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Beyond continental drift: Why is the formation of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin so fascinating?
The Jeanne d'Arc Basin is an offshore sedimentary basin located approximately 340 km from Saint John on the east coast of Canada. The basin, whose formation is closely tied to the breakup of the historic supercontinent Pangaea and the spreading of the North Atlantic seafloor, is one of a series of rift basins that sit on a vast shallow coast known as the Newfoundland Shelf. The Jeanne d'Arc Basin gets its name from a 20-meter shoal marked on old seafloor survey maps, which was once thought to be a bedrock exposure similar to Virgin Rock.
Basin formation
Located in a vast shallow area on the Newfoundland continental shelf, the upper crust of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin consists of ancient Precambrian and Paleozoic strata that underwent collapse during the final assembly of the supercontinent Pangaea. Moderate deformation. Subsequently, these bedrocks underwent multiple stretching events, forming large-scale fault structures. This action causes these areas to sink relative to the surrounding areas, forming rift basins. Furthermore, this process was accompanied by a gradual infilling of sediments from adjacent uplifted areas, creating the sedimentary features seen today.
The deformation history of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin records the plate tectonic history of the North Atlantic region.
Geological Characteristics and Hydrocarbon Potential
For a basin to generate, accumulate and retain hydrocarbons (oil and/or natural gas), a combination of geological factors is required. The varied nature of the sediments deposited during three rifting events in the Jeanne d'Arc basin, and their diverse structures over geological time, are crucial to the interpretation of its hydrocarbon potential. The emergence of deep salt rock has become one of the important factors for subsequent structural deformation and oil and gas capture. These salt rocks form an extensive low shear strength interface, making subsequent strata more isolated during extension.
Petroleum Exploration and Development
In the mid-1960s, the Canadian government issued the first licenses for hydrocarbon exploration on the Newfoundland continental shelf. In 1971, in the southern part of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, the first exploratory well, Murre G-67, was drilled and discovered non-commercial small amounts of oil. The subsequent Egret K-36 well was not an immediate commercial success, but its discovery laid the foundation for the oil potential of the basin. Finally, on May 27, 1979, the exploration well Hibernia P-15 confirmed the basin's potential for the discovery of large oil fields, ushering in an active era of oil exploration in the region.
The Jeanne d'Arc Basin's deep sedimentary layers and complex structures link the region's oil discoveries.
As of 2012, eighteen significant oil discoveries have been announced in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin and surrounding areas. Today, five fields are producing in the basin, including Hibernia and Terra Nova. The North Amethyst field is the first connected production area in the basin, with production facilities connected to the White Rose field. With future production units expected to be launched in the Hebron-Ben Nevis area, it is conceivable that the resources hidden in this basin are not only a testimony to geological evolution, but also a source of potential for economic development.
However, the formation process of the Jeanne d'Arc Basin is not only the subject of analysis by geologists, but also has attracted widespread attention from all walks of life. Could it be the answer to future energy needs?
