Reassessing the petroleum prospectivity of the offshore northern Perth Basin, Western Australia  

Authors / CoAuthors

Jones, A.T. | Kennard, J. | Nicholson, C.J. | Rollet, N. | Mantle, D. | Grosjean, E.

Abstract

A geological assessment of the offshore northern Perth Basin, Western Australia, has been completed as part of the Australian Government's Offshore Energy Security Program. The study provides new insights into the petroleum prospectivity of the basin and integrates results of a newly-developed tectonostratigraphic framework, regional trap integrity analysis and a hydrocarbon seepage survey. The results enhance the potential for new oil and gas discoveries and reduce of exploration risk. Most petroleum accumulations in the northern Perth Basin are associated with Permian and Triassic reservoir and source intervals, and are found onshore and nearshore. New sequence stratigraphic and geochemical studies of key offshore wells, in conjunction with revised biostratigraphy, have shown that the Late Permian-Early Triassic Hovea Member (Kockatea Shale) source interval responsible for these accumulations is regionally extensive offshore and has good to excellent source-rock potential for generating oil. This is supported by fluid inclusion data which identified palaeo-oil columns in most wells analysed in Permian shallow marine-fluvial reservoirs below the regional Kockatea Shale seal. In addition, a palaeo-oil column in Houtman-1 demonstrates an effective oil-charge system in Jurassic strata for the Houtman Sub-basin. Loss of petroleum accumulations because of trap breach is considered a major exploration risk. A trap integrity study evaluated the potential for fault reactivation associated with renewed mid Jurassic extension and Valanginian breakup. 3D geomechanical models indicate that fault strike (NNW-SSE to ESE-WNW) and fault planes intersections represent a first order risk factor. Results of a recent seepage survey provide additional support for the presence of an active petroleum system on this part of the continental margin.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

73253

Contact for the resource

Keywords

• External Publication

( Theme )

• petroleum exploration

( Theme )

• tectonostratigraphy

( Theme )

• structural geology

( Theme )

• marine survey

( Theme )

• marine

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Earth Sciences

• Published_Internal

Publication Date

2012-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-31.0, -27.0, 112.0, 116.0]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Source Information

Source data not available.