.

= location of ‘Spain’

Deserts in western Pangea

Vast deserts covered western Pangea during the Permian; 99% of all life perished during the extinction event that marked the end of the Paleozoic Era.

Pangea

= location of ‘Spain’

Pangea

By the Early Jurassic, south-central Asia had assembled. A wide Tethys ocean separated the northern continents from Gondwana. Andes mountains start to form. Though Pangea was intact, the first rumblings of continental break up could be heard. = location of ‘Spain’

Pangea begins to break apart

Pangea began to break apart in the Middle Jurassic. In the Late Jurassic the Central Atlantic Ocean was a narrow ocean separating Africa from eastern North

America. Eastern Gondwana had begun to separate from Western Gondwana. = location of ‘Spain’

New oceans open

South Atlantic Ocean opened. India separated from Madagascar and moved northward to Eurasia. Note that Australia was still joined to Antarctica.

= location of ‘Spain’

Oceans widen

The Chicxulub impact of a 10 mile wide comet caused global climate changes that killed the dinosaurs and many other forms of life. By the Late Cretaceous the oceans had widened, and India approached the southern margin of Asia.

= location of ‘Spain’

Early Cenozoic: India begins to collide with Asia

50 - 55 million years ago India began to collide with Asia forming the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas. Australia, which was attached to Antarctica, began to move rapidly northward.

= location of ‘Spain’

Recent rifting events (opening Red Sea, Gulf of Japan, and California)

The world has taken on a "modern" look, note that Florida and parts of Asia were flooded by the sea; Antarctica covered with ice

= location of ‘Spain’

The earth in Ice House Climate for the last 30 My

The last expansion of the polar ice sheets took place about 18,000 years ago.

= location of ‘Spain’

The present-day world

= location of ‘Spain’

Modern world: main tectonic plates

Modern world Age sea floor

Summary (1) Examples of relation between plate movements and major basin

forming events at different geological times: • Carboniferous: Pangea (the supercontinent begins to

evolve);collision between Gondwana and Eurasia: formation Appalachian and Variscan Mountains (and creation foreland basins)

• Jurassic: breaking apart Pangea – rifting – creations rift basins • Cenozoic: continental collisions and creation foreland basins: e.g

collision India and Asia: formation Himalayas; also formation of Pyrenees, Alps, Zagros Mountains;youngest collision of Australia with Indonesia; Continued rifting: Arabia away from Africa opening the Red Sea, creation of the East African Rift System,

Change in surface temperature through time (‘Torino’)

Evolution of surface temperature based on paleoclimate and the paleogeographic position of Torino

Summary (2) Changes in plate tectonic setting, accompanied by, e.g.: • Changes in stress (magnitude and direction) • Changes in sources and sinks (environments of deposition) (land-

sea) • Changes in (surface and subsurface) temperature

Wilson Cycle The alternating ocean

opening and closing, continental break-up and continental collision

Wilson Cycle Stages of rifting, seafloor spreading, ocean closure and

collision

(Bradley 2008)

Multiple basin development

(Bradley 2008)

Multiple basin development Modern and ancient passive margins

World maps showing modern and ancient passive margins. Passive margins have existed since 2740 Ma. They were

abundant at 1900-1890, 610-520, and 150-0 Ma, absent before c. 3000 Ma (Bradley 2008)

Multiple basin development Netherlands Oil & gas fields

c. 250 km

Tectonic phases and their relation to plate tectonic events

} }

Main phase of formation rift basins

Compression & Inversion of Mesozoic rift basins

} Foredeep of Variscan fault- and thrust belt

Multiple basin development: Netherlands

Inverted Broad Fourteens Basin Adjacent platform

Multiple basin development: Dutch North Sea

Multiple basin development:

Dutch North Sea

Summary (3)

• Present-day plate tectonic setting often not the same as tectonic settings in the past (Wilson cycle)