Page 84 - An Atlas of Carboniferous Basin Evolution in Northern England

fairway
Play
analysis
63
Outside the East Midlands, the most prospective areas for the Carboniferous
clastic delta play fairway are in the Solway, southern Manx-Furness and
Cleveland basins (Figs 49 and 52). These areas are likely to have Dinantian-
early Namurian pro-delta and Westphalian delta-top coal source rocks, with
fluvio-deltaic reservoirs distributed throughout the Carboniferous succession.
Traps formed during Carboniferous extension, Variscan inversion and
Mesozoic extension structures may have been charged by late Mesozoic
hydrocarbon generation. Perhaps the main barrier to success in the play is the
excessive depth of burial of the reservoir in these basins. This is likely to result
in poor reservoir quality, gas as the main hydrocarbon phase and hence
reliance on intra-Carboniferous mudstone and basal Permian evaporite seals.
The carbonate platform margin play still remains largely untested in the East
Midlands and elsewhere in northern England.

Fig. 54. Composite 2D seismic line and interpreted geological cross section across the Welton Field (see Fig. 11 for location).

basement highs, restricted to the southern half of the study area. In study area, are not as rich as their early Namurian equivalents and they
addition, the margins are difficult to image on regional 2D seismic data also tend to be gas prone.
and their poroperm characteristics are unpredictable. • The north of the study area (e.g. Northumberland and Bowland basins)
• Dinantian pro-delta mudstones, which dominate the northern part of the suffered strong Variscan inversion and little Mesozoic burial.