Finder Exploration was awared Exploration Permit WA-445-P on 13 May 2010 (which was gazetted as W09-9 in the 2009 acreage release round). The Permit is located on the Rankin Platform of the Carnarvon Basin and is approximately 150 km from the coastline of Western Australia and approximately 30 km from the pipeline network that supplies gas to the North West Shelf Venture export LNG trains onshore near Karratha.  W09-9 lies between the Echo/Yodel & Sculptor fields and the recent Lady Nora Triassic oil discovery to the east and Wheatstone field to the west.

Potential Play-Concepts

(i) Amplitude supported Oxfordian transgressive sandstones (Io, Jansz and the recent Glencoe and Briseis discovery analogues) deposited on top of the Jurassic Oxfordian break-up unconformity (primary target); and

(ii) Triassic fluvio-deltaic Mungaroo Formation sandstones (Wheatstone, Chrysaor, Echo/Yodel, Lady Nora, Chandon, Jupiter, Nimblefoot and Warrior discovery analogues).

Geology of the Northern Carnarvon Basin

The geological setting of the Northern Carnarvon Basin (and its deep water portion known collectively as the Exmouth Plateau) is the result of multiple periods of extension, subsidence and minor compression, associated with the fragmentation of eastern Gondwana followed by compression in the latest Miocene.  The Northern Carnarvon Basin developed by repeated reactivation of basement structures during Palaeozoic and Mesozoic tectonism where the Archean and Proterozoic structures plus Gondwanan plate tectonics controlled the shape of the Palaeozoic sub-basins.  As more sediments were deposited into the basin the pre-existing north-eastern to south-western orientation tectonic fabric was overprinted on the younger Mesozoic basins.  Structurally the area is dominated by multiple extensional episodes with the Oxfordian rifting preserved as the Barrow-Dampier-Exmouth Basins which is interpreted as a failed rift arm that formed during the Argo Land rift.  The Valanginian rifting associated with the KV regional break-up unconformity and separation of the Greater India landmass is also superimposed on top of previous rifting episodes.  The Carnarvon Basin is arguably Australia’s premier oil and gas province, with significant oil and gas discoveries and production infrastructure.  Refer to the image below for an overview of the WA-445-P Mickey Lead.

The Mickey Lead is an amplitude supported / depth conversion opportunity within WA-445-P(ie there is no time closure, but the presence of amplitudes and its location under the shelf break suggest that the lead could be promoted to drill ready status through judicious depth conversion).  The expected reservoir targets are a combination of overlying Oxfordian transgressive shallow marine sandstones and the underlying horst block fluvio-deltaic reservoirs of the Mungaroo and Brigadier Formations.