3D stratigraphic forward numerical modelling approach for prediction of organic-rich deposits and their heterogeneities

Benjamin Bruneau (1, 2) , Benoit Chauveau (3) , François Baudin (2) , Isabelle Moretti (1)

1 ENGIE
2 EMBS - Evolution et Modélisation des Bassins Sédimentaires
3 IFPEN - IFP Energies nouvelles

The source rock characteristics (e.g. thickness, lateral extension, richness) are known to be highly variable in both time and space. The Lower Jurassic formations of north-western Europe contain source rocks with organic-rich intervals showing different characteristics from one region to another: the Paris Basin differs from the South-East Basin of France, but organic content and hydrogen index also vary within a single basin. During the Early Jurassic, the overall depositional environment of north-western Europe corresponded to an epicontinental domain at the western extremity of the Tethys Ocean. The early transgressive phase of the Jurassic induced flooding of this European realm. Because of the evolution of the connections and threshold of the European basins and their associated sedimentary settings, this domain occupied a key position for the deposition of organic-rich layers. Using a forward modelling approach, we aim to predict the heterogeneous characteristics of such sediments. It is widely accepted that primary productivity and preservation are key factors favouring the accumulation of organic-rich layers. However, the roles of these factors remain to be assessed and the processes leading to accumulation and preservation need to be quantified.

Mots clés: Petroleum source rock; Paris basin; Liassic; Basin modelling

Domaines: Pétrographie; Géochimie

Benjamin Bruneau, Benoit Chauveau, François Baudin, Isabelle Moretti. 3D stratigraphic forward numerical modelling approach for prediction of organic-rich deposits and their heterogeneities. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2017, 82, pp.1-20. ⟨10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.01.018⟩. ⟨hal-01446146⟩