Exploring for the Future—a new oil and gas frontier in northern Australia
Paul Henson A B , David Robinson A , Lidena Carr A , Dianne S. Edwards A , Susannah K. MacFarlane A , Amber J. M. Jarrett A and Adam H. E. BaileyA Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: paul.henson@ga.gov.au
The APPEA Journal 60(2) 703-711 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ19080
Accepted: 19 February 2020 Published: 15 May 2020
Abstract
Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is a four-year, AU$100.5 million initiative from the Australian Government conducted by Geoscience Australia in partnership with state and Northern Territory government agencies, CSIRO and universities to provide new geoscientific datasets for frontier regions. As part of this program, Geoscience Australia acquired two new seismic surveys that collectively extend across the South Nicholson Basin (L120 South Nicholson seismic line) and into the Beetaloo Sub-basin of the McArthur Basin (L212 Barkly seismic line). Interpretation of the seismic has resulted in the discovery of new basins that both contain a significant section of presumed Proterozoic strata. Integration of the seismic results with petroleum systems geochemistry, structural analyses, geochronology, rock properties and a petroleum systems model has expanded the knowledge of the region for energy exploration. These datasets are available through Geoscience Australia’s newly developed Data Discovery Portal: an online platform delivering digital geoscientific information, including seismic locations and cross-section images, and field site and well based sample data. Specifically for the EFTF energy project, a petroleum systems framework with supporting organic geochemical data has been built to access source rock, crude oil and natural gas datasets via interactive maps, graphs and analytical tools that enable the user to gain a better and faster understanding of a basin’s petroleum prospectivity.
Keywords: crude oil, digital data portal, Lawn Hill Platform, McArthur Basin, natural gas, onshore petroleum prospectivity studies, petroleum systems, Proterozoic, seismic surveys, South Nicholson Basin, source rocks.
Paul Henson is a graduate from the University of Tasmania and is currently Director of the Onshore Energy Systems Section at Geoscience Australia. He has extensive experience in the minerals sector working on mineral systems in Proterozoic and Archaean terranes. Since 2010, he has led the Australian Governments’ onshore carbon storage program, undertaking deep onshore drilling and seismic acquisition programs in collaboration with the states and industry. He now manages the Energy component of the EFTF program, leading a team of researchers to acquire new precompetitive geoscientific data to improve our understanding of the oil and gas potential of Australian onshore basins. |
David Robinson has worked with Geoscience Australia since 2001 in a variety of roles across the agency. He is currently Branch Head of the Basin Systems Branch where he leads Geoscience Australia’s groundwater geoscience, precompetitive energy and data repository programs. During the first phase of his career, he worked as a hazard and risk modelling specialist, helping to modernise Geoscience Australia’s approach to earthquake hazard and risk assessment. This was followed by a period as Chief Scientist of Geoscience Australia’s Indonesian program, DMInnovation, where he led an integrated effort to increase the use of science and technology in Indonesian disaster management and deliver tangible changes to policies and actions across multiple Indonesian Government agencies. David has a PhD in Seismology from the Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Geophysics from Flinders University of South Australia. |
Lidena Carr is a Geoscientist for the Onshore Energy Systems project in the Onshore Energy Systems Directorate, Basins Systems Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia. She graduated from the Australian National University (ANU) majoring in Geology and Human Ecology with a BA/BSc (Hons) in 2004. In 2007, she joined Geoscience Australia with the then ACRES (satellite imagery), before moving to her current position as a Seismic Interpreter and Basin Analyst. Currently she works within the EFTF program in northern Australia. |
Dianne Edwards is a Senior Petroleum Geochemist for the Onshore Energy Systems project in the Onshore Energy Systems Directorate, Basins Systems Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia. Her scientific focus is on defining the petroleum systems of Australia’s petroliferous basins, including both conventional and unconventional play types. Dianne received her BSc (Hons) degree in Geology and MSc in Organic Petrology and Organic Geochemistry from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK). She was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide in 1996. Dianne is a member of PESA. Currently she works within the EFTF program in northern Australia. |
Susannah MacFarlane is a Geoscientist for the Onshore Energy Systems project in the Onshore Energy Systems Directorate, Basins Systems Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia. She previously worked for Pangaea Resources in Sydney, where she gained experience in northern Australian basins, and before this, for Schlumberger in the UK. She joined Geoscience Australia in 2017 where she currently works within the EFTF program in northern Australia. Susannah graduated with an MSc in Planetary Science in 2003 and was awarded her PhD in 2007, both from the University College London. |
Amber Jarrett is a Geochemist in the Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia. Her research interests include basin hosted resource potential, organic-inorganic geochemistry, isotopes, Proterozoic biomarkers and early life. Amber graduated with a BSc (Hons) in 2008, majoring in both Geology and Biology, and a PhD in 2014 from ANU. Amber is also a key researcher in the MinExCRC. |
Adam Bailey is a Petroleum Geoscientist for the Onshore Energy Systems project in the Onshore Energy Systems Directorate, Basins Systems Branch, Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division, Geoscience Australia. Adam has expertise in petroleum geomechanics, structural geology and basin analysis. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in 2012 and a PhD in 2016 from the Australian School of Petroleum at the University of Adelaide. Currently he works within the EFTF program in northern Australia. |
References
Anderson, J. R., Lewis, C. J., Jarrett, A. J. M., Carr, L. K., Henson, P., Carson, C. J., Southby, C., and Munson, T. J. (2019). New SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from the South Nicholson Basin, Mount Isa Province and Georgina Basin, Northern Territory and Queensland: July 2017–June 2018. Record 2019/10. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2019.010Armour Energy (2015). 66% increase in Prospective Gas Resources in Northern Australia. Maiden Prospective Gas Resources in the Tawallah Group, McArthur Basin (NT) and in the Riversleigh Shale Formation (QLD). Armour Energy Limited. ASX Announcement. September 21, 2015. Available at https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20150921/pdf/431g7fg0r64nb7.pdf [verified 4 March 2020]
Bailey, A. H. E., Wang, L., Hall, L., and Henson, P. (2019). Rock properties and in-situ stress state of the Egilabria Prospect, Lawn Hill Platform, Queensland. The APPEA Journal 59, 383–393.
| Rock properties and in-situ stress state of the Egilabria Prospect, Lawn Hill Platform, Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bailey, A. H. E., Jarrett, A. J. M., Bradshaw, B. E., Hall, L. S., Wang, L., Palu, T. J., Orr, M., Carr, L. K., and Henson, P. (2020). Shale Gas Prospectivity of the Lawn Hill Platform, Isa Superbasin. SEG Global Meeting Abstracts Feb 2020, 1482–1509.
| Shale Gas Prospectivity of the Lawn Hill Platform, Isa Superbasin.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bradshaw, M. (1993). Australian petroleum systems. PESA Journal 21, 43–53.
Bradshaw, M., Bradshaw, J., Murray, A., Needham, D., Spencer, L., Summons, R., Wilmot, J., and Winn, S. (1994). Petroleum systems in West Australian basins. In ‘Proceedings of the sedimentary basins of Western Australia, Perth, 14–17 August 1994’. (Eds R. G. Purcell and R. R. Purcell.) pp. 93–118. (Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia: Perth, WA.)
Carr, L. K., Korsch, R. J., Palu, T. J., and Reese, B. (2016). Onshore basin inventory: the McArthur, South Nicholson, Georgina, Wiso, Amadeus, Warburton, Cooper and Galilee basins, central Australia. Geoscience Australian Record 2016/04. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/84587
Carr, L. K., Southby, C., Henson, P., Costello, R., Anderson, J. R., Jarrett, A. J. M., Carson, C. J., MacFarlane, S. K., Gorton, J., Hutton, L., Troup, A., Williams, B., Khider, K., Bailey, A. H. E., and Fomin, T. (2019). Exploring for the Future: South Nicholson Basin geological summary and seismic data interpretation. Geoscience Australia Record 2019/21. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/123272
Carson, C. J., Henson, P., Doublier, M., Williams, B., Simmons, J., Hutton, L., and Close, D. (2020). Structural evolution of the South Nicholson region: insight from the 2017 L210 reflection seismic survey. In: Exploring for the Future Extended Abstracts (Eds. K. Czarnota, I. Roach, S. Abbott, M. Haynes, N. Kositcin, A. Ray, and E. Slatter.) (Geoscience Australia: Canberra, ACT.)
Close, D. I., Côté, A. J., Baruch, E. T., Altmann, C. M., Mohinudeen, F. M., Richards, B., and Ilett, R. (2017). Proterozoic shale gas plays in the Beetaloo Basin and the Amungee NW-1H discovery. In ‘Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) Proceedings, Alice Springs, 28–29 March 2017’. (Northern Territory Geological Survey: Darwin, NT.)
Côté, A., Richards, B., Altman, C., Baruch, E., and Close, D. (2018). Australia’s premier shale basin: five plays, 1 000 000 000 years in the making. The APPEA Journal 58, 799–804.
| Australia’s premier shale basin: five plays, 1 000 000 000 years in the making.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crick, I. H., Boreham, C. J., Cook, A. C., and Powell, T. G. (1989). Petroleum geology and geochemistry of Middle Proterozoic McArthur Basin, Northern Australia II: assessment of source rock potential. AAPG Bulletin 72, 1495–1514.
Edwards, D. S., MacFarlane, S. K., Grosjean, E., Buckler, T., Boreham, C. J., Henson, P., Cherukoori, R., Tracey-Patte, T., van der Wielen, S., Ray, J., and Raymond, O. (2020). Australian source rocks, fluids and petroleum systems – a new integrated geoscience data discovery portal for maximising data potential. In ‘Exploring for the Future Extended Abstracts’. (Eds. K. Czarnota, I. Roach, S. Abbott, M. Haynes, N. Kositcin, A. Ray, and E. Slatter.) (Geoscience Australia: Canberra, ACT).
Gorton, J., and Troup, A. (2018). Petroleum systems of the Proterozoic in the northwest Queensland and a description of various play types. The APPEA Journal 58, 311–320.
| Petroleum systems of the Proterozoic in the northwest Queensland and a description of various play types.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Henson, P., Fomin, T., Costelloe. R., Southby C., Carr, L. K. and Northern Territory Geological Survey (2020) Exploring for the Future - discovering the Barkly region with new regional seismic data. In ‘Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) Proceedings, Alice Springs, 23–25 March 2020’. (Northern Territory Geological Survey: Darwin, NT).
Jarrett, A. J. M., Chen, J., Hong, Z., Palatty, P., Anderson, J., McLennan, S., Lewis, C., and Henson, P. (2018a). Exploring for the Future- source rock geochemistry data of the Isa Superbasin and South Nicholson Basin, TOC and Rock-Eval data release 1 northern Australia: baseline regional hydrocarbon prospectivity. Geoscience Australia Record 2018/45. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.
Jarrett, A. J. M., Hall, L., Carr, L., Anderson, J., Orr, M. L., Bradshaw, B. E., and Henson, P. (2018b). Source rock geochemistry of the Isa Superbasin and South Nicholson Basin, northern Australia: baseline regional hydrocarbon prospectivity. Geoscience Australia Record 2018–038. http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/123055
Jarrett, A. J. M., Hong, Z., Jinadasa, N., Anderson, J., Chen, J., and Henson, P. (2019a). Exploring for the Future- Source rock geochemistry of Northern Australia. Data Release 2: Total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis of samples from the McArthur, South Nicholson Basin and Isa Superbasin, Northern Territory. Geoscience Australia Record 2019/19. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.
Jarrett, A. J. M., MacFarlane, S., Palu, T., Boreham, C., Hall, L., Edwards, D., Cox, G., Munson, T. J., Brocks, J., Carr, L., and Henson, P. (2019b). Source rock geochemistry and petroleum systems of the greater McArthur Basin and links to other northern Australian Proterozoic basins. In ‘Australian Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) Proceedings, Alice Springs, 20–21 March 2019’. (Northern Territory Geological Survey: Darwin, NT). https://geoscience.nt.gov.au/gemis/ntgsjspui/handle/1/88381
Jarrett, A. J. M., Bailey, A. H. E., Hall, L. S., Champion, D. C., Wang, L., Long, I., Webster, T., Webber, S., Byass, J., Gilmore, S., Hong, Z., Chen, J., and Henson, P. (2019c). A multiproxy characterisation of shale brittleness in the Isa Superbasin, northern Australia. In ‘SPE/AAPG/SEG Asia Pacific Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, Brisbane, 18–19 November 2019’. (Unconventional Resources Technology Conference.)
Jarrett, A. J. M., Bailey, A. E. H., Boreham, C. J., Palu, T., Carr, L., Carson, C., Hall, L., Collins, A., Shannon, A., Vinnichenko, G., Brocks, J., Li, Z., Munson, M., Edwards, S., Troup, A., and Henson, P. (2020). A geochemical investigation into the resource potential of the Lawn Hill Platform, northern Australia. The APPEA Journal 60, 722–731.
| A geochemical investigation into the resource potential of the Lawn Hill Platform, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kositcin, N., and Carson, C. J. (2019). New SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from the South Nicholson and Carrara Range region, Northern Territory. Record 2019/09. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.
Magoon, L. B., and Dow, W. G. (1994). The Petroleum System. In ‘The petroleum system – from source to trap. AAPG Memoir 60’. (Eds. L. B. Magoon and W. G. Dow.) pp.3–24.(American Association of Petroleum Geologists)
Munson, T. J. (2014). Petroleum geology and potential of the onshore Northern Territory. Northern Territory Geological Survey Report 2014–22. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Darwin.
Palu, T., Jarrett, A., Boreham, C., Hall, L., Bradshaw, B., and Orr, M. (2018). Challenges and possible solutions for burial and thermal history modelling of the Lawn Hill Platform, Isa Superbasin. In ‘20th Australian Organic Geochemistry Conference: Origins of Oil, Old Organics and Organisms: Program and Abstracts, Canberra. 3–7 December 2018. Record 2018/44’. (Eds. D. S. Edwards, E. Grosjean, J. J. Brocks, and L. van Maldegem) pp. 118–119. (Geoscience Australia: Canberra, ACT). http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/125056
Revie, D. (2017a). Volumetric resource assessment of the lower Kyalla and middle Velkerri formations of the McArthur Basin. In ‘Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) Proceedings, Alice Springs, 28–29 March 2017’. (Northern Territory Geological Survey: Darwin, NT).
Revie, D. (2017b). Unconventional petroleum resources of the Roper Group, McArthur Basin. Northern Territory Geological Survey Record 2017–002. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Darwin.
Revie, D., and Normington, V. J. (2020). Shale resource data from the greater McArthur Basin. Northern Territory, Geological Survey, Digital Information Package DIP 014. Version January 2020. https://geoscience.nt.gov.au/gemis/ntgsjspui/handle/1/82595
Silverman, M. R., Landon, S. M., Leaver, J. S., Mather, T. J., and Bery, E. (2005). No fuel like an old fuel: Proterozoic oil and gas potential in the Beetaloo Basin, Northern Territory, Australia. In ‘Proceedings of the Central Australian Basins Symposium (CABS), Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 16–18 August 2005. Special Publication 2’. (Eds. T. J.Munson and G. T. Ambrose.) pp. 205–215. (Northern Territory Geological Survey: Darwin, NT).
Summons, R. E., Zumberge, J. E., Boreham, C. J., Bradshaw, M. T., Brown, S. W., Edwards, D. S., Hope, J. M., and Johns, N. (2002). The oils of eastern Australia: petroleum geochemistry and correlation. Australian Geological Survey Organisation and GeoMark Research, Inc., Proprietary report, Canberra and Houston, unpublished. http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/68754/
