Oil and Gas Developments in Australia in 1981

Abstract

During 1981, exploration and development drilling continued its trend upward from 1979 and 1980. In 1981, exploration drilling reached its highest level in the past 16 years of Australian oil and gas activity. The exploratory well record was set in 1965 when 157 wells were drilled. The states with the greater amounts of activity in 1981, as in 1980, were Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. In Australia overall, there were 125 exploration wells and 107 development wells drilled and/or commenced in 1981. Significant onshore oil discoveries were made in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. The presence of commercial oil in apparently significant quantities in Cretaceous to Jurassic rocks of the Eromanga basin in South Australia and Queensland was greatly extended areally by discoveries at Merimellia 6, South Australia (2,738 BOPD), and at Jackson 1, Queensland (350 BOPD from the Cretaceous Murta Member of the Mooga Formation; 1,165 BOPD from the lower part of the Jurassic Westbourne Formation; and 2,616 BOPD from the top of the Jurassic Hutton Sandstone). There is perhaps up to 25,000 mi2 in the relatively unexplored Eromanga basin where Mesozoic oil might occur. In Western Australia, one of the more important geologic discoveries to occur onshore was the flow of oil (906 BOPD) from Devonian limestone at Blina 1 in the northeast part of the Canning basin. Geophysical work in all categories increased in Australia in 1981 relative to 1980 with nearly twice as much onshore seismic work being completed in 1981. Gravity and magnetic surveys showed a very marked increase also. Natural gas production increased 9.1% in 1981 relative to 1980 to 11,647.48 million m3. Oil production in 1981 increased 6.8% relative to 1980, or by 1,456,510 m3 to 22,773,323 m3 for an average daily production of about 392,500 bbl.