THE EAST COAST BASIN OF NEW ZEALAND, AN EMERGING PETROLEUM PROVINCE

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 563 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.I. Uruski ◽  
B.D. Field ◽  
R. Funnell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Sequence Stratigraphic ◽  
Large Structures ◽  
Oil Generation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reservoir Facies

More than 300 oil and gas seeps are known in the onshore East Coast Basin of North Island, New Zealand. Spectacular geological structures have been explored by more than 40 wells, only three of which have been offshore. Results are tantalising, with 70% of wells yielding oil or gas shows. Westech’s two gas discoveries onshore at Kauhauroa and Tuhara in northern Hawkes Bay remain un-developed at present.Strong gas shows were encountered in both open-file wells drilled offshore and elevated gas readings were recorded in the recent Tawatawa–1 well, but reservoir quality was poor.Nevertheless, good reservoir facies are abundant in the East Coast Basin. A wide range of Miocene and Pliocene sands and limestones, with porosities of 20% and above are known from outcrop and wells. But, modern, good quality seismic data are essential to allow sequence stratigraphic interpretation and a reasonable likelihood of predicting the distribution of reservoir facies. As part of its program to stimulate exploration in New Zealand, the NZ government is commissioning a new 4,000 km, highquality 2D seismic data set with the intention of making it freely available to interested exploration companies by mid-2005.The very thick sedimentary succession, the presence of direct hydrocarbon indicators on seismic data, the strong gas shows in wells drilled offshore and the reasonable expectation of oil generation and expulsion into numerous large structures with good reservoir facies combine to make the offshore East Coast Basin an attractive exploration venue.

Exploring New Zealand's marine territory

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Uruski
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Seismic Survey ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Deep Water Part

Around the end of the twentieth century, awareness grew that, in addition to the Taranaki Basin, other unexplored basins in New Zealand’s large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and extended continental shelf (ECS) may contain petroleum. GNS Science initiated a program to assess the prospectivity of more than 1 million square kilometres of sedimentary basins in New Zealand’s marine territories. The first project in 2001 acquired, with TGS-NOPEC, a 6,200 km reconnaissance 2D seismic survey in deep-water Taranaki. This showed a large Late Cretaceous delta built out into a northwest-trending basin above a thick succession of older rocks. Many deltas around the world are petroleum provinces and the new data showed that the deep-water part of Taranaki Basin may also be prospective. Since the 2001 survey a further 9,000 km of infill 2D seismic data has been acquired and exploration continues. The New Zealand government recognised the potential of its frontier basins and, in 2005 Crown Minerals acquired a 2D survey in the East Coast Basin, North Island. This was followed by surveys in the Great South, Raukumara and Reinga basins. Petroleum Exploration Permits were awarded in most of these and licence rounds in the Northland/Reinga Basin closed recently. New data have since been acquired from the Pegasus, Great South and Canterbury basins. The New Zealand government, through Crown Minerals, funds all or part of a survey. GNS Science interprets the new data set and the data along with reports are packaged for free dissemination prior to a licensing round. The strategy has worked well, as indicated by the entry of ExxonMobil, OMV and Petrobras into New Zealand. Anadarko, another new entry, farmed into the previously licensed Canterbury and deep-water Taranaki basins. One of the main results of the surveys has been to show that geology and prospectivity of New Zealand’s frontier basins may be similar to eastern Australia, as older apparently unmetamophosed successions are preserved. By extrapolating from the results in the Taranaki Basin, ultimate prospectivity is likely to be a resource of some tens of billions of barrels of oil equivalent. New Zealand’s largely submerged continent may yield continent-sized resources.

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN EAST COAST BASIN, NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.I. Uruski ◽  
B.D. Field ◽  
R. Funnell ◽  
C. Hollis ◽  
A. Nicol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
Data Set ◽  
General Sequence ◽  
Thermal Models ◽  
The North

Oil production in the East Coast Basin began in the late 19th century from wildcat wells near oil seeps. By the mid-20th century, geology was being applied to oil exploration, but with little success. In the late 20th century, seismic techniques were added to the exploration arsenal and several gas discoveries were made. At each stage it was recognised that exploration in this difficult but tantalising basin required more information than was available. Continuing work by exploration companies, as well as by the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (GNS), has begun to reduce the risk of exploration. Source rocks have been identified and sophisticated thermal models show that petroleum is being generated and expelled from them as shown by numerous oil and gas seeps onshore. Many potential reservoir sequences have been recognised from outcrop studies and depositional models are being refined. All components of petroleum systems have been demonstrated to be present. The most important deficiency to date is the general lack of high-quality seismic data which would allow recognition of reservoir facies in the subsurface.During early 2005, Crown Minerals, the New Zealand government group charged with promoting and regulating oil and gas exploration, commissioned a high specification regional 2D survey intended to address some of the main data gaps in the offshore East Coast Basin. A broad grid was planned with several regional lines to be acquired with a 12,000 m streamer and infill lines to be acquired with a streamer 8,000 m long. It was expected that the long streamer would increase resolution of Paleogene and Cretaceous units. Several of the lines were actually acquired with a 4,000 m streamer due to unexpectedly high rates of unserviceability. The resulting 2,800 km data set consists of a series of northwest–southeast lines approximately orthogonal to the coast at a spacing of about 10 km as well as several long strike lines.GNS was contracted to produce a series of reports covering source rock distribution, a catalogue of reservoir rocks, a regional seismic interpretation, thermal models and structural reconstruction. The data package and reports are available free of charge to any interested exploration company to accompany the licensing round that was announced on 1 September 2005. The new data set has confirmed the existence of a large, little-deformed basin to the north of North Island and the Bay of Plenty; it has elucidated the complex structure of a large part of the East Coast Basin and has enabled generation of a general sequence stratigraphic model which assists in delineating reservoir targets. On 1 September 2005, the New Zealand government launched a licensing round covering about 43,000 km2 of the East Coast Basin, from the far offshore East Cape Ridge in the north to the northern Wairarapa coast in the south. Four blocks (I, J, K and L) were on offer for a competitive staged work programme bid, closing on 17 February 2006.

The discovery of a new sedimentary basin: offshore Raukumara, East Coast, North Island, New Zealand

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Uruski ◽  
Callum Kennedy ◽  
Rupert Sutherland ◽  
Vaughan Stagpoole ◽  
Stuart Henrys
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
The South ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
The North

The East Coast of North Island, New Zealand, is the site of subduction of the Pacific below the Australian plate, and, consequently, much of the basin is highly deformed. An exception is the Raukumara Sub-basin, which forms the northern end of the East Coast Basin and is relatively undeformed. It occupies a marine plain that extends to the north-northeast from the northern coast of the Raukumara Peninsula, reaching water depths of about 3,000 m, although much of the sub-basin lies within the 2,000 m isobath. The sub-basin is about 100 km across and has a roughly triangular plan, bounded by an east-west fault system in the south. It extends about 300 km to the northeast and is bounded to the east by the East Cape subduction ridge and to the west by the volcanic Kermadec Ridge. The northern seismic lines reveal a thickness of around 8 km increasing to 12–13 km in the south. Its stratigraphy consists of a fairly uniformly bedded basal section and an upper, more variable unit separated by a wedge of chaotically bedded material. In the absence of direct evidence from wells and samples, analogies are drawn with onshore geology, where older marine Cretaceous and Paleogene units are separated from a Neogene succession by an allochthonous series of thrust slices emplaced around the time of initiation of the modern plate boundary. The Raukumara Sub-basin is not easily classified. Its location is apparently that of a fore-arc basin along an ocean-to-ocean collision zone, although its sedimentary fill must have been derived chiefly from erosion of the New Zealand land mass. Its relative lack of deformation introduces questions about basin formation and petroleum potential. Although no commercial discoveries have been made in the East Coast Basin, known source rocks are of marine origin and are commonly oil prone, so there is good potential for oil as well as gas in the basin. New seismic data confirm the extent of the sub-basin and its considerable sedimentary thickness. The presence of potential trapping structures and direct hydrocarbon indicators suggest that the Raukumara Sub-basin may contain large volumes of oil and gas.

The Hayfield Sandstone Play: the characterisation of a Mesoproterozoic sourced, Proterozoic sandstone reservoired, tight oil and gas play in the Beetaloo Sub-basin

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 242
Author(s):  
Carl Altmann ◽  
Brenton Richards ◽  
Alexander Côté ◽  
Cassandra Bein ◽  
Elizabeth Baruch-Jurado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Tight Oil ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Gas Streams ◽  
Matrix Permeability ◽  
Reservoir Facies

The Hayfield Sandstone is a Neoproterozoic, 10–15 m thick, very fine- to fine-grained sandstone, interpreted to have been deposited in a shelfal-marine environment. The reservoir sandstone is characterised by high porosity and low matrix permeability, which is complimented by partially mineralised open fractures which may contribute significantly to overall system permeability. Hydrocarbon phase across the identified play fairway is interpreted to range from a gas with the potential for condensate and liquefied petroleum gas streams to a light, ~38 API gravity oil. The extent of the prospective play fairway and the distribution and connectivity of reservoir facies is poorly constrained due to a limited number of well penetrations and poor resolution 2D seismic data. From the wells drilled to date, the gross area of the prospective play fairway could be as low as 300 km2 or greater than 1500 km2.

Automatic, geologic layer-constrained well-seismic tie through blocked dynamic warping

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. SJ81-SJ90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kainan Wang ◽  
Jesse Lomask ◽  
Felix Segovia
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Interval Velocity ◽  
Velocity Changes ◽  
Dynamic Warping

Well-log-to-seismic tying is a key step in many interpretation workflows for oil and gas exploration. Synthetic seismic traces from the wells are often manually tied to seismic data; this process can be very time consuming and, in some cases, inaccurate. Automatic methods, such as dynamic time warping (DTW), can match synthetic traces to seismic data. Although these methods are extremely fast, they tend to create interval velocities that are not geologically realistic. We have described the modification of DTW to create a blocked dynamic warping (BDW) method. BDW generates an automatic, optimal well tie that honors geologically consistent velocity constraints. Consequently, it results in updated velocities that are more realistic than other methods. BDW constrains the updated velocity to be constant or linearly variable inside each geologic layer. With an optimal correlation between synthetic seismograms and surface seismic data, this algorithm returns an automatically updated time-depth curve and an updated interval velocity model that still retains the original geologic velocity boundaries. In other words, the algorithm finds the optimal solution for tying the synthetic to the seismic data while restricting the interval velocity changes to coincide with the initial input blocking. We have determined the application of the BDW technique on a synthetic data example and field data set.

scholarly journals Prediction of reservoir sand in Miocene deltaic deposits in Denmark based on high-resolution seismic data

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 17-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik S. Rasmussen ◽  
Thomas Vangkilde-Pedersen ◽  
Peter Scharling
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Lower Miocene ◽  
Sequence Stratigraphic ◽  
Deep Aquifers ◽  
Gas Bearing

Intense investigations of deep aquifers in Jylland, western Denmark, during the last seven years have resulted in de tailed mapping of Miocene sand-rich deposits laid down in fluvial channels, delta lobes, shoreface and spit complexes (Fig. 1; Rasmussen 2004). Detailed sedimentological and paly nol ogical studies of outcrops and cores, and interpretation of high-resolution seismic data, have resulted in a well-founded sequence-stratigraphic and lithostratigraphic scheme (Fig. 1) suitable for prediction of the distribution of sand. The Miocene succession onshore Denmark is divided into three sand-rich deltaic units: the Ribe and Bastrup sands and the Odderup Formation (Fig. 2). Prodeltaic clayey deposits of the Vejle Fjord and Arnum Formations interfinger with the sand-rich deposits. Most of the middle and upper Mio- cene in Denmark is composed of clayey sediments referred to the Hodde and Gram Formations (Fig. 2). This paper presents examples of seismic reflection patterns that have proved to correlate with sand-rich deposits from lower Miocene deltaic deposits and that could be applied in future exploration for aquifers and as analogues for oil- and gas-bearing sands in wave-dominated deltas.

Accelerating seismic fault and stratigraphy interpretation with deep CNNs: A case study of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 727-733
Author(s):  
Haibin Di ◽  
Leigh Truelove ◽  
Cen Li ◽  
Aria Abubakar
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Reservoir Characterization ◽  
Seismic Survey ◽  
Deep Convolutional Neural Networks ◽  
Seismic Attribute ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Seismic Fault ◽  
Attribute Analysis ◽  
Specific Implementation

Accurate mapping of structural faults and stratigraphic sequences is essential to the success of subsurface interpretation, geologic modeling, reservoir characterization, stress history analysis, and resource recovery estimation. In the past decades, manual interpretation assisted by computational tools — i.e., seismic attribute analysis — has been commonly used to deliver the most reliable seismic interpretation. Because of the dramatic increase in seismic data size, the efficiency of this process is challenged. The process has also become overly time-intensive and subject to bias from seismic interpreters. In this study, we implement deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automating the interpretation of faults and stratigraphies on the Opunake-3D seismic data set over the Taranaki Basin of New Zealand. In general, both the fault and stratigraphy interpretation are formulated as problems of image segmentation, and each workflow integrates two deep CNNs. Their specific implementation varies in the following three aspects. First, the fault detection is binary, whereas the stratigraphy interpretation targets multiple classes depending on the sequences of interest to seismic interpreters. Second, while the fault CNN utilizes only the seismic amplitude for its learning, the stratigraphy CNN additionally utilizes the fault probability to serve as a structural constraint on the near-fault zones. Third and more innovatively, for enhancing the lateral consistency and reducing artifacts of machine prediction, the fault workflow incorporates a component of horizontal fault grouping, while the stratigraphy workflow incorporates a component of feature self-learning of a seismic data set. With seven of 765 inlines and 23 of 2233 crosslines manually annotated, which is only about 1% of the available seismic data, the fault and four sequences are well interpreted throughout the entire seismic survey. The results not only match the seismic images, but more importantly they support the graben structure as documented in the Taranaki Basin.

The structural architecture of the Whataroa Valley at the Alpine Fault (New Zealand) from first-arrival tomography and reflection imaging using an extended 3D VSP survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Lay ◽  
Stefan Buske ◽  
Sascha Barbara Bodenburg ◽  
Franz Kleine ◽  
John Townend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Average Velocity ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
P Wave ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Alpine Fault ◽  
P Wave Velocity ◽  
First Arrival

<p>The Alpine Fault along the West Coast of the South Island (New Zealand) is a major plate boundary that is expected to rupture in the next 50 years, likely as a magnitude 8 earthquake. The Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) aims to deliver insight into the geological structure of this fault zone and its evolution by drilling and sampling the Alpine Fault at depth.  </p><p>Here we present results from a 3D seismic survey around the DFDP-2 drill site in the Whataroa Valley where the drillhole penetrated almost down to the fault surface. Within the glacial valley, we collected 3D seismic data to constrain valley structures that were obscured in previous 2D seismic data. The new data consist of a 3D extended vertical seismic profiling (VSP) survey using three-component receivers and a fibre optic cable in the DFDP-2B borehole as well as a variety of receivers at the surface.</p><p>The data set enables us to derive a reliable 3D P-wave velocity model by first-arrival travel time tomography. We identify a 100-460 m thick sediment layer (average velocity 2200±400 m/s) above the basement (average velocity 4200±500 m/s). Particularly on the western valley side, a region of high velocities steeply rises to the surface and mimics the topography. We interpret this to be the infilled flank of the glacial valley that has been eroded into the basement. In general, the 3D structures implied by the velocity model on the upthrown (Pacific Plate) side of the Alpine Fault correlate well with the surface topography and borehole findings.</p><p>A reliable velocity model is not only valuable by itself but it is also required as input for prestack depth migration (PSDM). We performed PSDM with a part of the 3D data set to derive a structural image of the subsurface within the Whataroa Valley. The top of the basement identified in the P-wave velocity model coincides well with reflectors in the migrated images so that we can analyse the geometry of the basement in detail.</p>

Safety in Indian Coal Mines – Where Do We Go from Here

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Partha Sarathi Paul
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Technical Factors

The 20th century has experienced a considerable amount of success in coal mine safety in India. The mining industry has for many years focused on injury prevention at the workplace through procedures and training, and has achieved considerable success. However, the statistics on major accident events such as fatalities and reportable incidents has not shown the corresponding levels of improvement. In the area of major hazards control, the mining industry approach has emphasized mainly on past experiences and lessons learnt, while other high hazard industries such as the chemical process industry and oil and gas industry have taken system safety techniques to new highs. A literature review on quantitative analysis of mine safely studies revealed that numerous investigators explored a wide- range of techniques, including the investigation of bivariate and multivariate statistical models. It is inferred that the use of these quantitative techniques can provide a new direction of research in mine-safety studies. The important aspect, which was explored in this study through structural equation modeling, is the sequential interrelationships amongst the personal, social, and technical factors leading to accident/injury causation. Interestingly, the accidentinvolved workers are more job stressed, more job dissatisfied and hence, less job involved and often get bored with their jobs. The level of dissatisfaction in mines is quite expected. Further research should be performed using national data set so that the findings can be generalized to all segments of the mining industry.   Keywords - Mine Safety, Quantitative Risk Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, Personal, Social and Technical Factors

scholarly journals MODERN OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUILDINGCONCEPTUAL GEOLOGICAL MODELS

Neft i gaz ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (119) ◽  
pp. 41-54
Author(s):  
N.G. MATLOSHINSKIY ◽  
◽  
R.N. MATLOSHINSKIY ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The Other ◽  
Total Correlation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Geological Models ◽  
Integrated Interpretation ◽  
Well Data ◽  
The One ◽  
Gas Potential

Modern integrated interpretation of borehole and seismic data allows solving a wide range of problems based on the construction of reliable conceptual geological models of the studied areas. The total correlation of seismic horizons allows us to consider the studied section in all its details with the maximum use of seismic information and to ensure its objective comparison with well data. This approach is especially important for the purposeful study of the prospects for oil and gas potential, both in structural traps and non-structural traps, on the one hand, and the construction of objective geostatic models, on the other

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