High-quality data from the Eendracht MC3D seismic survey gives insight about the hydrocarbon potential of the Carnarvon Basin
Patricio Silva-Gonzalez A and Jarrad Grahame ACGG.
The APPEA Journal 53(2) 486-486 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ12097
Published: 2013
Abstract
The Eendracht 3D multi-client seismic survey covers an area of about 8,000 km2. It is located in the Carnarvon Basin, one of Australia’s most hydrocarbons-prolific basins. The basin is filled with thick Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sedimentary successions, deposited during multiple phases of extension and following the breakup of Gondwana. The most prominent structural trend is northeast-southwest with basins and sub-basins aligned as a consequence of the rifting event, which occurred during Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. Recent discoveries like Ragnar-1 and Tallaganda-1 show a working petroleum system and the high prospectivity of the Carnarvon Basin.
The Eendracht survey covers a relatively less-explored but prolific area of the basin and provides a large volume of high-quality 3D seismic data. New technologies for acquisition and processing such as Fresnel Zone Bining, Interactive Azimuthal Anisotropy Analysis, and Diffracted Noise/Multiple Attenuation have been used.
The hydrocarbon generation, migration, and entrapment in the Carnarvon Basin is controlled by Jurassic to Early Cretaceous syn- and post-rift structures, deposition, and Neogene reactivation. The most dominant successions in the Basin are Triassic to Lower Cretaceous sedimentary units. The Triassic Mungaroo Formation is the main reservoir found in the area covered by the Eendracht survey. Northeast-southwest-oriented extensional structures create potential traps for hydrocarbons and structures like horsts, tilted fault blocks, drapes, and fault-over anticlines can now be better visualised and analysed due to the 3D character of the Eendracht survey.
Patricio Silva Gonzalez is chief geologist at CGG, Perth, Australia. His responsibilities include project generation for seismic acquisition projects, evaluation of frontier areas, liaison with project managers, presentation of project ideas to clients, review of technical reports, and preparation of technical publications and presentations. He studied geology at the University Karlsruhe (now Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) and completed a PhD at the Freie Universitat Berlin, both in Germany. He has vast experience in regional studies including the integration of geological and geophysical data sets. |
Jarrad Grahame is geoscientist at CGG Multi Client & New Ventures for the Asia-Pacific region. He studied exploration geophysics at Curtin University, Perth, before joining the oil and gas exploration industry. He has extensive experience in seismic interpretation and integration of well and seismic datasets for both onshore and offshore basins including clastic, carbonate and unconventional resource plays. He has worked on basins in Australia, southeast Asia and North America, encompassing extensional, compressional, and strike-slip tectonic environments. |
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