Structural and sedimentological analysis of an early Late Rotliegendes graben based on 3D seismic and well log data, German North Sea

The geophysical and geological interpretation of a 3D survey, which was acquired in 2001, and four wells in the study area have revealed the structural framework on the West Schleswig Block, consisting of horsts and graben. The structural development of the area from Early to Late Rotliegendes times has been reconstructed and a multiphase history of depositional infill and associated fault patterns can be demonstrated. Well-log correlation provided a wider view of the regional structural styles and the stratigraphic setting of the study area. The Altmark, Havel & Elbe Sub-group lithologies of Rotliegendes times were analysed by sequence stratigraphic methods, concluding that depositional facies is linked to the tectonic movements of the Altmark pulses. Finally, the development of the palaeomorphology and its associated sedimentary facies types throughout time and space showed a sequence starting with dry desert environments and ending with perennial saline lake conditions. The interdisciplinary analysis led to the conclusion that 3D seismic and well information in the German sector of the Southern North Sea identified an early Late Rotliegendes graben filled with reservoir-prone sandstones equivalent to the German onshore.