Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Energy Producers Journal Australian Energy Producers Journal Society
Journal of Australian Energy Producers
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

Permian source rocks of the onshore and nearshore Carnarvon Basin

Charmaine M. Thomas
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Geological Survey of Western Australia, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Mineral House, East Perth, Australia. Email: charmaine.thomas@dmirs.wa.gov.au

The APPEA Journal 61(2) 726-730 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20199
Accepted: 14 April 2021   Published: 2 July 2021

Abstract

A new sampling program of Permian potential source rocks was undertaken to improve knowledge of the Permian petroleum prospectivity in new parts of the Southern Carnarvon and inboard Northern Carnarvon Basins. Presented here are new Rock-Eval data from previously unsampled wells, drillholes and outcrop and new infill sampling between existing data points. Kerogen assemblages of selected intervals were also determined from palynofacies analysis or organic petrography, which suggests the good Permian source rocks are generally dominated by gas-prone kerogens. Possibly terrestrial-derived oil-prone kerogen can also be frequently found in thin intervals of the upper Permian and more rarely in lower Permian in the onshore northern Carnarvon Basin.

Keywords: Carnarvon Basin, Permian, petroleum prospectivity, petroleum systems, source rock.

Charmaine Thomas is Senior Geoscientist in the Energy Geoscience and Carbon Strategy Group at the Geological Survey of Western Australia. Her main interests are basin analysis and tectonics, and seismic interpretation. She received a B.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Western Australia in 2006, before joining Woodside Energy as a graduate Geologist in 2007. In 2012, she completed her M.Sc. thesis on the numerical modelling of rift basin initiation and evolution at the University of Sydney. Charmaine is a member of PESA and GSA.


References

Dembicki, H. (2009). Three common source rock evaluation errors made by geologists during prospect or play appraisals. AAPG Bulletin 93, 341–356.
Three common source rock evaluation errors made by geologists during prospect or play appraisals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Ghori, K. A. R. (1996). Petroleum source rocks, Merlinleigh and Byro Sub-basins, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia Record 1996/5, 102p.

Ghori, K. A. R. (1998). Petroleum generating potential and thermal history of the Palaeozoic, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. In ‘The Sedimentary Basins of Western Australia 2, West Australian Basins Symposium, Perth, Western Australia, 30 August–2 September 1998’. (Eds by P. G. Purcell and R. R. Purcell.) pp. 553–567.

Hocking, R. M., Moors, H. T., and van de Graaff, W. J. E. (1987). Geology of the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia Bulletin 133, 289p.

Iasky, R. P., Mory, A. J., Ghori, K. A. R., and Shevchenko, S. I. (1998). Stucture and petroleum potential of the southern Merlinleigh Sub-basin, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia Report 61, 63p.

Molyneux, S., Goodall, J., McGee, R., Mills, G., and Hartung-Kagi, B. (2016). Observations on the Lower Triassic petroleum prospectivity of the offshore Carnarvon and Roebuck basins. APPEA Journal 56, 173–202.
Observations on the Lower Triassic petroleum prospectivity of the offshore Carnarvon and Roebuck basins.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Mory, A. J., and Backhouse, J. (1997). Permian stratigraphy and palynology of the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia Report 51, 71p.

Mory, A. J., and Haig, D. W. (2011). Permian-Carboniferous geology of the northern Perth and Southern Carnarvon Basins, Western Australia – a field guide. Geological Survey of Western Australia Record 2011/14, 41p.

Muggeridge, G. D. (1981). Final report on exploration completed within temporary reserves 7510H Frazer Bore, 7511H Mount Medaline, 7512H Wooramel, 7513H Callytharra Spring, 7514H Darcy Hill, 7515H Bogardi, 7516H Pindilya Hill. Byro/Glenburgh, Western Australia, CRA Exploration Pty Ltd. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Statutory mineral exploration report 35933, 55p.

Peters, K. E. (1986). Guidelines for evaluating petroleum source rocks using programmed pyrolysis. AAPG Bulletin 70, 318–329.
Guidelines for evaluating petroleum source rocks using programmed pyrolysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Scott, J. (1992). Accurate recognition of source rock character in the Jurassic of the North West Shelf, Western Australia. The APPEA Journal 32, 289–299.
Accurate recognition of source rock character in the Jurassic of the North West Shelf, Western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |