A Geoseismic Interpretation Of The Early Permian Epsilon Formation Truncation At The Daralingie Unconformity In The Kidman Complex, Cooper Basin, South Australia.

Arndt, Lewis B.

Honours Degree, 1986

University of Adelaide

Abstract

The Kidman Complex, in. the southern Cooper Basin South Australia, is a significant gas producing province. Production is mainly from structural traps in the Early Permian Toolachee and Patchawarra Formations. Well data suggests the possibility of secondary structural-stratigraphic traps associated with the truncation of the Epsilon Formation at the Daralingie Unconformity.

A geoseismic interpretation of the area was conducted to determine whether potential unconformity traps in the area could be detected on seismic data. It was found that seismic resolution was not sufficient to identify possible truncations with any degree of confidence.

A paelaeo-geographic model was therefore invoked to simulate the deposition of the Epsilon Formation and the subsequent erosion at the Unconformity. This resulted in the prognoses location of the "feather edge" of the truncated Epsilon Formation in the Complex.

However, due to the observed similarity of the Epsilon Formation sands and the basal Toolachee Formation sands, further work on the petrophysical properties of both units is recommended before a potential reservoir/seal relationship is inferred at this contact.

Use of the seismic data alone was therefore not sufficient to interpret an Epsilon Formation truncation. The integration of geological inference and geophysical techniques enabled a model, based on local and regional interpretation, to be used to predict the location of the truncation.