Decreasing Petroleum System Risk in Frontier Exploration through Intelligent Seabed Coring and Subsequent Geochemical An

Offshore exploration is a costly endeavor to acquire datasets that reduce exploration uncertainty. Regional 2D seismic programs are designed for initial evaluation of subsurface structures and systems, to reduce risk related to basin geometry and the presence of reservoir and source rock. While regional seismic data lends itself to unraveling the static interpretation of the subsurface, oftentimes additional information is required to define the frontier petroleum system.

The Newfoundland and Labrador offshore has been the focus of a large-scale 2D seismic acquisition campaign. This data coupled with satellite seep mapping implies the potential for active petroleum systems.

The objectives of this paper, are to present the methodology and the results of a recent geochemical survey conducted offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to address some of the questions surrounding petroleum system presence. The survey integrates subsurface information on areas with potential for surficial release of hydrocarbons or underlying potential for hydrocarbon accumulation, with focused sampling, all with the intent of reducing uncertainly of petroleum system presence in an under-explored area.

Early results are positive in that a dataset has been acquired which provides possible evidence of an active petroleum system to allow for further investment in this frontier exploration region.