We have particularly addressed problems related to the tectonic development and processes responsible for vertical movements in Barents Sea sedimentary basins and surrounding areas. The new, partly quantitative, understanding of basin development and petroleum systems will be used by petroleum industry to decrease exploration risk in the Barents Sea. The project has been divided into sub-projects (tasks) that are closely linked. The first three cover our integrated approach:
- the basin architecture (structure, stratigraphy and evolution)
- is linked to underlying structures in the crust and upper mantle and
- numerical modelling is carried out to study key processes responsible for the basin formation and development.
This threefold approach is applied in thematic case studies including
- East Barents Sea basin initiation and evolution,
- Arctic magmatism
- SW Barents Sea basin evolution, and
- Cenozoic structuring and uplift/erosion.
The eastern Barents Sea displays a tectono-sedimentary development, which is at odds with that seen for the rift basins of the western Barents Sea. The study of these basins sheds light on basin-forming mechanisms of a kind that is typical for large, stable intracontinental platforms.
PETROBAR is a project about to be finalized.