The Hydrocarbon Potential of the Penola Trough, Otway Basin

Lovibond, R.; Suttill, R.J.; Skinner, J.E.; Aburas, A.N.

doi:10.1071/aj94023

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The high quantities of CO 2 in some gas fields in the Penola Trough (e.g. Caroline-1, 98%; Ladbroke Grove-1, 54%) are thought to reflect charge by subsurface gas-prone feeder dykes intruded during this most recent phase of magmatic activity (McKirdy and Chivas, 1992;Lovibond et al, 1995). Several CO 2 accumulations in the Port Campbell Embayment including the commercial Boggy Creek field are also thought to have been charged by degassing of magmas in the past few Myr (Watson et al, 2003).…”

Section: Otway Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin

Holford¹,

Schofield²,

MacDonald³

et al. 2012

The APPEA Journal

111

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The increasing availability of 3D seismic data from sedimentary basins at volcanic and non-volcanic continental margins has provided fundamental new insights into both the storage and transport of magma in the continental crust. As global hydrocarbon exploration increasingly focuses on passive margin basins with evidence for past intrusive and extrusive igneous activity, constraining the distribution, timing and pathways of magmatism in these basins is essential to reduce exploration risk. Producing and prospective Australian passive margin basins where igneous systems have been identified include the Bight, Otway, Bass, Gippsland and Sorell basins of the southern margin. This paper reviews both the impacts of volcanic activity on sedimentary basin hydrocarbon prospectivity (e.g. advective heating, reservoir compartmentalisation and diagenesis), and the styles, distribution and timing of late Cretaceous-Recent extrusive and intrusive igneous activity along basins of the southern Australian margin, providing illustrative examples based on 2D and 3D seismic reflection data. KEYWORDSAustralia, sedimentary basins, volcanics, intrusives, seismic reflection, petroleum systems. INTRODUCTIONThe past few decades have witnessed a progressive shift of focus in the quest for new conventional hydrocarbon resources, away from the onshore and shallow-water regions that dominated production throughout the 20th century, and towards the submerged and often deep-water (>500 m below sea level) continental margins that fringe the deep ocean basins (White et al, 2003). Although exploration of all hydrocarbon basins is subject to problems (Doré et al, 2002), exploration of continental margins poses major risks due to the significant geological uncertainties that stem from sparse data coverage and their poorly understood formation and evolution. An important geological risk associated with exploration in almost all continental margins is the presence of igneous rocks. Volcanic activity is a key outcome of lithospheric stretching processes (Planke et al, 2000), and thus all extensional sedimentary basins located along continental margins witness some degree of intrusive and extrusive activity during their life spans. This includes basins that are located along margins considered to be 'cold ' , or 'nonvolcanic' (White et al, 2003).Hydrocarbon exploration has traditionally overlooked or avoided basins containing igneous rocks (Schutter, 2003; Rohrman, 2007). This is mainly because of the difficulties associated with seismic imaging of sedimentary sequences beneath basalt covers, and the detrimental short-term and long-term impacts on petroleum systems, including reservoir degradation and compartmentalisation (Schutter, 2003; Planke et al, 2005; Rohrman, 2007). The depletion of reserves in traditional hydrocarbon provinces, however-coupled with improvements in seismic acquisition and processing methods in basins containing problematic high-impedance layers (e.g. basalts)-has led to increasing exploration activity, with some not...

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Section: Otway Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin

Holford¹,

Schofield²,

MacDonald³

et al. 2012

The APPEA Journal

111

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“…Based on thermal modelling at Katnook-2, Lovibond et al (1995) predicted hydrocarbon migration occurred in the mid…”

Section: Hydrocarbon and Associated Co2 Migrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Pretty Hill Formation as a natural analogue for CO2 storage: An investigation of mineralogical and isotopic changes associated with sandstones exposed to low, intermediate and high CO2 concentrations over geological time

et al. 2015

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The Pretty Hill Formation as a natural analogue for CO 2 storage; An investigation of mineralogical and isotopic changes associated with sandstones exposed to low, intermediate and high CO 2 concentrations over geological time This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT ABSTRACTThe Pretty Hill Formation of the Otway Basin (Australia) has been studied as a natural analogue for geological storage of anthropogenic CO 2 in order to examine the effects that CO 2 concentration and reservoir heterogeneity have on CO 2 -related reactions. New petrographic data are presented, which validate the use of Hylogger TM as a tool to investigate high-resolution vertical changes in reservoir mineralogy. The integrated data set confirms earlier interpretations, showing that chlorite has been altered to kaolinite and siderite/ankerite in reservoir facies exposed to moderate and high CO 2 concentrations, while chlorite remains the dominant clay mineral in all parts of the formation where CO 2 content is low.Differences have been observed in the degree of CO 2 -related reaction relative to CO 2 concentration and reservoir heterogeneity. Where CO 2 content is very high (c. 98 mol%) and associated with high water saturations, both chlorite and detrital feldspars have undergone complete reaction in the reservoir facies, resulting in quartzose sandstones with a kaolinite matrix, and with siderite as the dominant carbonate precipitate. Conversely, where CO 2 content is moderate (c. 29-57 mol%) and within the gas leg of the reservoir, chlorite has undergone significant reaction, but much of the original feldspar is preserved, suggesting relatively minor reaction. Carbonate cements from the moderate CO 2 gas-leg comprise calcite, siderite and ankerite, occurring as cemented zones A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPTassociated with rock heterogeneities and the present-day gas-water contact. Heterogeneities within the gas-leg are likely to have associated pore fluid contacts, whereby relatively high water saturations will be present in the fine-grained baffles and seals. The most advanced feldspar reaction occurs locally at the contact between baffles and reservoir rock, while reactions have been significantly impeded in the finer grained units due to their low permeabilities. These studies illustrate the importance of understanding both the reservoir composition and vertical heterogeneity of potential storage systems. Fluid-mineral reactions are likely to be advanced within stacked reservoir facies and impeded within siltstone layers, while the distributi...

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“…This study proposes that at least two sub-units exist within the previously undifferentiated Pretty Hill Sandstone within the Victorian section of the Otway Basin; these may be ageequivalents of the Sawpit Shale Member and Sawpit Sandstone Member as first described by Lovibond et al (1995) in South Australia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, due to the vast quantity of studies on specific depocentres and an apparent lack of agreement between South Australian and Victorian studies, differences in stratigraphic nomenclature and other inconsistencies still need to be resolved (Figure 1). Camac &Boult (2009) andParker (1995) Detailed studies of the South Australian section of the Penola Trough have led to subdivision of the Pretty Hill Sandstone into various informal members, such as the Sawpit Shale, Sawpit Sandstone, Pretty Hill Sandstone and Katnook Sandstone (Figure 1), and has led to an improved understanding of the development of sedimentation style during the early development of the rift (Lovibond R. et al, 1995;Camac & Boult, 2008). To date, these sub-divisions have not been officially correlated to stratigraphy within the Victorian section of the basin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A revised chronostratigraphic framework for the Onshore Otway Basin, implications for understanding the early development of an intra-cratonic rift margin

Briguglio

2013

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The Hydrocarbon Potential of the Penola Trough, Otway Basin

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin

Seismic analysis of igneous systems in sedimentary basins and their impacts on hydrocarbon prospectivity: examples from the southern Australian margin

The Pretty Hill Formation as a natural analogue for CO2 storage: An investigation of mineralogical and isotopic changes associated with sandstones exposed to low, intermediate and high CO2 concentrations over geological time

A revised chronostratigraphic framework for the Onshore Otway Basin, implications for understanding the early development of an intra-cratonic rift margin

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