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Petroleum Systems of the Bonaparte Basin

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7. PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS MILLIGANS-KURIYIPPI/MILLIGANS
(!) PETROLEUM SYSTEM (Southern Petrel Sub-basin)

The Carboniferous Milligans-Kuriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum system is located in the Southern Petrel Sub-
basin of the Bonaparte Basin.

The Petrel Sub-Basin is an asymmetric northwest trending rift of Late Devonian-Carboniferous age, containing
up to 15 km of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sediments. In the Southern Petrel Sub-basin the most significant
source rock is the oil and gas prone Early Carboniferous Milligans Formation. Modelled expulsion from the
formation is restricted to two offshore depocentres immediately north and south of the Turtle-Barnett High.
Hydrocarbon expulsion commenced in the Late Carboniferous, peaking in the Early Permian. Minor expulsion
continued through the Permian and Early-Middle Triassic.

The primary reservoirs in the region are the Milligans and Kuriyippi formations. The Tanmurra Formation and
Point Spring Sandstone also have reservoir potential. These reservoirs are sealed intraformationally or by the
Treachery Shale regional seal. Traps include faulted and drape anticlines, horsts, stratigraphic onlap and
downlap, mounded low stand fans, carbonate mounds and associated drape.
Figure 3: Cross-section of the Southern Petrel Sub-basin
The petroleum system has well established hydrocarbon potential with 11 discoveries: Barnett, Turtle (offshore),
Bonaparte, Garimala, Kulshill, Ningbing, Pelican Island, Spirit Hill, Vienta, Waggon Creek and Weaber
(onshore).
Recent work by Gorter et al., 2004 has indicated that the Early Carboniferous Langfield Formation of the
Bonaparte Group is the more likely source for hydrocarbons in this region. This is based on a re-assessment of
the stratigraphic ages of samples in well NBF-1002.

Figure 1: Spatial extent of the Carboniferous Milligans-Kuriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum system. Figure 2: Early Carboniferous petroleum system map showing hydrocarbon accumulations and shows thought to have been sourced
The source pods are based on modelling by Kennard et al. (2002). The petroleum system limit from the Milligans based on modelling by Kennard et al. (2002). This figure shows the effective oil and gas source distribution.
has been determined as an envelope that encompasses known hydrocarbon occurrences
and shows. The seismic line shown refers to Figure 5.

Petroleum System Characteristics

Source Milligans Formation

Reservoir Milligans and Kuriyippi Formation
Seal Treachery Shale, Intraformational
Source Quality Oil and gas prone
Source Type Marine mudstones
System Age Carboniferous
Expulsion Late Carboniferous to Middle Triassic
Traps Faulted and drap anticlines/horsts
Risk Source distribution·
Key References Barrett, A.G., Hinde, A.L., & Kennard, J.M., 2004. Undiscovered resource assessment
methodologies and application to the Bonaparte Basin. In: Ellis G.K., Baillie P.W. and Munson T.J.
(Eds) Timor Sea Petroleum Geoscience. Proceedings of the Timor Sea Symposium, Darwin,
Northern Territory, 19-20 June 2003. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Special Publication 1.

Gorter, J.D., Mckirdy, D.M., Jones, P.J., & Playford, G., 2004. Reappraisal of the Early
Carboniferous Milligans Formation source rock system in the southern Bonaparte Basin, Figure 4: Chronostratigraphy of the Southern Petrel Sub-basin
northwestern Australia. Australia . In: Ellis G.K., Baillie P.W. and Munson T.J. (Eds) Timor Sea
Petroleum Geoscience. Proceedings of the Timor Sea Symposium, Darwin, Northern Territory, 19-
20 June 2003. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Special Publication 1.

Kennard, J.M., Deighton, I., Edwards, D.S, Boreham, C.J., & Barrett, A.G., 2002. Subsidence and
thermal history modelling: New insights into hydrocarbon expulsion from multiple petroleum
systems in the Petrel Sub-basin, Bonaparte Basin. The Sedimentary Basins of Western Australia
3: Proceedings of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia Symposium, Perth, WA,
2002, 409-437.

Miyazaki, S., 1997. Australia’s southeastern Bonaparte Basin has plenty of potential. Oil & Gas
Journal, 95 (16), 78-81.
Figure 5: Seismic line CB80-21M. This cross-section displays an example of the play elements for the Carboniferous Milligans-Kurriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum system. The Milligans Formation (gas and oil prone) acts as both source
and reservoir within the area. The Kuriyippi Formation is also an important reservoir. The hydrocarbons are trapped intraformationally or by the Treachery Shale (regional seal). Play types include salt related plays, faulted anticlines,
large scale inversion anticlines and stratigraphic traps/pinchouts.

Field Reserves

Oil/Condensate
10
Gas
9

7
Figure 6: Modelled oil and gas expulsion time plots for the Milligans Formation source unit. Expulsion peaked in the
6
Early Permian. Minor expulsion continued through the Permian and Early-Middle Triassic.
MMBOE

0
Barnett Turtle Weaber
Fields

Figure 7: Field reserves for the Carboniferous Milligans-Kuriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum system.All reserve
numbers are sourced from the Western Australian Geological Survey and the Northern Territory Government
Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development. Reserves/resources are estimated by the
Department and exploration companies.

Resource discovery in the next 10-15 years

7 Oil
Gas
Condensate
6

5
MMBOE

0 Figure 10: Rock-Eval pyrolysis data for potential Permo-Carboniferous source rocks in the Petrel Sub-basin. The offshore
Milligans Formation source quality is overall poor with gas-prone Type III/IV kerogen (terrestrial source). Onshore analysis
(NBF1002 mineral hole) contains higher quality oil-prone marine mudstones with Type II/III kerogen (marine influenced
Figure 8: Geoscience Australia (Austplay) estimates of the recoverable hydrocarbons to be
source). These samples have good source richness and moderately good source quality. The Kuriyippi Formation is gas Figure 11: Geohistory plot for the Turtle 2 well. At this location the Milligans Formation has been at sufficient depths for oil
discovered in the next 10-15 years in the Carboniferous Milligans-Kuriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum Figure 9: Schematic diagram of the Carboniferous Milligans-Kuriyippi/Milligans (!) petroleum system. prone with Type III/IV kerogen (terrestrial source). There is some minor liquids potential in the Petrel Deep. generation since the Permian.
system. Based on the work of Barrett et al. (2004).