Petroleum systems of the Proterozoic in northwest Queensland and a description of various play types
Justin Gorton A B and Alison Troup AA Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, PO Box 15216 City East, Qld 4002, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: Justin.Gorton@dnrme.qld.gov.au
The APPEA Journal 58(1) 311-320 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ17115
Submitted: 24 February 2018 Accepted: 22 March 2018 Published: 28 May 2018
Abstract
As part of Queensland Government’s Strategic Resources Exploration Program, in conjunction with the Australian Government’s Exploring for the Future program, a study to improve the subsurface knowledge of Proterozoic basins in northwest Queensland (NWQ) is underway. Proterozoic sedimentary basins are prevalent across central and western Australia. Several of these basins have proven petroleum systems, with the best discoveries to date being in the Greater McArthur Basin, Northern Territory. Recent exploration and appraisal in the Beetaloo Sub-basin of the Greater McArthur Basin has identified large volumes of gas resources contained within unconventional shale reservoirs. In NWQ, the Isa Superbasin and overlying South Nicholson Basin are related in both age and likely deposition to the Greater McArthur Basin. The thick, extensive shale units of the Isa Superbasin are excellent source rocks, while the Mullera Formation in the South Nicholson Basin also has potential but has not been investigated in detail. There are several potential reservoirs within the Proterozoic section and younger units of the overlying Georgina and Carpentaria basins, including clastic and carbonate types. Exploration in the Isa Superbasin identified an estimated 22.1 trillion cubic feet of prospective resources (Armour Energy 2015) in unconventional shale reservoirs of the Lawn Hill Formation and Riversleigh Siltstone. This paper will discuss the stratigraphy, depositional and structural history of these Proterozoic basins and characterise their source and reservoir units using existing and recently acquired geophysical, geochemical, petrographic and petrophysical datasets. From this, several plays or play concepts will be identified and described to help understand the region’s potential for both conventional and unconventional petroleum resources.
Keywords: conventional, Doom Supersequence, Isa Superbasin, Lawn Hill Formation, Lawn Supersequence, Loretta Supersequence, McNamara Group, organic geochemistry, petroleum plays, petroleum systems, Proterozoic, reservoir characterisation, Riversleigh Siltstone, River Supersequence, shale gas, South Nicholson Basin, Term Supersequence, tight gas, unconventional, Wide Supersequence.
Justin Gorton commenced in the role of Geoscience Manager, Petroleum and Gas, at the GSQ in 2015. Prior to this, he worked in the oil and gas industry for nearly 12 years in operational, technical and leadership roles with experience in North America and Australia. His qualifications include a BSc in Geological Sciences from University of Oregon and Honours from La Trobe University in Melbourne. Justin is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), The Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA), The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and is the current President of the Formation Evaluation Society of Queensland (FESQ). |
Alison Troup has worked as a Geoscientist in the GSQ since 2010, after graduating from the University of Queensland with a BSc (Hons) in Geology. She has worked as part of the Energy and Petroleum and Gas groups within the GSQ, where she has participated in several regional prospectivity projects. She is currently involved in the GSQ’s BASAL and Strategic Resources Exploration Program projects. She is a member of PESA and FESQ. |
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