Prospective frontier basins

The Northern Territory contains a number of prospective frontier sedimentary basins that remain underexplored by global standards despite evidence of working or potentially working petroleum systems. These frontier basins are considered prospective due to the presence of thick sedimentary successions, organic-rich shale intervals, favourable thermal maturity, known oil and gas shows, and geological similarities to proven petroliferous basins elsewhere in the Northern Territory.

The Palaeoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic Birrindudu Basin, also considered as part of the greater McArthur Basin, outcrops for more than 35,000 km² and extends significantly beneath cover. Sedimentary rocks equivalent in age to the petroliferous McArthur Basin are present, including thick Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic shale sequences. Exploration remains extremely limited, however oil bleeds and hydrocarbon indications suggest potential for both conventional and unconventional petroleum systems.

The Palaeoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic South Nicholson Basin and underlying Lawn Hill Platform contains sedimentary rocks equivalent those of the petroliferous Beetaloo Sub-basin and McArthur Basin. Exploration, including seismic and well coverage in the South Nicholson Basin is extremely limited with minor oil shows identified.  The stratigraphy of the South Nicholson Basin unconformably overlies rocks of the Lawn Hill Platform which is situated across the NT and Qld border and contains Proterozoic aged sedimentary rocks equivalent to the McArthur Basin. The basin is prospective for conventional and unconventional petroleum systems with known shale-gas discovered in Qld. Exploration, including seismic and well coverage in the Lawn Hill Platform in the NT is extremely limited. However, oil and gas shows recently identified in the NDI Carrara 1 well suggests shale gas systems may be present.

The Warburton Basin, Wiso Basin and Ngalia Basin remain prospective, but underexplored for oil and gas.