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A total petroleum system of the Browse Basin, Australia; Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic

Open-File Report 99-50-I
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https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr9950I

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Abstract

The Browse Basin Province 3913, offshore northern Australia, contains one important petroleum system, Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic. It is comprised of Late Jurassic through Early Cretaceous source rocks deposited in restricted marine environments and various Mesozoic reservoir rocks deposited in deep-water fan to fluvial settings. Jurassic age intraformational shales and claystones and Cretaceous regional claystones seal the reservoirs. Since 1967, when exploration began in this 105,000 km2 area, fewer than 40 wells have been drilled and only one recent oil discovery is considered potentially commercial. Prior to the most recent oil discovery, on the eastern side of the basin, a giant gas field was discovered in 1971, under a modern reef on the west side of the basin. Several additional oil and gas discoveries and shows were made elsewhere. A portion of the Vulcan sub-basin lies within Province 3913 where a small field, confirmed in 1987, produced 18.8 million barrels of oil (MMBO) up to 1995 and has since been shut in.

Suggested Citation

Bishop, M., 1999, A total petroleum system of the Browse Basin, Australia; Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-50, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr9950I.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title A total petroleum system of the Browse Basin, Australia; Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous-Mesozoic
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 99-50
Chapter I
DOI 10.3133/ofr9950I
Year Published 1999
Language English
Publisher Central Region Energy Resources Team, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey,
Country Australia
Other Geospatial Browse Basin
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