Kyalla and middle Velkerri Resource Assessment: Gorrie, Beetaloo, OT Downs, and Broadmere Sub-basins. Study Project No. AB-74329

Abstract

The Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) is undertaking a project to improve understanding of the unconventional petroleum potential of the greater McArthur Basin through the identification of horizons that meet the established minimum requirements for suitable shale gas targets. The project involves compiling key parameter data comprising new analytical datasets from the sampling of core held at NTGS Core Facilities and the Geoscience Australia Repository, and existing data sourced from open file company reports, core sampling records, and government publications. All new analytical work, with the exception of whole rock geochemistry, was performed at Weatherford Laboratories (Australia) using the procedures as outlined in NTGS Record 2015-004 (Revie 2015). The full dataset is available in Revie (Revie 2015).

The selection of suitable horizons by NTGS for resource assessment was based on integration, interrogation and interpretation of all data compiled. The most prospective black shale horizons in the Mesoproterozoic Roper Group were determined to be the middle Velkerri Formation and the Kyalla Formation. NTGS contracted Weatherford Laboratories to conduct a resource assessment to evaluate the unconventional petroleum prospectivity of these two formations, and the results are presented in the following report. It consists of 6 parts - the main assessment report and 5 appendices.