Publication Name: The North West Shelf Australia
Authors: I. Willis
Date Published: July 1988
Number of Pages: 25
Reference Type: Book Section
Abstract:
The Browse Basin lies entirely offshore, beneath the remote northwestern continental shelf of Australia. Itoccupies an area of approximately 100,000 square kilometres, most of which lies in water depths exceeding 200 metres. The Browse Basin existed as a discrete geological entity from latest Triassic-earliest Jurassic times until the Late Cretaceous when its western margin subsided. Prograding Tertiary shelf carbonates subsequently covered the old basin and formed the present continental shelf.
Exploration of the basin and environs began in 1963/ 64, when permit areas totalling some 164,000 square
kilometres were awarded to the "Northwest Shelf Joint Venture" with Woodside as Operator. Between 1963
and 1985, over 34,000 kilometres of seismic data were acquired and twenty-two wells were drilled. This resulted in five gas discoveries and two encouraging but minor occurrences of oil.
Constraints upon exploration in this remote location include water depth, seismic quality and problems associated with drilling. Chances of further hydrocarbon discoveries being made in this area are moderate.