Fluid flow features along the Bjørnøyrenna Fault Complex west of West Loppa High, SW Barents Sea

Abstract

This master thesis contributes to better understand the occurrence and development of giant to medium scale vertical fluid flow structures in the area west of the Loppa High at the Bear Island Fault Complex (BIFC). The study area lies in the SW-Barents Sea and the study was based on the interpretation of a 3D seismic cube “West Loppa 2008”. Fluid emissions features and accumulation area visualized using seismic attributes, which mark characteristic areas of seismic anomalies with acoustic masking, bright spots, dimmed zones and flat spots. The lateral extent of the observed features varies from Giant Gas Chimneys (GGC) encompassing areas of < 100km2 and vertical heights of ~3 km to Medium Gas Chimneys (MGC). Amplitude Anomalies (AA), Potential fault related Leakage Zones (PLZ) and Flat spot Amplitude Anomalies (FAA) are smaller scale features but may be as well very important in the whole fluid flow system including the storage and leakage potential within the study area. The recent oil and gas discovery of Skrugard located within one of the major fault blocks represented in the study area underlines the importance for understanding fluid flow systems in complex sedimentary basins. An older wildcat (7219/9-1) that lies ~12km southwest of Skrugard showed only residual hydrocarbons.