The Jurassic Period Continents split apart and the land flooded with inland seas. The air was humid and drippy. Spiders, scorpions, beetles, and mites buzzed and crawled. Warm, moist breezes carried an acrid smell from bubbling volcanoes. Dinosaurs, birds, and rodents mingled in thick forests of ferns, cycads, and conifers. Fish fed on abundant plankton and red algae in the warm sea waters. Fast-swimming sea monsters competed for the fish.
This was the Jurassic Period, the Beginning of the "Age of Dinosaurs."
Scientists define geologic time by eras and periods. Each lasted many millions of years. The Mesozoic Era has been divided into three periods. The first is the Triassic Period; second the magic Jurassic (for OIL forming), the last is the Cretaceous Period.
The Mesozoic lasted an amazing 200 million years in total. WOW!
In the middle Jurassic, the Atlantic Ocean began to open between Africa and North America. Laurasia and Gondwanaland split apart. That created a seaway called the Tethys Sea between them. Volcanic activity and tectonic forces deep inside the mantle - pushed the continents. By Late Jurassic time—147 million years ago—the continents began to separate completely: Africa from South America; India from Antarctica; Madagascar from Africa; Greenland and Europe from North America; and Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe. Alaska began to rotate away from the rest of the North American continent. During the time from 200 to 140 million years the conditions were perfect for microscopic OIL carrying ORGANISMS to live , multiply in the zillions and die , leaving behind their OILY legacy for the future in countless traps in sediments of these oceans.
Life Forms
The Jurassic Period is known as the golden age of dinosaurs. Great plant-eating dinosaurs roamed Earth. These included the enormous Diplodocus and Apatosaurus (formerly called Brontosaurus). They fed on lush growths of tree ferns and palmlike cycads. Ferocious carnivores stalked the great plant eaters: the armored, plated Stegosaurus and large Allosaurus. There wase NO Tyrannasourus rex yet at all during this time till the the end of the cretaceous period.
Scurrying along the forest floor were the first mammals. Most were the size of mice and rats. Insects such as scorpions, beetles, and mites emerged. Some were attracted to the new flowering plants. Above them all, the skies were ruled by the pterosaurs. Along with them the first small birds began to appear. Scientists now call them the Archaeopteryx.
However the real interesting facts are below as to the climate. Note - no evidence of ICE and glaciers. It was GLOBAL warming in its prime and life was the most plentiful ever on planet earth. Perhaps occupying every part of the world all over.even the so called North and South poles. (Not the same positions whatsoever like todays).
Other continents that may have existed but were however slowing sucked back into the mantle as a new period of continental drift just began to unfold about 200 million years ago. That is the picture above - the formation of the new continents just beginning.
Climate
During Jurassic times the climate was quite different than today. Much of the world was VERY WARM and TROPICAL. Shallow seas covered much of the low-lying land. Coral reefs were found around the globe. And there is no evidence of glaciers during that time.
Economic Deposits
Among the rich sedimentary layers of the Jurassic Period, scientists have also found products for commercial use. Coal and petroleum—including a great deal of MIDDLE EASTERN (Saudi Arabia) oil—exists widely in Jurassic sedimentary rocks. California gold deposits are also found largely in these layers. Jurassic iron ores in England and France were important during the early Industrial Revolution. And in western North America, large uranium deposits have been found among the Jurassic rocks.
But the drift obviously destroyed parts of sunken sections. No not really, most have been preserved and some even deep in the crust km down below the surface of the oceans.
Back to Africa (Morocco) and the missing link - East coast CANADA and USA. Now over 3500 km apart, yet still showing nice connections from that separation about 200 million years ago.
TODAY So how much of that OIL is still there in the Atlantic Ocean. Well still very early days, but the most significant fact is the vast regions are realy only just beginning to get attention once again. Were they considered TO DIFFICULT to explore befor previously? Perhaps that is a YES, the fact is most exploration technology was well over 40 years old with real WILDCAT approaches and with little luck. The approaches todays has 2D and 3D as well as potentially HORIZONTAL drillings available.
Anyway perhaps the most encouraging fact is the following....STATOIL web site
"Significant oil discovery offshore Canada Stock Market Announcement Statoil (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) Canada and co-venturer Husky Energy have announced that the first Bay du Nord exploration well has discovered between 300 and 600 million barrels of oil recoverable. Bilde The Bay du Nord discovery, located approximately 500 kilometres northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was announced in August. A sidetrack well has been completed this week and confirms a high impact discovery. Additional prospective resources have been identified which require further delineation.
The Bay du Nord discovery is Statoil's third discovery in the Flemish Pass Basin. The Mizzen discovery is estimated to hold a total of 100-200 million barrels of oil recoverable. The Harpoon discovery, announced in June, is still under evaluation and volumes cannot be confirmed at this stage.
Bilde Tim Dodson, executive vice president of Statoil Exploration. The Bay du Nord well encountered light oil of 34 API and excellent Jurassic reservoirs with high porosity and high permeability.
"It is exciting that Statoil is opening a new basin offshore Newfoundland," says Tim Dodson, executive vice president of Statoil Exploration. "This brings us one step closer to becoming a producing operator in the area."
"With only a few wells drilled in a large licenced area, totalling about 8,500 square kilometres, more work is required," adds Dodson. "This will involve new seismic as well as additional exploration and appraisal drilling to confirm these estimates before the partnership can decide on an optimal development solution in this frontier basin."
The successful drilling results from the Flemish Pass Basin demonstrate how Statoil's exploration strategy of early access at scale and focus on high-impact opportunities is paying off. As an early player in the area, Statoil has confirmed its understanding of the basin and has opened a new oil play offshore Canada. The Flemish Pass has the potential to become a core producing area for Statoil post-2020.
Bilde The West Aquarius drilling rig All three discoveries are in approximately 1,100 metres of water. Mizzen was drilled by the semi-submersible rig Henry Goodrich (2009). The Bay du Nord and Harpoon wells were drilled by the semi-submersible rig West Aquarius (2013).
Statoil is the operator of Mizzen, Harpoon and Bay du Nord with a 65% interest. Husky Energy has a 35% interest.
$$$ The final answer to the riddle - the STATOIL find of OIL in the middle of the Atlantic correlates beautifully to coming directly from the Moroccan Coast. The two spots were joined about 200 million years ago."
Anyway form any of your own conclusions. For now Im into the probability that at least some oil shows eventually will start to appear in Morocco. How big - anyones guess! Heres hoping Cairn?Genel again hit it spot on. Then the OIL bells will obviously be ringing as loud as possible with the traders. Obviously why so many advisors are pretending to know that TPT and obviously JKA will be great activity stocks VERY SOON.
Solid news now within 4 week perhaps! Maybe that 34 API stuff is still stuck down there in the Jurassic (as found off Canada). Highly likely me thinks anyways. A few good weeks ahead both for TPT and JKA hopefully with any news and speculation.
JKA Price at posting:
8.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
