Burial History in Unconventional Resource: Canning Basin,Western Australia

Shale gas is considered as an unconventional resource for natural gas production.There are several organic-rich shale horizons in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, which serve as source rocks for conventional oil and gas fields. The aim of this study is to investigate the Goldwyer Formation in the Canning Basin as a potential shale gas play. The Goldwyer Shale is Ordovician in age, equivalent age of the Utica Shale in Ohio and Pennsylvania, USA. Thermal and burial history modeling were used in this study. Across the basin, the total organic carbon (TOC) content varies between 6110 and 814 wt%. A trend of increasing maturity from the in the west central part of the basin . The studied interval has reached thermal maturity equivalence range of 6.11 – 1.3 Ro%, depending on the location, therefore it is in peak oil to wet and dry Shale gas is considered as an unconventional resource for natural gas production.There are several organic-rich shale horizons in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, which serve as source rocks for conventional oil and gas fields. The aim of this study is to investigate the Goldwyer Formation in the Canning Basin as a potential shale gas play. The Goldwyer Shale is Ordovician in age, equivalent age of the Utica Shale in Ohio and Pennsylvania, USA. Thermal and burial history modeling were used in this study. Across the basin, the total organic carbon (TOC) content varies between 6110 and 814 wt%. A trend of increasing maturity from the in the west central part of the basin . The studied interval has reached thermal maturity equivalence range of 6.11 – 1.3 Ro%,depending on the location, therefore it is in peak oil to wet and dry thermogenic gas zones in different areas.

Keywords:

Shale gas , Burial history , Thermal modeling , Canning Basin