Abstract
The UK Rockall, located to the west of Scotland and the Hebrides, is a frontier petroleum-bearing basin. Exploratory drilling in the basin took place over a quarter of a century (1980–2006), during which time a total of 12 wells were drilled, leading to the discovery of a single, subcommercial gas accumulation. We argue that the basin, which has seen no drilling activity for more than a decade, has not been sufficiently tested by the existing well stock. We examine the reasons for the absence of key Jurassic source rocks in the UK Rockall wells, which are widely distributed elsewhere on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), and argue that their absence in the wells does not preclude their existence in the basin at large. An evaluation of the Permian–Early Eocene successions, based upon the seismic interpretation of new 2D seismic data, has been integrated with legacy data and regional evidence to establish the potential for source, reservoir and sealing elements within each interval.
Finally, we look at the future for exploration in the UK Rockall and suggest a way forward in the drilling of a new joint governmental–industry test well that may help to unlock the exploration potential of this under-explored, yet prospective, basin
Finally, we look at the future for exploration in the UK Rockall and suggest a way forward in the drilling of a new joint governmental–industry test well that may help to unlock the exploration potential of this under-explored, yet prospective, basin
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 247-271 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Petroleum Geoscience |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 8 Apr 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 May 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge PGS andGeoPartners for the donation of seismic datasets in Rockall, and for their continued support of research. Spectrum Geophysical are also thanked for the donation of data for research in the Rockall. Well data used in the paper have been accessed through the OGA’s National Data Repository (NDR). Frogtech Geoscience are thanked for access to Rockall SEEBASE products. Interpretation was carried out using IHS Kingdom software and Schlumberger Petrel software. WGM 2012 gravity data were courtesy of the International Gravimetric Bureau. This manuscript contains information provided by the Oil and Gas Authority and/or other third parties. Michael Lentini and an anonymous reviewer are thanked for their detailed and constructive reviews.
Funding: We acknowledge a governmental research grant from the Oil and Gas Authority Frontier Basins Research Programme and the British Government for funding a 2 year independent academic research project, ‘Evaluating the
Prospectivity of the Rockall Trough - Towards a Complete View of the Petroleum System West of Britain’