Shale Gas Potential of Goldwyer Formation in Canning Basin, Australia

Abstract

Canning Basin of Wstern Australia is one of the few large sedimentary basins with low petroleum exploration degree in Australia. The successful exploration and development of shale gas in North America has promoted shale gas exploration acitivity in the Canning Basin. EIA (World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions outside the United States, EIA, 2011 [6]), EIA (World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions outside the United States, EIA, 2013 [7]) has evaluated shale gas resources of Middle Ordovician Goldwyer Formation and oil companies have drilled shale gas exploratory wells in Canning Basin. The combination of structural and sedimentary studies and core geochemistry analysis is used to evaluate the shale gas potential of Goldwyer Formation in this article. 2D seismic data and well data are used to study the geological characters of Kidson Sub-basin where Goldwyer Formation mainly developed. Tectonic evolution, sedimentary facies and geochemical study of Goldwyer Formation show shale gas potential of Goldwyer is poor.