REGIONAL GEOLOGY OF THE
ROEBUCK BASIN
BASIN OUTLINE
The Roebuck Basin covers approximately 93,000 km2 of the North West Shelf, forming the central
part of the late Paleozoic to Mesozoic Westralian Superbasin. The inboard part of the Roebuck
Basin overlies the offshore Canning Basin, a northwest-trending Paleozoic intracratonic basin
(Colwell and Stagg, 1994). The temporal boundary between the two successions is marked by a
major Pennsylvanian (late Carboniferous) transpressional event (Meda Transpression), which
probably represents the peak of the Alice Springs Orogeny in central Australia (Shaw et al, 1992).
The structural elements of the central North West Shelf and the adjacent onshore Canning Basin
have been described by Lipski (1993, 1994), Colwell and Stagg (1994), Kennard et al (1994), Smith
(1999) and Smith et al (1999).
The Roebuck Basin may be subdivided into the Bedout and Rowley sub-basins (Figure 1). These
sub-basins disconformably overlie the Paleozoic intracratonic successions in the Oobagooma and
the Willara sub-basins of the offshore Canning Basin, which are separated by the west-northwesttrending structural high of the Broome Platform.
The Bedout Sub-basin consists of an east-northeast-trending Mesozoic depocentre (Figure 1) filled
with approximately 2.5 km of Paleozoic and 7 km of Mesozoic strata (Figure 2; Smith et al, 1999). It
is separated from the Beagle Sub-basin of the Northern Carnarvon Basin to the west by the North
Turtle Hinge Zone, and partly bounded to the northwest by the Bedout High (Figure 1). The
Mesozoic succession has experienced generally mild structuring, and thickens to the west before
pinching out against, and partly draping over, the Bedout High. To the east and south, the Mesozoic
sediments thin and progressively onlap the older Paleozoic succession.The Bedout High locally
separates the Bedout Sub-basin from the Rowley Sub-basin to the north (Figure 1). The high
consists of uplifted and eroded Permo-Carboniferous sedimentary rocks above an interpreted
basement core, and is capped by Permian volcanics (Colwell and Stagg, 1994; Smith et al, 1999). It
has a maximum relief of approximately 6 km above the surrounding depocentres, and is associated
with a Moho uplift of 7 to 9 km. It is onlapped by Lower to Middle Triassic sediments and draped by
approximately 3 km of Upper Triassic to Holocene sediments. The upper surface of the Bedout
High is a peneplain approximately 30 km wide (Smith et al, 1999; Müller et al, 2005).
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Three potential modes of origin have been proposed for the Bedout High:
1)
A pre-Triassic fault-bounded high, capped by volcanics which developed over a mantle hotspot
(Lipski, 1994);
2)
A faulted (thrust-controlled) basement core overlain by a ?Carboniferous–Permian succession
(Colwell and Stagg, 1994), and;
3)
The uplifted core of a circular crater, formed by the impact of an extraterrestrial body near the
end of the Permian (Gorter, 1996; Becker et al, 2004).
Smith et al (1999) noted that the Bedout and Oobagooma highs comprise a northeast–southwest
structural lineament that forms a hinge-line between the Rowley Sub-basin and the Bedout and
Oobagooma sub-basins, and concluded that they evolved simultaneously. This lineament
terminates older northwest-trending Paleozoic structures (including the Broome Platform), and
appears to have developed through crustal thinning associated with a deep crustal detachment.
The Rowley Sub-basin is a Mesozoic depocentre located on the present-day outer continental shelf
(Figure 1). It contains about 9 km of Permo-Carboniferous or older strata and up to 6 km of
Mesozoic–Holocene sediments (Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4; Smith et al, 1999). The sub-basin
is separated from the Beagle Sub-basin to the southwest by the North Turtle Hinge Zone and
Thouin Graben, and from the Bedout and Oobagooma sub-basins by the Bedout High and
Oobagooma High, respectively (Figure 1). Paleozoic and lower Mesozoic strata in the Rowley Subbasin onlap the Bedout and Oobagooma highs and the Broome Platform to the southeast
(Figure 4). These sediments thicken seaward and terminate at the continent–ocean boundary. A
Lower Jurassic unconformity at the top of this sediment wedge is overlain by prograding Jurassic–
Cenozoic successions (Figure 4).
The Broome Platform is a west-northwest-trending basement high extending offshore from the
onshore Canning Basin (Figure 1; Colwell and Stagg, 1994). It is thinly (1–2 km) mantled by
Ordovician, Devonian and Permian sediments (Figure 2 and Figure 4; Kennard et al, 1994). The
platform dips gently to the southeast and is flanked on its northern margin by fault-bounded
terraces that preserve thicker Paleozoic packages (2–4 km) dominated by Ordovician and
Devonian carbonates (Jones et al, 2007).
The Oobagooma Sub-basin is a northwest- trending Paleozoic depocentre in the offshore Canning
Basin. It represents a continuation of the Fitzroy Trough to the southeast. It lies between the
Broome Platform to the southwest, the Leveque Shelf of the Browse Basin to the northeast and is
separated from the Rowley Sub-basin by the Oobagooma High (Figure 1). During the Paleozoic,
evolution of the Oobagooma Sub-basin was similar to that of the Fitzroy Trough, and 5.5 km of
sediment accumulated (Figure 2). The overlying Mesozoic–Cenozoic succession (Figure 2) is
4.5 km thick and contiguous with the Rowley Sub-basin succession to the west (Smith et al, 1999).
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BASIN EVOLUTION
Seismic reflection data indicate the offshore Canning and Roebuck basins first developed in the
Ordovician as a result of intraplate extension. This was followed by multiple phases of rifting and
thermal subsidence during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, and the formation of a passive margin from
the Late Cretaceous onward. Deposition was interrupted by rift-related uplift and compressional
tectonics (Kennard et al, 1994; Smith et al, 1999) that resulted in regional unconformities. The postDevonian stratigraphy of the Roebuck and offshore Canning basins is summarised in Figure 2
based on work by Smith (1999), Smith et al (1999) and Nicoll et al (2009).
Ordovician–Mississippian
Little is known about the nature of Paleozoic sedimentation in the offshore Canning and Roebuck
basins. No wells in the Roebuck Basin have penetrated this succession, and the Carboniferous to
Permian clastic succession in the Oobagooma Sub-basin, encountered at the bottom of Wamac 1
and Lacepede 1A, has been little studied. Paleozoic strata interpreted to onlap the Lambert Shelf,
Broome Platform and Bedout High is presumed to be an extension of the onshore Canning Basin
succession (Passmore, 1991; Lipski, 1993; Colwell and Stagg, 1994; Smith, 1999). In the onshore
Canning Basin, Ordovician to middle Carboniferous sedimentary rocks primarily consist of
alternating sequences of marine clastic and carbonate rocks (Kennard et al, 1994).
The first extensional event recognised in the region was a northeast–southwest-directed extension
in the Ordovician related to the separation of Chinese and Southeast Asian blocks from the North
West Shelf (Metcalfe, 1988). This was followed by north–south-directed compression and uplift
(Prices Creek Movement) in the Early Devonian. Further northeast–southwest extension and
deposition during the Late Devonian–Mississippian was terminated by the Meda Transpression, a
north-northwest–south-southeast oblique-slip reactivation of pre-existing structures (Kennard et al,
1994; Smith et al, 1999).
Pennsylvanian–Permian
The separation of the Sibumasu terrane from Gondwana and initiation of the Westralian Superbasin
in the Pennsylvanian (Metcalfe, 1988; Smith et al, 1999) overprinted the earlier northwest-trending
structures with the predominantly northeast-trending structures in the Roebuck Basin. In parts of
the Canning Basin, faults formed during the earlier northeast–southwest extension were
reactivated, controlling syn-rift deposition. Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous) fluvial sediments
were overlain by a thick succession of Permian glacial deposits (Grant Group), and then by
Permian marine and fluvio-deltaic clastic rocks (Poole Sandstone, Noonkanbah Formation,
Liveringa Group). Lopingian (late Permian) tectonism formed a prominent regional unconformity at
the top of the Paleozoic sequence (Colwell and Stagg, 1994).
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Triassic–Early Jurassic
This period was dominated by thermal subsidence with transgressive marine and fluvio-deltaic
sedimentation (Locker Shale, Keraudren and Bedout formations). Separating the lower and upper
Keraudren Formation is the Middle Triassic Cossigny Member, a widespread limestone unit
seismically expressed as a high-amplitude reflector. Triassic to Early Jurassic deposition was
punctuated by a series of northwest–southeast transpressional events focused along the margins of
the sub-basins (the Fitzroy Movement). Smith et al (1999) identified three phases of the Fitzroy
Movement in the Roebuck Basin:
1)
Fitzroy Movement I (Ladinian) responsible for large transpressional ‘flower structures’ along the
North Turtle Hinge Zone;
2)
Fitzroy Movement II (Norian) responsible for major en-echelon anticlines in the Fitzroy Trough,
and a subtle unconformity in the Phoenix 1 and 2 wells, and;
3)
Fitzroy Movement III (Sinemurian) marking a major change in gross stratal geometries within
the Roebuck Basin from predominantly back-stepping to prograding and aggrading.
Early Jurassic–Early Cretaceous
Uplift and erosion during the Early Jurassic was followed by thermal subsidence. A broad
prograding wedge of fluvio-deltaic sediments (Depuch Formation) was deposited across the shelf.
In the Callovian, continental breakup between northwestern Australia and Argo Land resulted in a
second phase of uplift and erosion that terminated rifting in areas adjacent to the Roebuck Basin.
Subsequent thermal subsidence drove rapid transgression and accumulation of condensed marine
mudstones (Baleine and Egret formations) until the Early Cretaceous. An influx of siliciclastic
sediment (Broome Sandstone) occurred with further uplift of the sediment source in the
Valanginian, when Greater India moved away from the western margin of Australia (Smith 1999,
Smith et al, 1999).
Early Cretaceous–Cenozoic
Thermal relaxation after the Valanginian breakup led to the development of a passive-margin
succession of marine mudstones and marls. Full oceanic circulation was established by the end of
the Aptian. Reactivation of some Paleozoic structural features, possibly related to the separation of
Australia from Antarctica, resulted in inversion and oblique-slip movement, especially in the
Oobagooma Sub-basin (Smith et al, 1999). A major progradational carbonate wedge developed
across the entire North West Shelf in the Cenozoic (Figure 4). Collision of the Australian and
Eurasian plates in the Middle Miocene led to transpressional inversion of north-northwest-trending
Paleozoic faults in the northeast Oobagooma Sub-basin.
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REGIONAL HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL
The Roebuck Basin occupies an under-explored part of the North West Shelf and drilling within the
basin has mostly been unsuccessful. However, the basin represents an offshore extension of the
proven hydrocarbon province in the onshore Canning Basin, and the gas discovery at Phoenix 1
(Figure 1) indicates that an active petroleum system does exist. The basin also adjoins the Beagle
Sub-basin of the Northern Carnarvon Basin to the southwest, where oil has been discovered at
Nebo 1 (1993). Blevin et al. (1993, 1994) and Lech (2011) summarise the petroleum prospectivity
of the Beagle Sub-basin.
Regional Petroleum Systems
SOURCES
The petroleum potential of the offshore Canning and Roebuck basins is considered to be lower than
other areas of the North West Shelf because of the perceived absence of a prolific source rock
(Smith et al, 1999).
Potential source rocks in the Roebuck and offshore Canning basins may occur within the
Ordovician, Upper Devonian, Carboniferous, Cisuralian (lower Permian), Lower to Middle Triassic
and Lower to Middle Jurassic successions (Goldstein, 1989; Taylor, 1992; Kennard et al, 1994;
Smith, 1999; Edwards and Zumberge, 2005). These source rock intervals are known to be organicrich from more inboard areas in the Browse Basin and onshore Canning Basin, but are unproven in
the Roebuck and offshore Canning Basin (Goldstein, 1989; Kennard et al, 1994; Smith, 1999).
The Ordovician organic-rich marine shales in the onshore Canning Basin contain the oil-prone
probable cyanobacterium Gloeocapsomorpha prisca, and are particularly well developed on the
terraces along the northern flank of the Broome Platform (Taylor, 1992; Kennard et al, 1994).
Moreover, sub-salt algal coals on the northern margin of the Willara Sub-basin locally have
excellent source quality (Kennard et al, 1994; McCracken, 1994). These potential Ordovician
source facies are likely to be mature in the offshore Willara Sub-basin/Samphire Embayment where
the system is only shallowly buried beneath the inboard Bedout Sub-basin. The marine shales at
the base of the Devonian Pillara Sequence and the lower Laurel Formation also have fair to good
generative potential and are presumed to be present throughout the Oobagooma Sub-basin
(Figure 2; Kennard et al, 1994).
The Cisuralian (lower Permian) transgressive marine shales within the Poole Sandstone and
Noonkanbah Formation are organic-rich in the Fitzroy Trough (Kennard et al, 1994) and form part
of a globally recognised Pennsylvanian–Permian source unit (Warris, 1993). They may also be
present and thermally mature in the Bedout, Rowley, Oobagooma and offshore Willara sub-basins.
Marine shales of the underlying Grant Group (Figure 2) are also locally organic-rich, but generally
have poor generative potential. Hydrocarbon accumulations and shows within the Grant Group are
believed to be sourced from the underlying Laurel Formation (Goldstein, 1989; Kennard et al,
1994).
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Lower Triassic transgressive marine shales within the Locker Shale (Figure 2) are potential source
rocks within the Bedout, Rowley and adjacent Beagle sub-basins (Blevin et al, 1993; Smith, 1999).
In Phoenix 1, 2 and Keraudren 1 in the Bedout Sub-basin (Figure 1), the Locker Shale contains
potential gas-prone source rocks that are early mature to marginally mature in Phoenix 1 and
Keraudren 1 (Dodd, 1987; Smith et al, 1999; Edwards and Zumberge, 2005). In Phoenix 1, it may
be the source for gas discoveries and shows within the Middle Triassic Keraudren Formation
(Smith, 1999). Basin modelling indicates that Lower Triassic source rocks may be presently
expelling liquids in the outer Rowley Sub-basin and on the flanks of the Bedout High (O’Brien et al,
2003).
The Lower–Middle Jurassic fluvio-deltaic sediments of the Depuch Formation (Figure 2) in the
Roebuck Basin contain organic facies identified from well cuttings, but these are poorly constrained
temporally and spatially. They are mostly gas-prone, but contain thin, oil-prone, coaly and alga-rich
layers. The occurrence of high-quality transgressive pro-delta marine shales is also possible, but
unlikely, given the lack of significant hydrocarbon shows (Smith et al, 1999).
Lack of deep, restricted rift depocentres during the Late Jurassic means that high-quality, oil-prone
marine claystone source rocks, characteristic of the Bonaparte and Northern Carnarvon basins, did
not develop in the Roebuck Basin (Edwards and Zumberge, 2005). Similarly, potential Lower
Cretaceous source rocks documented in the Browse Basin and parts of the Bonaparte Basin
(Blevin et al, 1998; Edwards and Zumberge, 2005) are absent or immature in the Roebuck Basin.
RESERVOIRS AND SEALS
In the Roebuck Basin, potential reservoir sandstones occur at several stratigraphic levels, including:
the Permian Grant Group; shoreward depositional facies of the Triassic Keraudren Formation and
Locker Shale; fluvio-deltaic channel and shoreline sand bodies of the Jurassic Depuch Formation,
and; Lower Cretaceous deltaic sands that developed during the final continental breakup in inboard
areas of the basin (Figure 2; Lipski, 1993; Kennard et al, 1994; Smith et al, 1999). The Keraudren
Formation and Locker Shale are likely to have higher porosity and permeability in the more
shallowly buried areas where there is less potential for secondary carbonate and silica precipitation
(Lipski, 1993).
Fluid inclusion studies of potential reservoir units within the offshore Canning and Roebuck basins
suggested that widespread oil migration has occurred at multiple Mesozoic and Paleozoic levels
(Lisk et al, 2000). Samples from multiple horizons in key wells in the region (Bedout 1, East
Mermaid 1, Keraudren 1, Lagrange 1 and Phoenix 1; Figure 1) were tested and grains with oil
inclusions (GOITM) were discovered in each well. GOI values, however, were below 0.6% except in
Phoenix 1 (3.3%). The widespread distribution of oil inclusions led Lisk et al (2000) to propose that
a lack of valid traps, rather than a lack of oil charge, may be the principal reason for the low rate of
exploration success in the area.
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Potential seal formations in the Roebuck Basin include: the Lower–Middle Triassic Locker Shale;
intraformational shales in the Triassic Keraudren Formation (effective at Phoenix 1); the Middle
Triassic Cossigny Member of the Keraudren Formation; the transgressive shales of the Upper
Triassic Bedout Formation; nearshore claystones and pro-delta shales in the Jurassic Depuch
Formation (Figure 2; Lipski, 1993; Smith et al, 1999). The Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous
Baleine Formation overlying the Callovian unconformity (Figure 2) is a likely regional seal (Lipski,
1993; Smith et al, 1999).
PLAY TYPES
Onlap plays of Triassic age and subtle fluvio-deltaic complex plays in the Jurassic have been
proposed for the Rowley Sub-basin. Along the Bedout High, these plays could be charged from
Paleozoic or Triassic source rocks and sealed by the Cossigny Member of the Keraudren
Formation. Potential stratigraphic plays in the Jurassic Depuch Formation consist of a variety of
sand bodies within the fluvio-deltaic complex, charged either intraformationally or from underlying
source rocks (Lipski, 1993; Smith et al, 1999). In addition to stratigraphic plays, there is the
potential for various structural traps to be present along several largely untested fault trends within
the Roebuck Basin, including widespread structuring at the top Cossigny Member and base
Cretaceous levels, as suggested by seismic data acquired subsequent to the drilling of Phoenix 1
and 2 (Apache Energy Ltd, 1995).
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EXPLORATION HISTORY
Seismic exploration of the Roebuck Basin and offshore Canning Basin began in the late 1960s.
Approximately 15 surveys, focused on the Bedout Sub-basin and inboard Rowley Sub-basin, were
completed up to 1982. The initial seismic surveys were also followed by a phase of drilling activity
between 1970 and 1974, when Bedout 1, Keraudren 1 and Minilya 1 were drilled in the Bedout
Sub-basin, East Mermaid 1 in the Rowley Sub-basin, and Lacepede 1 and Wamac 1 in the
Oobagooma Sub-basin. Another phase of drilling took place during 1980–1983 in the Bedout Subbasin (Phoenix 1 and 2, and Lagrange 1) and in the Oobagooma Sub-basin (Kambara 1, Perindi 1,
Pearl 1 and Minjin 1).
During 1986–1994, the Bureau of Mineral Resources and the Australian Geological Survey
Organisation (predecessors of Geoscience Australia) acquired several regional seismic lines across
the Roebuck Basin, tying them to existing wells. Six industry seismic surveys during the same
period resulted in tightly spaced grids over the Bedout and Rowley sub-basins, and more widely
spaced lines across the Oobagooma Sub-basin. No drilling activity took place during this time,
despite the oil discovery at Nebo 1 in the adjacent Beagle Sub-basin of the Northern Carnarvon
Basin (Osborne, 1994).
Since the late 1990s, there has been renewed exploration interest in the area. Between 1998 and
2001, 2D surveys filled gaps in seismic coverage over the western Rowley Sub-basin, and
3D surveys delineated the drilling prospects for Whitetail 1(2003) and Huntsman 1 (2006). These
wells tested the deepwater potential of the outer Rowley Sub-basin, but were unsuccessful.
Several recent multi-client 2D seismic surveys cover the Roebuck Basin, including: Deepwater
Canning (Golden Orb) MC2D 2010 (Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, 2011a); North West Shelf (New
Dawn) MC2D 2010 (Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, 2011b), and; the North West Shelf Digital Atlas
2010 (Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, 2011c). Industry 2D and 3D seismic surveys have also been
completed over the Bedout Sub-basin since 2009 to delineate prospects within recently released
acreage.
In addition, Geoscience Australia conducted a hydrocarbon seepage survey of the Roebuck and
offshore Canning basins in June 2006 (Survey SS06/06; Jones et al, 2007). Head space gas
analyses of gravity core sub-samples, and biomarker screening of sediments and carbonate
concretions, revealed no thermogenic hydrocarbons or biomarkers diagnostic of methane oxidation.
O’Brien et al (2003) previously interpreted widespread hydrocarbon related diagenetic zones
(HRDZs) or gas chimneys from seismic reflection data, particularly over the Bedout High. Reevaluation suggests these features are more likely brittle faulting of strata above the rigid basement
core during Miocene structural reactivation (Logan et al, 2010).
Finally, aeromagnetic surveys were completed over the Oobagooma Sub-basin by Geoscience
Australia in 2007 and over the Bedout Sub-basin by Carnarvon Petroleum and Finder Exploration in
2010. The two surveys cover an area of more than 47,500 km2.
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FIGURES
Figure 1
Structural elements of the Roebuck Basin and adjacent basins (after Smith et al,
1999), the 2012 Release Areas, petroleum fields and discoveries, wells and
location of regional cross-sections.
Figure 2
Stratigraphy and hydrocarbon discoveries of the Roebuck Basin and adjacent
parts of the Canning Basin, based on the Canning Basin Biozonation and
Stratigraphy Chart (Nicoll et al, 2009) and Smith et al (1999). Geologic Time
Scale after Gradstein et al (2004) and Ogg et al (2008). Regional seismic
horizons after AGSO (2001).
Figure 3
AGSO seismic line 120/07 across the Rowley Sub-basin, Roebuck Basin and
Barcoo Sub-basin, Browse Basin. The location of the seismic line is shown in
Figure 1. Regional seismic horizons are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4
AGSO seismic line 120/03 across the Rowley Sub-basin, Roebuck Basin and
Broome Platform, offshore Canning Basin. The location of the seismic line is
shown in Figure 1. Regional seismic horizons are shown in Figure 2.
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