A total petroleum system of the Browse Basin, Australia; Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic

Abstract

The Browse Basin Province 3913, offshore northern Australia, contains one important petroleum system, Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic. It is comprised of Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous source rocks deposited in restricted marine environments and various Mesozoic reservoir rocks deposited in deep-water fan to fluvial settings. Jurassic age intraformational shales and claystones and Cretaceous regional claystones seal the reservoirs. Since 1967, when exploration began in this 105,000 km 2 area, fewer than 40 wells have been drilled and only one recent oil discovery is considered potentially commercial. Prior to the most recent oil discovery, on the eastern side of the basin, a giant gas field was discovered in 1971, under a modern reef on the west side of the basin. Several additional oil and gas discoveries and shows were made elsewhere. A portion of the Vulcan sub-basin lies within Province 3913 where a small field, confirmed in 1987, produced 18.8 million barrels of oil (MMBO) up to 1995 and has since been shut in. Numerous untested structures and other prospects, along with proven oil and gas accumulations, provide for many exploration opportunities and the potential for this area to be a significant contributor to the petroleum resources of Australia. Development of infrastructure for this remote location will come with the discovery of additional reserves both here and in the adjacent Bonaparte Gulf and Timor Sea areas.

The study of the effect of fault transmissibility on the reservoir production using reservoir simulation—Cornea Field, Western Australia

“…This discovery was considered to be the first commercially producible oil in the Browse Basin. The Cornea discovery proved that a large volume of oil has been generated in the mature central portion of the basin; however, no production tests were attempted and it was confirmed that migration and charge have occurred (Australia and Australia Geoscience 2011b;Australia 2012b;Bishop 1999).…”