The geology of the North Sea from the Palaeozoic era to the present day is reviewed, with reference to petroleum geology. Geological factors affect the environmental consequences of oil and gas exploitation in many different ways. For example, in the case of the Ekofisk oilfield in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, oil production led to seafloor subsidence of a few metres due to its chalk reservoir, but production-related subsidence on this scale is atypical.
The evolution of the geomorphology and composition of the shallow and seabed sediments is discussed. The distribution of mud, sand, gravel and hard substrates influence the nature of the benthos and can affect the way in which contaminants are accumulated and transported. Shallow seabed sediments support the foundations of structures ranging from platforms to pipelines. Hydrogeological conditions and the risk of pollution to aquifers are also reviewed.
The Viking Graben, which lies in the northernmost of the SEA2 areas, is more seismically active than the southern areas. The periodicity of the seismic hazard is summarised with reference to offshore installations.
This report was prepared by scientists from the British Geological Survey (BGS). BGS carries out geological survey both onshore and offshore, is the national custodian for geoscience data and aims to provide the best and most up-to-date geoscience information and advice for the UK.
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