Offshore Bedout, WA
| Permit(s): | WA-527-P Exploration Permit |
| Interest: | 100% 3D Energi Limited (Operator) |
| Status: | Petroleum Exploration Permit |
| Basin: | Bedout Sub-Basin, Roebuck Basin, Western Australia |
Highlights
- Located on the margin of Australia’s newest offshore petroleum province
- Dorado 1 oil and gas discovery the largest in 30 years on the NW Shelf
- Latest Pavo oil discovery highlights hydrocarbon migration to basin margin
- ~350 MMbbls oil identified across three drill targets
- Salamander lead is the third largest undrilled structure in the basin
- Sauropod MC3D seismic survey to target extension of Dorado-style play
Overview
The Offshore Bedout Project, WA-527-P exploration permit, is located on the Northwest Shelf within the offshore Bedout Sub-Basin, 195km west of Broome, Australia’s newest offshore petroleum province since the discovery of Dorado Field in 2018.
The Bedout Sub-Basin is an ENE-WSW trending depocenter that covers an area of ~38,000km2 within the Roebuck Basin and lies adjacent to the prolific North Carnarvon Basin, which has seen >1500 wells drilled in comparison with the 17 wells drilled to date in the underexplored Bedout Sub-Basin.
The Dorado-1 oil and gas discovery in 2018 was nothing short of a game changer and has completely changed the outlook on prospectivity within the Bedout Sub-basin, having encountered the largest oil discovery on the Northwest Shelf in 30 years within the Caley sandstone reservoir. Dorado-1 also opened a new play concept where combination structural-stratigraphic traps can be formed by incised valleys filled by thick shales that act as lateral seals. The discovery also confirmed excellent reservoir quality up-dip of existing discoveries within the Caley, but also the potential of the Baxter, Crespin and Milne reservoirs, which host gas-condensate at Dorado.
The Pavo-1 oil discovery in 2022 was the next transformational event for the prospectivity of WA-527-P, by establishing hydrocarbon migration to the basin margin. Drilling has progressively stepped out from the basin centre at Phoenix towards the basin margin at Pavo-1 and Apus-1, testing the extension of the petroleum system. The Sauropod Project lies directly along trend from the Pavo oil discovery, which, in all likelihood, proves the existence of a new source kitchen to the east of the Roc-Dorado ridge. WA-527-P is on a direct migration pathway from this new kitchen.
The work program is currently focused on the acquisition of the Sauropod MC3D seismic survey, which covers a potential northern extension of the Dorado incised valley channel system. The Environmental Planning (EP) area for this seismic survey covers 3447km2, the entire western half of the permit. The Sauropod survey aims to define new potential prospects and upgrade the existing leads portfolio, comprising ~350MMbbls across three leads, including Salamander which is the third largest undrilled structure in the basin.
WA-527-P Exploration Permit, offshore Western Australia
3D Energi Limited (ASX: TDO) has a 100% participating interest in WA-527-P exploration permit, which covers an area of 6,580km2 over shallow Commonwealth waters of the Bedout Sub-Basin, where water depths generally range from 100-150m.
WA-527-P was awarded in March 2017 as part of the 2016 Gazettal round. The minimum work program requirement includes geological and geophysical studies such as seismic interpretation, reservoir/seal studies, basin modelling, and the acquisition of ≥510km2 of 3D seismic over the most prospective area of the permit.