Seismic geomorphology of the basin floor area in the Northern North Sea: evolution of the Frigg submarine channels and their influence on sediment distribution

The Frigg Field, located in the Viking Graben of the Northern North Sea, contains complex submarine fan successions. Based on an interpretation of wellbores and seismic datasets with varying quality, previous works reported these successions to be characterized by submarine channels-infills. However, there are limited studies on the evolution history of these channels and their influence on sediment distribution. This study has combined the interpretation of wellbores and 3D seismic datasets to establish the spatial evolution of the submarine channels and their influence on sediment distribution. Petrophysical approaches, core studies and seismic attributes analysis were used to accomplish this work. Results show that the development of the Frigg fan complex was influenced by regional tectonics and sea level fluctuations that triggered sediment gravity flows. These gravity flows followed approximately N–S to NE–SW, E, and NW–SE trending submarine channels. Deposition began with the N–S to NE–SW trending channels that were followed by the eastward flowing submarine channel. The system with three major channels (NE–SW, E, and NW–SE) followed before the N–S to NE–SW trending system re-emerged. The final phase of deposition had the NE–SW, E and NW–SE trending channels. The revealed submarine channels facilitated the deposition of sediment lobes identified based on seismic attribute maps showing the geomorphology of the basin floor area during different periods. The observed geomorphological features show that the submarine channels became dominant during the deposition of the upper Frigg interval and their influence decreased toward the distal basinal areas. This suggests that the mapped submarine channels controlled sediment distribution in the study area.