Petroleum exploration of the Cooper/Eromanga basin commenced in 1954 with the granting of an exploration licence to Santos, the dominant focus for operators being gas resources of the deeper Permian reservoirs of the Cooper Basin, which are overlain by the younger shallower Eromanga Basin. However, a recent industry focus to specifically target the shallower reservoirs, viz., Coorikiana Sandstone of the Eromanga Basin, has yielded rewarding outcomes, thus adding to the Cooper/Eromanga basin reputation as Australia’s most prolific onshore oil and gas basin.

The early Cretaceous Coorikiana Sandstone has been proven to be a bona fide exploration, appraisal and development target in the South Australian sector of the Cooper/Eromanga basin. This presentation of the play is aimed at providing explorers with a better understanding of the geology and potential importance of these regressive marine shoreface sandstone reservoirs. Recent activity in the South Australian portion of the Cooper/Eromanga basin has proven successful via low-cost shallow drilling campaigns, focusing on delivering additional production rate and reserves for both oil and gas. These positive results in the Coorikiana Sandstone have not only placed the spotlight on this formation as a legitimate hydrocarbon target but it has also increased our knowledge on the importance of understanding the value of shallow hydrocarbon plays in the Eromanga Basin.