Thermal and tectonic history of selected Taranaki basin (New Zealand) wells assessed by apatite fission track analysis

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6126608

Kamp, P J.J. ^[1]; Green, P F ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Waikato, Hamilton (New Zealand)
2. Melbourne Univ., Victoria (Australia)

Apatite fission track analysis (AFTA) has been applied to samples from four hydrocarbon well sections to study the thermal and tectonic history and the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the southern part of the Taranaki basin (New Zealand). Data from three of the wells (1 Fresne, 1 North Tasman, 1 Surville) show that the successions were exposed to higher temperatures in the past through deeper burial. Cooling from elevated paleotemperatures was effected by late Miocene uplift and erosion of 3.0 {plus minus} 0.3 km of section in 1 Fresne, {le} 2.0 {plus minus} 0.5 km in 1 Surville, and 1.0 {plus minus} 0.3 km in 1 North Tasman. In the fourth well, 1 Kupe, formations are currently at their maximum temperatures since deposition. AFTA provides unique constraints on the timing of hydrocarbon generation in relation to trap formation. The proposed source rocks in 1 Fresne passed through the oil formation window (100-150{degree}C) and into the zone of gas production (150-220{degree}C) during the middle Miocene, prior to the formation of potential trapping structures. Those in 1 North Tasman passed into the oil formation zone about the same time, and source rocks in 1 Surville have probably never been heated enough to produce oil. AFTA indicates considerable prospectivity remains in the region of 1 Kupe, where generation would have occurred after trap formation. 11 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6126608
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Vol. 74:9; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
58 GEOSCIENCES
GAS CONDENSATE FIELDS
ORIGIN
NEW ZEALAND
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
APATITES
FISSION TRACKS
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
MATURATION
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
TECTONICS
TERTIARY PERIOD
AUSTRALASIA
CENOZOIC ERA
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PARTICLE TRACKS
PHOSPHATE MINERALS
RESOURCES
030200* - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
580000 - Geosciences