Concurrent 26. Oral Presentation for: Re-discovering the Gummy gas field – Gippsland Basin
Eamonn Montague A *A Cooper Energy Ltd., Adelaide, SA, Australia.
The APPEA Journal 63 - https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22391
Published: 2 June 2023
Abstract
Presented on Thursday 18 May: Session 26
Recent sub-surface studies of the Gummy Gas Field have resulted in a significant upgrade of its gas and liquids resource potential. Previous interpretations have ascribed little resource potential to the field. Shell drilled Gummy-1 in 1990, a Golden Beach (GB) Subgroup gas/liquids discovery in the eastern Gippsland Basin. The GB Subgroup was previously described as a stacked, grading to generally thin, isolated sandstone reservoir hosting limited gas volumes. In 2022, a new study integrated the interpretation of the CGG Gippsland Multi-Client 3D seismic survey dataset with a re-look at the reservoir characterisation, petrophysical properties and reservoir pressures and found that reservoir quality is better than previously thought. The improved reservoir quality is interpreted to be the result of depositional reworking, which also increases confidence that the sandstones are laterally extensive. Consideration of the impact of regional pressure depletion due to nearby production from the GBJV fields has improved the understanding of the hydrocarbon columns encountered at Gummy-1. Increased hydrocarbon column heights are interpreted, which are consistent with wireline log evaluation and regional saturation-height data. Confidence that the seal at Gummy is working as effectively or better than offset fields and reservoirs is high. The new interpretation has also significantly improved the exploration potential for underlying gas reservoirs within the middle and lower GB Subgroup. Gummy-1 reached a total depth of 3530 m MDRT in a gas sandstone reservoir with an interpreted 175 m main gas column intersected. Potential exists for additional gas resources to be discovered in deeper exploration targets. Combined with the adjacent Manta Gas Field, this demonstrates the enhanced potential for future commercial development in the area.
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Keywords: aquifer depletion, BMG depositional environment, dipmeter data, gas development, gas exploration, geophysics, Gippsland Basin, Golden Beach Formation, Gummy, petrophysics, reservoir quality.
Eamonn Montague graduated with an Honour’s degree in Petroleum Geology from Adelaide University in 1989 and has 33 years of experience. Confronted with limited geoscience opportunities, he began a Reservoir Engineering career with a 5-year stint at Santos. He then travelled to the UK in 1995 and worked with Reservoir Management Ltd. for several North Sea operators. In 1997, he returned to Australia and worked with Mobil in Perth. After the Exxon-Mobil merger, he spent 4 years working as a lecturer, researcher and consultant at Curtin University. It was back to consulting in 2004 and then overseas with Shell Brunei from 2005 to 2008. He returned to Adelaide in 2008 as a Consultant and then another 4 years on staff at Santos. In 2014, he moved back into the consulting realm, where he worked with Cooper Energy and Oilfield Data Services, Inc., eventually joining Cooper on staff in 2020. |
