Total Petroleum Systems of the Northwest Shelf, Australia: The Dingo-Mungaroo/Barrow and the Locker-Mungaroo/Barrow

Open-File Report 99-50-E
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Abstract

The Northwest Shelf Province (U.S.G.S. #3948) of Australia contains two important hydrocarbon source-rock intervals and numerous high quality reservoir intervals. These are grouped into two petroleum systems, Dingo-Mungaroo/Barrow and Locker-Mungaroo/Barrow, where the Triassic Mungaroo Formation and the Early Cretaceous Barrow Group serve as the major reservoir rocks for the Jurassic Dingo Claystone and Triassic Locker Shale source rocks. The primary source rock, Dingo Claystone, was deposited in restricted marine conditions during the Jurassic subsidence of a regional sub-basin trend. The secondary source rock, Locker Shale, was deposited in terrestrially-influenced, continental seaway conditions during the Early Triassic at the beginning of the breakup of Pangea. These systems share potential reservoir rocks of deep-water, proximal and distal deltaic, marginal marine, and alluvial origins, ranging in age from Late Triassic through Cretaceous. Interformational seals and the regional seal, Muderong Shale, along with structural and stratigraphic traps account for the many types of hydrocarbon accumulations in this province. In 1995, the Northwest Shelf produced 42% of the hydrocarbon liquids in Australia, and in 1996 surpassed the Australian Bass Straits production, with 275,000 barrels per day (bpd) average. This region is the major producing province of Australia. Known reserves as of 1995 are estimated at 11.6 billion of barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE)(Klett and others, 1997) . Although exploration has been conducted since 1955, many types of prospects have not been targeted and major reserves continue to be discovered.
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Total Petroleum Systems of the Northwest Shelf, Australia: The Dingo-Mungaroo/Barrow and the Locker-Mungaroo/Barrow
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 99-50
Chapter E
DOI 10.3133/ofr9950E
Edition -
Year Published 1999
Language ENGLISH
Publisher Geological Survey (U.S.)
Contributing office(s) U.S. Geological Survey
Description 49 p., illus. incl. sects., strat. col., 1 table, geol. sketch maps
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