EXPLORATION IN THE NORTHERN BONAPARTE BASIN, TIMOR SEA - WA-199-P

Abstract

Permit WA-199-P, located in the Northern Bonaparte Basin, has undergone an intensive exploration phase from its award on 22 October 1985, which has resulted in the acquisition of 6250 km of 2D seismic and 1558 km of 3D seismic together with the drilling of seven exploration wells. Significant oil shows were recorded in six of these wells.

The major play type investigated to date within the permit consists of Jurassic tilted horst and fault blocks. Potential reservoirs comprising medium to coarse grained sandstones of the Jurassic Plover Formation and, to a lesser extent, the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Flamingo Group, are sealed by massive claystones of the Cretaceous Bathurst Island Group. Numerous oil shows have been encountered by drilling within these two reservoirs; however, drilling results from the Avocet-Eider structure indicate that Late Miocene-Recent fault reactivation often breaches the lateral seal of the fault- dependent structures causing leakage of hydrocarbons up the fault.

Source extract-oil correlations and maturation studies indicate that the most likely oil sources comprise thermally mature marine claystones of the Flamingo Group and Plover Formation, developed within the Sahul Syncline to the east of WA-199-P. The main period of oil migration was probably Miocene or younger.

A number of play types remain untested. These consist of Permian, Intra-Triassic and top Cretaceous fault blocks, as well as fault-independent closures, downdip fault closures and stratigraphic wedge outs of Maastrichtian sand reservoirs, and submarine fan sands developed within the basal Flamingo Group.