Glacially influenced petroleum plays in the Kulshill Group (Late Carboniferous–Early Permian) of the Southeastern Bonaparte Basin, Western Australia
John Gorter A , Sarah Poynter A , Stewart Bayford B and Andrea Caudullo AA Eni Australia
B Centurion Energy International Inc, Egypt
The APPEA Journal 48(1) 69-114 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ07007
Published: 2008
Abstract
Glacial deposits within the Lower Kulshill Group (Late Carboniferous-Early Permian) were initially recognised in cores from onshore wells in the southeastern Bonaparte Basin in the 1960s. Subsequent offshore wells have extended the distribution of the glaciogene units 100 km to the north. Their capacity to entrap oil and gas was proven by the Turtle and Barnett wells, located on the offshore Turtle High. Similar age glaciogene rocks occur within the Cooper Basin of central Australia, where they contain oil and gas reserves, and in the Canning, Carnarvon and Perth basins of Western Australia. Using sparse cores, electric logs, palynology and a sequence stratigraphic interpretation of 2D seismic data, the distribution of potential reservoir sandstones and sealing lithologies of the glaciogenic strata has been mapped for the offshore southeastern Bonaparte Basin. This study highlights the petroleum trapping potential associated with sub-glacial ice tunnel valley features, which are widespread in the offshore part of the basin.
John Gorter is the New Ventures Manager for Eni Australia where he has been employed since 1992 (previously as Hardy Petroleum and British Borneo). He graduated from the Australian National University in 1972 with a BSc Honours, and was awarded a PhD from the University of New South Wales in 1992. After six years with the BMR (Petroleum Branch), he joined Esso Australia in 1978 and subsequently worked since 1980 within the petroleum exploration industry with various local and international companies, mainly on Australian basins. Member: PESA, AAPG, GSA. john.gorter@eniaustralia.com.au |
Sarah Poynter graduated from the University of Bristol (UK) in 1999 with a MSc.(Hons) in Geology and subsequently from the University of Cambridge (UK), with a PhD on the reservoir sandstones of Sakhalin, Russian Far East. In 2003 she joined Eni in London as an exploration geologist, working on the Faroe-Shetland Basin and Irish Atlantic margin. She also undertook studies on the South Atlantic and South America. In 2006 she transferred to Eni Australia in Perth where she is working as an explorer on the SE Bonaparte Basin. Member: PESA, PESGB, SEPM and a Fellow of the Geological Society, London. sarah.poynter@eniaustralia.com.au |
Stewart Bayford graduated from the University of Western Australia with a BSc in 1974. He worked in seismic processing for three years in the UK and Australia, then joined Conoco where he gained world-wide experience as a seismic interpreter. In 1986 he was employed by WMC, becoming Timor Sea regional exploration manager. In 1992 he returned to a technical role as a consultant working throughout Australia and New Zealand. He joined Hardy Petroleum (now Eni) in 1997. He was seconded to Nigeria for two years where he worked on the Niger Delta. He left Eni in 2007 to take up the position of Senior geophysical advisor for Centurion, in Cairo, Egypt. BayfordS@centurionegypt.com |
Andrea Caudullo graduated from the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ (IT) in 1995 with an MSc in mining engineering. In 1996 he joined Schlumberger Oilfield Ltd as a field engineer, working in USA, Europe and Africa. In 2001 he joined Royal Dutch Shell to work in the Netherlands as a Petrophysicist. In 2006 he was employed by Eni Australia in Perth where he is working as a principal petrophysicist in the exploration department. Member: SPWLA, SPE and PESA. andrea.caudullo@eniaustralia.com.au |
