Introduction

The geological information within the NS13-1 Parcels section of this website has been compiled into a single document. The document “Geological context and parcel prospectivity for Call for Bids NS13-1: Seismic interpretation, source rocks and maturation, exploration history and potential play types of the central and eastern Scotian Shelf” can be downloaded here.

The six Parcels included within the NS13-1 Call for Bids are distributed across the north-central and eastern Scotian Shelf as illustrated in Figure 1.1. The Parcels are located predominantly in water depths of less than 100 m except on the Misaine Bank where Pleistocene tunnel valley depths can approach 200 m along the northern portions of Parcels 2 to 5.

The Parcels cover an area where Late Jurassic Mic Mac and Early Cretaceous Missisauga formations have excellent reservoir potential in thick fluvial and shallow marine sand successions. Salt movement across all six Parcels provides a mechanism for a variety of trap types.

As explained in the Source Rocks and Maturation section, basin modelling has placed the Tithonian source rock within the present day oil window in the Huron Subbasin, and along the northwestern margin of the Sable Subbasin. There is also good evidence to suggest that Early Jurassic source rocks are within the present day oil window in the Abenaki subbasin.

As detailed in the Potential Traps and Reservoirs section, Parcel 1 includes the undeveloped Penobscot oil discovery which contains 65 MMBbls of mean oil in place. There are also two undrilled structures directly adjacent to the Penobscot discovery with additional oil potential of 82 MMBbls (mean). Parcel 1 is also bordered by seven Significant Discoveries within the Sable Subbasin. Parcel 3 is within the Abenaki Subbasin and includes the Mic Mac J-77 and Mic Mac D-89 wells which encountered oil bearing sands. Parcel 4 has an untested, Early and Late Jurassic, stacked carbonate reef buildup.

Parcels 5 and 6 are within the Huron Subbasin. In addition to rollover anticline traps, these Parcels have a potential subsalt play near the South Griffin Ridge and good prospectivity within the interbedded clastic and carbonate system as confirmed with gas tests at Louisbourg J-47.

A summary of the regional geology of the Scotian margin is included in the Overview section.