New exploration opportunities on the southwest Australian margin—deep-water frontier Mentelle Basin

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Borissova ◽  
Barry Bradshaw ◽  
Chris Nicholson ◽  
Heike Struckmeyer ◽  
Danielle Payne
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Marine Strata ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carbonaceous Shales ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Systems Modelling ◽  
Volcanic Succession

Acreage release by the Australian Government in 2010 offers exploration opportunities in the frontier Mentelle Basin for the first time. The Mentelle Basin is a large deep-water basin on the southwest Australian margin. It consists of a large, very deep water (2,000—4,000 m) depocentre in the west and several depocentres in the east, in water depths of 500–2,000 m. The major depocentres are estimated to contain 7–11 km of sediments. Initial rifting in the Mentelle Basin occurred in the Early Permian, followed by thermal subsidence during the Triassic to Early Jurassic. In the Middle Jurassic renewed extension led to the accumulation of very thick sedimentary successions in half-graben depocentres. Early Cretaceous continental breakup was accompanied by extensive volcanism resulting in a thick syn-breakup volcanic succession in the western Mentelle Basin. Assessment of the petroleum prospectivity of the Mentelle Basin is based on correlations with the adjacent Vlaming Sub-basin. These correlations suggest that the Mentelle Basin depocentres are likely to contain multiple source rock intervals associated with coals and carbonaceous shales, as well as regionally extensive reservoirs and seals within fluvial, lacustrine and marine strata. Petroleum systems modelling suggests that potential source rocks are thermally mature and commenced generation in the Early Cretaceous. The Mentelle Basin offers a wide range of play types, including faulted anticlines and fault blocks, sub-basalt anticlines and fault blocks, drape and forced fold plays, and a large range of stratigraphic and unconformity plays.

THE HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE PENOLA TROUGH, OTWAY BASIN

1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 358 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lovibond ◽  
R.J. Suttill ◽  
J.E. Skinner ◽  
A.N. Aburas
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Potential Reservoir ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
History Of

The Penola Trough is an elongate, Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, NW-SE trending half graben filled mainly with synrift sediments of the Crayfish Group. Katnook-1 discovered gas in the basal Eumeralla Formation, but all commercial discoveries have been within the Crayfish Group, particularly the Pretty Hill Formation. Recent improvements in seismic data quality, in conjunction with additional well control, have greatly improved the understanding of the stratigraphy, structure and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the trough. Strati-graphic units within the Pretty Hill Formation are now mappable seismically. The maturity of potential source rocks within these deeper units has been modelled, and the distribution and quality of potential reservoir sands at several levels within the Crayfish Group have been studied using both well and seismic data. Evaluation of the structural history of the trough, the risk of a late carbon dioxide charge to traps, the direct detection of gas using seismic AVO analysis, and the petrophysical ambiguities recorded in wells has resulted in new insights. An important new play has been recognised on the northern flank of the Penola Trough: a gas and oil charge from mature source rocks directly overlying basement into a quartzose sand sequence referred to informally as the Sawpit Sandstone. This play was successfully tested in early 1994 by Wynn-1 which flowed both oil and gas during testing from the Sawpit Sandstone. In mid 1994, Haselgrove-1 discovered commercial quantities of gas in a tilted Pretty Hill Formation fault block adjacent to the Katnook Field. These recent discoveries enhance the prospectivity of the Penola Trough and of the Early Cretaceous sequence in the wider Otway Basin where these sediments are within reach of the drill.

Petroleum Systems Modelling of Presalt Source Rocks in Lower Congo Basin Angola

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sugandha Tewari ◽  
Kristijan (Duplo) Kornpihl ◽  
Deepak Rathee ◽  
Tekena West ◽  
Marjosbet Uzcategui-Salazar*
Keyword(s):  
Source Rocks ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Systems Modelling

THE OFFSHORE CARPENTARIA BASIN-GULF OF CARPENTARIA, NORTH QUEENSLAND

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 614
Author(s):  
B.A. McConachie ◽  
P.W. Stainton ◽  
M.G. Barlow ◽  
J.N. Dunster
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Late Jurassic ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Reservoir Sandstones ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Velocity Channel

The Carpentaria Basin is late Jurassic to early Cretaceous in age and underlies most of the Gulf of Carpentaria and surrounding onshore areas. The Carpentaria Basin is stratigraphically equivalent to the Eromanga and Papuan Basins where similar reservoir rocks produce large volumes of hydrocarbons.Drillholes Duyken–1, Jackie Ck–1 and 307RD12 provide regional lithostratigraphic and tectonic control for the Q22P permit in the offshore Carpentaria Basin. Duyken–1 penetrated the upper seal section in the Carpentaria Basin and a full sequence through the overlying Karumba Basin. Jackin Ck–1 intersected the lower reservoir units and a condensed upper seal section of the Carpentaria Basin. Coal drillhole 307RD12 tested the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous reservoir section in the Carpentaria Basin and also intersected an underlying Permian infrabasin sequence.Little is known of the pre Jurassic sedimentary section below the offshore Carpentaria Basin but at least two different rock packages appear to be present. The most encouraging are relatively small, layered, low velocity, channel and half-graben fill, possibly related to Permian or Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks to the east in the Olive River area. The other packages consist of poorly defined, discontinuous, high velocity rocks believed to be related to those of the Bamaga Basin which have been mapped further north.During the period 1990-1993 Comalco Aluminium Limited reprocessed 2188 km of existing seismic data and acquired 2657 km of new seismic data over the offshore Carpentaria Basin. When combined with onshore seismic and the results of drilling previously undertaken by Comalco near Weipa on northwestern Cape York Peninsula, it was possible to define a significant and untested play in the Carpentaria Depression, the deepest part of the offshore Carpentaria Basin.The main play in the basin is the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous reservoir sandstones and source rocks, sealed by thick early Cretaceous mudstones. Possible pre-Jurassic source rocks are also present in discontinuous fault controlled half-grabens underlying the Carpentaria Basin. New detailed basin modelling suggests both the lower part of the Carpentaria Basin and any pre Jurassic section are mature within the depression and any source rocks present should have expelled oil.

APPLICATION OF THE DETACHMENT MODEL FOR CONTINENTAL EXTENSION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION IN EXTENSIONAL BASINS

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
M. A. Etheridge ◽  
P. A. Symonds ◽  
T. G. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Anomaly ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Passive Margin ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
Rift Basin ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Continental Rifts ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Transfer Faults

The extension of the continental lithosphere that gives rise to continental rifts and eventually to passive continental margins and their basins is considered generally to involve shear on one or more major, shallow dipping normal faults (detachments). The operation of these detachments induces a basic asymmetry into the extensional terrane that is analogous to that in thrust terranes. As a result, the two sides of a continental rift and conjugate passive margin segments are predicted to have contrasting structure, facies development, subsidence history and thermal evolution.The major structural consequence of the detachment model is that half- graben rather than full graben geometry is expected in rift basins, consistent with recent interpretations in a wide range of continental rifts and passive margins. Half- graben geometry dominates in the Bass Strait basins, the Canning Basin and in a number of Proterozoic rifts, and has been observed on most parts of the Australian continental margin. Variations in the along- strike geometry of extensional basins are accommodated by transfer faults or fault zones. Transfer faults are as important and widespread in rifts as the classical normal faults, and they have important consequences for hydrocarbon exploration (e.g. design of seismic surveys, structural interpretation of seismic data, play and lead development).The fundamental asymmetry of extensional basins, and their compartmentalisation by transfer faults also control to a large extent the distribution of both source and reservoir facies. A model for facies distribution in a typical rift basin is presented, together with its implications for the prime locations of juxtaposed sources and reservoirs. Maturation of syn- rift source rocks depends on both the regional heat flow history and the amount of post- rift subsidence (and therefore burial). Both of these factors are influenced, and are partly predictable by the detachment model. In particular, there may be substantial horizontal offset of both the maximum thermal anomaly and the locus of post- rift subsidence from the rift basin. Analysis of deep crustal geophysical data may aid in the interpretation of detachment geometry and, therefore, of the gross distribution of thermal and subsidence histories.

A NEW SEQUENCE FRAMEWORK FORTHE GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT: STARTING WITH A CLEAN SLATE

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Totterdell ◽  
J.E. Blevin ◽  
H.I.M. Struckmeyer ◽  
B.E. Bradshaw ◽  
J.B. Colwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Rocks ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Blue Whale ◽  
Growth Strata ◽  
Sequence Stratigraphic ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Lithospheric Extension ◽  
Stratigraphic Model ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Great Australian Bight

The 1999 release of offshore petroleum exploration acreage in the Great Australian Bight and the acquisition of high quality seismic datasets covering the Bight and Duntroon Basins, have provided a timely opportunity to reassess the stratigraphic and tectonic evolution of the area. A sequence stratigraphic framework for the Great Australian Bight region has been developed based on the interpretation of exploration wells in the Bight and Duntroon basins and a grid of new and reprocessed seismic data in the Bight Basin. Previous formation-based nomenclature has emphasised lithostratigraphic correlations rather than the chronostratigraphic relationships. The new sequence framework underpins an analysis of play elements and petroleum systems and is helping to identify new exploration opportunities.Deposition in the Bight and Duntroon Basins commenced in the Late Jurassic during a period of lithospheric extension. Extensive half graben systems were filled with fluvial and lacustrine clastic sediments (Sea Lion and Minke supersequences). Potential source rocks within these supersequences are immature at Jerboa-1 in the Eyre Sub-basin, however higher maturities are expected within adjacent half graben and in the Ceduna and Recherche Sub-basins. The syn-rift successions are overlain by widespread Berriasian to Albian fluvio-lacustrine to marine sediments of the Southern Right and Bronze Whaler supersequences. The onlapping sag-fill geometry of these Early Cretaceous packages in the Eyre, Ceduna and inner Recherche Sub-basins suggests that they were deposited during a period of thermal subsidence.Accelerated subsidence commencing in the late Albian led to the deposition of the marine shales of the Blue Whale supersequence, followed by a period of gravity-controlled faulting and deformation in the Cenomanian. The White Pointer supersequence is characterised by growth strata associated with a series of listric faults that sole out in underlying ductile shales of the Blue Whale supersequence. Open marine conditions during the Turonian-Santonian (Tiger supersequence) were followed by the development of massive shelf margin delta complexes in the late Santonian-Maastrichtian (Hammerhead supersequence). The progradational to aggradational stratal geometries within the Hammerhead supersequence suggest initial high rates of sediment input that subsequently waned during this period. An overall transgressive phase of sedimentation in the Early Tertiary (Wobbegong supersequence) was followed by the establishment of open marine carbonate shelf conditions from the Early Eocene onward (Dugong supersequence). Organic geochemical studies show that the Bronze Whaler to White Pointer supersequences have good source rock potential in the relatively proximal facies intersected by existing petroleum exploration wells. Our sequence stratigraphic model predicts the likelihood of widespread late Aptian, Albian, Cenomanian-Santonian, and Campanian marine shales, which underpin four potential marine petroleum systems.

Stratigraphy and structure of the Drake Point Anticline, Sabine Peninsula, Canadian Arctic Islands

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 1484-1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Dewing ◽  
Virginia Brake ◽  
Mathieu J. Duchesne ◽  
Thomas A. Brent ◽  
Nancy Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Lower Paleozoic ◽  
Upper Paleozoic ◽  
Differential Movement ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Structural Relief

Modern processing methods were applied to 3400 line-kilometres of legacy seismic data from Sabine Peninsula of Melville Island in the Canadian Arctic Islands. Post-stack reprocessing improved the imaging, allowing new insight into the following issues: the northern extent of lower Paleozoic source rocks, extensional structures and rock types in the upper Paleozoic succession, the timing of the gentle Drake Point Anticline; and the age and extent of igneous sills. The central part of Sabine Peninsula is underlain by a half-graben containing upper Paleozoic strata. The half-graben fill is intersected by just one well, but it likely contains Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian strata. The two largest conventional gas fields in Canada (Drake Point and Hecla) are hosted in Mesozoic strata within a gentle anticline that partially overlies the half-graben. Previously, the Drake Point Anticline was interpreted to have been formed during Eocene time. We propose that 280 m of the 430 m of structural relief on the Drake Anticline formed in response to uplift at the axis of the anticline in the Early Cretaceous, as shown by thinning of the Lower Cretaceous Christopher Formation over the Drake Anticline. The remaining 150 m of structural relief formed by differential movement between the Marryatt Point Syncline and Drake Point Anticline after the Early Cretaceous. Early Cretaceous relief on the Drake Point Anticline means it was at least partially present at the time of maximum hydrocarbon generation in the Late Cretaceous.

Petroleum systems analysis of the northern Houtman Sub-basin

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Emmanuelle Grosjean ◽  
Irina Borissova ◽  
Chris Southby ◽  
Ryan Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systems Analysis ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Rock Properties ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Lithospheric Extension ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Potential Field Modelling

Interpretation of newly acquired seismic data in the northern Houtman Sub-basin (Perth Basin) suggests the region contains potential source rocks similar to those in the producing Abrolhos Sub-basin. The regionally extensive late Permian–Early Triassic Kockatea Shale has the potential to contain the oil-prone Hovea Member source interval. Large Permian syn-rift half-graben, up to 10 km thick, are likely to contain a range of gas-prone source rocks. Further potential source rocks may be found in the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous succession, including the Cattamarra Coal Measures, Cadda shales and mixed sources within the Yarragadee Formation. This study investigated the possible maturity and charge history of these different source rocks. A regional pseudo-3D petroleum systems model was constructed using new seismic interpretations. Heat flow was modelled using crustal structure and possible basement composition determined from potential field modelling, and subsidence analysis was used to investigate lithospheric extension through time. The model was calibrated using temperature and maturity data from nine wells in the Houtman and Abrolhos sub-basins. Source rock properties are assigned based on an extensive review of total organic carbon, Rock Eval and kinetic data for the offshore northern Perth Basin. Petroleum systems analysis results show that Permian, Triassic and Early Jurassic source rocks may have generated large cumulative volumes of hydrocarbons across the northern Houtman Sub-basin, whereas the Middle Jurassic–Cretaceous sources remain largely immature. However, the timing of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion with respect to trap formation and structural reactivation is critical for the successful development and preservation of hydrocarbon accumulations.

APPLICATION OF THE DETACHMENT MODEL FOR CONTINENTAL EXTENSION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION IN EXTENSIONAL BASINS

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Etheridge ◽  
P.A. Symonds ◽  
T.G. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Anomaly ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Passive Margin ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
Rift Basin ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Continental Rifts ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Transfer Faults

The extension of the continental lithosphere that gives rise to continental rifts and eventually to passive continental margins and their basins is considered generally to involve shear on one or more major, shallow dipping normal faults (detachments). The operation of these detachments induces a basic asymmetry into the extensional terrane that is analogous to that in thrust terranes. As a result, the two sides of a continental rift and conjugate passive margin segments are predicted to have contrasting structure, facies development, subsidence history and thermal evolution.The major structural consequence of the detachment model is that half-graben rather than full graben geometry is expected in rift basins, consistent with recent interpretations in a wide range of continental rifts and passive margins. Half-graben geometry dominates in the Bass Strait basins, the Canning Basin and in a number of Proterozoic rifts, and has been observed on most parts of the Australian continental margin. Variations in the along-strike geometry of extensional basins are accommodated by transfer faults or fault zones. Transfer faults are as important and widespread in rifts as the classical normal faults, and they have important consequences for hydrocarbon exploration (e.g. design of seismic surveys, structural interpretation of seismic data, play and leav development).The fundam* nal asymmetry of extensional basins, and their compartmentalisation by transfer faults also control to a large extent the distribution of both source and reservoir facies. A model for facies distribution in a typical rift basin is presented, together with its implications for the prime locations of juxtaposed sources and reservoirs. Maturation of synrift source rocks depends on both the regional heat flow history and the amount of post-rift subsidence (and therefore burial). Both of these factors are influenced, and are partly predictable by the detachment model. In particular, there may be substantial horizontal offset of both the maximum thermal anomaly and the locus of post-rift subsidence from the rift basin. Analysis of deep crustal geophysical data may aid in the interpretation of detachment geometry and, therefore, of the gross distribution of thermal and subsidence histories.

DEVELOPMENT AND PETROLEUM RESOURCE EVALUATION OF THE BOWEN, GUNNEDAH AND SURAT BASINS, EASTERN AUSTRALIA

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Korsch ◽  
C.J. Boreham ◽  
J.M. Totterdell ◽  
R.D. Shaw ◽  
M.G. Nicoll
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Middle Triassic ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Rift System ◽  
Early Permian ◽  
Initial Event ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Half Graben

The Early Permian to Middle Triassic Bowen and Gunnedah basins and the Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Surat Basin in eastern Australia developed in response to a series of interplate and intraplate tectonic events located to the east of the basin system. The initial event was extensional and stretched the continental crust to form a significant Early Permian East Australian Rift System. The most important of the rift-related features are a series of half graben that form the Denison Trough, now the site of several commercial gas fields. Several contractional events from the mid-Permian to the Middle Triassic are associated with the development of a foreland fold and thrust belt in the New England Orogen. This caused a foreland loading phase of subsidence in the Bowen and Gunnedah basins. Thick coal measures deposited towards the end of the Permian are the most important hydrocarbon source rocks in these basins. The development of the Surat Basin marked a major change in the subsidence and sedimentation patterns. It was only towards the end of this subsidence that sufficient burial was achieved to put the source rocks over much of the basin into the oil window. Based on an evaluation of the undiscovered hydrocarbon resources for the Bowen and Surat basins in southern Queensland, our estimates of the yields of hydrocarbons suggest that significant volumes of hydrocarbons have been produced in the basins. The bulk of the hydrocarbons were generated after 140 Ma and most of the generation occurred in the late Early Cretaceous. Because the estimated volume of the hydrocarbons generated far exceeds the volume of discovered hydrocarbons, preservation of accumulations may be the main risk factor. The yield analysis, by demonstrating the potentially large quantities of hydrocarbons available, should act as a stimulus to exploration initiatives, particularly in the search for stratigraphic traps.

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