Bronwyn Camac

PhD student Eng

Biography

Bronwyn Camac obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Geology, from the South Australian Institute of Technology (graduating in 1984). She subsequently joined Wiltshire Geological Services, assisting in the development of the first and largest database of digital wireline log data for Australasia. Bronwyn then worked for 5 years as a staff geologist for Origin Energy prior to commencing studies for a PhD at the Australian School of Petroleum in 2003. Late 2004, she commenced working part-time for Beach Petroleum as operations geologist, a role that has grown into a full time position, where she is currently employed as an operations and staff geologist.

Research Project

An Integrated Geomechanical Evaluation of Cap and Fault Seal for Risking Petroleum Trap Integrity - Using Finite Difference Numerical Methods

Supervisors: Dr Suzanne Hunt, Dr Peter Boult, Hemanta Sarma

Project Support: CSIRO

Scholarship support: Faculty Scholarship and CSIRO

Technical Support: Origin Energy

Project Description

The understanding of the geomechanical behaviour of cap rock in the Penola Trough, South Australian Otway Basin is in its earliest stages. Due to its thickness, lithotype and regional extent, the main sealing unit of the gas bearing sands of the Pretty Hill Formation, the Laira Formation, has been considered to have a low risk of cap rock failure in the past. The observation of an open conductive fracture network throughout the seal on FMI logs and associated perturbations in the regional stress field, as analysed from dipmeter data, led to the question: Can these perturbations be modelled using distinct element code and 'ground-truthed' against field data, where these perturbations correlate with brittle seal failure. If so, can this technique be developed into a risking tool for seal evaluation, ahead of the bit?"

This research concentrates on these questions and is showing that using existing tools and data routinely collected in the petroleum and mining industries, a more comprehensive and integrated risking analysis can be undertaken for hydrocarbon seals, incorporating both cap and fault seal.

The selection of modelling parameters is critical to the success of the outcomes of the models. Much of the research has been directed towards the more confident determination of fault parameters, such as friction angle, stiffness and orientation.

The observation of rotations in borehole breakouts and their use in calibrating 3D numerical stress models has been developed during the course of the study.

The developed techniques have also been applied to other areas within Australia and New Zealand, such as the Big Lake Field in the Cooper Basin SA; Pyrenees - Macedon fields in the Northwest Shelf and the Kupe South Field in New Zealand. These modelling techniques have direct application to risk assessment in other highly faulted regions throughout Australia and internationally.

Publications

B. A. Camac, S. P. Hunt and P. J. Boult, 2006. "Local Rotations in Borehole Breakouts - Observed and Modelled stress field rotations and their Implications for the Petroleum Industry". International Journal of Geomechanics, (6) 6, 399-410

B. A. Camac, S. P. Hunt, P.J. Boult and M. Dillon, 2006. "Unconventional Borehole Breakout Rotation Analysis provides a QC for Stress Models", Australian Petroleum Production Exploration Association Conference Proceedings, Gold Coast, Australia

B. A. Camac, S. P. Hunt, and W. R. Bailey, 2005. "Distinct element stress modelling for top seal appraisal in the Pyrenees-Macedon oil and gas fields, Exmouth Sub-basin, Australian North West shelf." This paper was prepared for presentation at Alaska Rocks 2005, The 40th U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics (USRMS): Rock Mechanics for Energy, Mineral and Infrastructure Development in the Northern Regions, held in Anchorage, Alaska, June 25-29, 2005.

B. A. Camac, S. P. Hunt, C. E. Gilbert and D. P. Anthony, 2005. Using 3D Distinct Element Method to predict stress distribution - Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. This extended abstract was prepared for presentation at the EAGE 67th Conference & Exhibition - Madrid, Spain, 13 - 16 June 2005.

B.A. Camac, S. P. Hunt and P.J. Boult, 2004. Fault and Top Seal Integrity at relays and Intersections using a 3D Distinct Element Code: APPEA Journal

B. A. Camac and S. P. Hunt. Applications of Stress Field Modelling Using the Distinct Element Method for Petroleum Production: APOGCE Conference Proceedings, SPE Paper # 88473

P. J. Boult, P. Lyon, B. A. Camac and D. A. McKirdy, 2004. Subsurface plumbing of the Penola Trough: Otway Basin. Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium (EABS) II Conference Proceedings

S. P. Hunt, P. J. Boult and B. A. Camac, 2003. Discrete Element Stress Modelling in the Timor Sea and Otway Basin, Australia: EAGE Fault and Top Seals: What do we know and where do we go? Conference Proceedings, Montpellier, France.

S. P. Hunt, P. J. Boult and B. A. Camac, 2003. A Parametric Analysis and Applications of the Discrete Element Method for Stress modelling: eNZ Conference Proceedings of the Rock mechanics Association of Australia and new Zealand.

P.J. Boult, B.A. Camac and A. W. Davids, 2002. 3D Fault Modelling and Assessment of Top Seal Structural Permeability - Penola Trough, Onshore Otway Basin: APPEA Journal 151 - 166

Conferences Papers/Posters Presented

• 2006 - APPEA Conference (Gold Coast, Australia) - Paper and Presentation
• 2005 - Alaska Rocks, American Rock Mechanics Association Annual Conference (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - Paper and Presentation
• 2005 - EAGE Conference (Madrid, Spain) Presentation and Extended Abstract
• 2004 - APPEA Conference (Canberra, Australia) - Paper and Presentation
• 2004 - Seals 1 Consortium - Presentation and Extended Abstract
• 2004 - AAPG Annual Convention (Dallas, USA) - Paper and Presentation
• 2004 - SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition - Poster and Paper
• 2003 - AAPG International Conference (Barcelona, Spain) - 2 Posters
• 2003 - EAGE Fault and Top Seals Conference (Montpellier, France) - Paper and Poster
• 2002 - APPEA Conference (Adelaide, Australia) - Paper and Presentation

Awards

2005 American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Grants in Aid Award

2003 Midland Valley International Structural Geology Prize: 2nd Place

2003 CSIRO PhD Top Up Scholarship

2003 University of Adelaide: Research Abroad Scholarship