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Subsidence and thermal history modelling:new insights into hydrocarbon expulsion from multiple petroleum systems in the Browse Basin

Subsidence and thermal history analysis of 31wells and 25 depocentre sites has been undertaken to examine the generation and expulsion history of Jurassic and Early Cretaceous petroleum systems in the Browse Basin. The models incorporate new palaeo-bathymetric estimates of the deepwater post-Valanginian to Early Tertiary succession based on seismic geometries and detailed benthic foraminiferal data, as well as new kerogen kinetic data for multiple potential source units.


The models suggest multiple effective source units for gas expulsion in the basin, whereas effective oil charge is largely restricted to the Heywood Graben in the northeast, and the rift section in the deepwater Serringapatam Sub-basin. Significant quantities of oil are modelled to have been expelled from Jurassic sediments (Plover and Lower Vulcan formations) in the Heywood Graben during the Tertiary and Late Tertiary, respectively. These charges are likely to have sourced the thick palaeo-oil columns interpreted at Heywood-1 and Crux-1.


Modelled oil expulsion in the deepwater Seringapatam Sub-basin is highly sensitive to the organic richness and quality of interpreted Jurassic rift sediments. Provided these units contain good quality source rocks comparable to those within Jurassic rifts elsewhere on the North West Shelf, then significant quantities of oil and gas are modelled to have been expelled from this graben during the Late Tertiary. Evidence of such an oil charge may be provided by thin zones of elevated GOI data in Jurassic reservoirs at North Scott Reef-1, Scott Reef-2A and Brecknock-1, all located on a major anticlinal trend inboard of the Seringapatam graben.


Regional models of the recently identified, oil-prone, Early Cretaceous (Echuca Shoals Formation) petroleum system suggest that these rocks have not expelled significant volumes of oil. However, organic-rich sediments within this succession occur as thin transgressive sheets deposited in response to fluctuating sea level on a gently inclined ramp margin, and thus higher-resolution sequence stratigraphic models are required to more accurately assess their local expulsion history. Local effective oil charge from these sources is confirmed by the Cornea, Gwydion-1 and Caswell-2 accumulations.


The expulsion models highlight the importance of Late Tertiary carbonate clinoforms in controlling the generation and expulsion history of effective source rocks in the Browse Basin. The rapid progradation of these carbonates is likely to cause an outward-migrating compaction wave that forces expelled fluids and hydrocarbons to outboard areas. This mechanism may apply elsewhere on the North West Shelf where carbonate clinoforms are similarly well developed, and could provide new exploration opportunities in outboard areas.

Simple

Identification info

Date (Publication)
2003-01-01T00:00:00
Citation identifier
Geoscience Australia Persistent Identifier/https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/42156

Cited responsible party
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details
Author

Kennard, J.M.

1
Author

Deighton, I.

2
Author

Ryan, D.

3
Author

Edwards, D.S.

4
Author

Boreham, C.J.

5
Point of contact
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details
Custodian

ED

Custodian

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)

Voice
Topic category
  • Geoscientific information

Extent

N
S
E
W


Maintenance and update frequency
Unknown

Resource format

Title

Product data repository: Various Formats

Protocol

FILE:DATA-DIRECTORY

Name of the resource

Data Store directory containing the digital product files

Description

Data Store directory containing one or more files, possibly in a variety of formats, accessible to Geoscience Australia staff only for internal purposes

Keywords
  • External Publication

  • Conference Paper

Theme
  • petroleum geology

  • hydrocarbons

  • marine

Keywords
  • AU-WA

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences

Keywords
  • Published_External

Resource constraints

Title

Non-Exclusive licence to publish copyright (please provide TRIM link)

Alternate title

Non-exclusive GA

Edition

1.0

Access constraints
License
Use constraints
License

Resource constraints

Title

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem

Edition date
2018-11-01T00:00:00
Website

https://www.protectivesecurity.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx

Classification
Unclassified
Language
English
Character encoding
UTF8

Distribution Information

Distributor contact
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details
Distributor

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)

Voice
OnLine resource

Download the file (pdf)

Download the file (pdf)

Distribution format
  • pdf

Resource lineage

Statement

Unknown

Hierarchy level
Non geographic dataset
Other

External Publication

Description

Source data not available.

Metadata constraints

Title

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem

Edition date
2018-11-01T00:00:00
Website

https://www.protectivesecurity.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx

Classification
Unclassified

Metadata

Metadata identifier
urn:uuid/a05f7892-b779-7506-e044-00144fdd4fa6

Title

GeoNetwork UUID

Language
English
Character encoding
UTF8
Contact
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details
Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)

Voice

Type of resource

Resource scope
Document
Name

nonGeographicDataset

Alternative metadata reference

Title

Geoscience Australia - short identifier for metadata record with

uuid

Citation identifier
eCatId/42156

Metadata linkage

https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/a05f7892-b779-7506-e044-00144fdd4fa6

Date info (Revision)
2018-04-20T06:10:29
Date info (Creation)
2002-12-20T00:00:00

Metadata standard

Title

AU/NZS ISO 19115-1:2014

Metadata standard

Title

ISO 19115-1:2014

Metadata standard

Title

ISO 19115-3

Title

Geoscience Australia Community Metadata Profile of ISO 19115-1:2014

Edition

Version 2.0, September 2018

Citation identifier
https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/122551

 
 

Spatial extent

N
S
E
W


Keywords

hydrocarbons marine petroleum geology

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