New exploration opportunities in the offshore Houtman and Abrolhos sub-basins, northern Perth Basin, WA

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadege Rollet ◽  
Chris Nicholson ◽  
Andrew Jones ◽  
Emmanuelle Grosjean ◽  
George Bernardel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Joint Venture ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Lower Triassic ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Burial History ◽  
Sequence Stratigraphic ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Integrity Analysis ◽  
Geochemical Studies

The 2013 Acreage Release Areas W13-19 and W13-20 in the offshore northern Perth Basin, Western Australia, cover more than 19,000 km2 in parts of the Houtman, Abrolhos, Zeewyck and Gascoyne sub-basins. The Release Areas are located adjacent to WA-481-P, the only active offshore exploration permit in the Perth Basin, granted to joint venture partners Murphy Australia Oil Pty Ltd, Kufpec Australia Pty Ltd and Samsung Oil and Gas Australia Pty Ltd in August 2012. Geoscience Australia recently undertook a regional prospectivity study in the area as part of the Australian Government’s Offshore Energy Security Program, which provides fresh insights into basin evolution and hydrocarbon prospectivity. A sequence stratigraphic framework, based on new biostratigraphic sampling and interpretation, and an updated tectonostratigraphic model, using multiple 1D burial history models for Permian to Cenozoic sequences, have been developed. New geochemical studies of key offshore wells demonstrate that the oil-prone source interval of the Lopingian–Lower Triassic Hovea Member extends regionally offshore into the Abrolhos Sub-basin and potentially as far as the Houtman Sub-basin. This is supported by fluid inclusion data that provide evidence for palaeo-oil columns within Permian reservoirs in wells from the Abrolhos Sub-basin. Oil trapped in fluid inclusions in Houtman-1 can be linked to Jurassic source rocks, suggesting that multiple petroleum systems are effective in the Release Areas. The presence of active petroleum systems is also supported by the results of a recent marine survey. Potential seepage sites on the seafloor over reactivated faults correlate with hydroacoustic flares, pockmarks and dark colored viscous fluids that were observed over the areas. This may indicate an active modern-day petroleum system in the Houtman Sub-basin. Finally, a trap integrity analysis was undertaken to mitigate exploration risks associated with trap failure during Early Cretaceous breakup and provides a predictive approach to prospect assessment. These results provide strong support for the presence of active petroleum systems in the offshore northern Perth Basin and upgrade the prospectivity of the Release Areas.

Petroleum source rocks of Western Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 282 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Ameed R. Ghori
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Burial History ◽  
Canning Basin ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Northern Carnarvon Basin ◽  
Coal Measures ◽  
Carnarvon Basin

Petroleum geochemical analysis of samples from the Canning, Carnarvon, Officer and Perth basins identified several formations with source potential, the: • Triassic Locker Shale and Jurassic Dingo Claystone of the Northern Carnarvon Basin; • Permian Irwin River Coal Measures and Carynginia Formation, Triassic Kockatea Shale and Jurassic Cattamarra Coal Measures of the Perth Basin; • Ordovician Goldwyer and Bongabinni formations, Devonian Gogo Formation and Lower Carboniferous Laurel Formation of the Canning Basin; • Devonian Gneudna Formation of the Gascoyne Platform and the Lower Permian Wooramel and Byro groups of the Merlinleigh Sub-basin of the Southern Carnarvon Basin; and • Neoproterozoic Brown, Hussar, Kanpa and Steptoe formations of the Officer Basin. Burial history and geothermal basin modelling was undertaken using input parameters from geochemical analyses of rock samples, produced oil, organic petrology, apatite fission track analysis (AFTA), heat flows, subsurface temperatures and other exploration data compiled by the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA). Of these basins, the Canning, Carnarvon, and Perth basins are currently producing oil and gas, whereas the Southern Carnarvon and Officer basins have no commercial petroleum discovery yet, but they do have source, reservoir, seal and petroleum shows indicating the presence of petroleum systems. The Carnarvon Basin contains the richest identified petroleum source rocks, followed by the Perth and Canning basins. Production in the Carnarvon Basin is predominantly gas and oil, the Perth Basin is gas-condensate and the Canning Basin is oil dominated, demonstrating the variations in source rock type and maturity across the state. GSWA is continuously adding new data to assess petroleum systems and prospectivity of these and other basins in Western Australia.

scholarly journals Evaluation of hydrocarbons generated from the Permo-Carboniferous source rocks in Huanghua Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1229-1244
Author(s):  
Xiao-Rong Qu ◽  
Yan-Ming Zhu ◽  
Wu Li ◽  
Xin Tang ◽  
Han Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Bohai Bay ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Burial History ◽  
Bohai Bay Basin ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
The North ◽  
Huanghua Depression ◽  
History Of

The Huanghua Depression is located in the north-centre of Bohai Bay Basin, which is a rift basin developed in the Mesozoic over the basement of the Huabei Platform, China. Permo-Carboniferous source rocks were formed in the Huanghua Depression, which has experienced multiple complicated tectonic alterations with inhomogeneous uplift, deformation, buried depth and magma effect. As a result, the hydrocarbon generation evolution of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks was characterized by discontinuity and grading. On the basis of a detailed study on tectonic-burial history, the paper worked on the burial history, heating history and hydrocarbon generation history of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks in the Huanghua Depression combined with apatite fission track testing and fluid inclusion analyses using the EASY% Ro numerical simulation. The results revealed that their maturity evolved in stages with multiple hydrocarbon generations. In this paper, we clarified the tectonic episode, the strength of hydrocarbon generation and the time–spatial distribution of hydrocarbon regeneration. Finally, an important conclusion was made that the hydrocarbon regeneration of Permo-Carboniferous source rocks occurred in the Late Cenozoic and the subordinate depressions were brought forward as advantage zones for the depth exploration of Permo-Carboniferous oil and gas in the middle-northern part of the Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, China.

Research for the Upstream Petroleum Sector: The Crown Research Institute Concept

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 245-252
Author(s):  
J M Beggs
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Oil And Gas Resources ◽  
Petroleum Sector ◽  
Geological Sciences ◽  
Research Institute

New Zealand's scientific institutions have been restructured so as to be more responsive to the needs of the economy. Exploration for and development of oil and gas resources depend heavily on the geological sciences. In New Zealand, these activities are favoured by a comprehensive, open-file database of the results of previous work, and by a historically publicly funded, in-depth knowledge base of the extensive sedimentary basins. This expertise is now only partially funded by government research contracts, and increasingly undertakes contract work in a range of scientific services to the upstream petroleum sector, both in New Zealand and overseas. By aligning government-funded research programmes with the industry's knowledge needs, there is maximum advantage in improving the understanding of the occurrence of oil and gas resources. A Crown Research Institute can serve as an interface between advances in fundamental geological sciences, and the practical needs of the industry. Current publicly funded programmes of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences include a series of regional basin studies, nearing completion; and multi-disciplinary team studies related to the various elements of the petroleum systems of New Zealand: source rocks and their maturation, migration and entrapment as a function of basin structure and tectonics, and the distribution and configuration of reservoir systems.

Anabar-Lena Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Northern East Siberia

2021 ◽  
pp. M57-2021-29
Author(s):  
A.K. Khudoley ◽  
S.V. Frolov ◽  
G.G. Akhmanov ◽  
E.A. Bakay ◽  
S.S. Drachev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Early Carboniferous ◽  
Passive Margin ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
East Siberia ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Intracratonic Basin

AbstractAnabar-Lena Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (AL CTSE) is located in the northern East Siberia extending for c. 700 km along the Laptev Sea coast between the Khatanga Bay and Lena River delta. AL CTSE consists of rocks from Mesoproterozoic to Late Cretaceous in age with total thickness reaching 14 km. It evolved through the following tectonic settings: (1) Meso-Early Neoproterozoic intracratonic basin, (2) Ediacaran - Early Devonian passive margin, (3) Middle Devonian - Early Carboniferous rift, (4) late Early Carboniferous - latest Jurassic passive margin, (5) Permian foreland basin, (6) Triassic to Jurassic continental platform basin and (7) latest Jurassic - earliest Late Cretaceous foreland basin. Proterozoic and lower-middle Paleozoic successions are composed mainly by carbonate rocks while siliciclastic rocks dominate upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic sections. Several petroleum systems are assumed in the AL CTSE. Permian source rocks and Triassic sandstone reservoirs are the most important play elements. Presence of several mature source rock units and abundant oil- and gas-shows (both in wells and in outcrops), including a giant Olenek Bitumen Field, suggest that further exploration in this area may result in economic discoveries.

HYDROCARBON HABITAT OF THE SURAT/BOWEN BASIN

1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Thomas ◽  
D. G. Osborne ◽  
A. J. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Lower Jurassic ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Lateral Migration ◽  
Early Maturity ◽  
Oil And Gas Fields ◽  
Basement Rocks ◽  
Origin Of Oil ◽  
Gas Fields ◽  
Geochemical Studies

Ever since the early discoveries at Cabawin (1960) and Moonie (1961), the origin of oil and gas in the Surat/Bowen Basin has been a subject of speculation. Hydrocarbons have been found in reservoirs ranging in age from Permian to Early Jurassic; even fractured pre-Permian 'basement' rocks have occasionally recorded shows.Recent geochemical studies have identified rich source rocks within the Jurassic, Triassic and Permian sequences. The Middle Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures are thermally immature throughout the Surat Basin and are unlikely to have generated significant amounts of hydrocarbons. Lower Jurassic Evergreen Formation source rocks have reached 'nominal early maturity' (VR = 0.6) in parts of the basin. The Middle Triassic Moolayember Formation lies within the oil generation zone in the northern Taroom Trough. However, no oil has yet been confidently correlated with either a Jurassic or a Triassic source. On geochemical and geological grounds it is likely that most, if not all, of the hydrocarbons discovered to date were generated from Permian source rocks.The probability of finding gas as well as oil in Permian, Triassic or Jurassic reservoirs increases from south to north, in accord with organic maturity trends in the Permian of the Taroom Trough. On the narrow thrust-bounded eastern flank, vertical migration has occurred, resulting in oilfields at Moonie and Bennett. In contrast, extensive lateral migration of hydrocarbons across the gentle western flank of the basin is indicated by numerous small oil and gas fields on the Roma Shelf and Wunger Ridge.

Observations on the Lower Triassic petroleum prospectivity of the offshore Carnarvon and Roebuck basins

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Molyneux ◽  
Jeff Goodall ◽  
Roisin McGee ◽  
George Mills ◽  
Birgitta Hartung-Kagi
Keyword(s):  
Regional Analysis ◽  
Lower Triassic ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Upper Permian ◽  
Regional Study ◽  
North West ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
The North ◽  
Depositional Processes ◽  
Water Margin

Why are the only commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in Lower Triassic and Permian sediments of the western margin of Australia restricted to the Perth Basin and the Petrel Sub-basin? Recent regional analysis by Carnarvon Petroleum has sought to address some key questions about the Lower Triassic Locker Shale and Upper Permian Chinty and Kennedy formations petroleum systems along the shallow water margin of the Carnarvon and offshore Canning (Roebuck/Bedout) basins. This paper aims to address the following questions:Source: Is there evidence in the wells drilled to date of a working petroleum system tied to the Locker Shale or other pre-Jurassic source rocks? Reservoir: What is the palaeogeography and sedimentology of the stratigraphic units and what are the implications for the petroleum systems?The authors believed that a fresh look at the Lower Triassic to Upper Permian petroleum prospectivity of the North West Shelf would be beneficial, and key observations arising from the regional study undertaken are highlighted:Few wells along a 2,000 km area have drilled into Lower Triassic Locker Shale or older stratigraphy. Several of these wells have been geochemically and isotopically typed to potentially non Jurassic source rocks. The basal Triassic Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale in the Perth Basin is a proven commercial oil source rock and a Hovea Member Equivalent has been identified through palynology and a distinctive sapropelic/algal kerogen facies in nearly 16 wells that penetrate the full Lower Triassic interval on the North West Shelf. Samples from the Upper Permian, the Hovea Member Equivalent and the Locker Shale have been analysed isotopically indicating –28, –34 and –30 delta C13 averages, respectively. Lower Triassic and Upper Permian reservoirs are often high net to gross sands with up to 1,000 mD permeability and around 20% porosity. Depositional processes are varied, from Locker Shale submarine canyon systems to a mixed carbonate clastic marine coastline/shelf of the Upper Permian Chinty and Kennedy formations.

Recent exploration results in the Lower Triassic, Bedout Sub-basin: Australia's next petroleum province?

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Thompson ◽  
Fred Wehr ◽  
Jack Woodward ◽  
Jon Minken ◽  
Gino D'Orazio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Lower Triassic ◽  
Effective Porosity ◽  
Petroleum System ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Productive Potential ◽  
Detailed Interpretation

Commencing in 2014, Quadrant Energy and partners have undertaken an active exploration program in the Bedout Sub-basin with a 100% success rate, discovering four hydrocarbon accumulations with four wells. The primary exploration target in the basin, the Middle Triassic Lower Keraudren Formation, encompasses the reservoirs, source rocks and seals that have trapped hydrocarbons in a self-contained petroleum system. This petroleum system is older than the traditional plays on the North-West Shelf and before recent activity was very poorly understood and easily overlooked. Key reservoirs occur at burial depths of 3500–5500 m, deeper than many of the traditional plays on the North-West Shelf and exhibit variable reservoir quality. Oil and gas-condensate discovered in the first two wells, Phoenix South-1 and Roc-1, raised key questions on the preservation of effective porosity and productivity sufficient to support a commercial development. With the acquisition and detailed interpretation of 119 m of core over the Caley Member reservoir in Roc-2 and a successful drill stem test that was surface equipment constrained to 55 MMscf/d, the productive potential of this reservoir interval has been confirmed. The results of the exploration program to date, combined with acquisition of new 3D/2D seismic data, have enabled a deeper understanding of the potential of the Bedout Sub-basin. A detailed basin model has been developed and a large suite of prospects and leads are recognised across a family of hydrocarbon plays. Two key wells currently scheduled for 2018 (Phoenix South-3 and Dorado-1) will provide critical information about the scale of this opportunity.

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS IN TASMANIA'S FRONTIER ONSHORE BASINS

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
M.R. Bendall C.F. Burrett ◽  
H.J. Askin
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Late Triassic ◽  
Upper Permian ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Peak Oil ◽  
Petroleum Systems ◽  
Upper Proterozoic ◽  
Oil Seep

Sedimentary successions belonging to three petroleum su persy stems can be recognised in and below the Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic onshore Tasmania Basin. These are the Centralian, Larapintine and Gondwanan. The oldest (Centralian) is poorly known and contains possible mature source rocks in Upper Proterozoic dolomites. The Larapintine 2 system is represented by rocks of the Devonian fold and thrust belt beneath the Tasmania Basin. Potential source rocks are micrites and shales within the 1.8 km-thick tropical Ordovician Gordon Group carbonates. Conodont CAI plots show that the Gordon Group lies in the oil and gas windows over most of central Tasmania and probably under much of the Tasmania Basin. Potential reservoirs are the upper reefal parts of the Gordon Group, paleokarsted surfaces within the Gordon Group and the overlying sandstones of the Siluro-Devonian Tiger Range and Eldon Groups. Seal rocks include shales within the Siluro-Devonian and Upper Carboniferous-Permian tillites and shales.The Gondwanan supersystem is the most promising supersystem for petroleum exploration within the onshore Tasmania Basin. It is divided into two petroleum systems— the Early Permian Gondwanan 1 system, and the Late Permian to Triassic Gondwanan 2 system. Excellent source rocks occur in the marine Tasmanite Oil Shale and other sections within the Lower Permian Woody Island and Quamby Formations of the Gondwanan 1 system and within coals and freshwater oil shales of the Gondwanan 2 system. These sources are within the oil and gas windows across most of the basin and probably reached peak oil generation at about 100 Ma. An oil seep, sourced from a Tasmanites-rich, anoxic shale, is found within Jurassic dolerite 40 km WSW of Hobart. Potential Gondwanan 1 reservoirs are the glaciofluvial Faulkner Group sandstones and sandstones and limestones within the overlying parts of the glaciomarine Permian sequence. The Upper Permian Ferntree Mudstone Formation provides an effective regional seal. Potential Gondwanan 2 reservoirs are the sandstones of the Upper Permian to Norian Upper Parmeener Supergroup. Traps consisting of domes, anticlines and faults were formed probably during the Early Cretaceous. Preliminary interpretation of a short AGSO seismic profile in the Tasmania Basin shows that, contrary to earlier belief, structures can be mapped beneath extensive and thick (300 m) sills of Jurassic dolerite. In addition, the total section of Gondwana to Upper Proterozoic to Triassic sediments appears to be in excess of 8,500 m. These recent studies, analysis of the oil seep and drilling results show that the Tasmanian source rocks have generated both oil and gas. The Tasmania Basin is considered prospective for both petroleum and helium and is comparable in size and stratigraphy to other glaciomarine-terrestrial Gondwanan basins such as the South Oman and Cooper Basins.

scholarly journals Use of Geochemical Fossils as Indicators of Thermal Maturation: An Example from the Anambra Basin, Southeastern Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olumuyiwa Adedotun Odundun
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Organic Input ◽  
Southeastern Nigeria ◽  
Anambra Basin ◽  
Subsurface Sediments ◽  
Geochemical Studies

Organic geochemical studies and fossil molecules distribution results have been employed in characterizing subsurface sediments from some sections of Anambra Basin, southeastern Nigeria. The total organic carbon (TOC) and soluble organic matter (SOM) are in the range of 1.61 to 69.51 wt% and 250.1 to 4095.2 ppm, respectively, implying that the source rocks are moderately to fairly rich in organic matter. Based on data of the paper, the organic matter is interpreted as Type III (gas prone) with little oil. The geochemical fossils and chemical compositions suggest immature to marginally mature status for the sediments, with methyl phenanthrene index (MPI-1) and methyl dibenzothiopene ratio (MDR) showing ranges of 0.14–0.76 and 0.99–4.21, respectively. The abundance of 1,2,5-TMN (Trimethyl naphthalene) in the sediments suggests a significant land plant contribution to the organic matter. The pristane/phytane ratio values of 7.2–8.9 also point to terrestrial organic input under oxic conditions. However, the presence of C27 to C29 steranes and diasteranes indicates mixed sources—marine and terrigenous—with prospects to generate both oil and gas.

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