Browse Basin
Entity ID: 22102 Compiled by: Miyazaki, S. Year: 2002 Status: Defined
Last Revised: 2013
Rank: Province Type: sedimentary Subtype: polyhistory Location: WA, AC Off-shore
Synonyms: NA Symbol: NA
Minimum age: Recent Age method: inferred, biostratigraphic correlation
Maximum age: Early Carboniferous Age method: inferred
Summary: The Early Carboniferous to Recent Browse Basin is a large, offshore hydrocarbon-proven basin on the northwestern Australian poly-phased margin containing more than 15 km of siliciclastic non-marine and marine rocks.
Attributes:
Area (square kilometres): 218000 State: WA State: AC Minimum present water depth (m): 0 Maximum present water depth (m): 5000 Main rock types: carbonate sediments and sedimentary rocks Main rock types: siliciclastic sediments and sedimentary rocks Main depositional environment: marine and non-marine Minimum sediment thickness (m): 0 Maximum sediment thickness (m): 15000 Resources: Gas Resources: Oil Present crustal setting: continental Country: AUS
Parent: No data
Child Provinces: Scott Plateau
Relationships:
Adjoins - Ashmore Platform, Bonaparte Basin, Canning Basin, Londonderry High, Roebuck Basin, Vulcan Sub-basin
Constituent units: Echuca Shoals Formation, Fenelon Formation, Jamieson Formation, Plover Formation, Sahul Group, Turnstone Formation, Woolaston Formation, Calypso Formation, Johnson Formation, Blina Shale, BB1 (Middle Devonian? to base Namurian.), BB2 (Base Namurian to intra-Early Permian (Artinskian).), BB3 (Intra-Early Permian to Late Permian, chronostratigraphic equivalent of Hyland Bay Fm.), BB4 (Base Early Triassic to Late Triassic, chronostratigraphic equivalent to Mt Goodwin Fm.), BB5 (Late Triassic (Carnian/Norian) to Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian).), BB6 (Pliensbachian to Aalenian), BB7 (Aalenian to intra-Callovian), BB8a (Intra-Callovian to lower Kimmeridgian), BB8b (Lower Kimmeridgian to lower Tithonian), BB8c (Upper Tithonian to lower Berriasian), BB9 (Lower Berriasian to Intra-Valanginian), BB10 (Intra-Valanginian to lower Barremian), BB11 (Lower Barremian to early Aptian), BB12a (Intra-Aptian to late Aptian/lower early Albian), BB12b (Lower early Albian to upper early Albian), BB12c (Upper early/middle Albian to intra-Cenomanian), BB13 (Turonian to lower Campanian), BB14 (Intra Campanian to late Campanian), BB15a (Late Campanian/early Maastrichtian to intra-Maastrichtian), BB15b (Intra-Maastrichtian), BB15c (Late Maastrichtian to early Tertiary?), BB16 (Intra-Paleocene to late Paleocene), BB17 (Late Paleocene/early Eocene), BB18 (Early Eocene to Late Eocene), BB19 (Early Oligocene to Late Oligocene), BB20 (Late Oligocene to middle Miocene), BB21 (Middle Miocene), BB22 (Middle Miocene to Recent), Borde Marl Member, Prudhoe Member, Puffin Member, Puffin Sandstone Member
Events: No data
Mineral Deposits: No data
Key Reference: Blevin, J.E., Struckmeyer, H.I.M., Cathro, D.L., Totterdell, J.M., Boreham, C.J., Romine, K.K., Loutit, T.S., Sayers, J. 1998, Tectonostratigraphic framework and petroleum systems of the Browse Basin North West Shelf., in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 2. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, , 369-395 (Refid:13354)
Comments: No data
Overview: The Early Carboniferous to Recent Browse Basin is a large, offshore basin on the northwestern Australian poly-phased margin. The basin is a proven hydrocarbon province, with major undeveloped gas/condensate fields in the outer and central basin, and minor oil discoveries on the basin's eastern margin. The identified reserves as at 1 January 2004 were 0.29 GL of oil, 86.44 GL of condensate, 69.67 GL of LPG and 732.69 BCM of gas. The Browse Basin developed during six major tectonic phases: Late Carboniferous to Early Permian extension; Late Permian to Triassic thermal subsidence; Late Triassic to Early Jurassic inversion; Early to Middle Jurassic extension; Late Jurassic to mid-Tertiary thermal subsidence; and Late Miocene inversion. Initial extension resulted in half-graben geometries and the formation of two distinct depocentres, the Caswell and Barcoo sub-basins. These depocentres contain in excess of 15 km sedimentary section, and lie in 100 to 1500 m water depth. The outer Browse Basin underlies the deep-water Scott Plateau (1500 to 5000 m water depth). The Carboniferous section is predominantly fluvio-deltaic, and the Permian to Lower Triassic section is mostly marine. Middle to Upper Triassic rocks include fluvial and shallow marine clastics and minor carbonates. Lower to Middle Jurassic syn-rift sediments comprise deltaic and coastal-plain clastics and coal. Widespread erosion occurred in the Callovian, with onlapping Upper Jurassic sandstones and shales providing a thin regional seal across most pre-Callovian structures. Widespread transgression commenced in the Valanginian and peaked in the Turonian, and resulted in the deposition of thick open marine claystones. The Turonian to Tertiary section records a major progradational clastic-to-carbonate cycle. The Lower Cretaceous claystones provide a thick regional seal and contain potential oil-prone source rocks. Potential source rocks also occur in the Upper Jurassic, Middle to Lower Jurassic, Triassic and syn-rift Palaeozoic sections. Reservoir facies are best developed in sandstones of the fluvio-deltaic Middle to Lower Jurassic section, and in Cretaceous submarine fans of Berriasian, Barremian, Campanian and Maastrichtian age.
Images: Browse Basin structural elements and cross section location map (72 KB), Browse Basin regional cross-section Profile 119-05 (175 KB), Browse Basin sequence stratigraphy, basin phases and petroleum systems (106 KB), Browse Basin lower cretaceous petroleum system and play families map (90 KB), Browse Basin upper Jurassic petroleum system and play families map (82 KB), Browse Basin lower to middle Jurassic petroleum system and play families map (74 KB), Browse Basin Permo-Carboniferous to upper Jurassic petroleum systems chart (85 KB)
Other media: No data
Source Information:
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Stein, A., Myers, K., Lewis, C., Cruse, T., Winstanley, S., 1998, Basement control and geoseismic definition of the Cornea discovery, Browse Basin, Western Australia, in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 2. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, . (Refid: 13195)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Longley, I.M., Buessenschuett, C., Clydsdale, L., Cubitt, C.J., Davis, R.C., Johnson, M.K., Marshall, N.M., Murray, A.P., Somerville, R., Spry, T.B., Thompson, N.B., 2002, The North West Shelf of Australia - a Woodside perspective. IN: Keep, M. and Moss, S.J. (Eds.),, The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 3; proceedings of the West Australian basins symposium, 27-88. (Refid: 13789)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Bint, A.N., 1988, Gas fields of the Browse Basin, In: Purcell P.G., Purcell, R.R. (editors), The North West Shelf. Proceedings of the Northwest Shelf Symposium, PESA, Perth, WA, . (Refid: 13197)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Griffiths, G.W., Paraschivoiu, E., 1998, Three-dimentional stratigraphic modelling of Early Cretaceous sedimentation on the Leveque and Yampi Shelves, Browse Basin., APPEA Journal, 38(1), 147-158. (Refid: 13200)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Ingram, G.M., Eaton, S., Regtien, J.M.M., 2000, Cornea case study: lessons for the future, APPEA Journal, 40(1), 56-65. (Refid: 13201)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: O'Brien, G.W., Lawrence, G., Williams, A., Webster, M., Wilson, D., Burns, S., 2000, Using intergrated remote sensing technologies to evaluate and characterise hydrocarbon migration and charge characteristics on the Yampi shelf, northwestern Australia: a methodological study., APPEA Journal, 40(1), 230-256. (Refid: 13202)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Cao, H., Kurata, Y., 2001, Drill bit seismic-drilling optimisation case study: Crux-1, APPEA Journal, 41(1), 623-632. (Refid: 13203)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Struckmeyer, H.I.M., Blevin, J.E., Sayers, J., Totterdell, J.M., Baxter, K., Cathro, D.L., 1998, Structural evolution of the Browse Basin, North West Shelf: new concepts from deep-seismic data, in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 2. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, 345-367.. (Refid: 7142)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Willis, I., 1988, Results of exploration, Browse Basin, North West Shelf, Western Australia. IN Purcell P.G. & Purcell R.R. eds - The North West Shelf, Australia., Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, 1v, p259-273. (Refid: 41450)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Miller, L.J., Stuart, W.J., 1992, Seismic stratigraphic evaluation of a Neocomian submarine fan system, Browse Basin, North West Shelf., APPEA Journal, 32(1), 171-182. (Refid: 13207)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Haston, R.B., Farrelly, J.J., 1993, Regional significance of the Arquebus- 1 well, Browse Basin, North West Shelf, Australia, APEA Journal, 33(1), 28-38. (Refid: 13208)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Symonds, P.A., Collins, C.D.N., Bradshaw, J., 1994, Deep structure of the Browse BAsin: implication for basin development and petroleum exploration., in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, 315-331. (Refid: 13206)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Elliott, R.M.L., 1990, Browse Basin IN Geology and Mineral Resources of Western Australia, Geological Survey of Western Australia. Memoir, 3, 535-547. (Refid: 13211)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Maung, T.U., Cadman, S., West, B., 1994, A review of petroleum potential in the Browse Basin., in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, 333-346. (Refid: 13212)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Spry, T.B., Wasrd, I., 1997, The Gwydion discovery: a new play fairway in the Browse Basin, APPEA Journal, 37(1), 333-346. (Refid: 13213)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Barter, T.P., 1982, Results of exploration, Browse Basin, Northwest Shelf, Western Australia, IN: Watson, S.T. (editor), Third Circum-Pacific Energy and mineral Resources Conference, Honolulu Hawai, 1982, Transactions, AAPG, 105-115. (Refid: 13214)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Blevin, J.E., Boreham, C.J., Summons, R.E., Struckmeyer, H.I.M., Loutit, T.S., 1998, An effective Lower Cretacecous petroleum system on the North West Shelf: evidence from the Browse Basin., in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 2. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, 397-420. (Refid: 13353)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Blevin, J.E., Struckmeyer, H.I.M., Cathro, D.L., Totterdell, J.M., Boreham, C.J., Romine, K.K., Loutit, T.S., Sayers, J., 1998, Tectonostratigraphic framework and petroleum systems of the Browse Basin North West Shelf., in Purcell, P.G. & Purcell, R.R. (eds), The sedimentary basins of Western Australia 2. Proceedings of a PESA Symposium, Perth, 369-395. (Refid: 13354)
- FOR PROVINCE-GENERAL: Stephenson, A.E., Cadman, S.J., 1994, Browse Basin, northwest Australia: the evolution, palaeogeography and petroleum potential of a passive continental margin., Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 111(3-4), 337-366. (Refid: 13196)
