THE PETROLEUM PROSPECTS OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF REGION

Abstract

The Great Barrier Reef Region covers some 207 000 sq. km of Queensland continental shelf between 9° 30'S and 24°S. The Reef ranges from Late Tertiary to Recent age with reefal growth mainly over platform areas of shelf sediments or basement rocks.

The Reef area is underlain in part by seven basins which are either wholly or in part offshore; these basins are from north to south, the Peninsula Trough (Jurassic to Recent), Laura Basin (Permian to Cretaceous), Halifax Basin (Cretaceous to Recent), Hillsborough Basin (Early to Middle Tertiary), Styx Basin (Cretaceous), Capricorn Basin (Cretaceous to Recent and the Maryborough Basin (Jurassic to Tertiary).

The geophysical coverage of the area is regional and only small areas of several of the basins have been covered by detailed seismic. During 1973 the Bureau of Mineral Resources conducted a seismic survey over the Queensland Plateau and adjacent Barrier Reef region: the results of this survey provide the geophysical basis for the basin evaluation.

Four petroleum exploratory wells have been drilled in Queensland waters; these include Anchor Cay at the northern extremity of the Reef, and three wells in the Capricorn Basin.

The petroleum potential of the region will remain speculative until further drilling is carried out to assess the stratigraphic section.