New Hydrocarbon Exploration Opportunity in the Eastern Indonesia

Benyamin Sapiie¹, R. Priyono², and Johanes Wijarnako^2
1Geology, Institute Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
²DITJEN MIGAS, ESDM Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Recent 2D seismic acquisition and multibeams survey at frontier area in the Eastern Indonesia generates numerous opportunities for exploring new hydrocarbon plays. This new survey covers large portion of the region concentrating in the new area (i.e. Cendrawasih Bay at Papua) that doesn’t have seismic data before. The result of integrated analysis of 2D seismic data, multibeams and geochemistry of seabed core indicates numerous new target areas. This paper will concentrate specifically discussing basin analysis results of the Bird Head region, Papua.

The tectonic evolution of Eastern Indonesia region is very complex which mostly formed as a result of collision between Australian and Pacific plates at approximately in the late Miocene. Before collision tectonic, Eastern Indonesia region was dominated by passive margin sequences as part of Northwest self of Australian, which was moved northward. The NW-SE rifting of Australian margin was begin in Permian and reached the peak on Late Jurassic. During this period lacustrine type source rocks (Permian) and deltaic reservoir sands (Jurassic) were deposited throughout the margin. Two major petroleum systems were recognized in the region: Mesozoic and Late Tertiary. The main plays were Jurassic sand and Miocene carbonate reef. The Mesozoic plays were found as combination of stratigraphy and structural traps some occurred within complex fold-thrust belt resulted from oblique convergent.

Analysis of newly acquired data sets indicated a new play was recognized in the region involving younger deformation event dominated by NE-SW directed shortening. Several leads showing closure with significant volumetric. However, further detail work need to be done to test this individual plays in particular concerning risk of reservoir facies rocks.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas