Revising the structural elements map of the North West Shelf

Abstract

Summary The widely used scheme of naming basins and their regional subdivisions on the North West Shelf emerged from relatively sparse data collected during the early stages of exploration. Such data allow the recognition of large-scale structures and depocentres with a broadly distinct tectono-stratigraphic framework. While that scheme has endured, the availability of extensive, high quality seismic data and stratigraphic information from numerous exploration wells means that we can define much more precisely the structural elements that comprise the margin and the stratigraphic signatures of the basin fill. This has highlighted some inconsistencies in the existing nomenclature, the presence of structural elements of different ages and the presence of boundaries between basins that sometimes can appear rather arbitrary. We present a revised map for the North West Shelf that shows the structural elements with distinct tectono-stratigraphic signatures that comprise the margin, and applies a consistent nomenclature to them. The aim is to provide a framework that will allow for the better demarcation of distinct hydrocarbon provinces and improved targeting of exploration programmes. This is a work in progress and we invite you to annotate the map shown on our poster with your own comments or to provide feedback via our blog.