Recent Oil Discoveries Research Articles

Architecture and exploration target areas of the Senegal Basin, West Africa

The recent discovery of large oil and gas fields in the deep-water of the Senegal Basin has drawn global attention. Despite this, several exploration wells in this area fail, which can be primarily contributed to a lack of understanding of the basin's structures and hydrocarbon accumulation conditions. This study examines these characteristics utilizing gravity, seismic and drilling data, and finally makes a comparison with the Cote d’Ivoire Basin, a typical transform margin basin in the South Atlantic. The results suggest that the Senegal Basin, influenced by multiple transform faults and a weak Paleozoic basement, experienced three evolutionary stages: rifting, transitional, and drifting. Each stage contributed to the development of distinct depositional sequences - syn-rift sequences, sag sequences, and continental margin sequences, respectively. The Triassic - Early Jurassic rifting stage predominantly formed continental deposits, like fluvial, lacustrine, and deltaic deposits, in the syn-rift sequences. The Middle-Late Jurassic transitional stage, influenced by transform faults, witnessed the formation of marginal ridges or submarine uplift zones. These zones, in conjunction with landward high terrains, formed a restricted environment promoting the development of source rocks in the sag sequences. During the drifting stage, three types of reservoirs, namely platform carbonate rocks, deltas, and slope-floor fans were formed. Notably, large-scale hydrocarbon reservoirs have been found in the deltas and the slope-floor fans both in the Senegal Basin and the Cote d’Ivoire Basin. The Upper Jurassic - Aptian platforms exhibit thick carbonate rocks and organic reefs on their edges, suggesting substantial potential for hydrocarbon exploration in the Senegal Basin.

Characteristics of Deepwater Oil and Gas Distribution along the Silk Road and Their Controlling Factors

Deepwater regions have emerged as pivotal domains for global oil and gas exploration and development, serving as strategic alternatives to conventional resources. The Silk Road region is distinguished by its abundant oil and gas reserves and stands as a leading arena for worldwide exploration and development in the oil and gas sector. Since 2012, a series of atmospheric fields have been discovered in the deep sea of the Luwuma Basin and the Tanzania Basin, with cumulative recoverable reserves reaching 4.4 × 1012 and 8.3 × 1011 m3, including multiple oil and gas fields ranking among the top ten global discoveries at that time. Profound advancements have been achieved in the exploration of deepwater oil and gas reserves along the Silk Road. However, deepwater oil and gas exploration presents challenges, such as high development costs and risks, leading to certain areas remaining underexplored and exhibiting a relatively low level of exploration activity, thereby hinting at considerable untapped potential. Deepwater sedimentary basins along the Silk Road predominantly adhere to a distribution pattern characterized as “one horizontal and one vertical”. The “horizontal” dimension refers to the deepwater basin grouping within the Neo-Tethys tectonic domain, primarily extending from east to west. Conversely, the “vertical” dimension denotes the deepwater basin grouping along the East African continental margin, predominantly extending from north to south. Recent discoveries of deepwater oil and gas reserves validate the presence of foundational elements within Silk Road basins conducive to the formation of substantial oil and gas reservoirs and the establishment of efficient migration pathways. Despite these achievements, exploration activities in deepwater oil and gas resources along the Silk Road remain relatively limited. Future exploration endeavors in deepwater regions will predominantly focus on identifying structural and lithological traps. In the deepwater areas of the Bay of Bengal, the emphasis is on lithological traps formed by Neogene turbidite sandstone deposits. In the deepwater regions of Pakistan, the focus shifts to lithological traps emerging from Neogene bio-reefs and river-channel sandstone accumulations. Along the deepwater coastline of East Africa, the focus is on lithological traps formed by nearshore Mesozoic–Cenozoic bio-reefs and seafloor turbidite sandstone formations. Within the deepwater regions of Southeast Asia, the primary objective is to locate large structural-type oil and gas fields. Analyzing the characteristics of oil and gas discoveries in deepwater areas aims to enhance the theory of the control of the formation of deepwater oil and gas, providing valuable insights for predicting future exploration directions.

High-resolution sequence stratigraphy applied to reservoir characterization of the Brazilian Cretaceous pre-salt section, Campos Basin: Guidelines for geological modeling and reservoir management

The giant accumulations in the pre-salt section of the Brazilian sedimentary basins stand out among the recent world discoveries of oil and gas provinces. The purpose of this case study was to provide inputs to refined 3D geological modeling and reservoir management by characterizing a pre-salt reservoir in the Marlim and Voador fields in the Campos Basin using high-resolution sequence-stratigraphic methodology. This methodology was strong enough to combine different data types, such as seismic and well data, into a high-resolution chronostratigraphic framework. The investigation classified the geological record of the reservoir within a sequence-stratigraphic framework with at least five hierarchies. The 1st- and 2nd-order sequences relate to distinct phases of the Basin's tectonic evolution. Sequences of carbonate lake sedimentation within the post-rift tectonic configuration, where the reservoir is found, were attributed to multiscale transgressive-regressive (T-R) cyclicity. Lake T-R cycles observed in any hierarchical setting are generally governed by faciological tendencies that determine petrophysical features. Regressive tracts produce a more significant proportion of facies with high porosity, whereas transgressive tracts produce facies with reduced porosity. The proposed detailed stratigraphic zoning satisfactorily explains the depletion behavior of the reservoir, revealing that high-resolution sequences condition the fluid flow. Several recommendations for 3D geological modeling, development planning, and reservoir management are made based on these results. The detail highlighted in this study is fundamental in searching for additional oil reserves, production factors, and final recovery.

Study on the Tight Gas Accumulation Process and Model in the Transition Zone at the Margin of the Basin: A Case Study on the Permian Lower Shihezi Formation, Duguijiahan Block, Ordos Basin, Northern China

Recent discoveries of oil and gas have principally been located in the central part of the Ordos Basin, which is a petroliferous basin with the largest discovered reserves and annual production of tight sandstone gas in China. For tight sandstone gas reservoirs in the transition zone of the basin margin, the process of natural gas accumulation has remained relatively vaguely understood, because of the transitional accumulation of geological conditions such as structure, sedimentation, and preservation. In this study, thin-section identification and scanning electron microscopic observations of the reservoir core, measurement of the physical properties of the reservoir, microscopic petrography research and measurement of the homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions, digital simulations, and laser Raman spectroscopy analysis were combined to analyze the process of natural gas accumulation of the Permian Lower Shihezi Formation in Duguijiahan block, Hangjinqi area, northern Ordos Basin. The results showed that the Lower Shihezi Formation reservoir in the Duguijiahan block began gas charging in the southern part as early as the Early Cretaceous (130–128 Ma), and then gradually charged in the northern part. Three stages were identified in the digital simulations of gas charging, i.e., the breakthrough, rapid, and fully saturated stages. The initial porosity of the Lower Shihezi Formation reservoir ranged between 28% and 40%. Later, because of strong compaction and interstitial filling during burial, the sandstone porosity decreased rapidly, and densification (porosity < 10%) occurred in the mid–late Jurassic. This late tectonic uplift caused a continuous reduction in ground temperature, and diagenesis had a weak effect on pore transformation. The present porosity of the Lower Shihezi Formation reservoir basically inherited its characteristics in the late Early Cretaceous. The current average porosity of the reservoir is 8.58%, and the average permeability is 0.88 mD, and it can thus be characterized as a tight reservoir. The gas accumulation process of the Lower Shihezi Formation has three stages: (1) the depositional stage (C–P), corresponding to the depositional stage of the source-reservoir-cap combination in gas reservoir; (2) the natural gas accumulation stage (T–K1), corresponding to the period of rapid source rock maturation and natural gas charging step-by-step; and (3) the gas reservoir adjustment stage (K2–present), corresponding to the period of uplift and natural gas charging in the early stage that gradually migrated and accumulated northward along the fracture zone. Finally, the gas accumulation model in the transition zone at the margin of basin was established.

Meso-Neoproterozoic proto-basins and oil–gas resources in China: Preface

The recent discovery of Meso-Neoproterozoic primary oil and gas reservoirs within ancient cratonic basins of the world has promoted studies on the mechanism and exploration of these primary reservoirs. The formation and distribution of oil and gas resources are controlled by the tectonic setting, paleogeography, paleo-environment and biological evolutionary history related to supercontinents. The nature and distribution of proto-type basins are a key to oil and gas exploration and evaluation for the Meso-Neoproterozoic basins. This special issue is focused on the theme of “Supercontinental breakup process, basin formation, late deformation, and oil and gas accumulation”. It aims to provide a cross section of the interdisciplinary methods adopted to study Meso-Neoproterozoic basin-forming tectonic settings and evolutionary processes in the three cratons of China, to unravel the tectonic reworking and formation of proto-basins, to reconstruct the tectonic paleogeography and prototype basin, and to identify the effect of the late superimposed geological events for the proto-type basins and their oil and gas petroleum systems.

Hydrodynamic Analysis Techniques for Coupled Seakeeping–Sloshing in Zero Speed Vessels: A Review

AbstractWith more recent discoveries of oil and gas reserves in the deep ocean locations like Guyana and Ghana, floating vessels such as floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) and floating liquified natural gas (FLNG) are in high demand. Good seakeeping characteristics of floating vessels are relevant because they are expected to be in operation all year round regardless of the weather conditions they may encounter. One phenomenon that affects the motion responses of floating vessels in severe weather conditions is sloshing in the cargo tanks. Vessel wave responses and sloshing may, individually and combined, cause damaging and dangerous motions. The availability of fast and accurate techniques for predicting and analyzing the motions and tank behavior in extreme weather conditions plays a significant role in the design and operations of floating vessels. Over the years, investigations have been carried out on the hydrodynamics of vessel motions, sloshing as a separate phenomenon as well as coupled vessel motions with sloshing analysis. This study reviews the existing techniques that are applicable for analyzing coupled vessel motions and sloshing in the tanks of floating vessels moored offshore. The pros and cons of each technique have been discussed, with the aim to help future researchers and engineers select the most appropriate method for design and analysis. This paper also identifies methods that are yet to be fully applied for coupled seakeeping—sloshing analysis.

An integrated sequence stratigraphic–geochemical investigation of the Jurassic source rocks in the North Yellow Sea Basin, eastern China

The North Yellow Sea Basin (NYSB) is one of the petroliferous basins in the offshore region of eastern China. An integrated sequence stratigraphic–geochemical investigation was carried out to identify and assess the effective source rocks of recent oil discoveries in the NYSB. A total of four third-order sequences (the first [J2SQ1] and second [J2SQ2] third-order sequence within the Middle Jurassic, and the first [J3SQ1] and second [J3SQ2] third-order sequence within the Upper Jurassic) were identified in the Jurassic succession, in which four types of probable source rocks were distinguished, namely, lacustrine deep-water mudstones, lacustrine shallow-water mudstones, prodeltaic mudstones, and deltaic-plain mudstones. The lacustrine deep-water mudstones are widely distributed within the J2SQ1, J2SQ2, and J3SQ2 sequences in the gentle tectonic slope and depression area. They are characterized by moderate total organic carbon (TOC) contents (0.79−3.72 wt. %, with an average of 1.71 wt. %), lower hydrocarbon potential indexes (the amount of free hydrocarbons before analysis [S1] and the amount of hydrocarbons that results from cracking of kerogen [S2], i.e., S1+ S2, in a sample during Rock-Eval pyrolysis) (0.97 mg HC/g rock < S1 + S2 < 7.89 mg HC/g rock, with an average of 3.10 mg HC/g rock), and predominantly type II to type III kerogen. In contrast, the prodeltaic mudstones in J3SQ2 have higher TOC contents (1.5−4.0 wt. %, with an average of 2.71 wt. %), higher S1 + S2 (5.83−25.51 mg HC/g rock, with an average of 14.89 mg HC/g rock), and predominantly type I to type II kerogen. The oil–source correlation results indicate that the oils discovered in the NYSB mainly originated from the prodeltaic J3SQ2 mudstones. The effective source kitchen is mainly located in the northwestern part of the study area. The factors controlling the occurrence of high-quality prodeltaic source rocks are a sufficient supply of nutrients and terrigenous organic matter, high depositional rates, and a suboxic environment.

Availability assessment of a monobuoy-anchored ship to ship offloading system

Cargo transshipment operations between large vessels are increasingly recurrent in the oil and gas industry scenario. Due to the operational limitations of Brazilian terminals and ports and recent discoveries of large oil and gas offshore fields in the pre-salt area, new types of configurations are being studied to propose alternatives for operators. The present work proposes a methodology for the analysis of the availability of a ship to ship offloading operation using a monobuoy single point mooring system. The study initially contemplates a quasi-static analysis considering a 10-year history of measurements of environmental conditions such as wind, current, wave, and swell, which to obtain the system heading, loads on the monobuoy, and static tensions in the mooring system between ships. In sequence, the dynamic tensions are calculated as a function of the first-order relative movements caused by the wave and swell incidence. Also, it is proposed to use a tugboat to align the system with the waves’ incidence angle in order to reduce motions and increase availability, which is confirmed by the obtained results. Furthermore, the system’s performance is assessed according to the variation of loading conditions, the relative positioning of the vessels, and different operating scenarios.

Investigating the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in Kenya: A multivariate analysis

In the quest towards a cleaner environment via the mitigation of climate change and its impact, this study examined the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, energy efficiency and energy consumption indicators in Kenya. The study employed an autoregressive distributed lag technique, statistically inspired modification of partial least squares regression and Utest method to analyze four models with data spanning 1971 to 2013. Both the autoregressive distributed lag model and the Utest estimation confirmed an inverted u-shaped curve, thus, validating the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in Kenya. The study revealed that an increase in energy consumption exacerbates carbon dioxide emissions in the long-run. The statistically inspired modification of partial least squares regression revealed that electricity from renewable energy sources plays a critical role in carbon dioxide emission reduction. An increase in GDP per capita and household consumption expenditure increases energy consumption. Energy imports had no long-run effect due to the recent oil discovery, coal, prospects of nuclear energy and the potential for more renewable energy sources in Kenya. The study highlights that using sustainable technologies like, inter alia, carbon capture and storage in the exploitation of oil and coal are essential to reducing pollution. Rural-urban migration increases the burden on electric power consumption, thus, reducing energy efficiency if conservation options are not enforced. As a policy implication, engaging the public on energy conservation and management options will help curb energy challenges like load shedding — which appears troubling in Africa.

New Oil Developments in a Remote Area: Environmental Justice and Participation in Turkana, Kenya

Recent discoveries of oil and gas in eastern Africa often happen in marginalized and underdeveloped areas, such as Turkana, Kenya, an arid county inhabited predominantly by pastoralists. As a result of low political participation and weak governance frameworks for the emerging hydrocarbon industry, the pastoralists face displacement from land, exposure to environmental hazards, and exclusion from decision-making and benefit-sharing arrangements. Their interests are further sidelined by elite capture and a strong national development agenda supported by international actors. Community members have aired their grievances against both the investor and the state through protests, disrupting company operations. This work argues that two of the pillars of environmental justice, participation and recognition, are lacking in the county and that authentic participation should be pursued to avoid destruction of community capabilities and conflict. Because there is historical opposition to the state and its allies, the county government should consider working closely with trusted providers in the county, namely, faith-based organizations and their civil society counterparts, to bring about more authentic participation, community empowerment, and ultimately better governance for just distribution of benefits and harms.

Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene in an Oxygen-Ion-Transport-Membrane Reactor: A Proposed Design for Process Intensification

Recent major discoveries of gas and oil in the United States in shale plays have significantly increased the amount of ethane available for steam-cracking to produce ethylene; and numerous large petrochemical companies have built new ethane crackers on the U.S. Gulf Coast since 2016. Steam-cracking, however, is energy intensive; and there is a need to develop more-energy-efficient processes to produce ethylene. Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene in an oxygen-ion-transport-membrane reactor is thought to be one such process; and experimental work has demonstrated that (1) a mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane with the stoichiometry BaFe0.9Zr0.1O3−δ is capable of splitting steam into gaseous hydrogen and oxygen ions on the feed gas–membrane interface, and (2) the oxygen ions can diffuse through the membrane to react with ethane on the fuel-side gas–membrane interface, producing ethylene in yields ranging from 46 to 77% at ethylene selectivities as high as 98%.

Rethinking Elite Commitment to Social Protection in Ghana: Insights from an Adapted Political Settlements Approach

This paper explores the political economy drivers of Ghana’s flagship cash transfer programme, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP). In contrast to existing accounts of the LEAP as a domestically driven cash transfer scheme, the evidence here shows that donor pressures, leveraged through financing, played a more prominent role than the paradigmatic ideas of domestic political elites in shaping the adoption of the LEAP. Despite the recent discovery of oil and the country’s subsequent ascension to middle-income status, donors remain important players in the Ghanaian political economy, given their dominance in the investment component of government’s budget and the resultant inability of political elites to generate the rents that are so badly needed for meeting various redistributive demands without donor financing. However, once the LEAP was adopted, domestic political calculations and the incentives generated by Ghana’s political settlement dynamics took centre stage in shaping the actual implementation of the programme, especially around questions of targeting and geographical coverage, and the prioritisation of reforms with more visible impact that could be leveraged upon to win competitive elections. These findings suggest that an adapted political settlements framework that goes beyond domestic political calculus, and which explicitly incorporates the influence of ideational and transnational factors, can greatly improve our understanding of the political economy drivers of social protection in Africa.

The oil discovery in Uganda’s Albertine region: Local expectations, involvement, and impacts

This paper examines the opportunities created by the recent oil discovery in Uganda's Albertine region for local economic development. This is achieved through an assessment of local expectations, involvement, and impacts of on-going activities following the discovery of oil. The local communities have formed strong positive expectations including improved access to healthcare, education, electricity, safe drinking water, transport infrastructure, cleaner and less costly energy, and employment prospects. Moreover, communities expect to benefit from auxiliary business opportunities. The negative expectations include concerns about the arrival of immigrants, contestations over land, inequality, environmental pollution, interference with livestock grazing areas, and loss of livelihoods. Despite the negative expectations expressed, the local communities within the Albertine region approve of the ongoing activities with regard to the development of the oil sector. We argue that greater stakeholder involvement will help to alleviate the fears shaping the negative expectations and create conditions necessary to avoid the resource curse.

Chemistry in Senegal: Between Skepticism and Hope

Abstract In Senegal, the education and university system is characterized by the dominance of arts and humanities over science and technology. The practice of chemistry is relatively important regionally in universities (for both education and research), as well as in the industries—although with a strong contrast between these two areas. Will the dynamism of chemical associations and the recent discovery of gas and oil enable a change in the chemical sector in Senegal? Senegal is a country in West Africa with 15.3 million inhabitants where the practice of chemistry is quite established. In this article, we present the current state of chemical education, research, and industry, without forgetting, of course, the chemical associations that have become increasingly active in recent years.

Petroleum systems framework of significant new oil discoveries in a giant Cretaceous (Aptian–Cenomanian) clinothem in Arctic Alaska

Recent oil discoveries in an Aptian–Cenomanian clinothem in Arctic Alaska demonstrate the potential for hundred-million- to billion-barrel oil accumulations in Nanushuk Formation topsets and Torok Formation foresets–bottomsets. Oil-prone source rocks and the clinothem are draped across the Barrow arch, a structural hinge between the Colville foreland basin and Beaufort Sea rifted margin. Stratigraphic traps lie in a favorable thermal maturity domain along multiple migration pathways across more than 30,000 km2 (10,000 mi2). Sediment from the Chukotkan orogen (Russia) filled the western Colville basin and spilled over the Beaufort rift shoulder, forming east- and north-facing shelf margins. Progradational shelf margin trajectories change abruptly to “sawtooth” trajectories at midclinothem, the result of reduction in sediment influx. Two stratigraphic trap types are inferred in Nanushuk basal topsets in the eastern part of the clinothem: (1) lowstand systems tracts, inferred to reflect forced regression, include a narrow, thick progradational stacking pattern perched on a sequence boundary on the upper slope; and (2) highstand-progradational systems tracts include a broad, thin wedge of shingled parasequences above a toplap surface. Both include stratigraphically isolated sandstone sealed by mudstone. Trap geometries in Torok foreset and bottomset facies in the same area include basin-floor fan, slope-apron, and slope-channel deposits that pinch out upslope and are sealed by mudstone. Significant potential exists for the discovery of additional oil accumulations in these stratigraphic trap types in the eastern part of the clinothem. Less potential may exist in the western part because reservoir–seal pairs may not be well developed.

Wrench related faults and their control on the tectonics and Eocene sedimentation in the L13–L15 sub-sag area, Pearl River Mouth basin, China

Recent oil discoveries in the L13–L15 sub-sag area in the Pearl River Mouth basin have inspired interest in Paleogene hydrocarbon targets. However, the structures and their control on reservoirs have not been completely studied. The aim of this paper is to address the tectonics and Eocene sedimentation based on 3D seismic data. We documented characteristics from four aspects of the faults in the study area: (a) fault arrangement; (b) fault segmentation; (c) flower structures; and (d) distribution of the depocenters along the faults. Based on the above data, we propose that the structures in the studied area were formed by a right-handed wrench. The principal shear for this model was caused by NNE- to NE-ward motion of the eastern part of the Eurasia plate due to the collision of the Indian–Australian and Eurasian plates starting approximately 49 Ma ago. The L13–L15 sub-sag area underwent early Eocene rifting, a late Eocene rifting-depression transition and an Oligocene-Quaternary thermal depression. The rift phase included three stages: the initial rifting, intensive rifting and late rifting. The deep lake mudstone deposited during the intensive rifting stage is the source rock with the most potential for oil generation. Shallow lake source rocks formed in the late rifting and transition stages are the secondary source rocks. Reservoir sweet spots were formed in the early period of the intensive rifting and late rifting stages. The junction sites between the front of the meandering river delta plain and fault steps are favorable places for good reservoirs. The sediments in the transition stage are rich in sandstone, making them perfect sites for prospecting reservoirs.

Should Developing Countries Constrain Resource-Income Spending? A Quantitative Analysis of Oil Income in Uganda

A large increase in government spending following resource discoveries often entails political risks, inefficient investments and increased volatility. Setting up a sovereign wealth fund with a clear spending constraint may decrease these risks. On the other hand, in a capital scarce developing economy with limited access to international borrowing, such a spending constraint may lower welfare by reducing domestic capital accumulation and hindering consumption increases for the currently poor. These two contradicting considerations pose a dilemma for policy makers in deciding whether to set up a sovereign wealth fund with a spending constraint. Using Uganda’s recent oil discovery as a case study, this paper presents a quantitative macroeconomic analysis and examines the potential loss of constraining spending through a sovereign wealth fund with a simple spending rule. We find that the loss is relatively low and unlikely to dominate the political risks associated with increased oil spending. Thus, such a spending constraint appears well warranted.

Inclusive development, oil extraction and climate change: a multilevel analysis of Kenya

ABSTRACTThere has been considerable research on North–South issues on climate change; however, little work has been done on how the recent discovery of oil in some developing countries could affect North–South relations, the prospects for development for the South, climate change and local socio-environmental issues. Using the theory of inclusive development, the concept of the Right to Development, and their relation to stranded assets, this paper addresses the question: what does inclusive development imply at the national and global level in dealing with oil extraction in the context of climate change? Based on a literature review and a layered case study of Kenya, this paper concludes that (a) Kenyans argue that Kenya has a right to extract and use oil resources and that rich countries should reduce their extraction and use; (b) such a claim could be integrated in an appropriate emissions trading scheme; and that (c) Kenya should also account for the national and local socioecological aspects to reduce potential local conflict, yet the conditions favoring inclusive development are not yet established. However, such an argument may also lead to perverse results. If addressing climate change requires phasing out fossil fuels, this argument may lead to stranded assets in both developed and developing countries, and may ironically leave developing countries poorer off as stranded assets are possibly more expensive than having stranded resources.

The hydrocarbon potential of the 2016 proposed Offshore Acreage Release Areas for petroleum exploration

The Australian Government usually releases new offshore exploration acreage once a year. The proposed 2016 Release Areas are located across various offshore hydrocarbon provinces and include mature basins with ongoing oil and gas production as well as exploration frontiers. In support of the annual acreage release, Geoscience Australia provides a variety of geological information with an emphasis on basin evolution, stratigraphic frameworks, and overviews of hydrocarbon prospectivity. Geoscience Australia’s petroleum geological studies are aimed at the evolution of hydrocarbon-bearing basins at a regional scale, and include a review of source rock occurrences, their distribution and geochemical characters. Following the recent oil discovery in the Roebuck Basin, a strong focus of Geoscience Australia’s work is being placed on the Triassic period, and any new findings will directly underpin the release of new exploration acreage. Recent updates to stratigraphic frameworks and new results from geochemical studies are regularly published, and are used by Geoscience Australia for prospectivity assessments. Furthermore, the Australian Government continues to assist offshore exploration activities by providing ready access to a wealth of geological and geophysical data.

Foz do Amazonas Basin – A case for oil generation from geothermal gradient modelling

With the recent Zaedyus-1 well oil discovery in French Guiana and the recent oil discoveries in the offset conjugate margin area in Africa (Sierra Leone-Liberia), it is no surprise that explorers are looking to continue this success into the Foz do Amazonas Basin of Brazil. Foz do Amazonas is the most northerly of the Brazilian equatorial margin basins with an area of 282,909 km², and water depths ranging from 50 m to greater than 3000 m. In this under-explored frontier basin, exploration drilling has been confined to the shelf, with 95 exploration wells drilled and ten of these with hydrocarbon shows. The 11th Exploration Licence Round focused on the potentially large reservoirs in distal Late Cretaceous/Palaeogene deep-water turbidite plays, following successful wells drilled in French Guiana. There are strong indicators for the presence of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs shown in recent publications, based on newly available data (Rodriguez et al., 2014). This study complements some of the evidence previously presented by analysing the prospectivity within the Foz do Amazonas Basin. We use temperature gradients obtained from exploration wells and Ocean Drilling Programme (ODP) wells, as well as values calculated from the Bottom Simulating Reflector (BSR) to model the geothermal gradient and present-day source rock maturity.