Burial and Heat Flux Modelling along a Southern Vøring Basin Transect: Implications for the Petroleum Systems and Thermal Regimes in the Deep Mid-Norwegian Sea

A key aspect on the evolution of rifted terranes and prospectivity overlying sedimentary basins is heat. Temperature determines deformation regime crustal mantle rocks and, thus, style rifting geometry rift basins. The generation hydrocarbons from organic-rich reservoir conditions depend primarily temperature. In this study, we model thermal–burial history southern Vøring Basin (Mid-Norway Margin) along a regional transect (2-D), integrating basin- lithospheric-scale processes. that accounts for main extensional pulses shaped Mid-Norway Margin in good general agreement with present–past geothermal gradients inferred borehole temperature maturity data surface heat flux measurements proximal intermediate margin. This supports near steady-state, post-rift margin setting, following break-up early Eocene. Significant discrepancies are, however, observed distal margin, where temperatures suggest (much) higher thermal than predicted implied by average flux. We speculate may result deep-seated (mantle dynamics) anomalies and/or recurrent hydrothermalism during periods greater tectonic stress (regional compression glacial loading rebound) test implications Basin. modelling results show, example, that, depending assumptions, depth age optimal mid-Late Cretaceous source-rock horizons vary more 2 km 10 Ma, respectively.