The Amadeus Basin

Abstract

The Amadeus Basin is an east-west trending elongate intracratonic depression covering 155,000 sq. km of central Australia. The main reservoir targets exploited to date have been the Ordovician Pacoota and Stairway Sandstones. The objective of this report is to focus on a new exploration target as yet untested in the Amadeus Basin, which relies on a thick Proterozoic salt sequence providing a long-term seal over sub-salt organic sediments. The Bitter Springs Formation salt sequence forms a new and as yet untested play type. Studies suggest that the source rocks within this formation are mature to over-mature for oil generation, with maturation levels decreasing to the south. Further, the timing of trap formation will be critical if significant oil accumulations are to be found.