From Depositional Systems to Sedimentary Successions on the Norwegian Continental Margin

The Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), focus of this special publication, is a prolific hydrocarbon region and both exploration and production activity remains high to this day with a positive production outlook. A key element today and in the future is to couple technological developments to improving our understanding of specific geological situations. The theme of the publication reflects the immense efforts made by all industry operators and their academic partners on the NCS to understand in detail the structural setting, sedimentology and stratigraphy of the hydrocarbon bearing units and their source and seal. The papers cover a wide spectrum of depositional environments ranging from alluvial fans to deepwater fans, in almost every climate type from arid through humid to glacial, and in a variety of tectonic settings. Special attention is given to the integration of both analogue studies and process–based models with the insights gained from extensive subsurface datasets.

Allard W. Martinius works for Statoil R&D with additional experience from technical service (production and exploration) as well as field development. His main interests are in clastic sedimentology and stratigraphy of fluvial and shallow marine systems, fauna–substrate relationships, and static and dynamic reservoir characterization for hydrocarbon production. Rodmar Ravnås is Principal Geologist in Shell Exploration Norway and Associate Professor at University of Stavanger, Norway. His main interest is in clastic sedimentology and the integration of tectonics and depositional systems, and its application to petroleum exploration and prospecting. John Howell  is Professor at the University of Aberdeen, UK. Prior to Aberdeen he was at the University of Bergen in Norway and the Chief Geologist at Rocksource ASA. His main interests are in clastic sedimentology, stratigraphy, reservoir modelling and novel methods for the acquisition of digital outcrop data. Ron Steel is Professor at the University of Texas in Austin and Sixth–Century Chair at the University of Aberdeen, UK. His main interests are in clastic sedimentology & stratigraphy, and particularly in the architecture and growth of shelf margins, and the routing of sediment from there to deepwater. Jonathan P. Wonham graduated from Imperial College, London and the University of Liverpool (Ph.D.) and now works for Total in France. He has 25 years of experience as a sedimentologist/petroleum geologist covering the fields of research, development and exploration geology, especially focusing on the North Sea. His publications focus on reservoir evaluation oriented aspects of sequence stratigraphy, tidal deposition, turbidites and mixed siliciclastic–carbonate systems.