Carbonate reservoir development in the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Summary

We present a multidisciplinary study investigating depositional and diagenetic impacts on pore system variability in carbonate systems from the Canning Basin. With some of Australia’s only known commercially viable carbonate reservoirs the Canning Basin is a region of renewed industry interest and considerable national importance having both recent discoveries (Ungani Far West-1, 2011) and recent historical production from the Blina field (discovered 1981). Detailed core, microscopy, geochemical and petrophysical studies combined with some seismic work are beginning to reveal significant variations in pore system development from the shallow-water carbonate systems on the northern versus southern margins of the Fitzroy Trough within the broader Canning Basin. A strong association is emerging between reservoir quality, dolomitisation and/or earlier cavity system development on the basis of preliminary results.

• Canning Basin
• Carbonate Reservoir
• deposition
• diagenesis
• dolomitisation
• pore systems