Geology of the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous geothermal aquifers in the West Netherlands Basin - An overview

Introduction to the geothermal play and reservoir geology of the Netherlands

New insights on subsurface energy resources in the Southern North Sea Barrin area

The Southern North Sea Basin area, stretching from the UK to the Netherlands, has a rich hydrocarbon exploration and production history. The past, present and expected future hydrocarbon and geothermal exploration trends in this area are discussed for eight key lithostratigraphic intervals, ranging from the Lower Carboniferous to Cenozoic. In...

Mesozoic resource potential in the Southern Permian Basin area: The geological key to exploiting remaining hydrocarbons whilst unlocking geothermal potential

It is generally accepted that hydrocarbon exploration in northern Europe has reached a mature stage. A basin’s maturity is defined by the underlying number of new discoveries and the declining production rate of mature fields (SPE 2015). For geoscientists, a mature basin has well-defined characteristics in terms of, for example, reservoir...

Data mining in the Dutch Oil and Gas Portal: A case study on the reservoir properties of the Volpriehausen Sandstone interval

This paper presents the results of a data mining exercise on core measurements and reports of the Triassic Lower Volpriehausen Sandstone Member (RBMVL) in The Netherlands. The availability of a large accurate online dataset via the Dutch Oil and Gas Portal (NLOG) enables the definition of general reservoir property trends on a regional...

Tectonic control on the Early Cretaceous Bentheim Sandstone sediments in the Schoonebeek oil field, The Netherlands

The reservoir rock of the Schoonebeek oil field is formed by the sandstones of the Bentheim Sandstone Member. The sedimentology and depositional environment of this sandstone have been extensively studied, but the relationship between the geometry of the sandstone and tectonic activity in the Schoonebeek area remains poorly understood. 355...

Cementation in the Dutch upper Rotliegend siliciclastic reservoirs

The Permian Rotliegend Slochteren Formation is a prolific gas bearing interval in the Netherlands. However, their reservoir porosity and permeability can be locally severely degraded by diagenetic pore-blocking cements. This work focusses on the cementational control on the reservoir quality. The drivers and causes of cementation and its effect...

Regional geothermal aquifer architecture of the fluvial Lower Cretaceous Nieuwerkerk Formation - A palynological analysis

The primary challenge for efficient geothermal doublet design and deployment is the adequate prediction of the size, shape, lateral extent and thickness (or aquifer architecture) of aquifers. In the West Netherlands Basin, fluvial Lower Cretaceous sandstone-rich successions form the main aquifers for geothermal heat exploitation. Large...

The role of detrital anhydrite in diagenesis of aeolian sandstones (Upper Rotliegend, The Netherlands): Implications for reservoir-quality prediction

The Rotliegend (Upper Permian) reservoir interval in the Southern Permian Basin (SPB) contains low-permeability streaks corresponding to anhydrite-cemented intervals. An integrated study was conducted using core, cuttings, thin sections and well-log data from a gas exploration well and two geothermal wells that target the zone of interest. This...

The Permian Rotliegend reservoir architecture of the Dutch Koekoekspolder geothermal doublet

The Dutch Koekoekspolder geothermal doublet was drilled in 2011 targeting the Permian Rotliegendreservoir. The encountered reservoir properties were less favorable than expected pre-drill. Post-drill integrated evaluation of vintage data and the new data from the geothermal wells resulted in a refined depositional model of the area. The...

Geothermal and hydrocarbon esploration: the double play synergy

There is a clear synergy possible in geothermal and hydrocarbon exploration if wells are targeted in a double play concept. In the Netherlands, clastic aquifers which have been explored extensively by the hydrocarbon industry and are now targeted for geothermal energy qualify well for a double play. Through a simple example we demonstrate...

Revision and update of the Callovian-Ryazanian Stratigraphic Nomenclature in the northern Dutch offshore, i.e. Central Graben Subgroup and Scruff Group

Exploration in a mature basin requires a detailed classification and standardisation of rock stratigraphy to adequately comprehend the depositional history and prospect architecture. The pre-Quaternary Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the Netherlands compiled by Van Adrichem Boogaert &Kouwe in 1993 provided a consistent framework for use by the...

The rationale for an integrated stratigraphic framework of the upper rotliegend II depositional system in The Netherlands

Due to the nature of the depositional environment and most importantly the lack of (bio) stratigraphic control, it remains difficult to establish a robust and reliable stratigraphic framework for the Upper Rotliegend which can be used as a guideline to better understand the internal architecture. The most important challenges encountered are the...

Palaeotopography-governed sediment distribution—a new predictive model for the Permian Upper Rotliegend in the Dutch sector of the Southern Permian Basin

The Southern Permian Basin (SPB) formed a large, elongated saucer-shaped inland depression extending from the UK to Poland and from Belgium to Denmark. During the Middle to early Late Permian the SPB was filled progressively by playa sediments from its centre in northwestern Germany before it was flooded at the onset of the Zechstein. The...

ThermoGIS - An integrated web-based information system for geothermal exploration and governmental decision support for M

The use of geothermal energy through implementation of low enthalpy geothermal production systems for both electricity and heating has been growing rapidly in Europe. Geothermal activities can take considerable advantage of a wealth of existing oil and gas data. It is a major challenge to put this data and derived subsurface structural,...

New stratigraphic insights in the 'Late Jurassic' of the Southern Central Sea Graben and Terschelling Basin (Dutch offshore) and related exploration potential

Middle Jurassic - Early Cretaceous strata are a target for oil and gas exploration in the Dutch offshore. During the initial stages of the 'Late Jurassic' offshore exploration, various oil fields and a few gas fields were discovered of which only one, the F3-FB field, proved to be economically viable. In the Northern Offshore of the Netherlands,...

Interval velocities of a triassic claystone: Key to burial history and velocity modelling

Interval velocities of the Lower Triassic Main Claystone Member have been evaluated and mapped for some 460 boreholes in the Dutch on- and offshore. A simple model was adopted for the dependence on depth of compressional wave velocities of sediments. Based on this model, interval velocities were interpreted in terms of burial and apparent uplift...