The Scremerston Formation : results of a sedimentological study of onshore outcrop sections and offshore Well 42/13-2

Jones, N.S.. 2007 The Scremerston Formation : results of a sedimentological study of onshore outcrop sections and offshore Well 42/13-2. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey, 70pp. (CR/07/101N) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

This report describes a study of the Scremerston Formation and lower part of the overlying Yoredale Formation at outcrop and in the onshore subsurface in the Berwick-upon-Tweed area of north-east Northumberland. The work was carried out on behalf of Sterling Resources Ltd and partners, who were interested in the onshore succession as an analogue to similar aged deposits offshore in their area of interest in the North Sea (Quadrant 42 and adjacent areas). The work was carried out in two phases. Firstly a field-based study of coastal and inland outcrops in the Berwick area was carried out during February 2007. The Scremerston Formation is poorly exposed onshore at Berwick, although the overlying succession, equivalent to the basal part of the offshore Yoredale Formation, is well exposed to the north and south of Berwick. Sedimentologically the Scremerston Formation and lower part of the overlying Yoredale Formation appear similar. The main difference appears to be the occurrence of thick marine limestones in the Yoredale Formation. Hence it is believed that it is valid to include the lower part of the Yoredale Formation within the study. Overall the succession represents deposition on a delta plain, transitional with a marine setting. Periods of delta advance led to the infilling of marine interdistributary bays. Floodplain and lacustrine facies occur on the delta plain, as well as large braided river channel systems that fed coarse sediment into the basin. The study found that a variety of reservoir and non-reservoir lithofacies characterise the succession. The largest sandbodies consist of stacked major channel systems, up to about 88 ft (27 m) in thickness. These have widths that vary up to about 8 km. Palaeocurrent analysis of the sandbodies show that they have a consistent trend, with sandbodies oriented north-south or north-east to south-west; a southerly or south-westerly flow direction is indicated. The channel fills typically consist of fine- to coarse-grained cross-bedded sandstone, with a high net-to-gross (typically >0.8). Internal heterogeneity, where present, typically comprises beds of floodplain mudstones. These are often discontinuous due to erosion by overlying channels. The second part of the study involved an analysis of boreholes in the area around and immediately to the south of Berwick. In total 39 onshore boreholes were databased, irregularly distributed across an area of approximately 100 km2 (~39 square miles). Borehole stick plots were drawn, stratigraphic correlations made and sand-to-non-sand maps were constructed. These sand-to-non-sand maps represent a crude proxy for net-to-gross sand maps and show that, at least onshore, the succession shows significant lateral variability in sand distribution. Schematic palaeogeography maps were compiled for 6 sandbodies within the Scremerston and Yoredale formations. This utilised the borehole and outcrop data.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Programmes:	BGS Programmes > Marine, Coastal and Hydrocarbons
Funders/Sponsors:	Sterling Resources
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	This item has been internally reviewed but not externally peer-reviewed. This report made open by Sterling Resources January 2016
Date made live:	26 Jan 2016 15:14 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512724

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