Late Paleocene-middle Eocene hydrocarbon source rock potential in the Arctic Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin

In recent years, source rock predictions for the Eocene Arctic were postulated from cores on the Lomonosov Ridge, focusing on organic matter (OM) produced during the Azolla event. OM associated with Azolla also occurs in the Natsek E-56 (TOC ranges from 1 to 14%) but reworked terrestrial matter is a dominant component. The pre-PETM organic rich interval of Natsek E-56 was not recorded at the Lomonosov Ridge, while in Natsek E-56 the interval consists of TOC values double that recorded at any point in the Lomonosov Ridge wells. The occurrence of multiple potential source rocks from the unique depositional environments in the BMB indicates oil and gas potential in late Paleocene-middle Eocene strata of the Beaufort-Mackenzie region.