Fluid Inclusion Project
In 2015 we commissioned the Geofluids Research Group at the National University of Ireland, Galway to conduct a regional fluid inclusion study. The purpose was to evaluate whether horizons in the shelf stratigraphy of offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, as defined in basin wells, might illustrate fluid migration and trapping of differing hydrocarbon source facies. This has implications in defining fluid phase and maturity of active petroleum systems not yet encountered in proven regions with limited drilling, as well as providing valuable insight into potential source rocks for the unexplored regions of the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore.
The objective was to apply a range of fluid inclusion study methods to well samples from the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore sector to investigate geofluid dynamics during basin evolution. Specifically, the project aims to:
- describe the fluid inclusion types observed in the samples;
- use the recorded fluid inclusion petrography, microthermometry and UV microscopy data to model, where appropriate, the pressure of fluid trapping, the temperature of fluid trapping, and fluid composition parameters of the basinal aqueous and hydrocarbon fluids; and,
- elucidate, where possible, fluid (aqueous and hydrocarbon) charge histories in each basin.
This report presents the results of fluid inclusion studies conducted on ten exploration wells. And are distributed across three shelf areas: a) Labrador Shelf (i.e., Saglek Basin and Hopedale basins); b) Northeast Newfoundland Shelf (i.e., East Orphan basin); and, c) the Grand Banks Shelf (i.e., South Whale basin).
This report is the first of two that cover the fluid inclusion aspects, combined with the review of mineralogy and provenance compiled via Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLS-SEM) as carried out by Memorial University of Newfoundland. The results of the second part of this project are still being finalized.