HYDROCARBON HABITAT OF THE SURAT/BOWEN BASIN

Abstract

Ever since the early discoveries at Cabawin (1960) and Moonie (1961), the origin of oil and gas in the Surat/Bowen Basin has been a subject of speculation. Hydrocarbons have been found in reservoirs ranging in age from Permian to Early Jurassic; even fractured pre-Permian 'basement' rocks have occasionally recorded shows.

Recent geochemical studies have identified rich source rocks within the Jurassic, Triassic and Permian sequences. The Middle Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures are thermally immature throughout the Surat Basin and are unlikely to have generated significant amounts of hydrocarbons. Lower Jurassic Evergreen Formation source rocks have reached 'nominal early maturity' (VR = 0.6) in parts of the basin. The Middle Triassic Moolayember Formation lies within the oil generation zone in the northern Taroom Trough. However, no oil has yet been confidently correlated with either a Jurassic or a Triassic source. On geochemical and geological grounds it is likely that most, if not all, of the hydrocarbons discovered to date were generated from Permian source rocks.

The probability of finding gas as well as oil in Permian, Triassic or Jurassic reservoirs increases from south to north, in accord with organic maturity trends in the Permian of the Taroom Trough. On the narrow thrust-bounded eastern flank, vertical migration has occurred, resulting in oilfields at Moonie and Bennett. In contrast, extensive lateral migration of hydrocarbons across the gentle western flank of the basin is indicated by numerous small oil and gas fields on the Roma Shelf and Wunger Ridge.