The Bamaga Basin: a frontier play in a non-frontier location
Wolfgang S. FischerAGulf Energy Pty Limited, PO Box 215, Paddington, NSW 2021, Australia. Email: wolfgang@gulfenergy.com.au
The APPEA Journal 61(1) 192-204 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20055
Submitted: 15 January 2021 Accepted: 17 February 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
The undrilled, offshore Bamaga Basin (pre-Jurassic) is overlain by two previously explored sedimentary basins: Carpentaria (Jurassic–Cretaceous) and Karumba (Tertiary). In 1984, Duyken-1, the only well in the Gulf of Carpentaria, 120 km southwest of the Bamaga Basin, tested the Carpentaria and Karumba successions but not the deeper Bamaga Basin, which at the time was unrecognised. 2D regional seismic data acquired in 2012, and a second infill seismic survey in 2014, confirmed the presence of a sedimentary succession in the Bamaga, probably of early–middle/late Paleozoic age, and identified an intriguing, complex structural history and large potential petroleum traps. Basin modelling in the centre of the Bamaga Basin where the sedimentary section is deepest shows that the sediments are mature for petroleum generation with the hydrocarbon phase being either oil or gas, although gas is more likely, especially below 2000 m. Analysis of the available data indicates that in the oil generation zone there are six targets with the potential to hold prospective resources (3U) of more than 250 million stock barrels (MMstb) of oil each, the largest of which could hold as much as 663 MMstb of oil. In the gas generation zone, there are nine targets with the potential to hold prospective resources (3U) of 1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) or more gas each, the largest of which could hold as much as 2.5 Tcf gas. The water depth (60 m) and closeness to shore (150 km) make it operationally and commercially attractive.
Keywords: Bamaga Basin, basin modelling, carbonate, Carpentaria Basin, Duyken-1, gas, Gulf of Carpentaria, hydrocarbon, maturation, oil, Paleozoic, petroleum generation, prospect, Prospective Resources, regional seismic data, shows, target.
Wolfgang Fischer (BSc Hons., Fellow of AusIMM, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors) is the Managing Director of Gulf Energy Pty Limited. Wolfgang’s career in petroleum exploration and development has spanned nearly 47 years. After completing his BSc with Honours at Melbourne University, Wolfgang joined Esso Australia where he spent 13 years in a range of operational and senior management positions. At Esso, he was a member of teams exploring in the world class offshore Gippsland Basin, the Bonaparte Basin and offshore Western Australia. While with Esso, he participated in the discovery of more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil in offshore Malaysia and, in the early 1980s, he headed Esso’s Australian new ventures team. In 1986, he joined the ASX listed Australian Petroleum Fund as Exploration Manager and six months later took on the role of Managing Director, a position he held until September 1989 when he left to set up his own petroleum industry ventures. During his time with AUSPET, he directed its growth to a sizeable oil and gas producer and pipeline owner. After leaving AUSPET, Wolfgang was involved in exploration that led to the discovery of the massive Bayu-Undan gas-condensate field in the Timor Sea. He was also one of the few professionals who, in the late 1990s, recognised early on the potential of coal seam natural gas in Queensland and was instrumental in building and developing an acreage portfolio that was sold to a major Australian energy company for hundreds of millions of dollars. During his business career, Wolfgang has identified attractive, early-stage business opportunities previously overlooked or misappraised by industry. |
References
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