September 18, 2024 - 17:30
Den Haag

Monthly Lecture

Johan ten Veen (TNO), Harald de Haan (EBN) and Stefan Peeters (TNO) will talk about:

Return to the Lower Cretaceous play; it’s potential for new applications.

Abstract
The uppermost Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous marine sequence is referred to as the Rijnland Group in the Dutch nomenclature. The interval represents a late syn-rift to post-rift transgressive system with several higher order southward prograding coastal-to-shelf sandy sequences (known as the Vlieland Sandstone Formation; KNNS) that interfinger with marine clays of the Vlieland Claystone Formation. The interval hosts the main reservoirs for oil in the Netherlands, which have produced over 90% of Dutch oil. Currently the Dutch Lower Cretaceous reservoirs are also potential targets for geothermal energy and saline aquifer CO2 storage. In the current Dutch nomenclature, the individual sandstone units of the KNNS have been subdivided into 13 (!) individual lithostratigraphic members. These members have different names per sub-basin, are stacked in some places (especially along the southern part of the basin), but may also be laterally time-equivalent to each other in other places. As part of the Geode project (see below for more information), the individual lithostratigraphic members have been grouped chronostratigraphically in four main reservoir units based on legacy biostrat data and regional occurrences. This enables a better interpretation and visualization of facies distribution, reservoir presence and reservoir properties on a regional scale, of which some of the results are presented during this PGK presentation.

The reservoir property and thickness maps created via this approach were used to assess the potential for saline aquifer CO2 storage for the Lower Cretaceous interval in the Netherlands in terms of capacity, injectivity and containment, which are three out of the four pillars of CO2 storage. As CO2 storage in the Netherlands is kicking off with two projects (Porthos and Aramis) for pipeline transport and storage of CO2 in depleted gas fields, in most countries the first CO2 storage projects in saline aquifers are already planned. The results of this study can be used as a solid base for working up local opportunities by the industry. In this PGK presentation, the main results of the assessment for CO2 saline aquifer storage will be presented for the Lower Cretaceous play. The results for other plays can be found on the GEODE web-portal.

About GEODE

The work that will be presented was carried out as part of the GEODE project, which is a joint initiative of EBN B.V. and TNO. The aim of GEODE is to create an easily accessible, web-based GIS environment where play-based exploration data can be displayed and downloaded for the main hydrocarbon and potential CO2 saline aquifer storage (sub)plays of the Dutch subsurface. This should help the industry users to better understand exploration opportunities against the backdrop of regional data and herewith it is intended to stimulate local exploration activities within the Dutch subsurface. Where possible, data, information and learnings have been incorporated of past industry (JIP) and innovation (TKI) projects. The GEODE platform is an open platform. It does not require any user registration and users are permitted to copy, download and disclose data in any way for free, and are allowed to distribute or simplify the information provided on the website without any prior written permission. More information about the background of GEODE can be found here.

About the presenter

Johan graduated from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam where he obtained a degree in Geology in 1991. In 1998, Johan received his PhD from Utrecht University on a study covering the interplay between tectonics, geodynamics and sedimentation of the Neogene Cretan segment of the Hellenic arc in Greece. From 1998 to 2004 Johan held postdoc positions at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis (U.S.A.) and at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. From 2004-2006 he worked as an independent geology consultant conducting seismic interpretation and fieldwork studies. In 2006 Johan became a researcher and lecturer at the Ruhr university in Bochum. Since 2009, Johan works at the Expertise Group for Subsurface modelling, TNO-Geological Survey of the Netherlands, where he generates and maintains several subsurface digital geomodels of the Dutch subsurface and cross-border regions. His research activities focus on integrated basin studies for characterization of all types of energy reservoirs.

In 1991 he joined Shell International and had various assignments in the Middle East and the Netherlands where he was amongst others Chief Geologist of NAM B.V.. During his stays at the Shell Technology Center in Amsterdam, he initiated the Open Subsurface Data UniverseTM project in 2011 which is now the largest digital technology project in the energy industry providing a standardized cloud-agnostic open-source data platform for geoscience and energy data. He is Past-President of the German Geological Society (DGGV) and currently a board member there.

Johan graduated from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam where he obtained a degree in Geology in 1991. In 1998, Johan received his PhD from Utrecht University on a study covering the interplay between tectonics, geodynamics and sedimentation of the Neogene Cretan segment of the Hellenic arc in Greece. From 1998 to 2004 Johan held postdoc positions at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis (U.S.A.) and at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. From 2004-2006 he worked as an independent geology consultant conducting seismic interpretation and fieldwork studies. In 2006 Johan became a researcher and lecturer at the Ruhr university in Bochum. Since 2009, Johan works at the Expertise Group for Subsurface modelling, TNO-Geological Survey of the Netherlands, where he generates and maintains several subsurface digital geomodels of the Dutch subsurface and cross-border regions. His research activities focus on integrated basin studies for characterization of all types of energy reservoirs.

In 1991 he joined Shell International and had various assignments in the Middle East and the Netherlands where he was amongst others Chief Geologist of NAM B.V.. During his stays at the Shell Technology Center in Amsterdam, he initiated the Open Subsurface Data UniverseTM project in 2011 which is now the largest digital technology project in the energy industry providing a standardized cloud-agnostic open-source data platform for geoscience and energy data. He is Past-President of the German Geological Society (DGGV) and currently a board member there.

After retirement from Shell in December 2022, his main focus is on sustainable subsurface solutions in the energy transition like Natural Hydrogen Exploration, Geothermal Exploration and Development and their synergies with net zero brine mining or Helium production. Currently he is heading the research project “Natural Hydrogen Exploration in Germany”.

Jürgen has been SPE Distinguished Lecturer, is a member of the scholarship organisation ‘Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes’ as well as of the energy think tank “AURIGA” in the Netherlands. He has published numerous scientific papers and books.

 

Program:
17:30-18:00 hrs: Social hour
18:00-19:00 hrs: Lecture
19:00-20:00 hrs: Social hour

Teams meeting link: Click here

Venue:
Millers, Plein 10, Den Haag