Title: Unconventional resource evaluation: Kockatea Shale, Perth Basin, Western Australia

Authors: Amir Karimian Torghabeh; Reza Rezaee; Reza Moussavi-Harami; Nuno Pimentel

Addresses: Department of Geology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Sq., Vakil Abad Blvd., Postal code: 9177948974, Mashhad, Iran ' Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, G.P.O. Box U1987 Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia ' Department of Geology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Sq., Vakil Abad Blvd., Postal code: 9177948974, Mashhad, Iran ' Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geology, University of Lisbon, Fac.Ciências, Campo Grande, C-6, 4º. 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: Organic-rich shales occur in the Kockatea Shale Formation, Permo-Triassic of the Perth Basin (Western Australia) and have been investigated to characterise it as a potential shale gas unit. Classic sedimentological investigation methods, including core descriptions and thin section microscopy, were coupled with standardised organic geochemical analysis procedures, such as TOC determination and Rock-Eval pyrolysis, as well as maceral composition analysis and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) measurements. The Kockatea sediments show a trend of increasing maturity from north to south, with Ro values ranging from 0.6 to 2%, pointing to a thermal maturity between the wet and dry thermogenic gas window. The organic matter is a mixed Type II/III kerogen and hydrogen index (HI) values range from 0.1 to 662 mg HC/g rock, with total organic carbon (TOC) contents between 0.02 and 12.64 wt% and an average formation thickness of 337 m. These interdisciplinary data and methods point to a good potential of the Kockatea Shale Formation for shale gas exploration in Western Australia. [Received: December 28, 2012; Accepted: April 20, 2013].

Keywords: Kockatea Shale; Perth Basin; shale gas; burial history; thermal modelling; Australia; resource evaluation; sedimentology; organic geochemical analysis; maceral composition; vitrinite reflectance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2014.064420

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2014 Vol.8 No.1, pp.16 - 30

Received: 28 Dec 2012
Accepted: 20 Apr 2013
Published online: 18 Sep 2014 *

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