|
|||||
|
|
HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE UPPER JURASSIC/LOWER CRETACEOUS OF THE AUSTRALIAN NW SHELF |
|
| Authors: | R.A. Baird R.P. Philip |
| Affiliation: | *Orogenic Studies Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and state University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0796, USA.;**The University of Oklahoma, School of Geology and Geophysics, Energy Center Building, 100 E. Boyd St., Norman, OK 73019, USA. |
| Abstract: | Source-rock richness, timing of hydrocarbon generation, and thicknesses of potential source shales of the Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous section of the Australian NW Shelf have been examined in order to make predictions as to the hydrocarbon productive of liquid hydrocarbons: the Brows Basin, the Malita Graben/NW Bonaparte Gulf Basin, the Rowley Sub-basin, and the Vulcan Sub-basin/Sahul Syncline, respectively. Recent liquid hydrocarbon discorveries in the Vulcan Sub-basin, probably source by the Upper Jurassic shales, upgrade all four of these areas, and lead to the conclusion that overall, drilling results on the NW Shelf have to date not been indicative the timing of generation as delineated in this study with the timing of structural development in order to improve chances of success, rather than relying on the size of Structures alone. A new method of presenting timing of generation, in the form of a "timing-of-generation map", is introduced, where the timing of the progress of significant hydrocarbon generation is contoured over the NW Shelf for each source-rock section. |
| Keywords: | |