Understanding the tectonic evolution of the East Orphan Basin, offshore Canada, Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland, and Galicia Interior Basin, offshore Spain.

Abstract

The East Orphan and the Porcupine basins form two highly promising basins for hydrocarbon exploration along the North Atlantic rifted margins. Despite having formed at conjugate margin positions and similar geological times, the basins appear to have fundamental differences. The objective of this project is to investigate the tectonic evolution of the East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins. Analysis and interpretation of seismic reflection and well data was integrated with 3D grids of the depth-to-basement and Moho proxy to produce and restore representative geologic cross-sections. Interpretation of seismo-stratigraphic units across the East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins reveals similarities in their seismic character. However, structural restoration of the selected lines indicates that basin evolution, sedimentary cover thickness, faulting style, and crustal structure differ significantly. Similarly, kinematic evolution models place Porcupine and Galicia Interior basins forming a continuous basin during Jurassic time. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained in this thesis and in the context of published kinematic evolution models, the linkage between the seemingly conjugate East Orphan and Porcupine basins seems implausible. In contrast, a potential connection between the Porcupine Basin and the Galicia Interior Basin is proposed.