Prediction of the oil and gas potential of Antarctica on the basis of geological conditions

Although no deposits of oil or gas have been found in Antarctica thus far, the available geological/geophysical data indicate that there is considerable oil and gas potential. Some 8–10 sedimentary basins with oil and gas potential are identified by the authors. A series of basins lies around the margin of the East Antarctic Platform. These include the Wilkes Land Basin, the Victoria Land Basin and the Prydz Bay Basin. A further group of sedimentary basins is associated with the transitional area between the East Antarctic craton and the West Antarctic fold zone; these include the Weddell Sea Basin, the Ross Sea Basin, and the Byrd Basin. Finally, two smaller basins, the Bellingshausen Sea Basin and the Amundsen Sea Basin are located on the northern flank of West Antarctica. Three of these basins (the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea and Prydz Bay basins) reveal particularly good prospects in terms of oil and gas potential: all possess favorable tectonic positions, large size, adequate cover thicknesses, the presence of riftogenic depressions, and in some cases major structures in the sedimentary cover. The potential of the remaining basins must at this stage be considered as theoretical.