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Geoscience Poster G5: Stratigraphic framework and structural architecture of the Upper Cretaceous in the deep-water Otway Basin – implications for frontier hydrocarbon prospectivity

Chris Nicholson A *
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A Geoscience Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

* Correspondence to: Chris.Nicholson@ga.gov.au

The APPEA Journal 62 - https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21401
Published: 3 June 2022

Abstract

Poster G5

Geoscience Australia has undertaken a regional seismic mapping study that extends into the frontier deep-water region of the offshore Otway Basin. This work builds on seismic mapping and petroleum systems modelling published in the 2021 Otway Basin Regional Study. Seismic interpretation spans over 18 000 line-km of new and reprocessed data collected in the 2020 Otway Basin seismic program and over 40 000 line-km of legacy 2D seismic data. Fault mapping has resulted in refinement and reinterpretation of regional structural elements, particularly in the deep-water areas. Structure surfaces and isochron maps highlight Shipwreck (Turonian–Santonian) and Sherbrook (Campanian–Maastrichtian) supersequence depocentres across the deep-water part of the basin. These observations will inform the characterisation of petroleum systems within the Upper Cretaceous succession, especially in the underexplored deep-water region.

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Keywords: deep‐water, hydrocarbon prospectivity, Otway Basin, seismic interpretation, stratigraphic architecture, stratigraphic framework, structural architecture, structural elements.

Chris Nicholson joined Geoscience Australia in 2004. He is a Structural Geologist and Basin Analysist in the Basin Systems Branch of GA’s Mineral, Energy and Groundwater Division where he works on regional prospectivity studies of Australia’s offshore basins. His current focus is the Otway Basin and prior to that he was Director of the North West Margins Energy Systems team investigating the prospectivity of the Triassic interval across the central NWS. He has previously led and been involved in similar hydrocarbon prospectivity studies and CO2 storage assessments in the Browse Basin and other frontier offshore basins, including the northern Perth, Mentelle and Bight basins and the Vlaming and Bremer Sub-basins. Chris graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Geology from the Australian National University in 2000. He is a member of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA) and South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society (SEAPEX).