Tectonic structure and oil and gas potential of Western Arctic basement and adjacent regions
The authors show forth their views on formation of different types of basement from the standpoint of the lithosphere plate tectonics. Under the sedimentary cover of the Western Arctic and adjacent regions they identify basement types as follows: continental, sub-continental, oceanic, sub-oceanic and folded basement, and also the oceanic basement occurring in the allochthonous attitude. The contours of their occurrence are determined and the depths of surfaces of the various types of basement are shown. Possibility of discovery of small and medium-size fields are discussed in the following succession: prospective deposits of the folded basement, primarily Paleozoic deposits; promising rocks of the continental and sub-continental basements, as well as oceanic basement in allochthonous tectonic plate-lets; and unpromising sections of the oceanic and sub-oceanic basements, as well as outcropping rocks of the continental and folded basements. Succession of studies of the structure and oil and gas potential of the region basement is proposed