The prospectivity of the Cape Vogel Basin, Papua New Guinea
Said Amiribesheli A C and Andrew Weller BA Discover Geoscience, Ground Floor, 15 Rheola St, West Perth, 6005 WA, Australia.
B Searcher Seismic, Ground Floor, 15 Rheola St, West Perth, 6005 WA, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: s.besheli@discovergeoscience.com
The APPEA Journal 59(2) 840-845 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ18094
Accepted: 18 February 2019 Published: 17 June 2019
Abstract
The frontier and underexplored Cape Vogel Basin (CVB), north of the Papuan Peninsula, is thought to be underlain by Late Palaeocene–Eocene oceanic crust and overlain by Cenozoic sediments. Several impartial data provide evidence of working petroleum system(s) including a flow of oil from a 1920s well, and two 1970s wells that encountered minor hydrocarbon traces and good source material. The 1970s wells chased Miocene reef plays (like the discoveries in the Gulf of Papua). No Miocene reefs were encountered, with both wells terminating in volcanics. Integration of open-file 2D seismic, modern 2D PSDM seismic and shipborne gravity and magnetic data improves the subsurface imaging and thus understanding of prospectivity. The data reveal a significant sedimentary section (including Mesozoic sediments) and that the volcanics are not laterally continuous (i.e. products of short periods of volcanism). The data also suggests several Mesozoic–Cenozoic plays (e.g. carbonate reefs, incised canyons). Repeatable sea surface slicks, and observable bottom-simulating reflectors and direct hydrocarbon indicators, also provide evidence of working petroleum system(s). It is hypothesised that the CVB has affinities with the Gulf of Papua with the extension of the Australian craton north of the Papuan Peninsula, with widespread deposition in the Mesozoic–Cenozoic, and with source rocks estimated to be within the hydrocarbon generative window. With incorporation of onshore data and presence of significant gravity low, it is postulated that the central and north-west were less susceptible to Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene differential uplift and erosion (related to Coral Sea breakup and extension), and thus have a higher chance of Late Mesozoic preservation.
Keywords: 2D PSDM seismic, BSR, Buna, carbonate reef, DHI, Goodenough, Gulf of Papua, Huon Gulf, incised canyon, Mesozoic, petroleum system, Solomon Sea, source rock, Trobriand, Tufi.
Said Amiribesheli has over 18 years of experience with major operating E&P companies covering new ventures through to exploration and development. His focus regions include Australia, SE Asia, PNG, Barents Sea, GOM and the Middle East. Said’s expertise includes seismic interpretation, attribute and seismic facies analysis, rock physics and reservoir characterisation, and has extensive experience in play, lead and prospect generation, evaluation, volumetrics and risk analysis. Said holds a PhD in Exploration Geophysics from Curtin University, Australia, and is also known as Saeed Besheli. |
Andrew Weller holds a PhD in Geology and Computer Science from the University of South Wales, UK. After a stint as a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, he joined industry where he has over 10 years of experience with several service providers. Andrew is currently employed as a Geoscientist and Sales Manager at Searcher Seismic assessing the prospectivity of several regions including PNG, Australia and the Philippines. He is a member of PESA and SEAPEX. |
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