Petroleum Geology of Cygnus Gas Field

Cygnus Gas field located Southern North Sea Dip and fault closures adjacent to the Base
Blocks 44/11 and 44/12 ~ 150 km offshore of Permian unconformity (Variscan) and Permian
Lincolnshire. seal rocks form a major trap type
Westphalian coal bearing rocks (Coal (Pletsch et al., 2010). Zechstein evaporates
Measures) are the principle source rock for seal are efficient to hold the gas volume in
the Cygnus field interstratified with fluvio- presence of significant tectonic reactivation
deltaic sediments and lacustrine deposits. The events throughout the basin history.
source rock may have generated gas in Most of the gas generation in the field was
Jurassic time. Arid condition (aeoline process) Figure 2 from early Jurrassic and same was migrated
and subsequent wet climate leads to locally during neogene (Pletsch et al., 2010)
haloturbation. The climate change have
Conclusion: The Cygnus discovery now proves
affected the sediment depositional rate, types
that a northern-sourced Leman Sandstone
and hydrocarbon holding capability.
Formation play fairway exists, establishing an
Cygnus field reservoirs composed of lower
extension of the Rotliegend play to the
Permian – Rotligend-Leman sandstone
northern feather edge of the Southern
(Aeolian dune sandstone), carboniferous
Permian Basin. (catto et al. 2017)
sandstone (ketch formation) – deep
secondary target. The Ketch Formation pebbly
sandstones form the most important
Carboniferous reservoirs in the
Stratigraphic sequence with highlighted
Southern North Sea (Kombrink et al., 2010).
reservoir interval of Cygnus gas field
The reservoir sands were isolated by coal
(Courtesy: Bailey et al. 1993).
layers.
Layered Rotligend reservoir have poor vertical
permeability ranging from 0.1 to 11mD
compare to Ketch formation 10 to 1000 mD.
(Besly, 1998).
Seismic Cross section depicting traps of
The localise seal effectively form by zechstein Cygnus field (catto et al. 2017)
silverpit formation overlying the rotligend References:
leman sandstone are mainly shale and 1) KOMBRINK, et al., :Petroleum Geological Atlas of the Southern Permian
Basin Area. EAGE Publications b.v. (Housten): 81-99.,
evaporites. The basin has history of basinal 2) Catto, R. Taggart, S. & Poole, G. 2017 Petroleum Geology of Cygnus Gas
subsidence with uplift, erosions, inversion, Field: from Discovery to Development. In:Bowman, M. & Levell, B. (Eds)
Petroleum Geology of NW Europe: 50 years of learning- Proceedings of
folding further resulted into structural traps the 8th Petroleum geology conference. Geology Society of London,
3) PLETSCH, T., APPEL, J., BOTOR, D., CLAYTON, C.J., DUIN, E J T., FABER,
(upthrown fault blocks). In addition E., GORECKI, W., KOMBRINK, H., KOSAKOWSKI, P., KUPER, G.,KUS, J.,
LUTZ, R., MATHIESEN, A., OSTERTAG-HENNING, C., PAPIERNEK, B. &
culmination in the base Zechstein or the base VAN BERGEN, F., 2010. Petroleum generation and migration. In:
Permian to seal either the Leman sandstone Doornenbal, J C. and Stevenson, A G. (editors): Petroleum Geological
Atlas of the Southern Permian Basin Area. EAGE Publications b.v.
above the Base Permian Unconformity or the (Houten): 225-253.
4) Bailey, et al., 1993. Permo-carboniferous plays of the SilverPit Basin. ln:
unconformable subcropping Carboniferous Parker,J.R. Petroleum Geology of Northwest Europe: Proceedings of the
reservoirs. 4th conference. Geological Society, London, 707-715,
5) British Geological survey, BGS, Aug 2001, North Sea Geology.
Haloturbation Dry and wet climate cycle
(catto et al. 2017)