Geologic and geophysical challenges that were overcome with the use of technology — Caswell subbasin, Browse Basin

Abstract

The Browse Basin is part of the larger Westralia Superbasin, which underpins much of the Australian North West Shelf region. The 2013 acquisition of 9224 km2 of multiclient 3D GeoStreamer dual-sensor deep-tow seismic over the Caswell subbasin gives new insight into this hydrocarbon province, where the 2014 discovery of Lasseter-1 in the basin has resulted in renewed exploration interest. Numerous imaging challenges within the Browse Basin have added to the complexity of the area. Therefore, acquiring and processing data of sufficient quality to allow sufficient resolution of reservoir distribution around target structures and clarity to image subtle stratigraphic traps is critical. Improved imaging of the data allows identification of potential new play fairways, such as the Aurora subbasin, which was bypassed previously because of imaging challenges.