Petroleum Developments in Southwest Pacific Region During 1961

Abstract

The discovery of payable oil in the Moonie field in the Surat Basin of southeastern Queensland was the most significant development in 1961. It has completely revived the exploration program in Australia. Production was 2196 b/d at a depth of 5816-5925 ft. In the Roma area of Queensland, the Glentulloch well yielded 7.15 million cu ft of gas per day. One deep test was drilled in Western Australia; the Eneabba well, abandoned at 13,712 ft; fractures in the basal Mesozoic section were loaded with wet gas. Two shallow unsatisfactory tests were drilled in South Australia. Several tests drilled in the Otway Basin of Victoria had shows of gas. Offshore seismic work was conducted in the Gulf of Papua and along the coast of Western Australia. In New Zealand, a major gas discovery was made in the Kapuni field of Taranaki; tentative figures for the full field were 100 million cu ft per day of gas and 1000-2000 tons per day condensate.