Seismic aspects of recent oil discoveries in the Bodalla Block, Cooper/Eromanga Basins, Queensland

Abstract

ATP 269P(1) lies in the central Eromanga Basin and straddles the southeastern edge of the northern Cooper Basin (Fig. 1). While the sedimentary sequence includes rocks ranging in age from Devonian to Cretaceous, commercial hydrocarbons have to date been encountered only in the Jurassic sequence. Structurally the area is dominated by a series of northwesterly trending anticlines, many of them fault-bounded, but lesser intersecting north?south and other trends are also apparent (Fig. 2a). Recent exploration in the permit has concentrated along the major anticlinal trends, with a total of almost 5000 kilometres of seismic data having been acquired and 23 wells drilled since the present joint venture acquired the permit in 1980 (Fig. 2b). Exploration in the block has been moderately successful, with the discovery of the Bodalla South Oil Field in 1984, the Kenmore and Glenvale Oil Fields in 1985, and the Black Stump Oil Field in 1986. This represents an exploration success ratio of 1 in 2.75. Of the twelve appraisal wells drilled, ten have been completed as oil wells, representing an appraisal success ratio of 1 in 1.2.