New evidence for possible generation of oil off south-western Greenland

Abstract

In 2011, traces of bitumen in the 1160 Ma old Ilímaussaq intrusion in South Greenland have been examined in order to determine their origin. The investigation was prompted by the recent interest in hydrocarbon exploration off western Greenland, an interest expressed in the form of four new licences in the region (Christiansen 2011). The hydrocarbon potential in the region was realised after reinterpretation of seismic profiles across the Labrador Sea, and this indicates the presence of a sedimentary basin off south-western Greenland (Fig. 1; Chalmers & Pulvertaft 2001). However, the main problem in petroleum exploration off south-western Greenland is that no prolific marine source rocks have been demonstrated (Christiansen 2011). Therefore, any trace of hydrocarbons, however small that may help demonstrate the occurrence of source rocks in the region, deserves careful examination.