A quantitative approach to regional screening of petroleum systems, Westralian Superbasin
Christopher Paschke A , Rob K. Sawyer A , Catherine Belgarde A , Chris Yarborough A and Christina Huenink ABHP Billiton Petroleum.
The APPEA Journal 55(2) 401-401 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ14036
Published: 2015
Abstract
The greater Westralian Superbasin comprises multiple petroleum systems ranging in age from the Early Paleozoic to the Paleogene (Bradshaw et al, 1994). A subset of these systems is typified by marine incursions with a deposition of liquids-prone source rocks.
Variability in Westralian sediment fill and source rock stratigraphic position can be demonstrated on a continuous mega-regional 2D deep reflection seismic line that extends from Carnarvon through Browse and into the Bonaparte Basin.
Beginning in 2013, BHP Billiton initiated a comprehensive regional study of the Westralian margin to better risk existing and new play fairways. From this work, a hydrocarbon systems analysis from the Dampier Sub-basin and its application for exploration as a regional analogue is described.
From a compilation of both open-file and proprietary data, a subset of Dampier well penetrations was chosen, based on the quality of available source rock data. 1D models were constructed and thermally calibrated to BHP Billiton’s recent re-interpretation of the sub-regional crustal architecture. The ultimate expelled petroleum (UEP) was calculated at each well and then extrapolated regionally to determine the total basin hydrocarbon potential.
Maturity of the source rock is described using the state of thermal stress (STS) parameter (Pepper and Corvi, 1995). Compared with more data- and labour-intensive 3D basin modelling, integration of 1D basin models, UEP and STS parameters allow for a rapid quantitative and regional-scale basin analysis. Using this workflow in data-constrained basins like the Dampier Sub-basin serves as an important analogue for assessing and risking petroleum systems in both of the established and frontier portions of the Australian margin.
Chris Paschke is a staff geologist with BHP Billiton Petroleum. He holds a BSc in geology from the University of Miami and an MSc in geology from the University of South Carolina. He started his career as a geologist with Mobil Exploration and Producing U.S. in New Orleans. His subsequent career with ExxonMobil included a variety of exploration and field development projects. He joined BHP Billiton Petroleum in 2014 and is working with the Australia exploration team. Member: AAPG, PESA, SEAPEX, the Houston Geological Society. |
R.K. (Rob) Sawyer received an MSc in geology from University of Florida. Rob began his career with the US Department of Energy in 1981 before joining Texaco in 1982 to work on new ventures. In 2002, he joined BHP Billiton Petroleum and is assigned to Australian exploration. His has published more than a dozen papers on peat and coal, Gulf of Mexico slope sedimentology, and the structural geology of eastern Indonesia, China and the Italian Apennines. Member: New Orleans Geological Society, Houston Geological Society, Indonesian Geological Society, AAPG. |
Catherine Belgarde is a geologist at BHP Billiton Petroleum. She received a master’s degree in structural geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before BHP Billiton, she worked as an exploration geologist at ExxonMobil Exploration Company from 2007 to 2013. Her main interest is in understanding the tectonic processes of basin formation and evolution. |
Chris Yarbrough holds a BSc and an MSc in geology from Texas A&M University. He started his career at Dominion E&P working South Texas gas fields. He then moved to Hess, where he worked on North Dakota Bakken geologic operations and petroleum systems studies across numerous global basins. In 2012, he joined BHP Billiton Petroleum as part of the geoscience function team, focusing on petroleum system and source rock studies. |
Chris Huenink has a BSc in geology from Missouri State University and an MSc in geology from the Colorado School of Mines. She joined BHP Billiton Petroleum in 2009 as a geologist and is a member of the Australia regional exploration team. |
References
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