AUSTRALIA 2013 – Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage ...

AUSTRALIA 2013

Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release

RELEASE AREAS W13-16, W13-17 AND W13-18,
EXMOUTH SUB-BASIN AND SOUTHERN EXMOUTH PLATEAU,
NORTHERN CARNARVON BASIN,
WESTERN AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
TERRITORY
BIDS CLOSE – 21 November 2013
Areas W13-16 to 18
Northern Carnarvon Basin • Adjacent to multi-Tcf gas fields and Australia’s
major oil producing province
WESTERN QUEENSLAND
AUSTRALIA • Close to the proposed Macedon/Pyrenees
NEW gas pipeline with tie-back to onshore gas
SOUTH SOUTH treatment plant. First production expected
AUSTRALIA WALES in 2013

VICTORIA • Water depths, 180 to 1700 m

TASMANIA • Oil-prone Upper Jurassic and gas-prone
Triassic to Middle Jurassic source rocks
12-6747-1
• Triassic fault block and Barrow Group
Figure 1 Location of the 2013 Release Areas in the stratigraphic trap plays
Exmouth Sub-basin and southern Exmouth Plateau,
Northern Carnarvon Basin • Complete 3D seismic coverage

• Special Notices apply, refer to Guidance Notes

Release Areas W13-16, W13-17 and W13-18 are located in the Exmouth Sub-basin, with W13-16 and W13-17 also
covering a portion of the Exmouth Plateau. Area W13-18 is in close proximity to numerous oil and gas fields including
Vincent/Van Gogh, Pyrenees/Macedon and Coniston fields.

The Exmouth Sub-basin formed as a series of northeast–southwest trending, en-echelon structural depressions during
the Pliensbachian to Oxfordian. Pre-rift sediments are of Permian and Early to Middle Triassic age, and are gas-prone.
The Upper Jurassic Dingo Claystone is the main oil-prone source rock across the Exmouth Sub-basin. Proven reservoirs
occur within the Barrow Group and Dupuy Sandstone, with the Muderong Shale acting as the regional seal. Play types
include; fault block traps within the Mungaroo Formation and sealed by the Dingo Claystone, and stratigraphic plays
within the Barrow Group. Infrastructure is in place for oil production with further development underway to bring the
Macedon gas field into production.

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 1

113° 114° Gorgon 115°
Investigator
Sub-basin Rankin Platform

Figure 4 Sappho 1 Spar

21° Zeepaard 1 East Spar
Exmouth Lauda 1 Zola
Plateau
Antiope
Figure 5
W13-17 Woolybutt
W13-16
Zeewulf 1 W13-18 Barrow
22° 0 Sub-basin
Griffin
Bowers 1

Beg 1 Rosily 1A ST1
Vlaming Head 1
Resolution 1 ST1 Chinook/
Ragnar 1A Coniston Scindian
Novara
Van Gogh Nimrod 1
Eskdale Vincent
Bleaberry West
StybarrowCimatti 1 Helvellyn 1 Corowa

Enfell Pyrenees/ Outtrim 1 Somerville 1
Laverda Macedon Caretta 1
12-6747-2
Scafell

Falcone 1A Exmouth Dailey 1
Sub-basin
Leatherback
Mydas 1

Rivoli 1 Peedamullah NT
Shelf QLD

50 km WA
SA
NSW

VIC

TAS

Well symbol information is sourced either from "open file" data from titleholders where this is publicly available as at 1 December 2012 or from other public sources. Field outlines are provided by Encom
GPinfo, a Pitney Bowes Software (PBS) Pty Ltd product. Whilst all care is taken in the compilation of the field outlines by PBS, no warranty is provided re the accuracy or completeness of the information, and
it is the responsibility of the Customer to ensure, by independent means, that those parts of the information used by it are correct before any reliance is placed on them.

Barrow, Exmouth and Fault Petroleum exploration well - Oil discovery
Investigator Sub-basins Normal Fault Petroleum exploration well - Gas discovery
Rankin Patform Syncline
Petroleum exploration well - Gas and oil discovery
Exmouth Plateau Anticline Petroleum exploration well - Oil show
Basin outline Petroleum exploration well - Gas show
Peedamullah Shelf Sub-basin outline Petroleum exploration well - Oil and gas show
2013 Offshore Petroleum Seismic section figure Petroleum exploration well - Dry hole
Acreage Release Area location Petroleum exploration well - Not classified
Oil field Oil pipeline
Gas field Gas pipeline
Gas pipeline (proposed)

Figure 2 S tructural elements of the Exmouth Sub-basin and Exmouth Plateau showing petroleum fields and discoveries,
the location of regional cross-sections and 2013 Release Areas

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 2

Age Period Epoch Stage Depositional VTT Basin Hydrocarbon Shows Exmouth Sub-basin
(Ma) environments Seismic horizon phases Exmouth
Holocene Tarantian Sandstone
Ionian (AGSO, 2001)
Pleistocene Pilgramunna
Quaternary Calabrian Formation
Pliocene Gelasian
Piacenzian lmio Trealla
Zanclean Limestone
10 Neogene Messinian Unnamed
Miocene
Tortonian Tulki
20 Serravallian bmio Limestone
molig
30 Oligocene Langhian Bullara
Limestone
Burdigalian
Mandu
Aquitanian Limestone

Chattian Giralia
Calcarenite
Rupelian Cardabia
Calcarenite
Priabonian Passive margin
Miria
40 Bartonian Formation
Paleogene
Eocene Lutetian Marine Korojon
Calcarenite
50 beoc
Ypresian bter Toolonga
Calcilutite
Thanetian Beedagong
60 Paleocene Selandian Claystone

Danian Gearle
Siltstone
70 Maastrichtian
Windalia
Campanian tur Radiolarite
80 Mudarong

Late Shale
Santonian
Mardie
90 Coniacian Greensand
Turonian
Member
Cenomanian Birdrong Sandstone
100 Zeepard Formation
Cretaceous Undifferentiated Barrow
Albian Post-rift active Blencathra 1, Scafell 1 Group (including Flacourt Winning Group
Macedon 2, Macedon 3 and Malouet Formations/
110 Macedon and
Marine Pyrenees Members)

120 Aptian Outtrim 1, West Muiron 4 Dupuy Formation
Early Caretta 1, Pyrenees 1, West Muiron 5 (including Eskdale

apt Member)

Caretta 1 Parrot Hill 1 Dingo
Claystone
130 Barremian Parrot Hill 1
Rough Range 1 Athol
Hauterivian Rough Range 1B Melanie 1 Formation
Enfield 1
Knott 1 Murat
Valanginian val Pyrenees 1 Rivoli 1 Siltstone Barrow Group
Zeepaard 1 ST1 Scafell 1 Brigadier
140 Deltaic Late Laverda 2 Formation
syn-rift
Berriasian bcre West Muiron 3 Mungaroo
Formation
West Muiron 4 Eskdale 2
Macedon 2 Locker
150 Tithonian Macedon 3 Shale
Main syn-rift Coniston 1 Caretta 1
Late Kimmeridgian Marine Eskdale 1 12-6747-3
and Enfield 1 Cape Range 2
fluvial Laverda 1
Ravensworth 1
Skiddaw 1
160 Oxfordian Skiddaw 2

Theo 1
Vincent 1
Callovian call West Muiron 5

170 Jurassic Middle Bathonian Early syn-rift Blencathra 1A Bundegi 1
Bajocian Crosby 1

Aalenian Marine Enfield 3 Learmonth Formation
and Enfield 4
deltaic Harrison 1
Novara 1
180 Toarcian Novara 1ST1
Outtrim 1
Pyrenees 1
Stickle 1
Slybarrow 1
Early Pliensbachian Van Gogh 1 ST1

190

Sinemurian Marine

200 Hettangian bjtt

Rhaetian Pre-rift active margin Jurabi 1
210 Falcone 1A, Zeepaard 1 ST1

Leatherback 1
Long Island 1, Mydas 1, White Opal 1

220 Late Norian

FlutovialTriassic
marine
230
Carnian

240 Ladinian mtri
Middle
Anisian

250 Early Olenekian
Induan
Changhsingian tper
Permian Marine
Lopingian Wuchiapingian

260

Guadalupian Capitanian

Figure 3 S tratigraphy and hydrocarbon discoveries of the Exmouth Sub-basin based on the North Carnarvon Basin Biozonation and Stratigraphy Chart (Nicoll et al, 2010). Geological
Time Scale after Gradstein et al (2012). Regional seismic horizons after AGSO (2001)

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 3

Exmouth Plateau

NW Zeewulf 1

0

2 Late Miocene
Base Eocene Base Cenozoic

Turonian Aptian
Valanginian

Base Cretaceous

4

Two-way time (s) Volcanics Intra-Trias
6

8 NLeaatreTCoaprbPoenrmifeiarnous

Top Basement

Line 110/11

10

0

Figure 4 AGSO seismic line 110/11 across the Exmouth Sub-basin and Exmouth Plateau. Lo

AUSTRALIA 2013

W13-18

Exmouth Sub-basin Barrow Sub-basin
Novara 1 Outtrim 1

SE

Mid Oligocene

Callovian
Base Jurassic /

ssic marker

12-6747-4

25 km

ocation of the line is shown in Figure 2. Regional seismic horizons are shown in Figure 3

Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 4

W13-16 Exmouth Sub-basin

Exmouth Plateau SE

NW

0

Mid OligBoacseenCe enozoic Aptian

Late Miocene
Base Eocene

2 Turonian

Valanginian Volcanics Base Cretaceous
Volcanics

Volcanics

4 Base Jurassic /
Volcanics
Callovian
Two-way time (s) Volcanics Intra-Triassic marker

6

8 NeaLratTeoCpaPrebTromonpiiafeBnraosuesment

Line 101r/05 12-6747-5

10

0 50 km

Figure 5 Part of AGSO seismic line 119/04 across the Caswell Sub-basin (AGSO, 2001). Location of the line is shown in Figure 2. Regional seismic horizons are shown in Figure 3

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 5

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS ELEMENTS

Exmouth Sub-basin and Southern Exmouth Plateau

Sources • Triassic fluvio-deltaic sediments of the Mungaroo Formation (gas-prone)
• Lower to Middle Jurassic marine siltstone and claystones (oil- and gas-prone)
• Open marine Jurassic Dingo Claystone (oil-prone)

Reservoirs • Proven reservoirs within Cretaceous Barrow Group, including the Mardie Greensand Member,
Seals Zeepaard Formation and Birdrong Sandstone

• Jurassic Dupuy Sandstone where present
• Triassic sandstone reservoirs, including sequences within the Mungaroo Formation on the Exmouth

Plateau

Regional Seals

• Lower Cretaceous Muderong Shale
Intraformational Seals

• Upper Triassic deltaic sequences
• Lower Cretaceous deltaic sequences

Traps • Cretaceous inversion anticlines (structural/stratigraphic traps)
• Possible complex Jurassic structural/stratigraphic trap(s) beneath late Berriasian anticline
• Tilted Triassic fault blocks and associated drapes

INFRASTRUCTURE AND MARKETS

The Release Areas are in close proximity to oil production facilities and to existing multi-Tcf gas fields and recent
discoveries. The proposed pipeline infrastructure connecting the Macedon gas field to a processing plant may provide
future tie-in opportunities. LNG facilities in the region are currently under construction, with more being planned.

CRITICAL RISKS

Access to hydrocarbon charge and reduced reservoir quality due to diagenetic overprinting are the main risks.
Lithological variations within potential seal facies in the Barrow Group and Dupuy Formation may result in inadequate
seal for commercial hydrocarbons in some locations.

DATA SETS

For the Wells Data Listing go to
http://www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au/2013/support/geo.html

For the Seismic Surveys Listing go to
http://www.ga.gov.au/energy/projects/acreage-release-and-promotion/2013.html#data-packages

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 6

GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA PRODUCTS

Regional Geology and Seismic

• Line Drawings of Interpreted Regional Seismic Profiles, Offshore Northern and Northwestern Australia, 2001. AGSO
Record 2001/36. GEOCAT 36353

• Seismic Transects of Australia’s Frontier Continental Margins, 2006. GEOCAT 64054
• Interpreted Horizons and Faults Data for Seismic Survey 95. Carnarvon and Roebuck Basins, 2003. GEOCAT 35234
• Interpreted Horizons and Faults Data for Seismic Survey 101. Carnarvon Basin, 2003. GEOCAT 35240
• Interpreted Horizons and Faults Data for Seismic Survey 110. Carnarvon Basin, 2003. GEOCAT 35242
• Interpreted Horizons and Faults Data for Seismic Survey 128. Outer Carnarvon, Roebuck and Browse Basins, 2003.

GEOCAT 35247
• Geological Framework of the Outer Exmouth Plateau and Adjacent Ocean Basins, 2004. GEOCAT 60864

Stratigraphy

• North Carnarvon Basin Biozonation and Biostratigraphy Chart 36, 2013. GEOCAT 75819

Petroleum Systems

• Source Rock Time-Slice Maps, Offshore Northwest Australia, 2004. GEOCAT 61179
• Oils of Western Australia II: Regional Petroleum Geochemistry and Correlation of Crude Oils and Condensates

from Western Australia and Papua New Guinea. Geoscience Australia and GeoMark Research, 2005.
GEOCAT 37512
Contact Geoscience Australia’s Sales Centre for more information or to order these reports or products,
phone 61 (0)2 6249 9966, email [email protected]

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 7

KEY REFERENCES

AGSO, 2001—Line drawings of AGSO – Geoscience Australia’s Regional Seismic Profiles, Offshore Northern and
Northwestern Australia. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record 2001/36.

ARDITTO, P.A., 1993—Depositional sequence model for the post-Barrow Group Neocomian succession, Barrow and
Exmouth sub-basins, Western Australia. The APEA Journal, 33(1), 152–160.

BACKHOUSE, J., 2006—Triassic biostratigraphic study of the greater Exmouth Plateau, synthesis report. Geoscience
Australia Petroleum Data Repository Destructive Analysis Report 1297, unpublished.

BAILEY, W.R., UNDERSCHULTZ, J., DEWHURST, D.N., KOVACK, G., MILDREN, S. AND RAVEN, M., 2006—Multi-
disciplinary approach to fault and top seal appraisal; Pyrenees-Macedon oil and gas fields, Exmouth Sub-basin,
Australian Northwest Shelf. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 23(2), 241–259.

BAUER, J.A., HOOPER, E.C.D. AND CROWLEY, J., 1994—The Leatherback discovery, Carnarvon Basin. In: Purcell,
P.G. and Purcell, R.R. (eds), The Sedimentary Basins of Western Australia: Proceedings of the Petroleum Exploration
Society of Australia, Western Australian Basins Symposium, Perth, 573–582.

EDWARDS, D., BOREHAM, C.J., HOPE, J., PRESTON, J., LEPOIDEVIN, S., BUCKLER, T. AND HONG, Z., 2006—
Molecular and isotopic composition and gas accumulations from the Exmouth Plateau and Exmouth Sub-basin,
Carnarvon Basin. The APPEA Journal, 46(1), 669

GRADSTEIN, F.M., OGG, J.G. SCHMITZ, M.D. AND OGG, G.M. (eds), 2012—The Geologic Time Scale 2012; Volumes
1 and 2. Elsevier BV, 1144 pp.

JENKINS, C.C., MAUGHAN, D.M., ACTON, J.H., DUCKETT, A., KORN, B.E. AND TEAKLE, R.P., 2003—The Jansz gas
field, Carnarvon Basin, Australia. The APPEA Journal, 43(1), 303–324.

MITCHELMORE, L. AND SMITH, N., 1994—West Muiron discovery, WA-155-P – new life for an old prospect. In: Purcell,
P.G. and Purcell, R.R. (eds), The Sedimentary Basins of Western Australia: Proceedings of the Petroleum Exploration
Society of Australia, Western Australian Basins Symposium, Perth, 583–596.

NICOLL R.S., BERNARDEL, G., HASHIMOTO, T., JONES, A.T., J.M. KELMAN, A.P., KENNARD, J.M., LE POIDEVIN,
S., MANTLE, D.J., ROLLET, N. AND TEMPLE, P.R., 2010—[Web page] Carnarvon Basin, Biozonation and Stratigraphy,
2010, Chart 36, Geoscience Australia.

PARTINGTON, P.A., AURISCH, K., CLARK, W., NEWLANDS, I., PHELPS, S., SENYCIA, P., SIFFLEET, P. AND
WALKER, T., 2003—The hydrocarbon potential of exploration permits WA-299-P and WA-300-P, Carnarvon Basin: a
case study. The APPEA Journal, 43(1), 339–361.

POLOMKA, S.M., BRUINS, J., SPANNINGA, G.A. AND MENNIE, J.P., 1999—WA-271-P, Exmouth Sub-basin -
integrated prospectivity evaluation. The APPEA Journal, 39(1), 115–127.

SCIBIORSKI, J.P., MICENKO, M. AND LOCKHART, D., 2005—Recent discoveries in the Pyrenees Member, Exmouth
Sub-basin: a new oil play fairway. The APPEA Journal 45(1), 233–251.

SMITH, N., DEMPSEY, C., JACKSON, M. AND PRESTON, J., 2003—Overcoming historical bias: an integrated
geological and engineering assessment of the Coniston prospect, Exmouth Sub-basin: a new oil play fairway. The
APPEA Journal, 45(1), 363–383.

SPENCER, L., NEEDHAM, J., BRADSHAW, J., BRADSHAW, M., FOSTER, C., NOONAN, J., EDGECOMBE, S. AND
ZUCCARO, G., 1994—Australian Petroleum Systems Barrow–Exmouth Sub-basins Module. Australian Geological
Survey Organisation Record 1994/019.

TINDALE, K., NEWELL, N., KEALL, J., AND SMITH, N., 1998—Structural evolution and charge history of the Exmouth
Sub-basin, Northern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. In: Purcell, P.G. and Purcell, R.R. (eds), The Sedimentary Basins
of Western Australia 2: Proceedings of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia Symposium, Perth, 1998, 447–472.

UNDERSCHULTZ, J.R., HILL, R.A. AND EASTON, S., 2008—The hydrodynamics of fields in the Macedon, Pyrenees
and Barrow Sands, Exmouth Sub-basin, Northwest Shelf Australia; identifying seals and compartments. Exploration
Geophysics, 39(2), 85–93.

AUSTRALIA 2013 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release 8