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Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

New 3D seismic imaging of Late Cretaceous extrusive volcanics in the deep-water Gippsland Basin: implications and insights for paleo-depositional environments and petroleum systems

Jarrad Paul Grahame A *
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- Author Affiliations

A CGG Earth Data, Perth, WA, Australia.

* Correspondence to: jarrad.grahame@cgg.com

The APPEA Journal 63 S237-S242 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22063
Accepted: 3 March 2023   Published: 11 May 2023

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.

Abstract

The presence of Late Cretaceous volcanics has been well documented within the marginal areas of the Gippsland Basin, Australia. A new basin-scale 3D seismic survey recently acquired by CGG, has expanded 3D data coverage, and revealed the presence of previously unseen depositional features and extensive intrusive and extrusive volcanic complexes in the deep-water areas. A well-preserved and previously undetected extrusive volcanic edifice has been identified in the deep-water area at the crest of a large basement high and correlated with Emperor–Golden Beach Subgroup successions. These large basement structures and faults compartmentalise the deep-water areas of the Gippsland Basin and exert a structural control and focal mechanism for vertical migration and upwelling of basaltic volcanics. The volcanic features discussed herein are characteristic of early-rift, intra-cratonic tectonic settings and are the first of their kind to be imaged in the deep-water areas of the basin. Depositional features that have been identified in association with the extrusive volcanics, exhibit seismic characteristics consistent with massive, very fine-grained facies. The presence of these features, which can be correlated with the early opening of the Tasman Sea provide important clues into paleo-depositional environments with implications for source rock development in the deep-water areas.

Keywords: deep-water, depositional environments, extrusive volcanics, Gippsland Basin, intracratonic, new 3D seismic acquisition, petroleum systems, source rock.

Jarrad Paul Grahame currently holds the position of Technical Business Development Manager for CGG Earth Data (formerly Multi-Client & New Ventures) for the Asia-Pacific region. Jarrad completed a BSc in Exploration Geophysics at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia before joining the oil and gas exploration industry in 2010. Jarrad has extensive experience in seismic interpretation and integration of well and seismic datasets for both onshore and offshore basins, including clastic and carbonate resource plays. Jarrad has worked on basins in Australia, South-East Asia, Europe and North America, encompassing extensional, compressional and strike-slip tectonic environments. Jarrad is a member of PESA, SEG, SEAPEX and the AAPG.


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