A Geochemical Profile and Burial History of Aurora 890 #1 OCS-Y-0943 Well, Offshore of the ANWR 1002 Area, Northeast Alaska

Organic geochemical analyses of the cuttings and sidewall cores from the Aurora well describe the petroleum-generating potential of the Brookian and Breakup sequence rocks offshore of the ANWR 1002 area. Most TOCs are low, and are comparable to sediments from the Beaufort-Mackenzie basin. However, the basal Brookian and Breakup sequences have higher TOCs and are not comparable. Visual and pyrolytic analyses show that indigenous kerogens in Aurora samples are mostly Type IV or interinite.

Thermal maturity regimes are most accurately defined by %RO and as Wetness data. The catagenetic zone is currently between about 9,518 and 17,500 ft. (2.901-5,334 m). Bmial history reconstructions include several periods of uplift and erosion at this location. The source rock analyses and thermal models suggest that the Aurora sediments are not, currently the site of extensive hydrocarbon generation. However, the C-15+ extract data show that hydrocarbons are migrating through these sediments from an as yet unknown and undefined petroleum system.