Project Profile
Location: Maryborough Basin, southeast State of Queensland, Australia
Area: 2,984km²
Drilling Depth: 6,000 metres
Start-up Year: -
The Maryborough Basin Application areas ATP 674A and ATP733A have recently been granted as new exploration permits by the Queensland Government, following the execution of Native Title agreements with both the Butchulla and Port Curtis Coral Coast Peoples. These permit areas were originally applied for by Magellan Petroleum (Eastern Pty Ltd) in 2003. Subsequently, Magellan Petroleum sold the assets to Adelaide Energy Limited, who in turn were taken over by Beach Energy in 2011 and so ownership of these permits will transfer to Beach on execution of the respective transfer documentation by the Government.
Blue Energy Ltd entered a commercial arrangement with Magellan in 2005 to farm into the Maryborough Basin permit areas, and as such is deemed to be the Operator of the Permits with respect to geological oversight and execution of the work program. The permits are located in the State of Queensland in Australia. The first stage of the farm in has been completed and Native Title Agreement signed with the traditional owners. Blue and its joint venture partner Adelaide Energy will commence exploration activities. There has been 27km seismic and 2 core wells completed, while gas pipeline travels through the block.
In the 1960’s and again in the 1980’s and early 2000’s, petroleum wells were drilled in search of hydrocarbon accumulations and again despite no commercial hydrocarbons being discovered at that time, the wells confirmed that a hydrocarbon source was present within the stratigraphic sequence of the Maryborough Basin. Marine source rocks of the Maryborough Formation (Cretaceous age) have been demonstrated to be a viable source rock interval, as have the Jurassic Tiaro Coal Measures and Cretaceous Burrum Coal Measures (which have been mined for coal since the early 1900’s). The potential for hydrocarbon accumulation therefore is postulated to exist in the Tiaro Coal Measures, Gregory Sandstone, the Maryborough Formation and the Burrum Coal measures.
The work program for the newly awarded permits consists of Geological and Geophysical desk top studies together with the acquisition of new seismic data in the first two years of the four year permit term, followed by the drilling of single exploration well in the latter two years in each permit. These wells are likely to be similar in depth and design to those already drilled in the region by previous petroleum companies. This activity level is designed to provide basic geological data to evaluate if there is any potential for commercial hydrocarbons in the area. In conjunction with this work program there is potential to evaluate the Burrum syncline for the presence of economic Coal Seam Gas though the drilling of targeted areas with in the syncline.
Operators:
Blue Energy Ltd: Operator with 75% interest
Adelaide Energy: 25% interest