The APT-Chemostrat Faroe-Shetland Basin basement characterisation and thermal calibration database and report was published by the NSTA in May 2021 under the NSTA user agreement. The project comprises a PDF report and 5 excel files.

The study has generated a multi-disciplinary dataset that constrains the thermal evolution of the Faroe-Shetland Basin.

The basement composition work reveals a clear variation in basement composition which results in a marked trend in heat flow and geothermal gradient from cool in the SW of the AOI to hot in the NE of the AOI.  The thermal calibration data demonstrates that the basinal areas investigated are at or close to their maximum temperatures present day. Evidence for higher paleo-temperatures is sporadic and is indicated to occur in the Late Tertiary rather than the Early Tertiary when the intrusive igneous activity occurred. Models testing the impact of thermal erosion of the lithosphere suggest that the impact on the temperature histories caused by this are very modest. Heating associated with direct intrusive activity is of much greater magnitude but is thought to be relatively localised. Results obtained from 1D modelling, combined with appropriate expulsion modelling suggest that the charge timing ‘issue’ in the Faroe-Shetland Basin has been over-emphasised in previous studies. 

The study has implication for both exploration teams engaged in the modelling and prediction of the petroleum system in the Faroe-Shetland basins, and for geoscientific researchers working on the processes involved in the basin evolution. While previously considered complex, it is believed that where the complexity is either misplaced or misunderstood in terms of the petroleum system then this can lead to poorer risking and a less clarity on the framework in which to assess new exploration opportunities.