KUPFERSCHIEFER FM

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• General information

  General information

  Attribute	Value
  Lithostrat. unit The lithostratigraphic unit's official name.	KUPFERSCHIEFER FM
  NPDID lithostrat. unit Norwegian Offshore Directorate's unique id for lithostratigraphic units.	88
  Level Indicates the lithostratigraphic unit's level. Legal values: GROUP, FORMATION, MEMBER.	FORMATION
  Lithostrat. unit, parent The parent lithostratigraphic unit's official name. See also level. Will be empty if Level = GROUP.	ZECHSTEIN GP

• Level below

  Level below

  Lithostrat. unit

• Description

  Kupferschiefer Formation
  
  Name

  An old German mining term meaning “Copper Shale”.

  Well type section

  UK well 49/26-4 (Shell/Esso) (see Rhys, 1974) from 2012 to 2013 m.

  Well reference section

  The formation is illustrated in the following wells which may be considered as reference sections. UK wells 30/16-1 (Shell/Esso) (Fig 1.5-8) . 21/11-1 (Shell/Esso) (Fig 1.5-8) and 15/26-1 (BP) (Fig 1.9-11) . Norwegian wells 7/3-1 (Amoco/Noco) (Fig 1.5-8) . and 17/4-1 (Petronord) (Fig 1.9-11) .

  Thickness

  1 m in the type well. In the reference wells it is 1 to 2 m thick and appears to be of the same order of thickness throughout the North Sea Basin. Although typically about 1 m or less in thickness, it can be overlain by additional shale to reach a combined thickness of 10 m; it then loses its sharp spike.

  Lithology

  Thin, grey-black, radioactive, locally calcareous organic-rich shale. In the type well it is a dark brown to black dolomitic shale. In the reference wells it is dark grey to black, carbonaceous and micaceous shale, usually laminated and fissile.

  Boundaries

  The formation is easily distinguished on wireline logs by a very high gamma ray response and low acoustic velocities. Since it normally occurs between the arenaceous sediments of the Rotliegend Group and the carbonates and evaporites of the Zechstein Group it forms a distinctive marker horizon.

  Distribution

  Despite the fact that the formation is very thin it is widely distributed over the Southern and Central North Sea. The Kupferschiefer Formation can be very thin or even absent over local highs and in marginal areas of local paleorelief. It is present on land in the UK and northern Europe.

  Age

  Late Permian.

  Depositional environment

  Marine, anoxic basinal environment.

  Compiled from:

  • Deegan, C. E. and Scull, B. J. (compilers) 1977: A standard lithostratigraphic nomenclature for the Central and Northern North Sea. UK Institute of Geological Sciences, Report 77/25. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, NPD-Bulletin No. 1, 36 pp.
  • Glennie, K. W., Higham, J. and Stemmerik, L. Permian. 91 – 103 in: Evans, D., Graham, C., Armour, A. and Bathurst, P. (editors and coordinators) 2003: The Millennium Atlas: petroleum geology of the central and northern North Sea. The Geological Society of London, 389 pp.

• Wellbores penetrating

  Wellbores penetrating

  Wellbore name	Wellbore completion date	Top depth [m]	Bottom depth [m]
  2/1-7	06.03.1985	5083	5084
  2/4-17	29.02.1992	4518	4520
  2/6-6 S	18.01.2019	3678	3680
  3/5-1	28.06.1978	3100	3103
  3/7-11 S	27.05.2019	3785	3790
  3/8-1	29.12.2010	4019	4021
  6/3-2	10.03.1986	4043	4045
  7/3-1	10.06.1969	4402	4406
  8/10-3	06.10.2010	5397	5398
  15/9-9	14.07.1981	3011	3014
  15/9-16	24.08.1982	3065	3068
  16/1-2	07.08.1976	2800	2808
  16/1-3	27.09.1982	3227	3230
  16/2-7	01.09.2011	2239	2244
  16/3-5	07.03.2013	1966	1967
  16/3-7	08.11.2013	1998	2000
  16/3-8 A	01.04.2014	2066	2069
  16/3-8 S	16.03.2014	2058	2060
  16/4-1	18.11.1984	2619	2621
  16/7-2	30.03.1982	3112	3117
  16/7-3	27.07.1982	2857	2859
  17/4-1	26.08.1968	3829	3834
  17/8-1	23.10.2021	2836	2838
  25/10-2 R	08.07.1972	3007	3014
  25/10-4 R	13.06.1981	2361	2363

• Wellbores with cores

  Wellbores with cores

  Wellbore name	Wellbore completion date	Core length [m]
  25/10-2 R	08.07.1972	7