About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Southeast Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX)

Abstract


Proceedings of the South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society Volume VII, 1986
Pages 213-227

Tertiary Carbonate Plays in the Papuan Basin

G. R. Leamon, G. L. Parsons

Abstract

The Tertiary carbonates of the Papuan Basin are an attractive petroleum exploration objective, but have been spurned for many years. Yet of the eight wildcat petroleum discoveries in the Papuan Basin to data, five have carbonate reservoirs. The last phase of wildcat drilling for carbonate reservoirs in the Papuan Basin ended with Mira 1 in 1972.

Carbonate deposition commenced in the Eocene over a broad shelf along the northeastern margin of the Indo-Australian plate. Carbonate deposition became widespread throughout the Papuan Basin daring the Miocene. The influx of argillaceous Pliocene sediments from the New Guinea Highlands coincided with the end of major carbonate deposition in the Gulf of Papua. To the south, carbonate deposition continued, creating a forerunner to the northern Great Barrier Reef.

Trapping mechanisms within the Papuan Basin carbonates include thrusted folds, broad simple anticlines, a variety of reefal developments, and prograding detrital wedges. These traps have the potential to accommodate large volumes of hydrocarbons. Some primary porosity, but mainly secondary vugular porosity, provide fair to good reservoirs within shallow shelfal carbonates. Fractured deepwater carbonate facies provide reservoirs in thrusted anticlines. Argillaceous Meogene sediments create reliable seals for carbonate reservoirs. However, permeability barriers associated with facies changes in the carbonates may also be effective seals, although their distribution is much more difficult to predict. Cretaceous and Jurassic shales, directly underlying carbonate reservoirs in the central and northern parts of Papuan Basin, are likely to be a fair to good petroleum source.

Nine Tertiary carbonate plays have been defined. Limited testing of four of these plays has resulted in one oil discovery, one gas/condensate discovery and three gas discoveries. At this time there is no commercial production from the Papuan Basin.


Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24