Towards new Integrated Uses of Potential Fields: Estimating the Heat Generation Potential of the Basement Underlying the Barents Sea Sedimentary Basins, North Norway, and its Importance for Hydrocarbon Maturation.

We estimate the composition of main basement complexes underlying the Barents Sea continental shelf off North Norway, in order to provide input to thermal modelling; radiogenic heat production varies as a function of lithology and constitutes about half of the total heat flow in a typical sedimentary basin. Basement characterization in the coastal areas of Norway will provide ground truth for estimated basement types in the Barents Sea region. Where possible, we also try to project major tectonic units and basement terranes from North Norway and Svalbard into the Barents Sea. The aim is to characterise the basement composition in the offshore areas, to estimate the mean content of radiogenic elements, as well as heat flow estimations. This has been done on land by a series of techniques including heat flow measurements, geochemical analysis and geophysical techniques. In addition thermal measurements have been made in boreholes. Thermal conductivity measurments have been carried out on samples. We use a series of geophysical techniques: Potential field modelling, depth-to-source techniques, isostatic modelling, thermal modelling and interpretation of reflection seismic data, OBS data and velocity data. Integration of the different data sets is a key to the understanding of the deep geology of the area. Moho depths, basement depths, major fault zones and extensional detachments zones, have been interpreted. Preliminary results will be presented from a 5-year research project sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council and Statoil.