3D Oil Limited provided an update on the prospect of WA-527-P based on implications from the significant light oil discovery at Pavo 1 exploration well in the Bedout Sub-Basin, Western Australia, announced by Carnarvon Energy and operating partner Santos.
Pavo 1 has reportedly intersected 46m net pay (60m gross) of light oil (~52° API) within the Caley Member, located at the top of the Middle Triassic Archer Formation. Log analysis indicates excellent reservoir quality with 19% average porosity, 80% average oil saturation, and permeabilities ranging from 100-1000 millidarcies. Similar excellent reservoir quality can be
anticipated within WA-527-P.
Pavo is the second major discovery within the erosional channel truncation play, following the Dorado discovery in 2018, the largest oil discovery on the NW shelf in 30 years. According to Santos, the northern Pavo closure tested by Pavo 1 contains 43 MMbbls gross 2C, while the untested southern closure has an additional best estimate prospective resource of 40 MMbbls gross, with a 60% probability of geologic success. The potential areal extent for the development of leads of similar, or larger, size within WA-527-P is significant based on the potential mapped extent of the channel system.
As the most proximal well to WA-527-P, Pavo 1 significantly upgrades the prospectivity of this play in the permit. 3D Oil has previously recognised potential erosional channels associated with the Top Caley Unconformity in the southwest corner of WA-527-P, identified on broadly spaced reprocessed 2D seismic. Pavo’s location along trend from WA-527-P has significant implications for de-risking key aspects of the play in the permit, including source presence, hydrocarbon migration, and top/lateral seal presence and effectiveness.
An early entrant to the Bedout Sub-Basin, 3D Oil has long recognised the potential significance of the Dorado play. The trapping mechanism at Pavo/Dorado involves the erosional truncation of the Archer Formation along the top Caley Member Unconformity, forming large channels backfilled with shales during a subsequent rapid rise in sea level.
These shales belong to the Hove Member and form both the lateral and top seal for these discoveries.
Both the Pavo 1 and Apus 1 exploration wells being drilled by the Santos – CVN Joint Venture will be intersecting these deeper potential source intervals, the first wells in the basin to do so. This will aid the understanding of the stratigraphy and potential of deeper petroleum systems below the currently known Caley petroleum system. Any new petroleum systems discovered in these wells below the Caley would have profound implications for the WA-527-P permit.
Detailed oil and gas migration modelling completed by 3D Oil shows favourable migration pathways from the new source kitchen area, with the potential to charge any channel truncation leads in WA-527-P. Hydrocarbon migration into WA-527-P is supported by the observation of potential Hydrocarbon Related Diagenetic Zones (HRDZs) within the permit, which form in
response to hydrocarbon migration.
Given the exciting results at Pavo 1, and Apus 1 to follow, the company is confident there will be renewed interest in the WA-527-P permit and now keenly awaits the results at Apus 1.
