The HC Potential of pre-Westphalian sediments in the North German Sasin - A Synthesis-

It was the aim of the interdisciplinary and interinstitutional research program to investigate the possibilities of HC generation from pre-Westphalian sediments in the North German basin in space and time. Potential source rock horizons exist within all pre Westphalian structural units in Northern Europe, ranging from Cambrian to the Namurian in age and deposited in different environments. The structural framework of the basement of the North German Permian basin was described, the position of the Variscan outer front newly defined and the maturation history during the Late Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cainozoic deciphered.
Pyrolysis experiments have shown that HC generation, especially from type III kerogen, is possible even beyond a maturity of 4 % R_max is possible
Detailed geochemical and isotope-geochemical investigations of the natural gases from all North German fields indicate gas contributions from pre-Westphalian sources in special regions (Ems Estuary region, Altmark).
By integrating all the results of the study an estimation of the possibilities of pre Westphalian gas occurrences in Northern Germany could be made and the most promising areas for prospecting have been outlined.