The northern marine region of Australia has been selected by the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW; with statutory and policy responsibility for MPAs) and other stakeholders (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007) as a possible location for the establishment of marine parks. This report examines the petroleum prospectivity of the proposed region, with an assessment undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The northern marine assessment region is located offshore on the northern shelf of Australian, extending from the Torres Strait to the NT/WA state boundary. Geologically the region encompasses three provinces; 1) the Timor Sea, 2) the Arafura Sea and 3) the Gulf of Carpentaria. These areas were assessed separately due to different development histories, sedimentary fill and associated prospectivity.

The northern marine region of Australia has been selected by the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW; with statutory and policy responsibility for MPAs) and other stakeholders (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007) as a possible location for the establishment of marine parks. This report examines the petroleum prospectivity of the proposed region, with an assessment undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The northern marine assessment region is located offshore on the northern shelf of Australian, extending from the Torres Strait to the NT/WA state boundary. Geologically the region encompasses three provinces; 1) the Timor Sea, 2) the Arafura Sea and 3) the Gulf of Carpentaria. These areas were assessed separately due to different development histories, sedimentary fill and associated prospectivity.

The northern marine region of Australia has been selected by the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW; with statutory and policy responsibility for MPAs) and other stakeholders (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007) as a possible location for the establishment of marine parks. This report examines the petroleum prospectivity of the proposed region, with an assessment undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The northern marine assessment region is located offshore on the northern shelf of Australian, extending from the Torres Strait to the NT/WA state boundary. Geologically the region encompasses three provinces; 1) the Timor Sea, 2) the Arafura Sea and 3) the Gulf of Carpentaria. These areas were assessed separately due to different development histories, sedimentary fill and associated prospectivity.

Release Area W11-18 is a very large block over the offshore northern Perth Basin, covering parts of the Abrolhos, Houtman and Vlaming sub-basins and the Beagle and Turtle Dove ridges. Geoscience Australia (GA) has assessed the petroleum prospectivity of this area as part of the Australian Government's Offshore Energy Security Program. This assessment includes the first published synthesis of data from fourteen new field wildcat wells drilled in this part of the basin since the Cliff Head-1 discovery (2001), and the interpretation of new regional 2D seismic data acquired during GA survey 310 (2008-2009). A refined tectono-stratigraphic model for the offshore basin provides insights into basin evolution and prospectivity. Oil has been produced since 2006 from the Cliff Head oil field in WA-31-L, which is directly adjacent to Release Area W11-18. Three petroleum discoveries are included within the Release Area, with oil and gas in Dunsborough-1, and gas in Frankland-1 and Perseverance-1. These accumulations are reservoired in Permian sandstones and have primarily been sourced from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale, which has also sourced the majority of producing oil and gas fields of the onshore Perth Basin. New seismic data show Permo-Triassic strata that are stratigraphic equivalents of the productive onshore and nearshore Perth Basin petroleum system, also occur within Permian half-graben in the outer Abrolhos and Houtman sub-basins. Source rock, oil stain and fluid inclusion sampling from this interval suggest that the proven onshore-nearshore petroleum system is also effective and widespread in the offshore. There is also evidence for an active Jurassic petroleum system within the Release Area. The Release Area offers a range of plays in a variety of water depths, predominantly less than 200 m, and is highly prospective for oil and gas.

Release Area W11-18 is a very large block over the offshore northern Perth Basin, covering parts of the Abrolhos, Houtman and Vlaming sub-basins and the Beagle and Turtle Dove ridges. Geoscience Australia (GA) has assessed the petroleum prospectivity of this area as part of the Australian Government's Offshore Energy Security Program. This assessment includes the first published synthesis of data from fourteen new field wildcat wells drilled in this part of the basin since the Cliff Head-1 discovery (2001), and the interpretation of new regional 2D seismic data acquired during GA survey 310 (2008-2009). A refined tectono-stratigraphic model for the offshore basin provides insights into basin evolution and prospectivity. Oil has been produced since 2006 from the Cliff Head oil field in WA-31-L, which is directly adjacent to Release Area W11-18. Three petroleum discoveries are included within the Release Area, with oil and gas in Dunsborough-1, and gas in Frankland-1 and Perseverance-1. These accumulations are reservoired in Permian sandstones and have primarily been sourced from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale, which has also sourced the majority of producing oil and gas fields of the onshore Perth Basin. New seismic data show Permo-Triassic strata that are stratigraphic equivalents of the productive onshore and nearshore Perth Basin petroleum system, also occur within Permian half-graben in the outer Abrolhos and Houtman sub-basins. Source rock, oil stain and fluid inclusion sampling from this interval suggest that the proven onshore-nearshore petroleum system is also effective and widespread in the offshore. There is also evidence for an active Jurassic petroleum system within the Release Area. The Release Area offers a range of plays in a variety of water depths, predominantly less than 200 m, and is highly prospective for oil and gas.

Release Area W11-18 is a very large block over the offshore northern Perth Basin, covering parts of the Abrolhos, Houtman and Vlaming sub-basins and the Beagle and Turtle Dove ridges. Geoscience Australia (GA) has assessed the petroleum prospectivity of this area as part of the Australian Government's Offshore Energy Security Program. This assessment includes the first published synthesis of data from fourteen new field wildcat wells drilled in this part of the basin since the Cliff Head-1 discovery (2001), and the interpretation of new regional 2D seismic data acquired during GA survey 310 (2008-2009). A refined tectono-stratigraphic model for the offshore basin provides insights into basin evolution and prospectivity. Oil has been produced since 2006 from the Cliff Head oil field in WA-31-L, which is directly adjacent to Release Area W11-18. Three petroleum discoveries are included within the Release Area, with oil and gas in Dunsborough-1, and gas in Frankland-1 and Perseverance-1. These accumulations are reservoired in Permian sandstones and have primarily been sourced from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale, which has also sourced the majority of producing oil and gas fields of the onshore Perth Basin. New seismic data show Permo-Triassic strata that are stratigraphic equivalents of the productive onshore and nearshore Perth Basin petroleum system, also occur within Permian half-graben in the outer Abrolhos and Houtman sub-basins. Source rock, oil stain and fluid inclusion sampling from this interval suggest that the proven onshore-nearshore petroleum system is also effective and widespread in the offshore. There is also evidence for an active Jurassic petroleum system within the Release Area. The Release Area offers a range of plays in a variety of water depths, predominantly less than 200 m, and is highly prospective for oil and gas.

The Australian Government's five year (2006-2011) Offshore Energy Security Program aims to encourage the discovery of new hydrocarbon resources in Australia's vast offshore frontier areas through the provision of pre-competitive data and information. One priority region, identified in consultation with the petroleum exploration industry and the respective State and Northern Territory geological surveys, is the southwestern continental margin of Australia. Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Project is investigating the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins located on the continental margin extending from Cape Range to Cape Leeuwin. Primary areas of interest include the Perth and Mentelle basins. Other areas of interest include the southern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern Carnarvon Basin), the offshore Southern Carnarvon Basin and the Wallaby Plateau. The main aims of the Southwest Margin Project are to provide pre-competitive regional information to underpin opportunities for the discovery of a new hydrocarbon province, to support promotion of selected areas for petroleum exploration, to enhance our understanding of petroleum potential and aspects of exploration risk and to inform future marine planning. Citation: Bowen, E., & Bradshaw, B. (2009). Geoscience australia’s southwest margin geophysical surveys. ASEG Extended Abstracts, 2009(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2009ab018

The Australian Government's five year (2006-2011) Offshore Energy Security Program aims to encourage the discovery of new hydrocarbon resources in Australia's vast offshore frontier areas through the provision of pre-competitive data and information. One priority region, identified in consultation with the petroleum exploration industry and the respective State and Northern Territory geological surveys, is the southwestern continental margin of Australia. Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Project is investigating the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins located on the continental margin extending from Cape Range to Cape Leeuwin. Primary areas of interest include the Perth and Mentelle basins. Other areas of interest include the southern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern Carnarvon Basin), the offshore Southern Carnarvon Basin and the Wallaby Plateau. The main aims of the Southwest Margin Project are to provide pre-competitive regional information to underpin opportunities for the discovery of a new hydrocarbon province, to support promotion of selected areas for petroleum exploration, to enhance our understanding of petroleum potential and aspects of exploration risk and to inform future marine planning. Citation: Bowen, E., & Bradshaw, B. (2009). Geoscience australia’s southwest margin geophysical surveys. ASEG Extended Abstracts, 2009(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2009ab018

The Australian Government's five year (2006-2011) Offshore Energy Security Program aims to encourage the discovery of new hydrocarbon resources in Australia's vast offshore frontier areas through the provision of pre-competitive data and information. One priority region, identified in consultation with the petroleum exploration industry and the respective State and Northern Territory geological surveys, is the southwestern continental margin of Australia. Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Project is investigating the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins located on the continental margin extending from Cape Range to Cape Leeuwin. Primary areas of interest include the Perth and Mentelle basins. Other areas of interest include the southern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern Carnarvon Basin), the offshore Southern Carnarvon Basin and the Wallaby Plateau. The main aims of the Southwest Margin Project are to provide pre-competitive regional information to underpin opportunities for the discovery of a new hydrocarbon province, to support promotion of selected areas for petroleum exploration, to enhance our understanding of petroleum potential and aspects of exploration risk and to inform future marine planning. Citation: Bowen, E., & Bradshaw, B. (2009). Geoscience australia’s southwest margin geophysical surveys. ASEG Extended Abstracts, 2009(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2009ab018

The Australian Government's five year (2006-2011) Offshore Energy Security Program aims to encourage the discovery of new hydrocarbon resources in Australia's vast offshore frontier areas through the provision of pre-competitive data and information. One priority region, identified in consultation with the petroleum exploration industry and the respective State and Northern Territory geological surveys, is the southwestern continental margin of Australia. Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Project is investigating the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins located on the continental margin extending from Cape Range to Cape Leeuwin. Primary areas of interest include the Perth and Mentelle basins. Other areas of interest include the southern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern Carnarvon Basin), the offshore Southern Carnarvon Basin and the Wallaby Plateau. The main aims of the Southwest Margin Project are to provide pre-competitive regional information to underpin opportunities for the discovery of a new hydrocarbon province, to support promotion of selected areas for petroleum exploration, to enhance our understanding of petroleum potential and aspects of exploration risk and to inform future marine planning. Citation: Bowen, E., & Bradshaw, B. (2009). Geoscience australia’s southwest margin geophysical surveys. ASEG Extended Abstracts, 2009(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2009ab018