Refining the Mungaroo Formation and Lower Barrow Group depositional models, Exmouth Plateau, North Carnarvon Basin: WA-390-P phase II exploration*
J. Minken A , P. Cox A , S. Buchanan B , D. Griffin A , Y. Kusumanegara A , S. Massie A , N. Moig A , P. Owen A , E. Prescott A and J. Smallwood AA Hess Exploration Australia.
B Hess Russia Subsurface.
The APPEA Journal 51(2) 713-713 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ10093
Published: 2011
Abstract
Permit WA-390-P, in Australia’s Exmouth Plateau, has been the subject of an extensive exploration drilling campaign with gas discovered in the Late Triassic Mungaroo Formation and the Cretaceous Lower Barrow Group. Characterisation of these reservoirs with 3D seismic data, well logs, core and biostratigraphic information has allowed insight and refinement to the previously established depositional models. The Mungaroo Formation comprises a thick succession (more than 2 km) of delta plain deposits characterised on 3D seismic by channel morphologies of differing sizes and orientations. Well penetrations in the channels reveal sand-bodies that can be classified as either single-storey or multistorey.
Single-storey sand-bodies are thin (less than 15 m), narrow in planform (less than 1 km), lack evidence of lateral accretion and occasionally exhibit a funnel geometry. Multistorey channels are characterised by relatively thick, vertically and laterally amalgamated sand-bodies (more than 15 m), in a broad channel morphology (more than 1 km) bounded at its base by a composite surface of erosion. Single-storey channels have been interpreted as distributary channels and multistorey channels as incised valleys. In contrast, the Lower Barrow Group is a contemporaneous wave-dominated delta and slope-to-basin-floor sediment gravity flow system.
The depositional environments formed progradational clinoform seismic stratigraphic units that filled accommodation generated during rifting. The delta is organised into arcuate to cuspate lobes that show changes in the shelf-slope trajectory with variations in accommodation and sediment supply. During falling trajectories of the shelf-slope break, the slope is demarcated by gullies forming a line of feeder systems that transport sediment from the delta shoreface into the deep-water. The sediment gravity flows formed coalescing fans that blanket the toe-of-slope and basin floor.
Jon Minken is a geologist with previous experience working the South America and west Africa margins. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Alberta and an MSc (Hons) from the University of Oklahoma. |
Phil Cox has worked at Hess as a geologist for 11 years. Phil’s experience covers both exploration and developments and he has worked in many different hydrocarbon provinces around the world including the North Sea, Egypt and the Gulf of Mexico. He has been part of the Australian exploration team since 2007. He has a BSc and an MSc from Royal Holloway Collage, University of London. |
Sandy Buchanan is a geologist based in London working Russia Subsurface. He has a BSc (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc at Imperial College, London in petroleum geoscience. |
Dean Griffin is based in Perth and acts as the senior geological adviser for Hess Exploration Australia. He has 19 years of industry experience and has spent the past 13 years working in exploration for Hess in a number of the key petroleum producing regions around the world. He has an MSc in petroleum geology from Imperial College, London. |
Yohan Kusumanegara is a geological adviser at Hess Exploration Australia. He has more than 16 years of experience in petroleum exploration and production. Prior to joining Hess (January 2007), he was a team leader of New Ventures-Total E&P Indonesia, and worked for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and Total S.A. (Paris, France) with various assignments in Indonesia, Northwest Shelf Australia, South China Sea and Africa. He has an MSc in petroleum geology from Colorado School of Mines, USA, and was a member of Genetic Stratigraphy Research Group. |
Steve Massie has worked at Hess for 31 years and is Australia exploration manager. His previous experience includes exploration and developments in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Onshore USA. He graduated with a BSc in geology from Kansas State. |
Neil Moig is a geophysicist with experience in exploration and production in Australia and West Africa. |
Paul Owen is the exploration team lead for the100% Hess-operated WA-390-P block in the Carnarvon Basin. Paul has worked as a geologist in the oil and gas industry since 1998 including positions with Santos, ExxonMobil and Woodside. He has been involved in new ventures, exploration, development and production with experience in offshore basins of Australia, deepwater Gulf of Mexico, deepwater west Africa, southeast Asia and Latin America. He has a BSc (Hons) in applied geology from Curtin University. |
Edward Prescott is a senior geophysicist with Hess who has worked in the industry since 2005. Edward has worked on exploration and development projects in the UK, Egypt, Malaysia and Australia. He works in Perth for Hess Exploration Australia on their WA-390-P licence. He has a BSc (Hons) in geophysics from Durham University, UK and an MSc in petroleum geoscience from the University of Aberdeen, UK. |
John Smallwood has worked at Hess for 14 years, of which the past four have been as the Australia exploration manager. His previous experience includes exploration, appraisal and development in the west of Shetlands and North Sea, the UK, Gabon, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. He has a BA in geological sciences, a PhD in marine geophysics from Cambridge University and is a chartered geologist. He has published 32 research papers on subjects including volcanic continental margins, seismic attributes, sediment budgets, depth conversion, potential fields and historical geophysics. |
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