OUTLINE GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN NORTH SEA BASIN

Abstract
Summary: The address outlines the geological results of exploration for natural gas in the southern North Sea Basin as derived from geophysical surveys and deep drilling operations. The greater part of the marine area is stratigraphically comparable with the landward continuation of the basin in northern Germany. Marine Tertiary is well developed; the Trias includes a representative of Muschelkalk and the Permian is bipartite, with a Zechstein including thick evaporites overlying the Rotliegendes. True folding is very gentle, deep-seated folds and faults trending predominantly north-west–south-east (in the west) and north–south (in the east). A major phase of movement occurred in pre-Aptian times, resulting in widespread transgression of late Cretaceous on to early Jurassic and Triassic rocks. The dominant tectonic feature is the widespread development of halokinetic structures due to movement of Zechstein salt, the forms varying from pillows to diapiric salt plugs. This movement began in the Triassic and continued through Jurassic, Mesozoic and Tertiary times.

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