Geology and exploration in southwest Pacific Australian region: Western and Northwestern Margin basins of Australia

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7271747

Woollands, M A ^[1]

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1. BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd., Melbourne (Australia)

The Marginal basins of Western and Northwestern Australia extend approximately 3,800 km along the coast and comprise both continental shelf and adjacent deepwater plateau areas. From north to south, the principal basins are the Sahul/Malita, Browse, Carnarvon, and Perth basins. The stratigraphic sequence within each basin is broadly similar, with initial widespread Triassic-Early Jurassic deposition in broad regional pre-rift sags. Middle Jurassic to Late Jurassic rifting on the Northwest Shelf and early Cretaceous rifting in the Perth basin varies in intensity across the region, and provides the primary control of hydrocarbon distribution through trap type, reservoir, and source rock quality. The best-developed oil source rocks of the region are found in these Jurassic rifted sequences. Although drilling to date has been generally sparse, with only some 824 wells throughout the entire area, significant accumulations of gas and oil have been found in the offshore Carnarvon basin and the Vulcan Graben area of the Browse basin. Recent discoveries of commercial oil at Jabiru in the Vulcan graben and Griffin in the Carnarvon basin have again focused activity on the area's oil potential. Many structural traps remain to be drilled and the potential for stratigraphic trapping has been only slightly explored. Large, poorly explored frontier areas, between the established producing areas and in the Perth basin, as well as adjacent deepwater, are available. However, present data suggest that not all key success factors, notably mature oil source rocks and good reservoirs, may be present in these areas.

• OSTI ID: 7271747
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• 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
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTHERN TERRITORY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
PLATE TECTONICS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
RIFT ZONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
WESTERN AUSTRALIA