Basin-to-prospect-scale subsurface characterisation: new insights into the Exmouth Sub-basin, North West Shelf, Australia
Abdul Kholiq A E , Claire Jacob A , Bee Jik Lim B , Oliver Schenk C , Anubrati Mukherjee D and Alex Karvelas BA Schlumberger, Jakarta, Indonesia.
B Schlumberger, Perth, Australia.
C Schlumberger GmbH, Aachen, Germany.
D Schlumberger, Navi Mumbai, India.
E Corresponding author. Email: AKholiq@slb.com
The APPEA Journal 61(2) 640-645 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20152
Accepted: 18 March 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
The Exmouth Sub-basin represents part of the intracratonic rift system of the northern Carnarvon Basin, Australia. Hydrocarbon exploration has resulted in the discovery of a variety of oil and gas accumulations, mainly in Upper Triassic, Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous intervals. Recent 3D petroleum systems modelling aided in understanding the interaction of the complex basin evolution and hydrocarbon charge history, shedding light on the variety and distribution of hydrocarbon types encountered, whilst also highlighting future remaining potential in both proven and untested plays. As a result of this modelling, the Exmouth Subsurface Characterisation Study was commissioned to further leverage >12 000 km2of recently acquired and processed seismic data and integrate data from specifically conditioned wells from across the Exmouth Sub-basin. The primary study objective was to better understand the distribution of lithologies across the basin, with focus upon the reservoir presence and properties over proven and potential deeper sections. Furthermore, given the variety of hydrocarbon types encountered, this study set out to understand the amplitude behaviour of these types within the different reservoirs. Collectively, these results have aided in identifying analogous hydrocarbon amplitude responses across the basin, derisking identified plays, prospects and existing discoveries and fields whilst also identifying new plays and leads.
Keywords: seismic data, interpretation, petrophysics, rock physics, seismic inversion, Exmouth Sub-basin.
Abdul Kholiq is a geophysicist based in Jakarta, Indonesia with over 13 years of industry experience. He joined Schlumberger in 2008 as a seismic data processing Geophysicist. In 2014, he joined the Seismic Reservoir Characterisation group performing seismic reservoir characterisation studies including AVO analysis, AVO seismic inversion and seismic attribute analysis. He has experience across the Asia and Australasia region. Abdul holds a master’s degree in Reservoir Geophysics from Universitas Indonesia (Indonesia). |
Claire Jacob is a Seismic Petrophysicist for the Australasia region, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She joined Schlumberger in 2006 as a wireline field engineer. She has since been involved as a Seismic Petrophysicist in various seismic reservoir characterisation projects in diverse settings, including deep offshore Gulf of Mexico, unconventional plays in the Anadarko Basin, Permian Basin and Williston Basin and more recently in the Asia Pacific region. Claire received her master’s degree in Geosciences Engineering from Ecole Nationale Superieure de Geologie de Nancy in France (2006) as well as a master’s degree in Geosciences and Resources (2006). |
Bee Jik Lim is an Area Geophysicist for WesternGeco based in Perth, Australia. She joined WesternGeco in 1999 and moved to Perth in 2010. She has over 20 years of industry experience with extensive background in Seismic Data Processing and Earth Model Building and Imaging throughout various countries in the Asia Pacific region. |
Oliver Schenk is senior basin and petroleum system modeller for Schlumberger, technically supporting new ventures work. Oliver has more than 14 years of experience in multidimensional applications of basin and petroleum system modelling in the international petroleum exploration industry. Since 2007, he has been affiliated to the basin and petroleum system modelling group at Stanford University, mentoring graduate students and providing occasionally guest lectures. Oliver received his Diplom degree in geology from RWTH Aachen University in Germany as well as a Ph.D. in structural geology in which he focused on fluid-assisted grain boundary migration in rocks and analogues. |
Anubrati Mukherjee is a principal reservoir geophysicist and technical leader of the Seismic Reservoir Characterisation group in the Asia and North Africa region with WesternGeco. He has over 19 years of industry experience. His expertise is in the field of seismic reservoir characterisation. He has wide experience in AVO and prestack inversion, seismic data conditioning for inversion, integration of seismic with rock physics and in the topics like 4D time lapse and pore pressure prediction studies. Prior to this role he was the head of subsurface consulting in the India region, where he was involved in several multidisciplinary FDP and exploration projects. Anubrati is actively involved in Schlumberger’s Technology Roadmap definition for the reservoir seismic services business. |
Alex Karvelas is the Exploration Lead for the Exploration Data Australasia region based in Perth. His role includes interpretation on depth imaging and reprocessing projects, supporting new acquisition projects from survey design, data processing, through to final delivery. In addition to supporting live projects in Australasia, Alex is also actively part of the Exploration and Petroleum Systems Modelling groups which support exploration campaigns and basin hydrocarbon assessment projects around the world. |
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