The Cretaceous-Cenozoic volcanic record of the Gippsland Basin: origin, nature and significance for the energy transition
Simon Holford A * , Fun Meeuws A , Ernest Swierczek A , Nick Schofield B and Mark Bunch AA School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia.
B School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
The APPEA Journal 63 S243-S246 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22059
Accepted: 24 February 2023 Published: 11 May 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.
Abstract
Mafic volcanic rocks, typically basalts of mainly late Cretaceous age, have been intersected by Gippsland Basin wells. Intersections of volcanic rocks primarily occur along the basin-bounding Rosedale Fault System in the northern part of the basin, where they exhibit a close spatial correspondence with high-CO2 content gas accumulations. Though petrographic data indicates that the basalts have been variably altered to clays and carbonates, they provide the top seals to numerous hydrocarbon accumulations, most notably at the Kipper Field. Despite the widespread distribution of these volcanics and their relevance to petroleum systems, they have received only sporadic attention over the past few decades. Here we combine petrophysical, geomechanical, geophysical and geochemical datasets to elucidate the origin of the volcanic record of the Gippsland Basin, and to evaluate their potential role in the decarbonisation of the basin, for example through providing opportunities for intra and sub-basaltic storage of CO2.
Keywords: carbon capture and storage, igneous intrusions, sedimentary basins, volcanism.
Professor Simon Holford is South Australian State Chair of Petroleum Geoscience in the Discipline of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide. Simon has published approximately 130 papers on the prospectivity and tectonics of rifted margins, petroleum geomechanics and magmatism in basins. Simon has won multiple awards, including Best Paper prizes at APPEA 2012 and AEGC 2019, Best Extended Abstract at APPEA 2021 and the Geological Society of Australia’s Walter Howchin and ES Hills medals. |
Fun Meeuws is a post-doctoral researcher at the School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences at the University of Adelaide, working on igneous geochemistry and mineralisation potential of the Peak Ranges, Queensland. She obtained her PhD in 2019 which detailed Meso-Cenozoic intraplate magmatism onshore Tasmania and offshore the Gippsland and Bass Basin, using 3D seismic analyses and igneous geochemistry. She graduated with an MSc at the University of Ghent in 2009. |
Ernest Swierczek is a geoscientist with research interests in the integration of geological and geophysical data to build valid structural models. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from AGH University of Science and Technology (Poland) and is working towards his PhD from University of Adelaide. He currently works as Structural Modelling Geologist at BHP in Brisbane. |
Professor Nick Schofield is Chair in Igneous and Petroleum Geology at the University of Aberdeen. He gained his undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Edinburgh, before undertaking a PhD at the University of Birmingham investigating the emplacement of sill intrusions. He has worked and published extensively on intrusive and extrusive volcanism within sedimentary basins globally. |
Mark Bunch is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Geoscience at the University of Adelaide. He graduated with a BSc-Hons from Durham University in 2000, before completing an MSc in 2001 then a PhD in 2006 at the University of Birmingham. His research interests include the application of AI and machine learning to petroleum industry problems, formation evaluation and seismic geomorphology. |
References
Hardman JPA, Holford SP, Schofield N, Bunch M, Gibbins D (2019) The Warnie volcanic province: Jurassic intraplate volcanism in Central Australia. Gondwana Research 76, 322–347.| The Warnie volcanic province: Jurassic intraplate volcanism in Central Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hoffman N, Arian N, Carman G (2014) Detailed seal studies for CO2 storage in the Gippsland Basin. In ‘Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium IV’. (Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia).
Holford S, Schofield N, MacDonald J, Duddy I, Green P (2012) Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin. The APPEA Journal 52, 229–252.
| Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Holford S, Schofield N, Bunch M, Bischoff A, Swierczek E (2021) Storing CO2 in buried volcanoes. The APPEA Journal 61, 626–631.
| Storing CO2 in buried volcanoes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mark NJ, Holford SP, Schofield N, Eide CH, Pugliese S, Watson DA, Muirhead D (2020) Structural and lithological controls on the architecture of igneous intrusions: examples from the NW Australian Shelf. Petroleum Geoscience 26, 50–69.
| Structural and lithological controls on the architecture of igneous intrusions: examples from the NW Australian Shelf.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McPhail A (2000) A petrographic and geochemical study of Gippsland Basin volcanics. BSc(Hons) Thesis, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Meeuws FJ (2019) Meso-Cenozoic intraplate magmatism along the Australian southern margin. PhD thesis, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
Meeuws FJE, Holford SP, Foden JD, Schofield N (2016a) Distribution, chronology and causes of Cretaceous – Cenozoic magmatism along the magma-poor rifted southern Australian margin: links between mantle melting and basin formation. Marine and Petroleum Geology 73, 271–298.
| Distribution, chronology and causes of Cretaceous – Cenozoic magmatism along the magma-poor rifted southern Australian margin: links between mantle melting and basin formation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Meeuws F, Reynolds P, Holford S, Foden J, Schofield N (2016b) Characterising extrusive and intrusive magmatism at the Kipper Field, Gippsland Basin, using 3D seismic data. ASEG Extended Abstracts 2016, 1–7.
| Characterising extrusive and intrusive magmatism at the Kipper Field, Gippsland Basin, using 3D seismic data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
O’Brien GW, Tingate PR, Divko LG, Harrison ML, Boreham CJ, Liu K, Arian N, Skladzien P (2008) First order sealing and hydrocarbon migration processes, Gippsland Basin, Australia: implications for COgeosequestration. In ‘PESA Eastern Australian Basins Symposium III’. pp. 1–28. (Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia)
O’Halloran GJ, Johnstone EM (2001) Late Cretaceous rift volcanics of the Gippsland Basin, SE Australia — new insights from 3D seismic. In ‘Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium: a refocussed energy perspective for the future’. (Eds KC Hill, T Bernecker) pp. 353–361. (PESA Special Publication)
Schofield N, Holford S, Millett J, Brown D, Jolley D, Passey SR, Muirhead D, Grove C, Magee C, Murray J, Hole M, Jackson CAL, Stevenson C (2017) Regional magma plumbing and emplacement mechanisms of the Faroe-Shetland Sill Complex: implications for magma transport and petroleum systems within sedimentary basins. Basin Research 29, 41–63.
| Regional magma plumbing and emplacement mechanisms of the Faroe-Shetland Sill Complex: implications for magma transport and petroleum systems within sedimentary basins.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schofield N, Holford S, Edwards A, Mark N, Pugliese S (2020) Overpressure transmission through interconnected igneous intrusions. AAPG Bulletin 104, 285–303.
| Overpressure transmission through interconnected igneous intrusions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Watson D, Holford S, Schofield N, Mark N (2019) Failure to predict igneous rocks encountered during exploration of sedimentary basins: a case study of the Bass Basin, Southeastern Australia. Marine and Petroleum Geology 99, 526–547.
| Failure to predict igneous rocks encountered during exploration of sedimentary basins: a case study of the Bass Basin, Southeastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
