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Palaeo-carbonate seep structures above an oil reservoir, Gryphon Field, Tertiary, North Sea

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Abstract

Petrographic and geochemical analyses performed on a North Sea core from the Gryphon Field reveal the presence of palaeo-degassing features surrounded by injected sandstones in the Eocene interval. The injected sandstones are oil-stained and poorly cemented by carbonate and quartz. 18O isotope analyses indicate that carbonate cementation occurred during shallow burial (likely less than about 300 m). Depleted 13C (around −30‰ V-PDB) carbonate cement suggests that bicarbonate was derived from the microbial oxidation of oil and gas. Late quartz overgrowths enclose oil present in the injected units. The tubular degassing conduits are composed of zoned cements and have δ18O and δ13C isotope values similar to the injected sandstones, indicating that oil and gas seepage induced the precipitation of authigenic carbonate in the shallow subsurface. Oil inclusions in inter- and intra-crystal cement sites in both injected sandstones and degassing conduits indicate that oil seepage was an ongoing feature at shallow burial. A proposed model involves oil and gas seepage and the formation of the degassing conduits, followed by a sand injection phase. It seems likely that oil and gas continued to leak towards the seabed by exploiting the network of permeable injected sandstones and the horizons of porous degassing features.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is published with the permission of Kerr McGee North Sea Ltd. and the Gryphon Field partners. The views and opinions expressed by the authors may not always necessarily reflect the standpoint of the Gryphon Field partners. The authors would like to thank Catherine Pierre, Kevin Purvis and John Woodside for their critical review of the manuscript and helpful ideas for its improvement. Tony Fallick and Andrew Tait (SUERC) are thanked for their support during isotopic analyses.

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  1. Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, Meston Building, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UK

    Adriano Mazzini, D. Duranti, R. Jonk, J. Parnell, B. T. Cronin & A. Hurst

  2. Kerr McGee North Sea Limited, Ninian House, Crawpeel Rd., Aberdeen, AB12 3LG, UK

    M. Quine

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  1. Adriano Mazzini
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Correspondence to Adriano Mazzini.

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Mazzini, A., Duranti, D., Jonk, R. et al. Palaeo-carbonate seep structures above an oil reservoir, Gryphon Field, Tertiary, North Sea. Geo-Mar Lett 23, 323–339 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-003-0145-y

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