Hyperspectral logging of middle Cambrian marine sediments with hydrocarbon prospectivity: a case study from the southern Georgina Basin, northern Australia

ABSTRACT

The Georgina Basin is a Neoproterozoic–Paleozoic basin that spans parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland in northern Australia. The basin is prospective for petroleum, phosphate and base metals (copper, lead and zinc). The Dulcie and Toko synclines in the southern part of the basin are prospective for petroleum, where a thick Cambro-Ordovician succession of marine carbonates hosts several source rocks and associated oil and gas shows. The key source rock units occur within the middle Cambrian Narpa Group, including both the Thorntonia Limestone (Series 2 and 3) and the Arthur Creek Formation (Series 3). The base of the Arthur Creek Formation is characterised by organic-rich ‘hot’ shales (associated with a prominent gamma spike in well logs) that have been targeted by petroleum explorers for both conventional and unconventional oil and gas. For this study, hyperspectral logging data collected by HyLogger™ instruments were evaluated from 13 wells in the southern Georgina Basin, including petroleum, mineral and stratigraphic wells. Formation boundaries are commonly (but not always) characterised by distinctive changes in mineralogy, as determined by spectral and X-ray diffraction data. Key source rock units in the southern Georgina Basin were characterised and mapped in terms of their mineralogy, and other spectral properties (e.g. Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) reflectance and spectral contrast). Interpretation of the hyperspectral data alongside wireline log data supports the differentiation of two successions within the Arthur Creek Formation that are each characterised by basal organic-rich shales, previously distinguished on the basis of biostratigraphic and well-log data. The older succession in the Dulcie Syncline is spectrally characterised as being quartz and carbonate dominated. The younger succession, distributed across the eastern part of the Dulcie Syncline and fully across the Toko Syncline, is spectrally characterised as quartz and carbonate dominated, with variable white-mica contributions. Key associations are observed between the HyLogger mineralogy and geophysical-log data. Peaks in the gamma log intensity in the middle Cambrian sediments commonly correspond to elevated measured total organic carbon contents, decreased carbonate contribution, SWIR reflectance and spectral contrast, and relatively increased proportions of white micas and quartz. This study demonstrates that HyLogging data can provide an improved understanding of the sedimentological, mineralogical and diagenetic characteristics, as well as associated spatial heterogeneity, of prospective hydrocarbon formations in sedimentary basins.

KEYWORDS:

• hyperspectral
• mineralogy
• HyLogger
• Georgina Basin
• petroleum prospectivity
• middle Cambrian

Acknowledgements

The HyLogging Systems used in this study were provided to each geological survey through the National Collaborative Infrastructure Scheme managed by AuScope Pty Ltd, and by CSIRO, and constitute the NVCL component of the AuScope National Earth Science Infrastructure. Operation of the NVCL nodes is undertaken by each state and territory geological survey who scan, pre-process, interpret and publish the hyperspectral data to an initial level. We extend our thanks to all of these agencies and their staff, in particular NTGS, GSQ and NSW DPI. Geoscience Australia staff Riko Hashimoto, Matilda Thomas and Karen Higgins are thanked for their constructive peer reviews and Silvio Mezzomo and David Arnold are thanked for their assistance in preparing the figures for publication. Two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their constructive feedback, which helped to improve our paper.

This paper is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary papers

Figure 1 Stratigraphic chart for the southern Georgina Basin.

Figure 2 HyLogger core tray images from the Hunt 1, MacIntyre 1 and Todd 1 wells illustrating the prominent lithological change at the Arthur Creek Formation/Thorntonia Limestone contact.

Notes

1. HyLogging, HyLogger, TSG and TSA are trademarks of CSIRO.

Additional information

Funding

Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.