Petroleum Prospectivity of the Northern Australian Marine Region

The northern marine region of Australia has been selected by the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW; with statutory and policy responsibility for MPAs) and other stakeholders (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007) as a possible location for the establishment of marine parks. This report examines the petroleum prospectivity of the proposed region, with an assessment undertaken by Geoscience Australia. The northern marine assessment region is located offshore on the northern shelf of Australian, extending from the Torres Strait to the NT/WA state boundary. Geologically the region encompasses three provinces; 1) the Timor Sea, 2) the Arafura Sea and 3) the Gulf of Carpentaria. These areas were assessed separately due to different development histories, sedimentary fill and associated prospectivity.