Regional Geology of the Bonaparte Basin
The Bonaparte Basin represents Australia’s easternmost offshore province of the Westralian Superbasin comprising also the Browse, Roebuck, Offshore Canning and Northern Carnarvon basins, collectively known as basins of the North West Shelf (Figure 1). Located predominantly offshore (Figure 2), the Bonaparte Basin contains a Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary succession that exceeds 15 000 m in thickness in the southern portion (“Petrel Sub-basin”) and a Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin fill in the northern part. Since the development of the Bayu-Undan and Blacktip gas discoveries (1995 and 2001 respectively) and first oil discoveries in the Vulcan Sub-basin (Jabiru in 1986; Challis and Cassini in1989), the basin has been an established oil and gas province.
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Note: the full set of high resolution figures are available via the link at the bottom of this page.
Figure 2: Map of the Bonaparte Basin showing bathymetry, petroleum well distribution and oil and gas fields.
Figure 3: Tectonic elements map of the Bonaparte Basin showing bathymetry, petroleum well distribution and oil and gas fields.
Figure 4: Map of the Petrel Sub-basin showing bathymetry, petroleum well distribution, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 5: Tectonic elements map of the Petrel Sub-basin showing bathymetry, maximum hydrocarbon shows, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 6: Seismic section (line r9710003) across the Petrel Sub-basin highlighting the Paleozoic depocentre and thin Mesozoic sedimentary succession.
Figure 7: Seismic section (line s100r/05) across the Petrel Sub-basin showing example of salt-tectonics in Gull 1 area).
Figure 8a: Stratigraphic chart for the Bonaparte Basin showing hydrocarbon occurrences (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 8b: Stratigraphic chart for the north eastern Bonaparte Basin showing hydrocarbon occurrences (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 9a: Stratigraphic chart for the Petrel Sub-basin showing well intersections of hydrocarbons; a: Devonian to Permian interval (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 9b: Stratigraphic chart for the Petrel Sub-basin showing well intersections of hydrocarbons: upper Permian to Neogene interval (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 10: Map of the Vulcan Sub-basin showing bathymetry, petroleum well distribution, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 11: Tectonic elements map of the Vulcan Sub-basin showing bathymetry, maximum hydrocarbon shows, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 12: Stratigraphic chart for the Vulcan Sub-basin showing hydrocarbon discoveries (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 13: Seismic section (line n98/r02) across the Vulcan Sub-basin highlighting the depocentre and rift architecture.
Figure 14: Stratigraphic chart for the Ashmore Platform showing hydrocarbon discovery of Brown Gannet 1 (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 15: Map of the Londonderry High showing bathymetry, petroleum well distribution, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 16: Tectonic elements map of the Londonderry High showing bathymetry, maximum hydrocarbon shows, oil and gas fields and pipelines.
Figure 17: Stratigraphic chart for the Londonderry High showing hydrocarbon discoveries (Geologic Time Scale after Gradstein et al, 2020).
Figure 18: Stratigraphic chart for the Flamingo/Sahul synclines and the Nancar Trough showing hydrocarbon discoveries (Geologic Time Scale after Ogg et al, 2016).
Figure 19: Map showing petroleum exploration permits, retention and production licences and operators in the Bonaparte Basin.
Figure 20: Map showing petroleum exploration permits, oil and gas fields and petroleum production facilities in the Bonaparte Basin.
Figure 21: Schematic time-space diagram of the Jurassic Vulcan-Plover petroleum system in the Vulcan Sub-basin (modified after Edwards et al, 2004).
Figure 22: Geological cross-section of the southern Petrel Sub-basin (modified after Miyazaki, 1997)
Figure 23: Schematic diagrams showing hydrocarbon play types in the central Petrel Sub-basin.
Figure 24: Schematic diagrams showing salt-related plays in the central Petrel Sub-basin.
Figure 25: Schematic diagrams showing hydrocarbon play types in the southern Vulcan Sub-basin
Figure 26: Schematic diagrams showing hydrocarbon play types in the central Vulcan Sub-basin.
Figure 27: Seismic cross sections and conceptual diagram across the central Vulcan Sub-basin showing structural complexity and salt diapirism.
Figure 28: Sequence stratigraphic well correlation across the southern Vulcan Sub-basin (modified after O’Brien et al, 1996).
Figure 29: Schematic diagrams showing hydrocarbon play types in the Nancar Trough and the Sahul Syncline.
Figure 30: Map showing marine reserves, marine parks, multiple use zones and ecological features in the Bonaparte Basin.
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For information on the 2021 acreage release areas in the Bonaparte Basin visit the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources website.