Geology of Gas and Oil under the Netherlands

Geology of Gas and Oil under the Netherlands

Selection of papers presented at the 1993 International Conference of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, held in The Hague

Edited by

H.E. Rondeel Institute of Earth Sciences, Vrije Unlversiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

D.A.J. Batjes The Hague, the Netherlands

W.H. Nieuwenhuijs Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands

The Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands· KNGMG

Kluwer Academic Publishers DORDRECHT I BDSTON I LONDON

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Geology of gas and 011 under the Netherlands I edlted by H.E. Rondeel. D.A.J. BatjBS and W.H. Nleuwenhuljs.

p. em.

1. Natural gas--Geology--Netherlands. 2. Petroleu.--Geology­-Netherlands. I. Rondeel. H. E. II. Batjes. D. A. J. III. Nl euwenhu 1 jS. W. H. TN897.N4G46 1996 553.2'85'09492--de20 95-25226

ISBN-13: 978-94-010-6541-2 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-0121-6

e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-0121-6

Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands

Kluwer Academic Publishers incorporates the publishing programmes of D. Reidel, Martinus Nijhoff, Dr W. Junk and MTP Press.

Sold and distributed in the U.S.A. and Canada by Kluwer Academic Publishers, 101 Philip Drive, Norwell, MA 02061, U.S.A.

In all other countries, sold and distributed by Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands

Printed on acid-free paper

All rights reserved

©1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1996 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utiHzed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.

Contents

Preface Introduction Petroleum Geological Circle (PGK): Synopsis: Petroleum geology ofthe Netherlands - 1993 Mark Moody-Stuart: Resources and resourcefulness 1 C.W.M. Dessens: The role of oil and gas in the Dutch energy policy 7 Jacques Halfon: New oil and gas - Technology leads the way 11

J.N. Breunese & EB. Rispens: Natural gas in the Netherlands: exploration and development in historic and future perspective 19

H. Veld, W.J.J. Fermont, H. Kerp & H. Visscher: Geothermal history of the Carboniferous in South Limburg, the Netherlands 31

J.P. Verdier: The Rotliegend sedimentation history of the southern North Sea and adjacent countries 45 M.C. Geluk, A. Plomp & Th. H.M. van Doom: Development of the Permo-Triassic succession in

the basin fringe area, southern Netherlands 57 Epetis N. Veenhof: Geological aspects of the Annerveen gas field, the Netherlands 79 S.V. Crouch, W.E.L. Baumgartner, E.J.M.J. Houlleberghs & J.P. Walzebuck: Development of a tight

gas reservoir by a multiple fracced horizontal well: Ameland-204, the Netherlands 93

Harm W. Frikken: CBIL logs: vital for evaluating disappointing well and reservoir performance, K15-FG field, central offshore Netherlands 103

Harm W. Frikken: Sub-horizontal drilling: remedy for underperforming Rotliegend gasfields, L13 block, central offshore Netherlands 115

Jan M.M. van de Sande, Tom J.A. Reijers & Neil Casson: Multidisciplinary exploration strategy in the northeast Netherlands Zechstein 2 Carbonate play, guided by 3D seismic 125

G. Remmelts: Salt tectonics in the southern North Sea, the Netherlands 143

Hans Dronkert & Gijs Remmelts: Influence of salt structures on reservoir rocks in Block L2, Dutch continental shelf 159

R. Ames & P.E Farfan: The environments of deposition of the Triassic Main Buntsandstein Formation in the P and Q quadrants, offshore the Netherlands 167

K. Purvis & J.A. Okkerman: Inversion of reservoir quality by early diagenesis: an example from the Triassic Buntsandstein, offshore the Netherlands 179

J. de Jager, M.A. Doyle, P.J. Grantham & J.E. Mabillard: Hydrocarbon habitat of the West Nether-lands Basin 191

Alvaro Racero-Baena & Stephen J. Drake: Structural style and reservoir development in the West Netherlands oil province 211

D.G. den Hartog Jager: Fluviomarine sequences in the Lower Cretaceous of the West Netherlands Basin: correlation and seismic expression 229

Abraham N. Bruijn: De Wijk gas field (Netherlands): reservoir mapping with amplitude anomalies 243 L.S. Goh: The Logger oil Field (Netherlands offshore): reservoir architecture and heterogeneity 255 R.H.B. Rijkers & M.C. Geluk: Sedimentary and structural history of the Texel-Usselmeer High, the

Netherlands 265

Preface

In October 1993 an International Conference was sponsored in The Hague by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the European Association of Petroleum Scientists and Engineers and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands to elicit 'New Views on Old World Oil- Technology Leads the Way'.

Together with the hosts, the Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands, we had planned from the outset with the support of Shell to select for publication a compendium of papers on the Geology of gas and oil in the Netherlands. The conference was a real milestone, and we have embodied the keynote addresses together with the wide-ranging views on production and opportunities from the Carboniferous to the Cretaceous herein. From the first producible oil found near the Royal Dutch/Shell offices followed the highlights of discovering the Schoonebeek Oil Field in 1943 and the Groningen Gas Field in 1959; today tenacious exploration harnesses ever smarter technology. Enhanced imaging with 3D, direct hydrocarbon indicators, basin modelling, high-resolution sequence prediction and advanced drilling techniques all playa part. Technology is moving quickly and here in the Netherlands it is being utilised to good effect. The stratigraphic sequences, the structural complexity, new niches for exploration, are all intricately hidden below a Quaternary cover.

This volume makes a noteworthy addition to the oil and gas story of the Netherlands. It was a privilege to be part of the organising community for the conference. Many thanks to all the geoscientists who made it possible, and congratulations to the editors for putting together a volume that every discerning bookshelf would like to embrace.

Dave Loftus Technical Program Chairman

Introduction

The exploitation of natural gas resources in the Netherlands contributes nowadays a direct revenue to the State of seven to nine milliard guilders per year. The present Special Publication of the Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands (KNGMG) provides an insight into the subsurface geological conditions that allow to produce the gas. It also shows how these conditions are investigated and how the knowledge thus gained governs the production, not only of gas but also of oil.

The book finds its origin in the 1993 International Conference of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, held in The Hague. On the occasion of this Conference, the Petroleum Geological Circle (pGK) of the KNGMG compiled the 'Synopsis: Petroleum geology of the Netherlands - 1993' of which 4000 copies were distributed. It is this 'Synopsis' that initiated the idea to assemble the contributions on the country's petroleum geology presented at the Conference. The Synopsis now constitutes the first of the articles collected. Where possible, these are arranged in stratigraphic order. One article on a related subject was added.

Invitations to authors were aimed from the outset at coverage of the petroleum geology of the Netherlands. No wonder that most contributions come from the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (RGD). Papers were further handed in by scientists of Amoco, Continental Netherlands Oil Co., Exxon Exploration Co., Shell Research and the Delft University of Technology. These contributions are placed in a wider economic and technological context by the keynote addresses of the Conference, which with the Synopsis now form the first part of the book. These addresses originated at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, at Elf Aquitaine and at the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies.

The book fills a gap in the geological literature on the Netherlands by bringing together up-to-date contributions to the petroleum geology of the country. It addresses a wide range of subjects. These include the characterization of reservoirs in single gas and oil fields by means of 3D seismic and borehole logging, the hydrocarbon habitat of the West Netherlands Basin and the regional Rotliegend facies distribution.

The stratigraphic nomenclature in the book reflects the transition during 1993 from the 'NAM & RGD' nomenclature published in 1980, to the revised nomenclature compiled by the Geological Survey.

The editors owe many thanks to the authors for their contributions and to the reviewers for their comments. They particularly mention the staff members of the NAM and RGD, who produced and reviewed the bulk of the present volume's content.

They gratefully acknowledge the financial support by Shell Internationale Petroleum Maatschappij, which allowed for most of the colour prints in this publication. They thank Exxon Exploration Company for financing the printing of the 'RotIiegend' maps.

Finally, they mention J. Halfon and P.J. Grantham, who did not live to see their contributions published.

Harm Rondeel

Dick Batjes

Willem Nieuwenhuijs

Synopsis: Petroleum geology of the Netherlands - 1993

by Petroleum Geological Circle

c/o Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands P.O. Box 157,2000 AD Haarlem, the Netherlands

A PGK

This publication is financed by Shell Intemationale Petroleum Maatschappij B.V.

This preprint is issued on the occasion of the International Conference and Exhibition of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists,

The Hague, the Netherlands, 17-20 October 1993

Preface

It is a pleasure for the Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands (KNGMG) as the host society of the AAPG International Conference, to present to you the first-ever Synopsis on the petroleum geology of the Netherlands. The initiative for this publication came from the very active Petroleum Geological Circle (PGK) of our Society, notably from Dick Batjes and Willem Nieuwenhuijs.

Why did it take a conference of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists to make the Dutch write a synopsis of their own petroleum geology? I think there are several reasons for this. The first might be that in a small country like ours, almost all geologists know each other. Some, therefore, think they know everything their colleagues know. And others who know nothing always have a friend who knows something. So why write it down at all? The second reason is the opposite of the first: maybe you know a few things you do not want your colleagues to know. So why make them aware? Or maybe we were just too busy with our own wells to see the whole of the hydrocarbon province. The important thing about the AAPG Conference is that it has provided the incentive to take off for a bird's eye view of our own achievements. And as it happens so often, when you try to explain to others who you are, you discover yourself.

This booklet offers you a taste of the extensive knowledge of our subsurface geology, obtained by a fortunate mix of chance discoveries and tenacious exploration, and of course, aided by an enormous technological development. How far have we got since the years around 1910, when the first shows of oil were discovered in the Netherlands, although "there is some doubt whether these shows represent natural oil or are grease used for drilling" as W.A. Knaap and M.J. Coenen put it in our Society'S 1987 anniversary volume Seventy-five years of Geology and Mining in the Netherlands (1912-1987). The first discovery of oil in the western Netherlands was made by accident during demonstration drilling in your host town The Hague in 1938, and the first real oil field in this area is located only eight kilometres from the head office of Royal Dutch/Shell. At present, 114 gas fields and 19 oil fields are producing. How long will we be able to keep up the race between new discoveries and exhaustion? We certainly will need the New Views on Old World Oil and Technology leading the way.

The first step in developing new views is the compilation of an up-to-date overview. This booklet serves that purpose. We are grateful to Ab van Adrichem Boogaert, Dick Batjes, Manfred Epting, Jan de Jager, Willem Nieuwenhuijs and Ed van Riessen for compiling this fine piece of work. We thank the Geological Survey of The Netherlands and the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij for preparing the figures, and Shell Internationale Petroleum Maatschappij for their generous financial support, which made printing possible.

Salomon B. Kroonenberg Chairman Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands

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Rondeel et al. (eds), Geology of gas and oil under the Netherlands, 1996/ Geologie en Mijnbouw Vol. 74, No.4, 1996. © 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Synopsis: Petroleum geology of the Netherlands - 1993

Introduction

This Synopsis is intended to give a concise overview of the petroleum geology of the Netherlands. It is meant primarily to provide the participants of the AAPG Conference, to be held in The Hague in October 1993, with the basics of this geology. Those who wish to know more than these basics, either with the intention of extracting additional oil and gas, or out of a more academically oriented interest, may benefit from the bibliography.

These days, most new reserves are found in and around existing fields. If we wish to increase recoverable reserves we will first need to understand the reservoirs that contain our current assets. Only then can technology be applied and lead the way.

This Synopsis addresses first the mining legisla­tion and the history of exploration and production, from the earliest oil shows to cumulative production and remaining reserves, and then the surface geology and the hydrocarbon plays. These subjects are presented in tables, figures and a brief accompanying text. All but one of the figures have been prepared by the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij and the Geological Survey of The Netherlands. Much of the information given is based on the report "Oil and gas in the Netherlands, exploration and production 1992", issued by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

At a later stage, this Synopsis will be published in 'Geologie en Mijnbouw', the journal of the Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands. It is intended to be the opening article of a special issue on the petroleum geology of the Netherlands, containing a selection of contributions presented at this AAPG Conference.

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Mining legislation (adapted from Schierbeek (1987»

The exploration for and production of oil and gas are covered by two different regimes, one for the onshore (,Territory', including the territorial waters to the 3-nautical-mile boundary) and one for the offshore (Dutch part of the continental shelf).

The onshore regime is governed by: - the Napoleonic Mining Law of 1810 (Mijnwet

1810), still in its original French text, no authorised translation being available (relic of the French occupation); amended in 1988,

- the Mining Law 1903 (Mijnwet 1903), on which the Mining Regulations 1964 (Mijnreglement 1964) are based; amended in 1988,

- the Minerals Exploration Act 1967 (Wet opspor­ing delfstoffen 1967). The offshore regime is governed by the Mining

Law Continental Shelf 1965 (Mijnwet continentaal plat) and its three most important general administra­tive orders (Koninklijke Besluiten): - ex article 12, the terms and conditions under

which non-exclusive reconnaissance permits as well as exclusive permits for exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons may be granted; specified in general administrative orders of 1967 and 1976,

- ex article 26, the Mining Regulations 1967 (Mijnreglement 1967). The sole political responsibility under both

regimes rests since 1946 with the Minister of Economic Affairs.

The main features of the licence types which can be granted under the on- and offshore regimes are summarised in Table 1. They were described in detail by Roggenkamp (1991). Figure 6 shows the licence situation.

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Exploration and production history

The history of exploration and of the beginning of the production of oil and gas is summarised in Table 2 and Figure 2. A detailed account was presented by Knaap & Coenen in 1987. Highlights were the discovery of the Schoonebeek oil field in 1943 and of the Groningen gas field in 1959. The Schoonebeek field, which has produced 39 million cubic metres of oil up to 1993, is the largest onshore oil accumulation in continental western Europe. The Groningen gas field is a giant with an expected ultimate recovery of some 2.74 trillion (1012) cubic metres of gas. At the end of 1992, ca. 1.37 trillion had been produced.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs publishes an annual review of the licence situation, of seismic surveys and drilling activities, of volumes of oil and gas produced and of estimated reserves. Table 3 and Figures 3 to 6 have been prepared on the basis of the 1992 review. The survey and drilling statistics given in this review are summarised below. Figure 3 shows the 3D seismic coverage.

Seismic surveys 1992

2D line krn 3D sq. km

Drilling 1992 (wells/m)

Exploration Appraisal Production

Total

Territory

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1 ~}/ 36900

12/32892

24/69792

Cont. shelf

1799 4173

19} 1 176331

15 /61095

35/137426

Of the thirty exploration wells drilled, thirteen found gas and two oil and gas. The other fifteen are recorded as dry.

Table 3 lists the volumes of oil and gas produced in 1992 by eleven operating companies. Figure 4 shows the annual production volumes.

The country's cumulative production at the end of 1992 amounted to 97.9 million cubic metres of oil and 1.85 trillion cubic metres of gas (Fig. 5).

Remaining 'expected' reserves, according to the Ministry's review, are estimated at 61 million cubic

metres of oil and 2.06 trillion cubic metres of gas (Fig. 5). Of these reserves, 21 million cubic metres of oil and 1.93 trillion cubic metres of gas are con­sidered 'proven'.

Surface geology

The Netherlands is located in the southeastern part of the Cenozoic North Sea Basin. The edges of this basin are close to the country's eastern and southern borders (Fig. 1). The sediments at the surface are almost exclusively Quaternary (Fig. 7). The thickest Quaternary (600 m) occurs in the northwest. Tertiary and older sediments are only exposed in the extreme east and south of the country, where the edges of the basin were uplifted and eroded. The southeast of the Netherlands, moreover, is affected by a SE-NW striking fault system, which formed a number of horst and graben blocks during the Tertiary and Quaternary (Fig. 10). These faults are still active.

The landscape essentially consists of a Holocene coastal barrier and coastal plain, and inland of a low­lying, mostly flat area of Pleistocene deposits cut by a Holocene fluvial system.

The coastal barrier is interrupted in the south by the estuary of the Rhine, Meuse and ScheIdt, and in the north by the tidal inlets of the Wadden Sea. The barrier bears dunes and is locally up to ten kilometres wide. In places it had to be reinforced by dikes.

The coastal plain covers about half of the country and consists mainly of clay and peat. Much of it would be flooded in the absence of dikes. Not only the distribution of land and water is strongly in­fluenced by man, but also the present-day limited extent of peat, for instance, is artificial. In the past, peat was exploited as fuel, both in the coastal plain and further inland where moors covered parts of the Pleistocene.

At the surface, the Pleistocene is largely sandy and of glacial, fluvial and aeolian origin. Ice-pushed ridges locally reach heights of a hundred metres, but most of the Pleistocene occurs as flat-lying land. The Holocene alluvial valleys of the Rhine and Meuse systems, so clearly expressed in the Pleistocene area, merge downstream with the coastal plain. In many

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places the rivers are straightened artificially and virtually everywhere they are confined by dikes.

Pre-Pleistocene sediments are only exposed near the borders of the country. In easternmost Gelderland and Overijssel, these sediments include various Mesozoic and Tertiary formations, whereas those in Zeeland are Pliocene. In one small valley in the hills of South Limburg, Tertiary sands, clays and lignites and Cretaceous chalk are eroded down to their Carboniferous substratum.

Gas and oil plays

The Netherlands is mainly a gas-producing country. The Carboniferous coal measures, which occur in large parts of the subsurface, are the main source rock for the onshore and offshore gas fields shown in Figure 6.

The overlying aeolian and fluvial desert sandstones of the Permian Rotliegend form excellent reservoirs sealed by thick Zechstein evaporites (Figs. 8 and 9). Even excluding the giant Groningen field, the Rotliegend sandstones form by far the most important gas reservoir, both onshore and offshore. In the eastern Netherlands, commercial gas accumula­tions also occur in Carboniferous sandstones and in Zechstein carbonates, particularly where these carbonates are developed in platform-edge facies with good porosities. Only where Zechstein salts are absent or breached, can the Carboniferous gas migrate to higher reservoirs, such as the terrestrial Triassic sandstones or the fluviomarine Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous reservoirs.

Most structures developed during the Late Jurassic -Early Cretaceous rifting event in northwestern Europe, during which the N-S oriented Central Graben and the NW -SE oriented Broad Fourteens and West Netherlands Basins were formed. The smaller Central Netherlands Basin, Terschelling Basin, Vlieland Basin and Lauwerszee Trough were formed at the same time (Fig. 10). Charge modelling has shown that most of the gas was generated during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, the amount of gas greatly exceeding the capacity of available traps.

Charge was interrupted during the Late Cretaceous

and Early Tertiary inversion period (see inversion areas in Figs. 10 and 11). Structures formed or modified during this inversion are often found to be water-bearing; the Carboniferous coals had generally expelled all the gas during deeper, pre-inversion, burial. However, in previously less deeply buried areas, renewed gas generation may have filled structures in Tertiary times.

The Lower Jurassic, marine Posidonia Shale has only been preserved in the West Netherlands and Broad Fourteens Basins, and further north offshore, in the Central Graben. This oil-prone source rock has charged several Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous clastic reservoirs. Some of these reser­voirs contain gas as well.

Other source rocks, such as the wide-spread, basal, marine Zechstein Coppershale or the mainly humic intervals in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Central Graben Subgroup also contribute to oil and gas charge, but are of local significance only.

For a further introduction into gas and oil plays reference may be made to Zijp (1987).

Acknowledgements

The Petroleum Geological Circle is much indebted to:

the Geological Survey of The Netherlands for Table 3 and Figures 4, 5, 7 and 8.

the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V. for Table 2 and Figures 2, 9, 10 and 11.

- the Geological Survey of The Netherlands and the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij together for Table 1 and Figures 3 and 6.

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Figure 1 ('Compact geography of the Netherlands', The Hague, 1985,43 pp).

Shell Internationale Petroleum Maatschappij B.V. for financing the publication of this Synopsis.

Bibliography

Bless, M.J.M., J. Bouckaert & E. Paproth 1983 Recent exploration in Pre-Permian rocks around the Brabant massif in Belgium, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany - Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 51-62.

Bodenhausen, J.W.A & W.F. Ott 1981 Habitat of the Rijswijk oil province, onshore, The Netherlands. In: Bling, L.V. & G.D. Hobson (eds.) Petroleum Geology of the Continental Shelf of NW Europe, Inst. of Petroleum, London: 301-309.

Burgers, W.F.J. & G.G. Mulder 1991 Aspects of the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous history of The Netherlands -Geo!. Mijnbouw 70: 347-354, 8 encls.

De Jong, M.G.G. & N. Laker 1992 Reservoir modelling of the Vlieland Sandstone of the Kotter Field (Block KI8b), offshore, The Netherlands - Geol. Mijnbouw 71: 173-188.

Doomhof, D. 1992 Surface subsidence in The Netherlands: the Groningen gas field - Geol. Mijnbouw 71: 119-130.

Dronkers, AJ. & F.J. Mrozek 1991 Inverted basins of The Netherlands - First Break 9: 409-425.

Gdula, J.E. 1983 Reservoir geology, structural framework and petrophysical aspects of the De Wijk gas field -Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 191-202.

Glennie, K.W. (ed.) 1990 Introduction to the petroleum geology of the North Sea - Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 3rd ed., 402 pp.

Harmsen, G.J. 1980 Steamflooding in a water drive reservoir in the Schoonebeek field in the Netherlands -Proc. Tenth World Petroleum Congr. 3: 275-282.

Hemgreen, G.F.W., R. Smit & Th.E. Wong 1991 The stratigraphy and tectonics of the Vlieland Basin, The Netherlands. In: Spencer, AM. (ed.) Generation, accumulation, and production of Europe's hydrocarbons - Spec. Pub!. Europ. Assoc. of Petroleum Geoscientists Engineers, No.1, Oxford Univ. Press: 175-192.

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Hoetz, H.L.J.G. & D.G. Waters 1992 Seismic horizon attribute mapping for the Annerveen Gasfield, The Netherlands - First Break 10: 41-51.

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Knaap, W.A & M.J. Coenen 1987 Exploration for oil and natural gas. In: Visser, W.A, J.I.S. Zonneveld & A.J. van Loon (eds.) Seventy-five years of geology and mining in The Netherlands (1912-1987) - Royal Geol. and Mining Soc. of The Netherlands (KNGMG), The Hague: 207-242.

Letsch, W.J. & W. Sissingh 1983 Tertiary stratigraphy of

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The Netherlands - Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 305-318. Ministerie van Economische Zaken (Ministry of Economic

Affairs) 1993 Olie en gas in Nederland; opsporing en winning 1992/0il and gas in the Netherlands; explora­tion and production 1992 , 105 pp. ' s-Gravenhage (The Hague; published yearly).

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Oele, J.A., AC.P.J. Hoi & J. Tiemens 1981 Some Rotliegend gas fields of the K and L blocks, Netherlands offshore (1968-1978) - a case history. In: Illing, L. V & G.D. Hobson (eds.) Petroleum Geology of the Continental Shelf of NW Europe, Inst. of Petroleum, London: 289-300.

Perrot, J. & AB. van der Poel 1987 Zuidwal - a Neocomian gas field. In: Brooks, J. & K. Glennie (eds.) Petroleum Geology of North West Europe. Graham & Trotman: 325-335.

Ramaekers, J.J.F. 1992 The Netherlands. In: Hurtig, E., V. Cermak, R. Haenel & V. Zui (eds.) Geothermal Atlas of Europe. Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam, Publ. I. Hermann Haack VerlagsgeseUschaft, Gotha: 81-83.

Roelofsen, J. W. 1991 Geology of the Lower Cretaceous Q I oil fields, Broad Fourteens Basin, The Netherlands. In: Spencer, AM. (ed.) Generation, accumulation, and production of Europe's hydrocarbons. Spec. Pub!. European Assoc. of Petroleum Geoscientists Engineers, No. I, Oxford Univ. Press: 203-216.

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Schierbeek, P. 1987 Remarks on the mining legislation and its application. In: Visser, W.A, J.I.S. Zonneveld & AJ. van Loon (eds.) Seventy-five years of geology and mining in The Netherlands (1912-1987). Royal Geol. and Mining Soc. of The Netherlands (KNGMG), The Hague: 33-37.

Van Adrichem Boogaert, H.A. & W.F.J. Burgers 1983 The development of the Zechstein in The Netherlands -Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 83-92.

Van den Bosch, W.J. 1983 The Harlingen Field, the only gas field in the Upper Cretaceous Chalk of The Netherlands - Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 145-156.

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6

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sw London/ Brabant Massif

0

::::::::.--2

4

6

8 @

Step Graben

Broad 14' s Basin

West Netherlands Basin

Central Graben NE

o

2

4

6

8

T exel! IJsselmeer NE High

0

2

6

8

Central Netherlands Basin

Legend of sections

Tertiary

'-----' Upper Cretaceous

c::= Lower Cretaceous

Upper Jurassic

CJ Lower/ Middle Jurassic

Triassic

c=J Upper Permian (Zechstein) - Lower Permian (Rotliegend)

Carboniferous and older

• Oil field

• Gas field

o 50 km

Texel / IJsselmeer High

Friesland Platform

Lauwerszee Trough

Fig. 11. Regional cross-sections. For legend of map see Figure 10.

Sll

\~\/L/ \

Groningen High

NE

o

2

4

8

S12

millions m3

6.-------------------------------------------------------~

5 OIL. 1945-1992

2

1 I- ii: ::: -- .- ..

o ,m"l~~ ~ U L ,III. Ii" ii L Ii , 1<1", Ii Ii .. U . " IHi ': ,; '''''; ." ,; Ii,"" 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

thousand millions m3

120 ,--------------------------------------------------------,

100

80 I-

60

40

20

o I ..L

1960

GAS, 1960-1992

~ ] ~ j , , I I I ~ .. :m ::::': :.::.' (: iiii::: II :. :. :;:: , .•••..

g ::::.

.... :;:: r ~:~i / H .. ............ ".-.

•••••••• I···· Q :::: :::: :::: :::: ::: :::: :::: :::: ::.:: ::': :::: :== :::: :: ::' : ::> :::: =::: :::. :::: .:.: '.

~crtilllm f:::~ :::: :::: I :~: I:~: ~:i:: J : : ~ : I' ~: J 1: d l i~: I :~ : I :~: ::( 1:( I} I :~: I :~: j::: ? :< ~: :>; I r I I I I

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

1::: ':"':::'1 Territory _ Continental shelf

Fig. 4. Annual production of oil and gas.

millions m3

180.--------------------------------------------------.

160 OIL, 1945-1993

140

120

100

80

60

40

20 r nRRHnA o ,d.r:n~[i]mmQUU~Hi. 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

on January 18t

thousand millions m3

5000.-----------------------------------------------~

4000

3000

GAS, 1960-1993

2000 .. .. • ••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• I

1000 C i If ••• ( ( ....i!i •••••••.•••••••••••• ~ ••• ~ ••••• ! •••.••• o i _ m~ I I I , I , U I J U 111 .... 1-......... 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

on January 18t

_ Cumulative prod. j:::::::::::::l Remain ing reserves

Fig. 5. Cumulative production and remaining reserves of oil and gas, shown by year.

S13

S14

/., " , A

., L B

. ~

'. " " '. ~ ' 4 .,

/,. ",-,,- • t •• ' .. 0 E F

. "

-" ,"

l r (NO

D (.;,,'.(f"t'.Hl rl!t 1Tt·" l h'

1~lh«hllUH" lie "IH ~". tc. •. , t

0 111\'11 .~llp ,. ,fO'

0 0, "U LK""! J .... nt'IUlU'", .111111 'tllt. L. II II.I"S It'd'

0 I-h·, .. ,jlllJ "'1 ' ...

D ",. I h " t' ,

~ C n:u'" \1"',

D Ou II at' lItJ

•• 0 w .. QoIr,',1

00 L.r', ~b· lll' " h , II

G

"

'.

H

"".,­....... :: ..

',' 1 ~ r n l '."U

S, .t ~ I! II fiJM

If" .J ,r 17M

11 1 1}1

~I "''' 1', '10' If,l .. ~ ,

•.

Fig. 6. Licences, fields and offshore pipelines. Licence areas as per April 1 st, 1993.

S15

110 / 0 CIJ[

Dunt' .,"d e;lc/, S.mets

OldOI m~Hm • d 'lJO!>I'~

CI.fY upon pc",

PtE/STOCE E

COl' ISiinds an Oroo",dc OSlts 50 ~.m

Icp . plJ,sh d de osfl

• Clctacf>ous. sanas .1nll' ImlCslo'h ..... S

• Oldo, f"~' C!cpo~,ts • CalDOfJd('lOus ~.lt1dSIOrl('S

Fig. 7. Surfacc gcology.

Van der Baan, D. 1990 Zechstein reservoirs in The Netherlands. In: Brooks, J. (ed.) Classic Petroleum Provinces. Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. 50: 379-398.

Van Lith, J.G.J. 1983 Gas fields of Bergen concession, The Netherlands. Geol. Mijnbouw 62: 63-74.

Van Staalduinen, c.J., H.A. van Adrichem Boogaert, M.J.M. Bless, J.W.Chr. Doppert, H.M. Harsveldt, H.M. van Montfrans, E. Oele, R.A Wermuth & W.H. Zagwijn 1979 The geology of the Netherlands - Meded. Rijks Geol. Dienst, 31: 9-49.

Van Wijhe, D.H. 1987 Structural evolution of inverted basins in the Dutch offshore - Tectonophysics 137: 171-219.

Van Wijhe, D.H., M. Lutz & J.P.H. Kaasschieter 1980 The Rotliegend in the Netherlands and its gas accumulations - Geol. Mijnbouw 59: 3-24.

Wong, ThE, Th.H.M. van Doorn & B.M. Schroot 1989 "Late Jurassic" petroleum geology of the Dutch Central North Sea Graben - Geol. Rundschau 78: 319-336.

Zagwijn, W.H. 1989 The Netherlands during the Tertiary and the Quaternary: A case history of Coastal Lowland evolution - Geol. Mijnbouw 68: 107-120.

Ziegler, P.A 1990 Geological Atlas of Western and Central Europe. Shell Int. Petrol. Mij ., The Hague, 2nd ed., 239 pp, 56 encls.

Zijp, F.R. 1987 Structural evolution, stratigraphic sequences and subsurface reservoir horizons. In: Visser, W.A, J.I.S. Zonneveld & AJ. van Loon (eds.) Seventy­five years of geology and mining in The Netherlands (1912-1987). Royal Geol. and Mining Soc. of The Netherlands (KNGMG), The Hague: 269-284.

S16

Time in Era Period Epoch Group or Productive rock units Tectonic events millions Formation of years

Phases Oro-geny

2,4- Quaternary' Upper North Sea sands Neogene Upper North Sea

0 Savian 6 Middle North Sea N 0 Tertiary Pyrenean z w Paleogene Dongen 0 Lower North Sea

65 Laramide

Upper Ommelanden Ommelanden Chalk Subhercynian

Cretaceous

Texel Cretaceous

Holland Holland Greensand Austrian UJ z

Lower Vlieland Various sandstone

Vii eland -- 0::

Cretaceous members -' Sandstone «

Delfland Subgroup Late 0 Kimmerian 143- 6 Various ,Scruff Group N Upper Jurassic formations Central Graben Subgroup 0 en w Brabant ::2: Jurassic Middle Jurassic

Middle Werkendam Mid Werkendam Kimmerian

Lower Jurassic Aalburg

208- Sleen Early Upper Triassic Kirnmerian

Keuper Triassic

Middle Triassic Muschelkalk - ---

245 Lower Triassic Buntsandstein Main Buntsandstein Pfalzian

Upper Permian Zechstein Platten Dolomite(ZE 3 Carbonate)

-Main Dolomlte(ZE 2 Carbonate)

Permian Upper Rotliegend Siochteren -= C Sandstone '" Lower Permian Saalian 'c

'90~ Lower Rotliegend >-

~ Q)

Stephanian I

c Asturian .,!I..

'" Various sandstone units z 'w Westphalian Limburg « ~ u

Carboniferous i:i'.i (f)

Namurian a: Sudetian ~

Dinantian 0 Bretonian 363- 6 N 0 w Devonian ----' ct

409-Ardennian

Silurian z « Z

439- 0 Cl UJ -'

Ordovician « u

510-

---Cambrian

"--570

Fig, 8, Summary stratigraphy and tectonic events,

Table 1. Main features of exploration and production licences.

Territory Licence type Obligations, terms

seismic exploration

S17

Duration

up to 18 months Priority declaration Drilling licence usually up to 4 wells, depending on

permit conditions up to 10 years, depending on permit conditions and number of wells drilled

Concession till 1976 from 1976 to mid 1988

from mid 1988

Continental shelf Licence type

Reconnaissance licence Exploration licence

till 1976 from 1976

Production licence till 1976

from 1976

various conditions state participation

oil 50% gas 50%

state participation oil 50% gas 50%

Obligations, terms

seismic exploration

expenditure obligation per km2

expenditure obligation per km2 + workprogram

state participation oil 0% gas 40%

state participation oi150% gas 50%

perpetual perpetual

depending on development plans

Duration

to be specified, usually 6 months

15 years (50% relinquishment after 10 years) 10 years (50% relinquishment after 6 years)

40 years

40 years

Table 2. Summary history of oil and gas exploration and production. For localities see Figure 2.

Early days 1923 1938

Start-up phase 1943 1945

1948 1951 1953 1954

Main phase 1959 1961 1963 1964 1968 1970 1975 1982 1984 1993

First oil shows eastern Netherlands First oil shows western Netherlands

Oil discovery eastern Netherlands First significant oil production

Gas discovery eastern Netherlands First gas production Oil discovery western Netherlands First oil production western Netherlands

Discovery Groningen gas field First offshore well First gas production Groningen field First gas discoveries northwestern Netherlands Offshore gas discovery Offshore oil discovery First gas production offshore First oil production offshore Gas discovery western Netherlands Planned start of oil production northern offshore

Corle (near Winterswijk) The Hague (Mient)

Schoonebeek - Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (BPM) Schoonebeek - BPM, from 1947 onwards Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) Coevorden - NAM Coevorden - NAM Rijswijk (near The Hague) - NAM Rijswijk - NAM

Slochteren-l - NAM Kijkduin Zee-l (near The Hague) - NAM Groningen - NAM Amoco, ElfPetroland, NAM P6-Mobil Fl8 - Tenneco LIO (discovered 1970) - Placid Ql (discovered 1979) - Union, now Unocal Botlek (near Rotterdam) - NAM F3 (discovered 1974) - NAM

SI8

MAIN HC SOURCE STRA TlGRAPHY ZONES ROCKS

Upper North Sea Gp.

* ---.......,.,.---.-~

Basa l Dongen Tuffite ..

* Chalk I I I I

I * Holland Greensand

* • Vlie land, Benthe im and other sst * •

* Delfland, C. Graben, • p Scruff and other sst

Werkendam sst • Posidonia sha le

Keuper

Muschelkalk

* • Triassic sst

Zechstein salt

ZE3 Carbonate

* ZE2 Carbonate

* p ZEl Carbonate Coppershale

* p Upper Rotliegend Siochteren Sst

~

* Limburg _ c::::::::::: . (incl. coal measures)

Namurian .. .

* Gas

Dinantian • Oil

~ Major Source Rock

Devon ian ·. · . 1 .· .· .· .· .1 P Minor Source Rock

Fig. 9. Hydrocarbon plays.

MID NORTH SEA HIGH

SILVER PIT BASIN

o

o M III ll . JUI3SS1C E, . Cretaceous baSlI1!O

o Mlno f La. JU"I~~l -" Cr Inc J$ I,.,t;ins

[Ir l' ,l l 1 Str no InvNSlOIl

CJ Main h-nhs , 1).1$ "' 1\ 1 ~nd P~II}()/OI • wl,houl Rothepcnd

o Inlcrmcchalc hir;hs IJI:u(orms, alc. · •

., ...

Fig. 10. Mesozoic structural geology.

S19

RHENISH MASSIF

S20

Table 3. Oil and gas production 1992. listed by operator.

OIL Territory Company

NAM NAM

Total Territory

Continental shelf Company

Amoco Conoco Unocal

Total Continental shelf

Total Netherlands oil

GAS Territory Company

Amoco Chevron Clyde Elf Petroland

NAM

NAMIMobil

Total Territory

Continental shelf Company

Amoco Clyde Conoco Elf Petroland Lasmo Mobil NAM Placid Unocal Wintershall

Total Continental shelf

Total Netherlands gas

Concession (Province)

Schoonebeek (Drente & Overijssel) Rijswijk (S Holland)

Production licence

P15a& b K18a & b; L16a Ql

Concession (Province)

Bergen (N Holland) Akkrum (Friesland) Waalwijk (N Brabant) Leeuwarden. Zuidwal. Oosterend (Friesland) Slootdorp (N Holland) Groningen (Groningen) Drenthe (Drente) Schoonebeek (Drente & Overijssel) Other concessions Noord-Friesland (Friesland)

Production licence

Pl5a&b Q8 K18a & b; L16a K6-L7;L4a J3-J6 P6;PI2 K6; K8-KII; K14; K15; L2; LSa; LI3 K9a & b; K9c; K12; LID-LIla; LI4 LIlb; QI K1Oa; L8a

Total condensate production: 637.6 x 103 m3 (st)

103 m3 (st)

379.3 907.3

1286.6

103 m3 (st)

188.8 1101.1 630.8

1920.7

3207.3

106 m3 (st)

1167.5 139.3 274.0

2550.4 53.4

46345.0 5700.2 3222.1 3152.1 3097.6

65701.6

106 m3 (st)

26.1 217.3

9.3 3135.8 220.2 967.3

7691.9 3276.1

165.5 1569.5

17279.0

82980.6

_ Natural gas and oil quantities are stated in standard cubic metres (m3 (st» at 1.01325 bar and IS ·C (ISO standard 5024-1976(E». _ The reported quantities of gas refer to hydrocarbons and associated non-combustible gases.