Emma King

Masters Petroleum Geology and Geophysics

Biography

Emma King obtained her Bsc (Hons) in Petroleum Geology and Geophysics from the Australian School of Petroleum in 2004. She began studying for her Masters at the ASP in 2005. Her project concentrates on understanding the seismic sequence stratigraphy of the intra-Barrow Group, in the Barrow Sub-basin. Member: PESA, ASEG and AAPG.

Masters Research Project

Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy of the intra-Barrow Group, Barrow Sub-basin, NWS, Australia

Supervisors: Dr Tobias Payenberg and Dr Simon Lang

Scholarship support: Apache Energy Australia

Project Description

The Barrow Sub-basin has been a key area for exploration since 1962 and includes the largest onshore oilfield discovery in Australia (Barrow Island, 1964). It covers an area both onshore and offshore and spans some 15 000 km2. The Barrow Sub-basin is a major hydrocarbon province in Australia and has produced oil, condensate and natural gas from a large number of discoveries since the early 1960s. The bulk of discoveries have been largely structural traps from the top Barrow Group. These discoveries are now either nearing the end of their producing life or have been entirely exhausted.

This project looks in detail at the intra- and lower-Barrow Group succession. Minor and major oil and gas shows have previously been identified throughout this succession. An improved understanding of these lower sediments may contribute to future exploration programs within the Barrow Sub-basin.

The aim of this project is to locate potential stratigraphic plays based on 3D seismic stratigraphic analysis. A deliberate search through the Flinders 3D survey may result in the location of new hydrocarbon prospects (both stratigraphic and structural). The integration of all available data, including the Flinders 3D dataset, well logs, palynology data, core and cuttings descriptions, will aid the objective of creating a seismic sequence stratigraphic framework over the study area. This includes outlining a depositional model for the intra- and lower-Barrow Group, thus creating a predictive tool for hydrocarbon prospectivity over the study area.