Technical Committee Earth Sciences

Paleo Oil- and Gasfields in the Rotliegend of the North German Basin: Effects upon Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality

An integrated study was performed with the objective to improve reservoir quality prediction from 3D seismics, geological data and concepts. Seismic facies classes, derived from Neural Network analysis, correlate with reservoir characteristics. They can be used for predictive exploration purposes. Deformation zones indicate the extent of extensional fractures, which can have positive or negative effects on reservoir characteristics, depending on the diagenetic facies. The diagenetic conceptional model has been substantiated, verified in essential parts, and extended (inversion of reservoir qualities), based on well data, modelling and seismic analysis. Petroleum System Modelling added the time frame for diverse relevant processes and enabled to evaluate their effects on hydrocarbon migration. The importance of pre-oil hydrocarbon migration and spatial distance to Carboniferous source rocks for Rotliegend reservoir characteristics must be stressed.