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TRANSCRIPT
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity:
Canning Basin
February 2017
PERTH
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
CANNING
BASIN
Contents
Petroleum geology of the Canning Basin
Introduction ........................................................................................... 3
Location and size of the Canning Basin ............................................... 3
Tectonic elements ................................................................................. 3
Basin subdivisions ................................................................................ 4
Stratigraphy .......................................................................................... 6
Exploration history ................................................................................ 7
Production ...........................................................................................10
Petroleum systems ..............................................................................10
Plays ....................................................................................................16
Other aspects of the Canning Basin
Infrastructure and markets ..................................................................19
Land access, climate, and land use ....................................................19
Selected references ................................................................................. 21
3
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Petroleum geology of the Canning Basin
IntroductionThe onshore Canning Basin is a large, intracratonic, predominantly Paleozoic basin that ranges in age from Ordovician to Cretaceous. It is significantly under explored for hydrocarbon resources, with relatively minor oil and gas production, although widespread shows at many stratigraphic levels and in different geological settings show that there are four active petroleum systems. Despite these positive indicators, the Canning Basin may be the least explored Paleozoic basin in the world. Further exploration is warranted given that:
• TheCanningBasinhasclosetosixwells/10000km2, compared with the PaleozoicbasinsofNorthAmericawhichaverage500wells/10000km2.
• Onlyasmallnumberofvalidstructuraltestsexistinthebasin.
• Therearemorethan130giantandsupergiantoilfieldsandgasfieldswithPaleozoic sources and reservoirs that are similar to the Canning Basin, including basins in North America, North Africa, and the North Caspian Basin of Kazakhstan and Russia.
• TheUSEnergyInformationAgencyreportedin2013thattheCanningBasinhas the largest shale gas potential in Australia, and in fact the eighth largest in the world; they estimated it has in excess of 225 TCF of recoverable shale gas based on the Goldwyer Formation play alone.
• Further exploration could behighly successful basedon thepresenceoffive discovered oilfields, new gas discoveries, widespread and numerous petroleum shows, a huge shale gas potential, and low well density.
• There are established pathways tomarkets:Oil is being trucked to theKwinana oil refinery in the Perth metropolitan area and, in the past, it was also exported from the port of Broome. A gas pipeline runs along the southern margin of the Canning Basin to Telfer, the site of one of Australia’s largest gold mines.
Location and size of the Canning Basin• Central northernWesternAustralia, approximately 1500 kmnortheast of
Perth
• ThelargestsedimentarybasininWesternAustralia
• Onshoreareaofabout530000km2 and offshore area of about 110 000 km2.
Tectonic elementsThe Canning Basin initially developed in the Early Paleozoic as an intracratonic sag between the Precambrian Pilbara and Kimberley Cratons.
• Significanttectoniceventsaffectedthebasininthe:
- Early Ordovician (extension and rapid subsidence)
- Early Devonian (compression and erosion)
- Late Devonian (extension and subsidence)
- Middle and late Carboniferous to Permian (compression then subsidence)
- Early Jurassic (transpressional uplift and erosion).
• ThesouthernCanningBasinislessintenselydeformedthanthenorthernpart, which underwent major fault block movements.
4
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Ungani 1
Great Sandy 1
Leo 1
Cudalgarra 1
Ellendale 1
Edgar Range 1
Looma 1
Dodonea 1
ARG203b 04/02/14
KIMBERLEYBASIN
Kidson Sub-Basin
Crossland Platform
Broome PlatformWillara
Sub-basin
LennardFitzroy
Trough
Betty Terrace
Balgo Terrace
BillilunaShelf
Gregory
Sub-basinAnketell Shelf
Arch
Tabletop Shelf
Rya
n S
helf
Terrace
MowlaTerrace
JurgurraTerrace
16°
18°
20°
22°
24°
120° 122° 124° 126° 128°
25 km
PILBARACRATON
Wallal
Platform
Pender Terrace
WarriArch
OFFICERBASIN
GUNBARRELBASIN
(over Officer Basin)
600 km
PERTH
Jone
s Arch
Kalgoorlie
Port Hedland
Derby
Mirbelia 1
Barbwire
St George Range 1Pictor 1
Pictor 2
Yulleroo 1Sundown 1
Ellendale 1Crimson Lake 1
Shelf
Boronia 1Blina 1Janpam North 1
Point Torment 1Point Torment 1Deepening
Kora 1West Kora 1 Meda 1
Terrace 1West Terrace 1
Canning Basin (offshore/onshore)
Other tectonic elements
Oil producer
Excellent/good oil show
Gas producer
Excellent/good gas show
Munro
Valhalla 1
Lloyd 1Boundary 1
Figure 1. Tectonic elements of the Canning Basin and wells with oil and gas occurrences
Basin subdivisionsThe Canning Basin is subdivided into a series of troughs, sub-basins, platforms, shelves, and terraces, bounded by northwesterly–southeasterly trending, syndepositional fault systems (Fig. 1).
5
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
The basin subdivisions are based on present-day structural elements. However, growth faulting initially developed some of these, and troughs developed and were active at different times during the basin’s history.
Two major northwest-trending troughs are separated by a mid-basin arch and bounded by marginal shelves.
• The northern depocentre is divided into the FitzroyTrough and theGregory Sub-basin (Fig. 2), which are estimated to contain up to 15 km of predominantly Paleozoic rocks. The Lennard Shelf, to the north of the Fitzroy Trough, is the most intensively explored part of the basin and contains commercial oilfields (Fig. 1).
• ThesoutherntroughincludestheKidsonandWillaraSub-basins,inwhichthere are thinner sedimentary successions (4–5 km thick) of predominantly Ordovician to Silurian and Permian rocks, with extensive Mesozoic cover. The Kidson Sub-basin has thick salt seals, but hydrocarbon potential has not been properly tested, with very little exploration to date.
• ThecentralarchisdividedintotheBroomeandCrosslandPlatforms,andstructural terraces step down from it into both depocentres (Fig. 2). The Broome Platform and its terraces have a thinner sedimentary section, but have had many good oil shows, and oil and gas flows.
• ThesouthwesternCanningBasinisdefinedbyrelativelythinsuccessionsontheAnketellShelf,andacomplexseriesofhorstsandgrabens:theWallalEmbayment,WallalPlatform,andSamphireGraben.
NORTH-EAST VIEW
Kidson Sub-basin
Willara
Sub-basin
Fitzroy Sub-basin
Pilbara Craton
Kimberley Block
Crossland Platform
Broome Platform
Lennard Shelf
Gregory Sub-basin
RB74 04/02/14
N
Figure 2. Image of interpreted depth-to-basement for the Canning Basin (adapted from Fig. 4–16c, SRK Consulting Pty Ltd, 1998)
6
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
StratigraphyThe onshore Canning Basin succession consists of Ordovician to Cretaceous sedimentary rocks overlying Proterozoic–Archean basement, but it is predominantly Paleozoic in age (Fig. 3).
?
?
?
Breakup Unconformity
Jura
ssic
–Cre
tace
ous
exte
nsio
nal e
vent
s of
fsho
re
FitzroyTranspression
maj
or o
ffsho
resu
bsi
den
ce
Meda Tran-spression
exte
nsio
nal
mov
emen
ts
Prices CreekMovement
SamphireMarsh
Movement
Alic
e S
pri
ng
s O
rog
eny
Sundown 1
Boundary
Lloyd oilfield
West KoraPoint Torment
Crimson Lake
Pictor
Dodonea oil
Dodonea gas
Kora
Lara
pint
ine
2L3
L4G
ondw
anan
1
West Terrace
Sundown 2
Fm. Formation
GroupGp
Oil and gas show
Oil show
Gas show
Oil well or field
Gas well
SandstoneSs.
Visean
Tournaisian
Framennian
Frasnian
Middle
Lower
Llandovery
Upper
Middle
Lower
WenlockLudlowPridoli
Mis
siss
ippi
anU
pper
Car
bo
nif
ero
us
Cambrian
?
?
359
419
444
485
Dev
on
ian
Silu
rian
Ord
ovic
ian
TandalgooFm.
WorralFm.
CarranyaFm.
PricesCreek Gp
Nita Fm.
Mallowa Salt CarribuddyGroup
ReefComplexes
Fairfield Group
South North
252
66
145
201
Stratigraphy
Upper
Lower
Upper
Middle
Lower
Upper
MiddleLower
Lopingian
Guadalupian
Cisuralian
Pennsylvanian
Serpukhovian
Cre
tace
ou
sJu
rass
icTr
iass
icP
erm
ian
Reeves Fm.
Grant Group
Poole Sandstone
Lightjack Fm.
Blina Sh.
ErskineSs.
Broome Sandstone
EpochAg
e(M
a)
Per
iod
299
Bejah Claystone Anketell Fm.Samuel
Fm. Frezier
Ss. Parda Fm.
Melligo Ss.
Callawa/CroninFms
Alexander Fm.
Wallal Ss.Barbwire Ss.
Blina Shale
Millyit Ss.Liveringa Gp
Noonkanbah Fm.
AndersonFm.
Yellow Drum Fm.Gumhole Fm.
MellinjerieFm.
ClappRidgeFm.
Sahara Fm.
Nibil Fm.Minjoo SaltBongabinni Fm.
Goldwyer Fm.Willara Fm.
Wilson Cliffs Ss.
Precambrian
Laurel Fm.
Jarlemai Fm.
Tectonicevents
So
urc
e
Res
ervo
ir
Sea
lSelected
hydrocarbon occurrences
Legend
Sandstone
Shale
Mixed siliciclasticand coal
Carbonate
Carbonate–shale
Evaporite
Basement
Sandstone
Shale
Conglomerate
Diamictite
Dominant lithology
Secondary lithology
RB92 04/02/14
Nambeet Fm.?
?
?
?
UnconformityDisconformity
basement
?
Pet
role
um
syst
em
Yulleroo
Blina 2Janpam North
MirbeliaMeda oil
Ungani
Boronia
Ellendale
St GeorgesRange
Terrace
Blina 1
Meda gas
Valhalla
Figure 3. Generalized stratigraphy of the Canning Basin, with major petroleum elements and hydrocarbon occurrences indicated
7
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Table 1. Generalized stratigraphy of the Canning Basin
Age Stratigraphy
Mesozoic • Basin is capped by a relatively thin Mesozoic section (mainlyUpperJurassicandLowerCretaceous),whichisnot considered to have petroleum potential onshore.
UpperCarboniferous –Permian
• The Grant Gp and Reeves Fm. (in the north) unconformably overlie Paleozoic units in places, and basement rocks along the Anketell Shelf.
• The glacial Grant Gp is a known reservoir on the Lennard Shelf and northern Fitzroy Trough.
• The remainder of the shallow marine to fluvial Permian section comprises the Poole Sandstone, shaly Noonkanbah Fm., and Liveringa Gp.
• All formations, except the Reeves Fm., are exposed on the northern Fitzroy Trough and Lennard Shelf.
Regional unconformity
• Erosion, caused by basin-wide uplift associated with the Meda Transpression, separates the lower Carboniferous from the upper Carboniferous succession (between the Anderson and Reeves Fms).
Devonian – Lower Carboniferous
• A complex megasequence is present across much of the northern Canning Basin, ranging from marine reef and basin complexes in the north (best developed on the Lennard Shelf) to non-marine and marginal marine successions in the south.
• This succession was never deposited across much of the southwestern basin. Any remnants are likely restricted to the Tandalgoo Sandstone, which often displays excellent reservoir properties.
Ordovician to Silurian
• The oldest megasequence begins with the shallow marine Nambeet,Willara,Goldwyer,andNitaFormations,inascending order, capped by the marginal marine evaporitic andredbedCarribuddyGroupandWorralFm.
Early Ordovician • Regional deposition in the basin consists of shallow marine carbonate and clastic facies that commenced in response to the extensional Samphire Marsh Movement.
Major compressional tectonic events influenced the basin and correlate with its most significant unconformities:
Age of unconformity Compressional eventLate Triassic to Early Jurassic Fitzroy Transpression Late Carboniferous Meda Transpression Early Devonian Prices Creek Movement
Exploration historyExploration in the Canning Basin has taken place during three principal periods.
1919–1920s
• ExplorationinterestintheCanningBasinbeganin1919,afterwaterboresshowed traces of oil at Prices Creek in the Pillara Range. Three of the four Prices Creek wells yielded traces of oil in massive limestone, which was thought to be lower Carboniferous in age.
• PetroleumexplorationactivitybeganintheCanningBasinintheearly1920s,when the Freney Oil Company encountered asphaltic shows in drill holes on the Lennard Shelf. Minor exploration followed, with Associated Australian Oilfields joining the search.
8
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
1980s–1990s
• In1979and1980,eventsinIranandIraqledtoincreasedworldoilprices.
• ExplorationintensifiedwhentheBureauofMineralResources(BMR,nowGeoscienceAustralia) andWestAustralianPetroleumPty Ltd. (WAPET)conducted gravity, magnetic, and seismic reflection surveys.
• Therewasanexplorationboomin the1980s,withHomeEnergy,Amoco,IEDC,Mobil,WMC,BHP,BridgeOilandothersjoiningthesearch.
• In1981,HomeEnergymadethefirstcommercialoildiscoveryinthebasinwith their Blina 1 well, which was drilled on a prominent seismic anomaly above the edge of the Lennard Shelf. It initially recovered oil from the Fairfield Group overlying a Devonian reef.
• In1982,HomeEnergyalsodiscoveredoilintheGrantGroupandAndersonFormation in the Sundown 1 well.
• Up until themid-1980s, exploration largely focusedon the northern andcentral parts of the Canning Basin. The primary exploration targets were Devonian and Permian–Carboniferous strata. Many exploration wells had shows, especially oil, but only five discoveries resulted in commercial fields: theBlina,Boundary,Lloyd,SundownandWestTerraceoilfields.
• ThesubsaltOrdoviciansectionwasthetargetofcompaniessuchasShell;hydrocarbons were recovered from its Looma 1 well in 1996. This was the first proof of mature, migrated oil from a southern Canning Basin kitchen (Kidson Sub-basin) providing a new exploration play.
2009–2017
• In2009,BuruEnergycompletedthefirst3DseismicsurveyintheCanningBasin – the Bunda Survey.
• In2010,MitsubishifarmedintoBuruEnergyacreageandprovidedcapitalinvestment for an active exploration program.
• In October 2011, Buru Energy’s Ungani 1 well intersected light oil (~37 degrees API gravity) in dolomitised limestone of the Carboniferous Laurel Formation. The original target was wet gas in sandstone! This new play discovery was the first significant oil discovery in the Canning Basin since the 1980s and it generated renewed interest. This was reflected in a higher level of bidding for Canning Basin acreage in subsequent work program bidding rounds.
• Burualsodiscoveredgasin2011,intheLaurelFormationattheirValhallaprospectandconductedsuccessfulappraisaldrillingatValhallaandattheirYulleroo gasfield from 2010 and 2013.
• TheUngani3DseismicsurveywascompletedinOctober2013.
• USEnergy InformationAdministration reports in2011and2013 identifiedthe basin as having in excess of 225 TCF of recoverable shale gas based on the Goldwyer Formation play alone. The Australian Council of Learned Academies confirmed this assessment and calculated a further 38 TCF of recoverable shale gas in the Laurel Formation.
• In 2012 and 2013NewStandard drilled explorationwells targeting the Ordovician Goldwyer Formation shale, including Nicolay 1 and Gibb-Maitland 1.
• InJuly-August2015FinderExplorationdrilledtheTheia1wellontheBroomePlatform. The well also targeted the Goldwyer liquids rich resource play. Theia 1 had oil and gas shows, and indications of overpressure.
• Ungani FarWest 1 well was spudded in November 2015.The wellencountered a 5 m sandstone interval at the top of the Anderson Formation at a depth of some 1560 m with good permeability (~450 md), from which a 41.5 degree API oil sample was recovered. This discovery represents a
9
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Figure 4. Map of the Canning Basin showing 2D seismic lines, 3D seismic surveys and petroleum wells
new play type for the area. In addition, cores recovered from the top of the UnganiDolomitedisplayedwelldevelopedvugularporositywithstrongmudgas shows and oil bleeding from cores.
• Burudrilledafurthersixwellsinthebasininthepasttwoyears,andshotnearly 800 km2 of 3D seismic. They also performed successful hydraulic fracture testingatValhallaNorth 1 andAsgard1, as part of their LaurelFormation tight gas project.
• AsofFebruary2017,over300wellshadbeendrilledonshore.Drillinghasbeen accompanied by acquisition of 90 000 line km of 2D seismic and 1207 km2 of 3D seismic, all onshore (Fig. 4).
Derby
Broome
Marble Bar
Halls Creek
Fitzroy Crossing
Goldsworthy
Telfer
Gas pipeline
Seismic line
3D Seismic survey
200 km
RB69d 06.02.17
Petroleum well
Coast
Town
128°126°124°122°120°
16°
18°
20°
22°
24°
26°
NO
RTH
ER
N T
ER
RIT
OR
Y
WE
STE
RN
AU
STR
ALI
A
CANNING BASIN
INDIANOCEAN
1000 km
WA
NT
SA
QLD
NSW
VIC
TAS
10
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Petroleum supersystem
Source age FormationSelected hydrocarbon occurrences
Vagrantormixedsource
Devonian Unknown Mirbelia
Gondwanan 1 Permian Noonkanbah Fm. Cycas
Larapintine 4Early Carboniferous
Anderson Fm. Lloyd, Boundary
Larapintine 3Laurel Fm. (Fairfield Gp)
Sundown,WestTerrace,WestKora,PointTorment
Larapintine 3 Late Devonian Gogo Fm. Blina
Larapintine 2 Ordovician Bongabinni Fm. (Carribuddy Gp)
Goldwyer Fm.
Barbwire Terrace (Dodonea, Percival, Solanum)
MowlaTerrace (Pictor, EdgarRange);WillaraSub-basin (Cudalgarra, Great Sandy, Leo); Broome Platform (Looma)
Production
• A few small fields on the LennardShelf produced fromCarboniferous–Permian clastics.However, theBoundary, Sundown, andWestTerraceoilfields are depleted.
• Oilwasproducedfrom1983to2013fromUpperDevonianreservoirintervalsattheBlinaoilfield.World-renownedDevonianreefsexposedintheLennardShelf provide an excellent insight into the subsurface carbonate geology.
• AsignificantdiscoverywasmadeatUnganiinOctober2011,onthesouthernmargin of the Fitzroy Trough in Lower Carboniferous Laurel Formation dolomites. The well flowed at 1647 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), on a ½ inch choke. An Extended Production Test (EPT) commenced in December 2013 to test reservoir performance and extent, before the field was restarted under a Production Licence which was secured in July 2015. Production was shut-in in January 2016, pending an increase in the oil price.
Petroleum systemsPaleozoic petroleum systems recognized within the onshore Canning Basin are summarized in Table 2 and Figures 5 and 6.
Table 2. Summary of Paleozoic petroleum systems in the Canning Basin
11
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Fair shows
Poor showsExcellent shows
Good shows Good source rocks
Wells drilled (no shows)
ARG231a 04/02/14
100 km
121° 122° 123° 124° 125° 126° 127° 128°
Boundary 1
Lloyd 1-3
Point Torment 1
Wattle 1/ST1
West Kora 1
Cudalgarra 1Dodonea 1
Edgar Range 1
Great Sandy 1Leo 1
Percival 1
Pictor 1-2
Carboniferous sourced oil
Devonian sourced oil
Ordovician sourced oil
Tabletop Shelf
Kidson Sub-basin
CANNING BASIN
Ryan Shelf
GregorySub-basin
BalgoTerrace
BillilunaShelf
Crossland PlatformAnketell
Shelf
Munro Arch
Samphire G
raben
Wallal Platform
Wallal E
mploym
ent
Waukarlycarly
Embaym
ent
Jones Arch
Betty Terrace
BarbwireTerrace
Broome Platform
WillaraSub-basin
Fitzroy Trough
LennardShelf
23°
22°
21°
20°
19°
18°
17°
Janpam North 1Blina 1-7Boronia 1Ellendale 1
West Terrace 1-2
Figure 5. Petroleum system classification of oil shows in the Canning Basin (adapted from Ghori and Haines, 2007)
Permian Lower Carboniferous Devonian Ordovician
1 10 100TOC (%)
1
10
100
1000Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
S m
g/g
rock
2
380 400 420 440 460 480 500T (°C)max
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Oil-prone
Oil- andgas-prone
Gas-prone
0.5% Ro
1.35% Ro
Hyd
roge
n in
dex
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Stains orshows
Immature
Oil window
Wet-gas
zone
Dry-gas
zone
Pro
duct
ion
inde
x
380 400 420 440 460 480 500T (°C)max
Generating potential Kerogen type Thermal maturity
SNA76 04/02/14
Figure 6. Geochemical evaluation of the Canning Basin’s Ordovician, Devonian, lower Carboniferous and Permian source rocks (adapted from Ghori, 2013)
12
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Anderson Formation (Carboniferous)
• Good source rock• Limited to the Fitzroy Trough and Lennard Shelf
Laurel Formation (lower Carboniferous)
• Goodtoexcellentsourcerock• LimitedtotheFitzroyTroughandLennardShelf• EnteredthepeakoilwindowatvarioustimesbetweentheCarboniferousand
Mesozoic• Post-matureinareastothesouthwest(Fig.7)• ProbablyimmatureonpartsoftheLennardShelfandboundingterraces
RB82 04/02/1425km
Canning Basin
Oil
Gas mature
No Data
Extent of Laurel* unknown
Laurel* eroded*Lower Laurel Member of the Laurel Fm.
Tectonic unit boundary
Petroleum Well
KidsonSub-basin
Fitzroy Trough
Broome Platform
Jurgurra Terrace
Crossland Platform
Anketell S
helfLennard Shelf
TabletopShelf Ryan
Shelf
Gregory
Sub-basin
Willara Sub-basin
Mun
ro A
rch
Balgo Terrace
Betty Terrace
Barbwire
Terrace
BillilunaShelf
Pender Terrace
Jones Arch
CANNINGBASIN
KIMBERLEYCRATON
INDIANOCEAN
PILBARACRATON
OFFICER BASIN
Broome
Admiral BayFault Zone
HallsCreek
Oscar Range Pinnacle
Fault SystemFitzroyRiver
Valhalla
ParadiseUngani
Asgard
St GeorgeRange
McLarty
Pictor
Sundown
Blina
Kora
Yarrada
Puratte
Yulleroo
Nita Downs
Anna Plains
MunroPegasus
Kemp Field
Nicolay
Sahara
Frankenstein
Auld
Kidson
Patience
Wilson CliffsContention
Heights
Looma
Sally May
Percival
Lake Hevern
Dampier Fenton Zone
128°126°124°122°120°
18°
20°
22°
mature
Source Rocks
Effective Paleozoic source rocks are found in the Canning Basin and the principal source rocks are summarized below. Figure 3 shows the stratigraphic relationships.
Figure 7. Laurel Formation prospectivity map, Canning Basin
13
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Gogo Formation (Devonian)
• Goodsourcerock
• TheGogoandLaurelFormationsarethemainsuprasaltsourcerocksinthecentral Canning Basin.
• TheDevonianreefcomplexiswithinpeakoilgenerationoverlargeareasonthe bounding terraces and shelves, and is post-mature in the Fitzroy Trough.
Bongabinni Formation (base of Carribuddy Group, Ordovician)
• Containsbedsofrichoil-andgas-pronesourcerocklocallyalongtheAdmiralBay Fault Zone.
• ItcouldpotentiallyextendintothedepocentreoftheKidsonSub-basin,butthe distribution of the source rocks is not well known.
Goldwyer Formation (Ordovician)
• EquatedwithglobalCambrian–Ordoviciansourcerocksandregionallywithsource rocks of the Mereenie oilfield (Amadeus Basin).
• Goodoilsourcerockwithgoodpotentialforlargeshalegasresources.
• Relatively deep-water, shaly facies contain excellent source rocks at twostratigraphic levels on the Barbwire and Mowla Terraces and northern Broome Platform.
• Post-matureinthedeeperpartsoftheFitzroyTroughandBroomePlatform(Fig. 8).
• ImmaturealongtheBroomePlatformnearthepresentcoastline;currentlyinthe peak oil generating window.
• Goodsourcepotential is likelyelsewhere,suchas theKidsonSub-basin,although the distribution of source rock facies is poorly constrained, owing to limited reliable data.
• The formation is also considered to have significant shale gas potential,although commercial production has yet to be realised.
14
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
RB83 07/01/1425km
Extent of Goldwyer unknown
Goldwyer eroded
KidsonSub-basin
Fitzroy Trough
Broome Platform
Jurgurra Terrace
Crossland Platform
Anketell S
helf
Lennard Shelf
TabletopShelf Ryan
Shelf
Gregory Sub-basin
WillaraSub-basin
Mun
ro A
rch Balgo Terrace
Betty Terrace
Barbwire
Terrace
BillilunaShelf
Jones Arch
CANNINGBASIN
KIMBERLEYCRATON
INDIANOCEAN
PILBARACRATON
OFFICER BASIN
Broome
Admiral BayFault Zone
HallsCreek
Oscar Range Pinnacle
Fault SystemFitzroyRiver
Valhalla
ParadiseUngani
Asgard
St GeorgeRange
McLarty
Pictor
Sundown
Blina
Kora
Yarrada
Puratte
Yulleroo
Nita Downs
Anna Plains
MunroPegasus
Kemp Field
Nicolay
Sahara
Frankenstein
Auld
Kidson
Patience
Wilson CliffsContention
Heights
Looma
Sally May
Percival
Lake HevernDampier
Fenton Zone
128°126°124°122°120°
18°
20°
22°
Canning Basin
Oil
Gas mature
No Data
Tectonic unit boundary
Petroleum Well mature
Pender Terrace
Figure 8. Goldwyer Formation prospectivity map, Canning Basin
15
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Prospective areas
1. The Fitzroy Trough has long been considered the most prospective area of the Canning Basin, with shows in the area confirming petroleum generation and migration. Additional attractive characteristics include:
• substantialsedimentaryaccumulations
• reefcarbonatebuildupsalongthenorthernhalf-grabenhingeline
• southwesternstructuraldevelopment
• potentialforalargebasincentredgasaccumulation(BCGA)alongthesouthern margin.
2. The Kidson Sub-basin to the south shows promise, but contains only 11 drilled wells in 100 000 km2.
• TheOrdoviciansubsaltLoomadiscoverywasthefirstproofofmaturemigrated oil in the southern Canning Basin. This new exploration play remains to be further tested.
• Inthesouth,thereispotentialforgasgenerationfromthePermianandpre-Ordovician carbonaceous shales and for oil expulsion from shales in the Ordovician Goldwyer Formation.
• Saltdiapirismisevidentintheregionandmayprovidetrapsinareasthatlack major block faulting.
'The best remaining frontier prospects lie in young basins where oil generation has occurred recently or in older basins with a high preservation potential such as intracratonic basins with evaporite seals.'
Duncan S Macgregor, BP, 1996
Age Rock Unit R/S Lithology
Permian Noonkanbah Fm.
Grant Gp: interbedded porous sandstone and shale, potentially creating reservoir–seal couplets
S
S, R
Shale
Shale, sandstone
Carboniferous Reeves Fm.
Anderson Fm.
Laurel Fm.
Yellow Drum Fm.
S
R, S
R
R
Sandstone
Sandstone
Dolomite
Carbonate
Devonian ‘Devonian reef complexes’
Tandalgoo Fm.
WorralFm.–localized
R, S
R
R
Reef complexes
Sandstone
Sandstone
Ordovician–Silurian
Carribuddy Gp: regional seal, localized reservoirs
S, R Salt, shale
Ordovician Nita Fm.
AcaciaSs.Member(WillaraFm.):central–eastern parts of the basin
Nambeet Fm.
R
R
R
Secondary dolomite
Sandstone
Sandstone
Reservoirs and Seals
A number of reservoirs and seals are summarised in Table 3.
Table 3. Summary of principal reservoirs (R) and seals (S) in the Canning Basin
16
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
PlaysThere are numerous known types of plays in the Canning Basin, and probably numerous undiscovered plays. Play type varies geographically and stratigraphically; Table 4 and Fig. 9 detail significant plays and their potential analogs.
• Fracture systems associatedwith transfer faults connecting the LennardShelf to the deeper Fitzroy Trough control migration and permeability in the carbonate reservoirs of the shelf. Siliciclastic reservoir accumulations there are controlled by effective intraformational seals.
• Unconformitytrapsanddrapingreservoirsinrotatedfaultblocks,downthrownrollovers, inversion folds, subsalt traps, and stratigraphic traps all remain to be tested.
• Additional, international, Paleozoic analogs include theMichiganBasin,IllinoisBasin,ForestCityBasinandDelawareBasinoftheUS,aswellasthe North Caspian Basin, Ghaba Salt, Ghadamis and Murzuk Basins, Illizi–Berkine Basin and Baltic Basin.
Table 4. Key plays in the Canning Basin with potential analogs
Age Play International analogs
Conventional
Paleozoic Truncated reservoirs, base Permian unconformity
Permian WorralFm.–GrantGpsuprasalt sombrero dissolution features
Eastern flank of South Oman Salt Basin, giant oilfields
Permian–Carboniferous
Grant Group, clastics UnayzahFm.,SaudiArabia;Oman
Early Carboniferous Laurel Fm., dolomites Dnieper–Donets Basin, Ukraine
Devonian Lennard Shelf carbonate reefs (stratigraphic traps)
Alberta Basin giant oilfields, Canada
Subsalt
Silurian–Ordovician Carribuddy GpGoldwyer Fm. Nita Fm.
late Carboniferous Paradox Basin,US
Ordovician Fractured Nita and Goldwyer Fms
NitaFm.dolomiteandUpperWillaraFm.,carbonate
Nambeet Fm., sandstone
W.TexasCambrian-Ordovician Ellenburger Dolomite, giant gasfields
Dolomite reservoirs, e.g. prolifically producing Red RiverFm,WillistonBasin
Possibly Sirte Basin, Libya, giant gasfields and Murzuk Basin, Libya, giant oilfields
Shale gas and oil, and BCGA
Carboniferous Laurel Fm., shale gas
Laurel Fm., BCGA
BarnettShale,US
Dnieper–Donets Basin, Ukraine
Devonian Gogo Fm., shale gas MarcellusShale,US
Ordovician Goldwyer Fm., shale gas and shale oil
UticaShale,BakkenShale,USandCanada
}
17
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Figure 9. Typical Canning Basin suprasalt and subsalt play types. Models apply to various areas of the Canning Basin.
PILLOW
Noonkanbah Formation
Poole Sandstone
SEAL
A2A2
Intra - Grant Fm. U/C
A1
A1
Grant Fm. TURTLESTRUCTURE A1 & A2
Mellinjerie Fm.CHANNEL
Mallowa UPPER SALT
Nibil REGIONAL SEAL
Minjoo LOWER SALT
BongabinniFm.
?
?
? SEALNita Fm. ? REEF
Nita Fm. ? REEF
Goldwyer Fm.SOURCE
050
0T
hic
knes
s (m
etre
s)0
500
Th
ickn
ess
(met
res)
Subsalt Ordovician plays
Suprasalt plays
RB117 13.02.17
Basement
Acacia Sst Mbr
Nambeet Fm.
Per
mia
nC
arb
on
i-fe
rio
us
Dev
o-
nia
n
Willara Fm.
18
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Table 5. Conventional plays, trap types and objectives validated by hydrocarbon discoveries, Canning Basin (adapted from Bureau of Resource Sciences, 1993)
Reservoir Seal Source Trap/Objective Discovery (well and type)
Upper Carboniferous to Permian — Lennard Shelf
Grant Fm.*, sandstone
Grant Fm.*, shales and siltstones
Laurel Fm., shales in Fitzroy Trough
Compressional culmination with internal stratigraphic traps
Sundown 1, oil
Unfaultedfour-waydipclosurewithin a paleo-monadnock
WestTerrace1,oil
nd Boundary 1, oil
Faulted, four-way dip closure on Laurel Fm. carbonate horizon
Crimson Lake 1, oil
Carboniferous — Lennard Shelf
Anderson Fm., sandstone
Anderson Fm., shales nd nd Point Torment 1, gas
Laurel Fm., shales in Fitzroy Trough
Four-way dip closure Lloyd 1, oilKora1,West Kora 1; oil
Compressional culmination with internal stratigraphic traps
Sundown 1, oil
Laurel Fm., carbonates
Laurel Fm., shales Four-way dip closure Terrace 1, oil
Laurel Fm., sandstone Reef-like seismic anomaly Meda 1, oil
Carboniferous — Fitzroy Trough
Laurel Fm., limestone Laurel Fm., shales Laurel Fm., shales Anticline St George Range 1, gas
Laurel Fm., sandstone Yulleroo 1, gas
Laurel Fm., clastics Laurel Fm., shales Laurel Fm., shales BCGA Valhalla2,gas
Laurel Fm., clastics Fairfield Group, shales Gogo Fm., shales Faulted, four-way dip closure on Intra-Fairfield Gp
Ellendale 1, oil and gas
Devonian — Lennard Shelf and Barbwire Terrace
Yellow Drum Fm., leached dolostones
Fairfield Group, shales Gogo Fm., shales Compaction drape closure over Devonian reef
Blina 1, oil
Nullara Fm., carbonates
Nullara Fm., shales Reef-like seismic anomaly Jampam North 1, oil
Nullara Fm., calcarenite
Meda 1, gas
Nullara Fm., leached dolostones
May River Member, shales
Shale draped biohermal and biostromal mound
Blina 1, oil
Gogo Fm., clastics Gogo Fm., shales nd Boronia 1, oil
Mellinjerie Ls., dolostones
Lower Pillara Fm., shales
nd Fault dependent closure at top Nita Fm. level
Mirbelia 1, oil
Ordovician — Mowla Terrace and Barbwire Terrace
Nita Fm., fractured dolostones
Nita Fm., shales Goldwyer Fm., shales
Tilted fault block with internal four- way dip closure
Pictor 1, oil and gas
Goldwyer Fm., fractured carbonates
Goldwyer Fm., shales Fault dependent closure at top Nita Fm. level
Dodonea 1, oil
Nambeet Fm., fractured dolomitic sandstones
PossiblyUpperNambeetFm.
UpperNambeetFm. ?
Dodonea 1, gas
Ordovician — Broome Platform and Willara Sub-basin
Nita Fm., dolomite nd Goldwyer Fm., shales in Kidson Sub-basin
Broad, gentle anticlinal closure Looma 1
Acacia Ss. member ofWillaraFm.,sandstone
nd
?Nita Fm., ?carbonates
?Carribuddy Gp, ?shales and evaporites
?Goldwyer Fm., shalesinWillaraSub-basin
nd Cudalgarra 1
NOTES: * Grant Fm. – now called Grant Group nd = no data
19
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Other aspects of the Canning Basin relevant to exploration
Infrastructure and markets• ThetownsofBroomeandDerbyhaveairandshippingfacilities.
• Broomealsoservesastheshippingterminal forrefinedpetroleum(petroland diesel) for the region (Fig. 10). It was previously used for the export of oil produced from the Blina and associated oilfields.
• Perth is themajormarket forCanningBasin petroleum resources,withpotential markets for local power generation in the Kimberley and Pilbara.
• TheWest Kimberley Power Project provides remote area electricitygeneration. Liquefied natural gas from Karratha is trucked to storage facilities in Broome, Derby, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and Looma. Gas-fired generators provide electrical power for each of these local communities. Initialcapacityofgas-firedgeneratorswas61MW.
• AgaspipelinerunsalongthesouthernmarginofthebasintoTelfer,thesiteof one of Australia’s largest gold mines.
Land access, climate, and land use• Thesealed,all-weatherGreatNorthernHighwayrunsalongthewestand
north of the basin, and links the Kimberley and Pilbara with the state’s capital, Perth. It may be used to truck oil from the basin to the Kwinana oil refinery in the Perth metropolitan area, in the south of the state, or to the port ofWyndhaminthenorth.
• TheSavannahWayrunsalongthenorthofthebasin,andlinksBroomewithCairns in north Queensland.
• TracksinthebasinincludetheKidsonTrackandtheCanningStockRoute.Only a regional network of unmaintained tracks exists in the central and southern areas of the basin.
• Remotedrilling locationshavehadroadsspecificallypreparedto facilitateoperations.
• FromDecembertoMarch,heavyrainfallassociatedwithcyclonescanisolatesections of the road network and restrict access.
• Manymigratory dune systems also affect sections of roads and tracksannually.
• Environmental andLandAccess regulations apply to all petroleum titles,under the Native Title Act, and Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967 (which includes private land holdings and pastoral leases) and Environmental Protection Act. These processes are detailed further in the 2012 Explorer’s Guide.
• DMPconductsenvironmentalassessmentsforeachgrantedtitleandmustinitiate a state Environmental Impact Assessment on proposals affecting WorldHeritageproperties;NationalHeritageplaces;wetlandsofinternationalimportance; Commonwealth marine areas; or areas with listed threatened species or communities, and internationally protected migratory species.
• EnvironmentallysensitiveareasintheCanningBasinincludetheKimberleyNational Heritage Area and the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve.
• NumerousNativeTitlegroupsandcommunitiesintheCanningBasinhavea long history of negotiation with petroleum explorers.
20
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Track
Gre
at
Highway
Nor
ther
n
I N D I A NO C E A N
Great Sandy Desert
CANNING BASIN
PILBARA REGION
KIMBERLEY REGION
Pipeline
Great Northern Pipeline (proposed)
Telfer
Goldfields Gas Transmission Pipleine
P
P
P
PP P
Looma
TelferCu
Mn
Zn Pb
Derby
Broome
Canning
Kidson
Gibb
River
Road
Stock
Rou
te
Newman
Sealed road
Phanerozoic basin
Iron
Other
Gold
Mines
Base metals
Diamonds
Precambrian Public airport
Unsealed road
Track
Railway
Port
Community
Proposed pipeline
Gas pipeline
Town
West KimberleyPower Project (LNG)
Port Hedland
Nullagine
Marble Bar
Goldsworthy
FitzroyCrossing
HallsCreek
Wyndham
Kununurra
Kalumburu
100 kmRB75 04/02/14
126°122°
18°
16°
14°
20°
22°
Oil pipeline
Figure 10. Simplified Canning Basin infrastructure, illustrating key transport routes, mines, towns and pipelines.
• GeothermalExplorationorProductionLicencesexistunderthesamesystemand legislation as petroleum titles, and can co-exist over the same areas. Only one geothermal license, GEP-43, has been granted in the Canning Basin, but this license has been surrendered.
21
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Selected references*
General
Cook,P,Beck,V,Brereton,D,Clark,R,Fisher,B,Kentish,S,Toomey,J,andWilliams,J2013,Engineering Energy: unconventional gas production. Melbourne Australia, Report for the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA).
Energy InformationAdministration2011,Worldshalegas resources:An initialassessmentof14regionsoutsidetheUnitedStates–areportpreparedforU.S.DepartmentofEnergy:AdvancedResourcesInternationalInc.,Arlington,Virginia,USA.
Energy Information Administration 2013, Technically recoverable shale oil and shale gas resources: AnAssessmentof137shale formations in41countriesoutside theUnitedStates–areportprepared forU.S.Department ofEnergy:AdvancedResources International Inc.,Arlington,Virginia,USA.
PetroleumDivisionandGeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia2012,WesternAustralia’sPetroleumandGeothermalExplorer’sGuide—2012Edition:WesternAustraliaDepartmentofMinesandPetroleum, 140p.
Petroleum systems and geochemistry
Carlsen, GM and Ghori, KAR 2005, Canning Basin and global Palaeozoic petroleum systems — a review: APPEA Journal, v. 45, p 349–364.
Edwards, DS, Summons, RE, Kennard, JM, Nicoll, RS, Bradshaw, J, Bradshaw, M, Foster, CB, O’Brien,GWandZumberge JE1997,Geochemical characteristics ofPalaeozoic petroleumsystems in northwestern Australia: APPEA Journal, v. 37, p. 351–379.
Ghori,KAR2011,PetroleumgeochemistryoftheCanningBasin,WesternAustralia:basicanalyticaldata2005–10:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record2011/13,80p.
Ghori, KAR 2013, Petroleum geochemistry and petroleum systems modelling of the Canning Basin, WesternAustralia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Report124,33p.
Ghori,KARandHaines,PW2007,PaleozoicpetroleumsystemsoftheCanningBasin,WesternAustralia: a review, in Extended abstracts: American Association of Petroleum Geologists; AAPG InternationalConferenceandExhibition,Perth,WesternAustralia,5November2006,6p.
Ghori,KARandHaines,PW2006,PetroleumgeochemistryoftheCanningBasin,WesternAustralia:basicanalyticaldata2004–05:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record2006/7,66p.
Basin-wide
Apak, SN and Carlsen, GM 1997, A compilation and review of data pertaining to the hydrocarbon prospectivityof theCanningBasin:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record1996/10,103p.
Cadman,SJ,Pain,L.Vuckovic,VandlePoidevin.SR1993,AustralianPetroleumAccumulation—CanningBasin,WA:BureauofResourceSciences,DepartmentofPrimaryIndustries,Report 9,88p.
Jonasson,KE2001,WesternAustraliaAtlasofPetroleumFields,OnshoreCanningBasin:PetroleumDivision,MineralandPetroleumResourcesWesternAustralia,v.2,part1,72p.
SRK Consulting Pty Ltd 1998, Canning Basin Project, 1998. Report prepared for Shell Development Australia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,petroleumexplorationreport†, P6353 R1 A5 (unpublished), 124p.
Hocking,RM,Playford,PE,Haines,PWandMory,AJ2008,PaleozoicgeologyoftheCanningBasin—afieldguide:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record2008/18,40p.
Zhan,Y andMory.AJ 2013,Structural interpretation of the northernCanningBasin,WesternAustralia, inTheSedimentaryBasinsofWesternAustraliaedited byMKeepandSJMoss:WestAustralianBasinsSymposium,Perth,WA,18August2013,18p.
* GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustraliapublicationsmaybeaccessedhere: http://geodocs.dmp.wa.gov.au/document/documentSearchCriteria.do?from=topNav&cabinetId=1101
†Petroleumexplorationreportsmaybeaccessedhere:www.dmp.wa.gov.au/4187.aspx
22
Summary of Petroleum Prospectivity: Canning Basin
Central Canning Basin
D'Ercole,C,Gibbons,LandGhori,KAR2003,Prospectsandleads,centralCanningBasin,WesternAustralia,2003:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record2003/14,89p.
Ferdinando, D 2003, Regional play analysis of the central Canning Basin: Department of Industry andResources,PetroleuminWesternAustralia,October2003,p.41–44.
Eastern Canning Basin
Burt,A,Champ,PandParks,A2002,PetroleumprospectivityoftheeasternCanningBasin,WA:Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, 84p.
Young, H and Griffiths, C 2002, Sedsim simulation of the eastern Gregory Sub-basin, Canning Basin, WA:CommonwealthScientificandIndustrialResearchOrganization(CSIRO),55p.
Permian–Carboniferous
Apak, SN and Backhouse, J 1999, Stratigraphy and petroleum exploration objectives of the Permo–Carboniferous succession on the Barbwire Terrace and adjacent areas, northeast Canning Basin, WesternAustralia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Report68,30p.
Havord, PJ, Apak, SN and Carlsen, GM 1997, Permo–Carboniferous petroleum reservoir data, selectedwells,CanningBasin,WesternAustralia:Geological Survey ofWesternAustralia, Record1996/11,155p.
Redfern,JandWilliams,BPJ2002,CanningBasinGrantGroupglaciogenicsediments:partofthe Gondwanan Permo–Carboniferous hydrocarbon province, in The Sedimentary Basins of WesternAustralia3edited by M Keep and SJ Moss: Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, WesternAustralianBasinsSymposium,Perth,WesternAustralia,20October2002;Proceedings,p. 851–871.
Margin,JR,Redfern,JandWilliams,BPJ2006,UnlockingthePotentialoftheGrantGroup(CanningBasin,WestAustralia),PartoftheGondwananGlaciogenicHydrocarbonProvince,in Extended Abstracts: American Association of Petroleum Geologists; AAPG International Conference and Exhibition,Perth,WesternAustralia,5November2006.
Mory,AJ 2009,A reviewof themid-Carboniferous –Permian,CanningBasin, inGSWA2009extended abstracts: promoting the prospectivity ofWesternAustralia:GeologicalSurvey ofWesternAustralia,Record2009/2,p.17–18.
Mory,AJ 2010,A reviewofmid-Carboniferous toTriassic stratigraphy,CanningBasin,WesternAustralia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Report107,130p.
Devonian
Copp, IA 2000, Subsurface facies analysis of Devonian reef complexes, Lennard Shelf, Canning Basin,WesternAustralia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Report58,127p.
Playford, PE, Hocking, RM and Cockbain, AE 2009, Devonian reef complexes of the Canning Basin, WesternAustralia:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Bulletin145,443p.
Silurian and Ordovician
Haines,PW2004,Depositional faciesandregionalcorrelationsof theOrdovicianGoldwyerandNitaFormations,CanningBasin,WesternAustralia,withimplicationsforpetroleumexploration:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Record2004/7,45p.
Haines,PW2009,TheCarribuddyGroupandWorralFormation,CanningBasin,WesternAustralia:stratigraphy,sedimentology,andpetroleumpotential:GeologicalSurveyofWesternAustralia,Report 105, 60p.
Haines,PWandGhori,KAR2006,Richoil-proneOrdoviciansourcebeds,BongabinniFormation,onshoreCanningBasin,WesternAustralia, in Extended Abstracts: American Association of PetroleumGeologists;AAPGInternationalConferenceandExhibition,Perth,WesternAustralia,5 November 2006, 4p.
Taylor,D1992,AReviewofOrdoviciansourcerocks,CanningBasin,WesternAustralia:BureauofMineralResources,BMRRecord1992/43,149p.