Search for oil in Papua New Guinea: Evolution of structural interpretations in a difficult physical environment

Conference · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:5991654

Matzke, R H ^[1]

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1. Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc., San Ramon, CA (USA)

Chevron Nuigini Pty Ltd. and its partners are exploring for oil in the foreland folded belt of Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands province, one of the remaining frontier areas of the world that offers the potential for the discovery of giant oil fields. The search has been focused on the Lower Cretaceous Toro sandstone, an excellent reservoir rock unit about 100 m thick. It is overlain by up to 1,200 m of Upper Cretaceous marine shales, siltstones, and fine sandstones (Ieru formation) and, finally, at the surface by the thick (1,000 m) Miocene Darai limestone. The entire stratigraphic sequence was folded during the Pliocene-Pleistocene into a broad belt of thrusted anticlines that have good surface expression throughout the highland valleys and ridges. The thick carapace of folded limestone is heavily karsted and extremely rugged, circumstances that have prohibited effective seismic surveying of the region. Prospecting for oil has consequently relied almost entirely on structural interpretation of surface geologic data, including images from satellites and airborne radar, and, most particularly, on the results of wildcat drilling. Fortunately, early drilling was rewarded with encouraging quantities of gas, gas condensate, and oil. Structural models and concepts are continuing to evolve as the results of successive wells become available, thus providing the critical insight into the habitat of hydrocarbons in this complex environment.

• OSTI ID: 5991654
• Report Number(s): CONF-9010204--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ANTICLINES
ASIA
AUSTRALASIA
CARBONATE ROCKS
CENOZOIC ERA
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEPOSITION
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGIC TRAPS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
ISLANDS
LIMESTONE
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NEW GUINEA
OIL FIELDS
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SHALES
SILTSTONES
SURVEYS
TERTIARY PERIOD
WELL DRILLING