Chapter 17 Uplift and erosion of the greater Barents Sea: impact on prospectivity and petroleum systems

Abstract

Abstract A regional net erosion map for the greater Barents Sea shows that the different areas in the Barents Sea region have been subject to different magnitudes of uplift and erosion. Net erosion values vary from 0 to more than 3000 m. The processes have important consequences for the petroleum systems. Reservoir quality, maturity of the source rocks and the migration of hydrocarbons are affected by the processes. Owing to changes in the PVT conditions in a hydrocarbon-filled structure, uplift and erosion increase the risk of leakage and expansion of the gas cap in a structure. Understanding of the timing of uplift and re-migration of hydrocarbons has been increasingly important in the exploration of the Barents Sea.