Offshore Northern Perth Basin Petroleum Systems Reassessment

Geoscience Australia conducted a review of source rock and oil geochemical data for the offshore northern Perth Basin. This work reassesses the basin's prospectivity, supporting the release of two major offshore exploration blocks, W13-19 and W13-20. The study was informed by data from wells including Cliff Head-1, Frankland-1, Perseverance-1, and Dunsborough-1.

Use Cases

• Correlating oil samples to the Hovea Member source rock using geochemical typing data.
• Mapping the offshore extent of the key petroleum system based on well data from the Wittecarra Terrace and Houtman Sub-basin.
• Evaluating exploration prospectivity for blocks W13-19 and W13-20 using integrated source rock review findings.
• Analyzing the stratigraphic development of the 10 to 40 m-thick Hovea Member unit across the basin.

Strengths

• Study informed by data from at least 6 specific exploration wells (Cliff Head-1, Houtman-1, etc.).
• Supports the assessment of two major exploration blocks (W13-19, W13-20) spanning multiple sub-basins.
• Provides evidence extending the known onshore petroleum system into the offshore region.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample data are unavailable.
• Well control is limited to 5 wells from the Wittecarra Terrace and one (Houtman-1) from the Houtman Sub-basin.
• Primary data format is HTML, which may require extraction for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from Geoscience Australia.

Collection Method

Integrated study involving a review of existing source rock and oil geochemical data.

Time Range

Focuses on historical exploration data, notably post-2001 discoveries, within a geological timeframe.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-04.

Geography

Offshore northern Perth Basin, specifically the Houtman and Abrolhos Sub-basins, extending into Zeewyck and Gascoyne Sub-basins.