Browse Basin Hydrocarbon Prospectivity Analysis with Cretaceous Play Types

Geoscience Australia conducted a multi-disciplinary study reassessing petroleum prospectivity in the Browse Basin offshore Northwest Australia. The analysis integrated updated biostratigraphy, well lithology, seismic stratal geometry, facies interpretations, and geochemical studies of source rocks and fluids for seven Cretaceous supersequences. This work resulted in the identification of three main Cretaceous stratigraphic play types and four Mesozoic petroleum systems.

Use Cases

• Model petroleum systems by integrating source rock distribution and character data with burial history modeling.
• Correlate hydrocarbon fluids to source rocks using molecular and stable carbon/hydrogen isotopic signature data.
• Map play fairways for basin-margin, clinoform topset, and submarine fan plays using supersequence cross-sections and palaeogeographic maps.
• Analyze seal quality and thickness for plays like the K10-K40 supersequences, considering facies pinch-outs and sequence boundary truncations.
• Deconvolve complex charge histories by analyzing the geochemical composition of hydrocarbon fluids from multiple Mesozoic source rocks.

Strengths

• Analysis covers seven Cretaceous supersequences from the late Tithonian to Maastrichtian.
• Identifies three distinct Cretaceous stratigraphic play types and four Mesozoic petroleum systems.
• Integrates multiple data types including biostratigraphy, seismic geometry, facies, and geochemistry.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and dataset size are not provided.
• Primary data formats are PDF and HTML, which may require extraction for computational analysis.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Browse Basin on Australia's North West Shelf.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, based on a study by Geoscience Australia.

Collection Method

Multi-disciplinary study integrating sequence stratigraphy, structural framework analysis, well log analysis, seismic interpretation, and geochemical modeling.

Time Range

Focus on Cretaceous supersequences (K10-K60), with mapping of Permo-Carboniferous to Cenozoic successions for burial history.

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-04.

Geography

Browse Basin, offshore Northwest Australia on the North West Shelf.