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Unconventional reservoir potential of the upper Permian Zechstein Group: a slope to basin sequence stratigraphic and sedimentological evaluation of carbonates and organic-rich mudrocks, Northern Germany

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Abstract

The Late Permian Zechstein Group in northeastern Germany is characterized by shelf and slope carbonates that rimmed a basin extending from eastern England through the Netherlands and Germany to Poland. Conventional reservoirs are found in grainstones rimming islands created by pre-existing paleohighs and platform-rimming shoals that compose steep margins in the north and ramp deposits in the southern part. The slope and basin deposits are characterized by debris flows and organic-rich mudstones. Lagoonal and basinal evaporites formed the seal for these carbonate and underlying sandstone reservoirs. The objective of this investigation is to evaluate potential unconventional reservoirs in organic-rich, fine-grained and/or tight mudrocks in slope and basin as well as platform carbonates occurring in this stratigraphic interval. Therefore, a comprehensive study was conducted that included sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, petrography, and geochemistry. Sequence stratigraphic correlations from shelf to basin are crucial in establishing a framework that allows correlation of potential productive facies in fine-grained, organic-rich basinal siliceous and calcareous mudstones or interfingering tight carbonates and siltstones, ranging from the lagoon, to slope to basin, which might be candidates for forming an unconventional reservoir. Most organic-rich shales worldwide are associated with eustatic transgressions. The basal Zechstein cycles, Z1 and Z2, contain organic-rich siliceous and calcareous mudstones and carbonates that form major transgressive deposits in the basin. Maturities range from over–mature (gas) in the basin to oil-generation on the slope with variable TOC contents. This sequence stratigraphic and sedimentologic evaluation of the transgressive facies in the Z1 and Z2 assesses the potential for shale-gas/oil and hybrid unconventional plays. Potential unconventional reservoirs might be explored in laminated organic-rich mudstones within the oil window along the northern and southern slopes of the basin. Although the Zechstein Z1 and Z2 cycles might have limited shale-gas potential because of low thickness and deep burial depth to be economic at this point, unconventional reservoir opportunities that include hybrid and shale-oil potential are possible in the study area.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the BMBF with the project GeoEn. The senior author would like to thank for the support she received from the GeoEn program at the University of Potsdam, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam and the Mudrock Systems Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin during her research year at the University of Potsdam. The laboratories of Henry Francis, The University of Kentucky, and Necip Gueven, San Antonio, TX, conducted XRF and XRD analyses, respectively. Geomark laboratories of Houston, TX, conducted the Rock–eval analyses. Thanks to the staff at the University of Potsdam, Christine Günther for assistance with the SEM, Christina Fischer for making excellent thin sections and Antje Musiol for furnishing TOC analyses. The senior author would like to thank Dipl. Geol. Max Zitzmann for support during sampling in sub-zero temperatures in different core storage buildings. We are also indebted to Dr. Karsten Obst und Juliane Brandes at LUNG for support and providing access to cores and data as well as to the President of the LBGR, Dr. Klaus Freytag for his support in the study.

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  1. Institute for Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str.24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany

    Ursula Hammes, Michael Krause & Maria Mutti

  2. Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas, 10100 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX, 78746, USA

    Ursula Hammes

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Hammes, U., Krause, M. & Mutti, M. Unconventional reservoir potential of the upper Permian Zechstein Group: a slope to basin sequence stratigraphic and sedimentological evaluation of carbonates and organic-rich mudrocks, Northern Germany. Environ Earth Sci 70, 3797–3816 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2724-1

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