Structural interpretation of the Beetaloo Sub-basin, NT from nonseismic geophysical data
Jelena Markov A D , Claudio Delle Piane A , Ernest Swierczek A , Clive Foss B and Mohinudeen Faiz CA CSIRO, Kensington, Australia.
B CSIRO, Lindfield, Australia.
C CSIRO, Pullenvale, Queensland, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: jelena.markov@csiro.au
The APPEA Journal 61(2) 679-683 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20194
Accepted: 15 March 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
The Beetaloo Sub-basin is known for its vast unconventional hydrocarbon resources even though it is relatively underexplored. There is reasonably good coverage of 2D seismic within the sub-basin which is used as the basis for most structural interpretations. However, seismic quality varies, and it is occasionally deteriorated by the presence of basalts from the Kalkarindji suite and the karstic nature of the Gum Ridge formation. Aeromagnetic data, constrained by petrophysical logs are used, to map faults in the basalts of the Kalkarindji suite and their lateral extent to the South and the East of the sub-basin. The same structural elements are identified in the full tensor gravity gradiometry data. The top of this unit is observed in the electrical conductivity profiles, derived from Tempest data, in the NW part of the eastern sub-basin.
Keywords: aeromagnetic data, Tempest, Beetaloo Sub-basin, basalt, faults, structural analysis.
Jelena Markov is a Research Scientist at the CSIRO. She received MSc in geophysics from the University of Belgrade in Serbia and Ph.D. in Geophysics for the University of Western Australia in Perth. Prior to joining CSIRO in 2017, she spent 2 years with the CGG Multiphysics in Perth, working on the national and international airborne gravity gradiometry projects, on the data QAQC and processing. During her postdoctoral fellowship with the CSIRO Deep Earth Imaging Future Science Platform, Jelena worked on the development of the Bayesian inference tools for the geophysical data interpretation. |
Claudio Delle Piane is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO where he leads the Geosciences Processes Program of the Deep Earth Imaging Future Science Platform. He has a degree in Earth Sciences from the Roma III University in Italy and a Ph.D. in Geology from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute (ETH) of Zurich. A geologist with background in structural geology and rock deformation, he joined CSIRO in 2008 as a research scientist specialising in the integration of microstructural analyses with petrophysics, geomechanics, structural geology and rock physics for the characterisation of subsurface porous rocks and the understanding of their geological history. |
Ernest Swierczek is a geoscientist with research interest in integration of geological and geophysical data to build valid structural geological models. He holds MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from the AGH University of Science and Technology (Poland) and working towards his PhD from the University of Adelaide. He has got broad experience working in geophysical consultancy for conventional, unconventional resources and CCS. Between 2018 and 2020, he worked as a Research Scientist for the CSIRO Energy where he was involved in projects in the Otway Basin and the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Currently he holds a position of Structural Modelling Geologist at BHP in Brisbane. |
Clive Foss has a BSc (hons) in geological geophysics from the University of Reading (1975) and a PhD for palaeomagnetic and rock magnetic studies of Archaean rocks from southern Africa from the University of Leeds (1979). For 8 ½ years Clive was lecturer in applied geophysics at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur before spending 2 ½ years as principal geophysicist in the Indonesia-Australia Geological Mapping Project in Bandung. Clive spent 5 years working as a potential field consultant to various petroleum companies throughout SE Asia before joining Encom Technology in 1995 where he ran worldwide geophysical consultancy in gravity and magnetics for petroleum exploration and the Modelvision software development team. In 2009, Clive joined CSIRO where he is presently a Senior Principal Research Scientist and Gravity and Magnetics Team Leader in the Mineral Resource Business Unit. |
Mohinudeen Faiz is a petroleum geoscientist with ~30 years of experience in operational and R&D projects. Faiz holds PhD and MSc degrees from University of Wollongong and BSc (Hons) from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He is currently a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Energy where he focuses on integrated petroleum systems analyses for both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. Previously, Faiz worked at Origin Energy where he was organic geochemistry and petroleum systems modelling SME and contributed to various exploration and development projects of the company based in Australia and overseas. He is a member of AAPG, PESA and ICCP. |
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