EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2006

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 631
Author(s):  
J.E. Blevin
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
South Australia ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Almost All ◽  
2D And 3D ◽  
Exploration Activity ◽  
Carnarvon Basin

Key business indicators show an upward trend in exploration activity in Australia during 2006. The year was marked by fluctuating high oil prices, a strong uptake of acreage in most basins, and increased levels of drilling activity and seismic acquisition. Market demand for product, production infrastructure and the fruition of several development projects have pushed the level of exploration activity in both offshore and onshore basins. Despite this trend and the spread of tenements, almost all petroleum discoveries made during 2006 were located within 15 km of existing (but often undeveloped) fields.The Carnarvon Basin continued to be the focus of most offshore exploration activity during 2006, with the highest levels of 3D seismic acquisition and exploration/appraisal/development drilling in the country. Discoveries in the Carnarvon Basin also covered the broadest range of water depths—extending from the oil and gas discoveries made by Apache on the inboard margin of the Barrow Subbasin, to the deepwater gas discoveries at Clio–1 and Chandon–1 by Chevron. Several large gas discoveries were made in the Carnarvon and Bonaparte basins and provide significant tie-back opportunities to existing and planned infrastructure. The Bonaparte Basin also saw significantly increased levels of 2D and 3D seismic acquisition during 2006. Onshore, the Cooper/Eromanga basins continued to experience the highest level of drilling activity and seismic acquisition, while maintaining an overall high drilling success rate. For the first time in many years, data acquisition also occurred in frontier basins like the Daly (Northern Territory), Darling (New South Wales), Tasmanian (Tasmania) and Faust/Capel basins (Lord Howe Rise region).Coal seam methane (CSM) exploration maintained a strong performance in 2006, particularly in Queensland, while South Australia, Queensland and Victoria continue to lead the way with large tracts of acreage gazetted for geothermal energy exploration.

Australian exploration review 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Matthew Quinn ◽  
Frances Hulbert
Keyword(s):  
Sharp Decrease ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
The North ◽  
Recoverable Reserves ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Exploratory Drilling ◽  
2D And 3D ◽  
Exploration Activity

Seventy acreage grants were awarded in Australia during 2017, with net acreage increasing in the Canning, Bonaparte and Perth basins. More broadly, the area under licence within Australia has been reducing since 2014 and this trend continued with a reduction of just over 100 000 km2. Both 2D and 3D seismic acquisition levels decreased within Australia during 2017, on an absolute and on a percentage of worldwide basis. An uptick in exploratory drilling occurred in 2017 with the highest levels since 2014 being reached. Exploratory drilling levels in Australia also increased, in percentage terms, compared with those globally. Discovered volumes exhibited a sharp decrease with a total of 22 MMboe recoverable reserves added across 14 fields. In 2018, exploration activity is expected to increase with key wells planned in the North Carnarvon and Roebuck basins.

PESA Australian exploration review 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 493
Author(s):  
D. Lockhart ◽  
D. Spring
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
The North ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Gippsland Basin ◽  
2D And 3D ◽  
Conventional Oil ◽  
Exploration Activity ◽  
Offshore Petroleum

Available data for 2018 indicates that exploration activity is on the rise in Australia, compared to 2017, and this represents a second year of growth in exploration activity in Australia. There has been an increase in area under licence by 92 000 km2, reversing the downward trend in area under licence that commenced in 2014. Since 2016, exploratory drilling within Australia has seen a continued upward trend in both the number of wells drilled and the percentage of total worldwide. Onshore, 77 conventional exploration and appraisal wells were spudded during the year. Offshore, exploration and appraisal drilling matched that seen in 2017, with five new wells spudded: two in the Roebuck Basin, two in the Gippsland Basin and one in the North Carnarvon Basin. Almost 1500 km of 2D seismic and over 10 000 km2 of 3D seismic were acquired within Australia during 2018, accounting for 2.4% and 3.9% of global acquisition, respectively. This represents an increase in the amount of both 2D and 3D seismic acquired in Australia compared with 2017. Once the 2017 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release was finalised, seven new offshore exploration permits were awarded as a result. A total of 12 bids were received for round one of the 2018 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Release, demonstrating an increase in momentum for offshore exploration in Australia. The permits are in Commonwealth waters off Western Australia, Victoria and the Ashmore and Cartier islands. In June 2018, the Queensland Government announced the release of 11 areas for petroleum exploration acreage in onshore Queensland, with tenders closing in February/March 2019; a further 11 areas will be released in early 2019. The acreage is a mix of coal seam gas and conventional oil and gas. Victoria released five areas in the offshore Otway Basin within State waters. In the Northern Territory, the moratorium on fracking was lifted in April, clearing the way for exploration to recommence in the 2019 dry season. With the increase in exploration has come an increase in success, with total reserves discovered within Australia during 2018 at just under 400 million barrels of oil equivalent, representing a significant increase from 2017. In 2018, onshore drilling resulted in 18 new discoveries, while offshore, two new discoveries were made. The most notable exploration success of 2018 was Dorado-1 drilled in March by Quadrant and Carnarvon Petroleum in the underexplored Bedout Sub-basin. Dorado is the largest oil discovery in Australia of 100 million barrels, or over, since 1996 and has the potential to reinvigorate exploration in the region.

Highlights and trends in exploration 2009

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Gordon Wakelin-King
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Flight To Quality ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Coal Seam Methane ◽  
Western Australian ◽  
Low Activity

2009 saw an overall decrease from high activity from 2008, levelling off in the December quarter as the economy stabilised. Unsurprisingly, most activity was in offshore Western Australia and on coal seam methane (CSM) in Queensland. Highlights include: good results in the Carnarvon and Browse basins for Western Australian operators, interest in Karoon and Conoco-Phillips’ enigmatic Poseidon project, over 180 CSM exploration wells in Queenslandd, and a relatively busy year for Tasmania. Western Australian seismic acquisition approached 10,000 km of 2D and 25,000 km2 of 3D for 38* wells and success rate around 50%. South Australia saw the highest conventional onshore drilling and seismic activity, with good results for 17 wells, while other states saw low activity in this sector. Victoria saw one offshore exploration well and no seismic. Tasmania also saw no new seismic, but saw four exploration wells and encouragement at Rockhopper–1. CSM is picking up in South Australia, and New South Wales saw continued high CSM activity in a historically low-activity region. High success rates suggest two trends: explorers finding value in 3D seismic, and a ‘flight to quality’ as operating costs and poorer access to capital reinforce risk aversion among operators. Elsewhere, geothermal energy helped small cap investors satisfy their appetite for risk outside of the petroleum industry, and results will be watched with great interest. *Numbers are from early public and departmental statistics and may be revised.

SELECTING THE WINNING BID

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 523
Author(s):  
E. Alexander ◽  
J. Morton
Keyword(s):  
Scoring System ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Work Program ◽  
Single Target ◽  
2D And 3D ◽  
Selection Of

Work program bidding is established as the favoured method of allocating petroleum exploration tenements in offshore Australian waters and most of onshore Australia. However, the selection of winning bids can be complicated by the ranking of 2D versus 3D seismic, seismic versus drilling, program timing issues etc. On occasion the selection of the winning bids has been contentious. This paper summarises the process developed by the Petroleum Group in South Australia to select the winning work program bids for prospective onshore blocks for which bids have been gazetted. No other Australian jurisdiction has yet publicly released their detailed bid assessment processes.Onshore acreage releases with work program bidding have been used in South Australia since the 1980s by Petroleum Group to:focus industry onto specific prospective areas of the State (e.g. the Cooper Basin post expiry of PELs 5 and 6 in 1999); maximise exploration commitments; and achieve competition policy.The South Australian Petroleum Act 2000 allows cash or work program bidding to be used depending on the acreage. Acreage releases are announced by Ministerial press release. Associated clear bid assessment criteria are published together with promotional material to aid applicants. The date and time for close of bidding are also established, usually allowing a 6–9 month acreage evaluation period, the timeframe depending on the volume of data involved, i.e. the exploration maturity of the area.Applications received as a result of a gazettal process (i.e. competing bids) are assessed by a process designed to ensure probity and to achieve the over-arching aim of the bidding process i.e. the suitability of the applicants proposed work program for evaluating the prospectivity of the licence area and discovering petroleum.A scoring system has been developed which establishes, for each bid what is effectively a risked net present value in well equivalents. In this system, guaranteed work scores higher than non-guaranteed work; early work scores higher than later work; wells with multiple targets are scored higher than single target wells; 2D and 3D seismic and other exploration activity is converted into well equivalents; and loading of the later, non-guaranteed years of work programs are heavily discounted.The scoring system may also take into account differences in the amount and density of exploration data and minor variations may be made to the system to take this into account. It is intended that details of the scoring system to be used in bid assessment will be published each time bids are sought to ensure transparency and a level playing field.Comparisons are made with acreage management philosophy and processes used by other regulatory regimes in Australia and internationally.

EXPLORATION IN THE COOPER BASIN

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 366 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Heath
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Mature Stage ◽  
Small Contribution ◽  
Terrestrial Source ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Proterozoic Basement ◽  
Gas Fields ◽  
Coal Measures ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Cooper Basin is located in the northeastern corner of South Australia and in the southwestern part of Queensland. The basin constitutes an intracratonic depocentre of Permo- Triassic age. The Cooper Basin succession unconformably overlies Proterozoic basement as well as sediments and metasediments of the Cambro- Ordovician age. An unconformity separates in turn the Cooper succession from the overlying Jurassic- Cretaceous Eromanga Basin sediments.The Permo- Triassic succession comprises several cycles of fluvial sandstones, fluvio- deltaic coal measures and lacustrine shales. The coal measures contain abundant humic kerogen, comprising mainly inertinite and vitrinite with a small contribution of exinite. All hydrocarbon accumulations within the Cooper Basin are believed to have originated from these terrestrial source rocks.Exploration of the basin commenced in 1959 and, after several dry holes, the first commercial discovery of gas was made at Gidgealpa in 1963. To date, some 97 gas fields and 10 oil fields, containing recoverable reserves of 5 trillion cubic feet of gas and 300 million barrels recoverable natural gas liquids and oil, have been discovered in the Cooper Basin. Production is obtained from all sand- bearing units within the Cooper stratigraphic succession.The emphasis of exploration in the Cooper Basin is largely directed towards the assessment of four- way dip closures and three- way dip closures with fault control, but several stratigraphic prospects have been drilled. Furthermore, in the development phase of some gas fields a stratigraphic component of the hydrocarbon trapping mechanism has been recognised.Improvements in seismic acquisition and processing, combined with innovative thinking by the explorers, have facilitated the development of untested structural/stratigraphic plays with large reserves potential. Exploration for the four- and three- way dip closure plays in the Cooper Basin is now at a mature stage. However, reserves objectives are expected to continue to be met, with the expectation of a continuing high success rate.Selected new plays are expected to be tested within a continuing active exploration program as exploration for oil and gas in the Cooper Basin refines the search for the subtle trap.

Subplasticity in Australian soils. V. Factors involved and techniques of dispersion

Soil Research ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 273 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Norrish ◽  
KG Tiller
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Clay Particles ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Montmorillonite Clays ◽  
Ionic Bonds ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Physical And Chemical

The subplastic soils studied were two from the Riverina area of New South Wales, two montmorillonite rich clays formed on basalt, from South Australia and Queensland, and a krasnozem from New South Wales. To assess the effectiveness of physical and chemical methods of dispersion, theoretical clay contents were calculated from the ratio of the CEC of the soil to that of separated clay. The composition of the clay from the soils showed little or no change with degree of dispersion. To disperse the soils without chemical pretreatment, a method of disaggregation was devised that involved vigorous shaking of a soil paste. Following this technique the Riverina soils and the krasnozem yielded almost all their clay. Lithium saturation was the only chemical treatment that aided dispersion of the montmorillonite clays, and this, together with the high tetrahedral lattice charge, suggests that aggregate stability is mainly due to a large electrostatic interaction between clay sheets. Any pretreatments involving the use of sodium hydroxide improved clay yields for the Riverina soils. The data indicated that the loss of subplasticity was accompanied by the solution of clay, suggesting that aggregate stability was due to non-ionic bonds between clay particles, possibly as the result of intergrowth of clay mineral crystals. Organic matter and/or free iron oxide was responsible for cementation of the krasnozem.

scholarly journals History of hydrocarbon exploration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

GeoArabia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-220
Author(s):  
David S. Mackertich ◽  
Adnan I. Samarrai
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
The North ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Exploration Activity

ABSTRACT The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has witnessed extraordinary levels of exploration activity since the first exploration well to be drilled in over two decades was spudded in 2005. Since then almost 200 wells have been drilled encountering recoverable reserves estimated to be in excess of 15 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Whilst the region is in close proximity to many of the giant and supergiant fields of Iran and Iraq, the reservoirs in which discoveries have been made are largely different. In Iraq a large percentage of discovered reserves reside in Cenozoic and Cretaceous sediments capped by Cenozoic evaporite sequences. Over much of Kurdistan, particularly the north and northeastern parts of the region, Cenozoic strata are absent. A decade ago many were doubtful that significant quantities of hydrocarbons could be trapped in the absence of the Cenozoic evaporite sequences. Furthermore, whilst the presence of large surface structures and significant oil seeps were encouraging to some, to others it fueled concerns about trap leakage. Today the majority of the surface anticlinal features in Kurdistan have been drilled, but remain to be fully evaluated. Almost all of the exploration activity in Kurdistan has taken place on 2-D seismic with vertical exploration wells. In the last few years, a number of 3-D seismic surveys have been acquired and these will undoubtedly lead to production and reserve enhancements in parallel with increased subsurface complexity. Following a decade of exploration, three fields have been fully appraised and have a reasonable early production history: Tawke, Taq Taq and Khurmala. Reserve additions in the Tawke Field have been significant as a result of increased production performance due to better than originally anticipated reservoir properties, better pressure communication and additional reserves found in older reservoirs. It is probable that similar trends will occur in other fields and discoveries. Whilst a small number of horizontal wells have been drilled, advanced techniques used for producing from tight fractured carbonates such as multilateral wells, hydraulic fracturing, selective completions, proping and water injection have not as yet been used in the region. Almost all wells in Kurdistan have been drilled on surface or near subsurface structures within the foreland or the fold belt. Some wells have drilled through thrusts, more often by accident as opposed to on purpose. There have been virtually no dedicated wells for pure sub-thrust plays or stratigraphic traps although hydrocarbons have been found below significant thrusts and also beyond apparent structural closure in some structures. Challenges remain in what is a structurally complex and recently deformed region. High levels of exploration and appraisal activity persist and new pipeline infrastructure is under construction. It is likely that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will develop to become an important contributor to world oil and gas production. This paper aims to summarise the first decade of exploration and appraisal activity in Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. Due to the paucity of technical papers on this subject, this document draws upon the authors’ own knowledge and material published by companies operating in the region.

2013 PESA industry review: exploration

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Rhodri Johns ◽  
Patrick Despland
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Gas Targets ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Oil And Gas Companies ◽  
Western Australian ◽  
Conventional Oil ◽  
Exploration Activity

Exploration activity in Australia in 2013 occurred across a broad spectrum of conventional and unconventional plays. Competition for acreage was buoyant with large tracts of key onshore basins either licensed or under application. Offshore, there were new awards on the western Australian margin and in the Bight Basin off SA. Offshore 3D seismic acquisition was reduced from anomalously high levels in 2012. Onshore 2D seismic acquisition was at historic highs and onshore 3D was the most ever recorded. Overall drilling levels were maintained despite a decline offshore. Of 13 offshore wells drilled, six were discoveries. Sixty-nine exploration wells (excluding CSG wells) were drilled onshore. Fifty addressed conventional, and 19 were unconventional shale or basin-centered gas targets. Sixty of the 69 wells were drilled in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin where conventional oil and gas exploration yielded 11 oil and six gas discoveries. Drilling and fraccing campaigns in the Nappamerri Trough unconventional gas plays provided early encouraging results. 213 exploration and appraisal CSG wells were drilled in the CSG basins of Queensland and NSW. In Queensland a record total of 1,317 CSG wells were drilled in fiscal year 2012/2013. Shale gas exploration activity was increasingly focused on the Palaeozoic and Proterozoic Basins of Western, Central and Northern Australia with major oil and gas companies involved in joint ventures preparing for drilling in 2014. The results of these programmes will have an important bearing on the future direction of exploration in these plays.

1998 EXPLORATION REVIEW—GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF NEW DISCOVERIES AND DEVELOPMENTS

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
k. A. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Depth Migration ◽  
1 John ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
White Ibis ◽  
Exploration Activity

A record level of offshore exploration activity was achieved during 1998, despite a significant fall in the oil price. Seventyfour offshore wells were drilled, far exceeding the previous record of 64 wells achieved in 1990. Conversely, only 94 onshore exploration wells were drilled during the year, 25 fewer than in 1997, resulting in a slight reduction in the total exploration wells drilled from 176 in 1997 to 168 in 1998, following what had been a steady increase since 1992. Seismic acquisition in 1998 was also at a record level, twice that recorded in 1997. In contrast, the final quarter of 1998 may reflect the reduced activity forecast by industry, with less exploration wells spudded and almost 10,000 line-km fewer than that shot during the 1997 December quarter.This increased offshore exploration activity was rewarded with several discoveries and appraisal successes. The Carnarvon Basin was again the most successful area for offshore exploration in 1998, with 35 wells spudded during the year. The discoveries included Gipsy–1, Rose–1, Lee–1, John Brookes–1, Vincent–1, Caribou–1, Legendre South–1 and Mutineer–IB. In addition, significant successful appraisal drilling included two Gorgon wells, Egret–2, Dockrell–2 and Woollybutt–2A ST1.The Cooper/Eromanga Basin continued to be the focus of onshore exploration in Australia. Fifty-two exploration wells were spudded during the year. Discoveries were heavily weighted toward gas, with only one oil discovery in the basin, Chilla–1. The most significant gas discoveries included Verona–1 and Cabernet–1.Other important oil and gas discoveries and appraisal successes occurred in the Bonaparte Basin, at Sunset West–1, Sunrise–2 and Evans Shoal–2; in the Browse Basin, at Caspar–IA and two of the Cornea wells; in the Otway Basin, at Killanoola–l/DWl; in the Bass Basin, at White Ibis–1; in the Bowen Basin, at Yandina–2; and in the Surat Basin, at Digger–1 and West Noorindoo–1. Three significant appraisal wells were drilled in Papua New Guinea during 1998: Hides–4 proved continuity of the Hides Field over a distance of 12.6 km, Moran–4X extended the Moran Field to the northwest and Moran- 5X constrained the southeastern extent of the field. There were also significant discoveries in two New Zealand basins and these are covered in greater detail in Plume (1999).The lower oil price presents a challenge for the industry to maintain these high levels of exploration activity. New technology and better data quality have allowed re- interpretation of previously uneconomic or sub- commercial discoveries to successfully confirm the existence of economic fields. Several of the recent commercial discoveries followed up uncommercial discoveries drilled as much as 30 years earlier and have highlighted the fact that potential still exists in these areas. Improved subsurface imaging through 3D seismic acquisition, high-resolution processing, pre-stack depth migration and advanced time-to-depth conversion together with improved geological understanding has contributed to many of the successful wells drilled in 1998.

Mound Springs: South Australian Conservation Initiatives.

1992 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
CR Harris
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
New South ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Relict Species ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Dispersal Abilities ◽  
Almost All

The mound springs of inland Australia are of outstanding scientific and cultural importance. Natural outlets for the waters of the Great Artesian Basin, they are found mostly on or near its margins. The most numerous and active are in the far north of South Australia. Parts of westem Queensland still have active springs, but almost all in north-westem New South Wales are now extinct, presumably because of aquifer draw-down in the wake of bore sinking. As permanent sources of potable water in a desert environment they have been a focus for human activity over many years. Aboriginal occupation has been documented to at least 5000 years BP and almost all the springs are rich in archaeological material and mythological associations. Since European settlement they have been of strategic importance in exploration and in the location of pastoral stations, the Overland Telegraph and the old Ghan narrow gauge railway from Marree to Oodnadatta. Biologically, they represent unusually specialised aquatic habitats, the discontinuity being analogous to islands and the isolation just as great for species with limited dispersal abilities. The result is an assemblage of plants and animals of evolutionary, biogeographic and ecological interest, with many endemic and relict species. Heavily degraded by aquifer draw-down and over a century of pastoralism, the springs were given little attention until relatively recently. In the past decade two key areas have been acquired for the national parks system and ten important springs on pastoral country outside of the parks have been fenced. Important research has also been carried out, with a particular focus on the endemic elements of the invertebrate fauna. These are positive achievements, but the remoteness of the localities where the springs occur presents a continuing difficulty for on-going conservation and management programs.

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