THE ROTLIEGEND OF THE NE GERMAN BASIN - BACKGROUND AND PROSPECTIVITY

The NE German Basin contains approximately 2.5 km of Rotliegend sedime nts, subdivided into four formations. These were deposited following t he cessation of the Late Carboniferous/Early Permian volcanic episode and a c. 20 Ma period of erosion and non-deposition. Initial depositio n was confined to two areas, but with increasing thermal subsidence th e basin er,tended to the south. Petrographic and geochemical analyses suggest that the sediments are derived largely from cratonic or recycl ed sources. Volcanic and sedimentary rock fragments predominate. The s uccession was deposited in a relatively stable tectonic environment wi th sediment input derived largely from the Lower and Upper Palaeozoic strata of the Variscan hinterland and the Late Carboniferous and Lower Permian volcanics. Hydrocarbon prospectivity is confined to two main areas, with traps being predominantly stratigraphic and subtle.