Concurrent 1. Presentation for: A regional chronostratigraphic framework for play-based resource assessments in the Eromanga Basin

Abstract

Presented on Tuesday 17 May: Session 1

Geoscience Australia is undertaking a series of basin-scale assessments to identify the ‘yet-to-find’ resource potential for hydrocarbons, as well as for groundwater resources and carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities in central Australia under the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) Program. A play-based exploration approach is being used to systematically evaluate the key risk elements for each resource type through the analysis of drilling results and spatial data to map ‘sweet spots’ for exploration. These assessments aim to reduce the risks and uncertainties for explorers by providing spatially enabled assessments of energy resources and CCS potential. The work will also improve the understanding of existing groundwater resources which may be impacted by future energy resource developments or provide feedstock for future green hydrogen projects. A key requirement for undertaking such play-based resource assessments is to apply a common regional chronostratigraphic framework across all the resource types that link different geological unit nomenclatures through defining the assessed reservoir and seal intervals and their associated sequence stratigraphic surfaces (sequence boundaries, transgressive surfaces and maximum flooding surfaces). A Mesozoic chronostratigraphic framework has been developed for the Eromanga Basin, which defines nine regional play intervals that host the known hydrocarbon and groundwater resources, or represent potential CCS targets. The Mesozoic play framework is now being applied to undertake play-based low-carbon energy resource assessments in the western Eromanga Basin, with initial work focussing on the interpretation and correlation of the nine play intervals in wells for post-drill analysis.

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