2016 Release Areas

Otway Basin

Release Areas V17-2 and V17-3, offshore Victoria

Highlights

Bids close on Thursday 19 October 2017

Proven commercial gas province with ready access to an expanding infrastructure and growing southeast Australian energy market.
Close to the producing Minerva, Casino and Halladale–Speculant gas fields
Shallow water depths less than 80 m
Release areas partially covered by 3D seismic
Further guidance applies, refer to 2017 Special Notices

Release Areas V17-2 and V17-3 are located adjacent to the prospective Shipwreck Trough, in the offshore Otway Basin (Figure 1). They are near the producing Minerva, Casino and Halladale–Speculant fields, which provide gas for the southeastern Australian energy market. The greater Melbourne region currently represents Australia’s largest domestic gas market and is supported by a local petroleum refining industry. Release Area V17-2 lies on the Mussel Platform, in water less than 70 m deep, approximately 8 km south of Warrnambool. Release Area V17-3 is on the Prawn Platform in water less than 80 m deep, 8 km south of Port Campbell and adjacent to the gas pipelines to the Port Campbell onshore gas processing plant.

The Otway Basin is a northwest-trending passive margin rift basin that was formed during Gondwanan break-up and the Antarctic-Australian separation. Rift-related faulting resulted in the development of large, deep depocentres, including the Voluta and Shipwreck troughs in the offshore part of the basin. The Shipwreck Trough is a structural depression between the Mussel and Prawn platforms. Deposition throughout the Late Cretaceous was dominated by deltaic sedimentation of the Sherbrook Group (Figure 2), which hosts most of the offshore gas discoveries and is >5000 m thick in the trough. Two potential petroleum systems occur in the vicinity of the Release Areas, the proven Lower Cretaceous Austral 2 Petroleum System that is the source of the gas produced in the region, and the Upper Cretaceous Austral 3 Petroleum System with a potential Turonian oil-prone source rock.

The data coverage for the region is indicated in Figure 3 showing the Champion and Hercules 3D seismic survey overlapping parts of the V17-2 Release Area and the Shomberg-Minerva 3D survey partially covering V17-3. A detailed well log for Minerva 2A is shown in Figure 4, indicating the gas-bearing reservoir in the Upper Cretaceous Warre Formation of the Shipwreck Subgroup. A well correlation from Minerva 1 to the onshore wells in the Port Campbell Embayment is shown in Figure 5.

Petroleum systems elements

Otway Basin

Sources	Aptian–Albian lower coastal plain and peat swamp Eumeralla Formation shale and coal (Austral 2) Upper Cretaceous–lowest Paleogene fluvio-deltaic Sherbrook Group (Turonian Waarre Formation and Coniacian–Santonian Belfast Mudstone) and marginal marine basal Wangerrip Group (Austral 3 unproven)
Reservoirs	Upper Cretaceous lower delta plain and marginal marine Waarre and Flaxman formations Upper Cretaceous marine Thylacine Member, Belfast Mudstone Upper Cretaceous deltaic Paaratte Formation Paleocene shallow marine Pebble Point Formation
Seals	Regional seals Upper Cretaceous Belfast Mudstone Intraformational seals Uppermost Cretaceous/Paleocene Massacre Shale Paleocene–Eocene Pember Mudstone and Dilwyn Formation Eocene Mepunga Formation
Traps	Faulted anticlines, tilted fault blocks with cross-fault seal

Infrastructure and markets

The Otway Basin is an established gas producing province that services the southeastern Australian energy market. The 2017 Release Areas are close to the producing Minerva and Casino gas fields, as well as the Halladale/Speculant gas field, which commenced production in August 2016. The greater Melbourne region represents a large domestic gas market and is supported by major petroleum refineries, including an onshore gas processing plant in Port Campbell, within 8 km of Release Area V17-3.

Critical risks

Throughout the exploration history of the offshore Otway Basin, poor fault-seal integrity has often been cited as the main reason for well failure (e.g. at Loch Ard 1 and Eric the Red 1). However, geochemical studies indicate the distribution of the present day, peak generation window for the respective petroleum systems is the primary determinant of prospectivity within the basin. Maturity modelling suggests that the inner shelf, inboard of the Tartwaup-Mussel Fault Zone, lies well within the area of mature Eumeralla source rocks and it will be a matter of carefully mapping appropriate structures on 3D seismic. In these inboard areas, it is also very important to understand lateral facies distribution that range from fully terrestrial lower coastal plain to open shelf depositional environments. Champion 1 failed due to a lack of reservoir, and risk in the area is associated with recognising the extent of good quality reservoir facies that are kept intact either by fault-seal mechanisms or by the presence of intraformational and regional sealing lithologies. In the palaeo-nearshore zone, such facies changes occur abruptly and reservoir compartmentalisation is a common feature.

Well control

Minerva Gas Field

Minerva 1 (1993), drilled by BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd, was designed to test the hydrocarbon potential of the lower Waarre Formation within a northerly tilted-fault block located on the broader Minerva structure. Secondary targets included mapped anticlinal closures within the Sherbrook Group (Paaratte Formation, and the Belfast and Skull Creek mudstones) and the Wangerrip and Nirranda groups, which had only minor fault dependence. Claystones of the Belfast Mudstone were interpreted to provide both the vertical and cross-fault sealing to the gas-bearing reservoirs. Minor gas shows in the Skull Creek Mudstone and Flaxman Formation indicate that these units may represent valid targets elsewhere in the structure, where they may be thicker and of better quality. The main gas-bearing sand within the Waarre Formation was intersected in the interval from 1815-1948 mRT in Minerva 1, where average porosity of 18% and average hydrocarbon saturation of 81% were measured (Locke, 1994a). Production testing resulted in gas flowing at a rate of 28.4 MMcfd (30.12 TJ/d), with a CGR of 2 stb/MMcf (11.22 cm3/m3). BHP Petroleum appraised the Minerva discovery with Minerva 2A (1993) with the objective of confirming the extension of the gas-bearing reservoir within the southern fault block of the Minerva structure. Secondary targets included gas-bearing sands in the Flaxman Formation and sand horizons within the Skull Creek Mudstone. The Skull Creek Mudstone had only minor gas shows. However, a gas-bearing unit of 20 m (10 m of net gas) was penetrated within the Flaxman Formation. In the Waarre Formation, a total 98 m of net gas was interpreted over a 111 m section, with an average porosity of 19% and average hydrocarbon saturation of 85% (Locke, 1994b). The gas and water gradients intersected in the Waarre Formation in the Minerva 2A reservoir were within 2% of the corresponding gradients measured in Minerva 1. Pressure data indicated that the wells either are, or were at some stage, in hydraulic communication. Minerva 3 (2002) and Minerva 4 (2002) were both drilled by BHP Billiton as development wells to access gas in structures located up-dip from Minerva 1 and Minerva 2 respectively (Ellis 2003a, b). Both were completed successfully and gas production commenced in 2004.

Loch Ard 1 (1993)

Loch Ard 1 was drilled by BHP Petroleum in 1993 to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of the Sherbrook Group, namely the Waarre and Flaxman formations and the Nullawarre Greensand equivalent, in a faulted anticlinal structure which showed very late anticlinal growth (Smith et al, 2003). Claystone units within the Sherbrook Group were expected to provide lateral seal across the faults. The sealing lithologies encountered in Loch Ard 1 were much sandier than predicted, resulting in incompetent fault seal, and hence the loss of any hydrocarbons that may have migrated into the trap structure. Seals in the Shipwreck Subgroup are not well developed within the generally shallow or nearshore depositional environments. If seals are present, they are likely to be thin and within an interval of high net sands (Smith et al, 2003). No significant hydrocarbon zones were intersected and all sandstones encountered were water saturated. The geothermal gradient measured at total depth (1397 mRT) in the Lower Cretaceous Otway Group was slightly lower than expected, which may have adversely affected maturation of the source units (Mustica, 1994).

Langley 1 (1994)

Langley 1 was drilled by GFE Resource Ltd to test a bright amplitude anomaly on 3D seismic data that was associated with the Waarre Formation. It was the first well in the region that was drilled to target a prospect identified on 3D seismic. The well was a technical success in the sense that it discovered a 23 m gas column within the Waarre Formation (top-Waarre Formation Unit C); however, the reservoir contained one third dry hydrocarbon gas and two thirds CO₂. Because of this large proportion of carbon dioxide, the well was plugged and abandoned, as neither commodity was seen as commercially producible. Langley 1 reached TD at 2006 mKB and recorded minor gas shows within intra-formational sandstones of the Eumeralla Formation.

Champion 1 (1995)

Champion 1 was drilled by BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd on the central, inboard part of the Mussel Platform, to test the Waarre Formation on a faulted structural high. The well was drilled in 53 m of water to a TD of 1882 mKB. A much thinner than expected (22 m) non-reservoir, lower Waarre Formation section was penetrated. The upper part of the Waarre Formation, and the Flaxman Formation and lower Belfast Mudstone were absent, apparently through uplift and erosional truncation. The well was plugged and abandoned. The Belfast Mudstone provides adequate seal over the structure and well failure was attributed to lack of reservoir in the Waarre Formation and underlying Eumeralla Formation (Horan, 1995).

Port Fairy 1 (2002)

Port Fairy 1 was drilled by Essential Petroleum Resources Limited in the onshore Otway Basin about 3.5 km north of the coastal town of Port Fairy. TD was reached at 1550 mRT. The prospect is a simple northeast-trending anticline with up to 100 m of four-way dip closure. Strong gas shows were recorded in the Pebble Point Formation, Timboon Sandstone and Eumeralla Formation, while oil was recovered for the first time from the Waarre Formation along with some gas shows. The well was suspended as an oil discovery with minor gas.

Halladale 1 DW 1/DW 2/DW 3 (2005)

Halladale 1 DW 1 (2005) was drilled by Origin Energy Resources Limited and was the first of a three-well program designed to target two prospects at the Late Cretaceous Waarre Formation within the coastal three mile zone. The well reached a TD of 1918 mRT and recorded a gross gas-bearing interval of 63 m in interbedded sandstones and mudstones of the Waarre Formation. Halladale 1 DW 2 (2005) was sidetracked from the original Halladale 1 DW 1 well and reached TD at 1941 mRT. This second well encountered a 21 m gas bearing interval in the Waarre Formation. Halladale 1 DW 3 (2005) was sidetracked from Halladale 1 DW 2 and reached a TD of 1969 mRT. Halladale-Speculant commenced production in 2016.

NOPIMS data

Data relating to the Release Area can be accessed through the National Offshore Petroleum Information Management System (NOPIMS), an online data discovery and delivery system for all Australian offshore petroleum wells and seismic surveys, at www.ga.gov.au/nopims.

Marine and Environmental Information

Release Area V17-2

Characteristics

Release Area V17-2 is located on the Otway continental shelf and is approximately 55 km wide in water depths generally between 30 m and 50 m. The coastline lies 6 km to the north, with the closest suburban area being Warrnambool.
Along this section of shelf, sediment and sedimentary rock are primarily of Paleogene and Neogene age with textures and compositions broadly similar to modern sediment. Recent basaltic rock and carbonate sediment are sources of coastal material, and both lithologies are present below sea level, including as reefs, on the shallow shelf. Unconsolidated seabed sediments are generally carbonate sands [calcarenite; Barton et al, 2012; Murray-Wallace, 2014; see also Geoscience Australia Marine Sediments database (MARS)]. The shelf environment is generally palimpsest (Murray-Wallace, 2014).
Potential hazards include storms and swells generated from the Southern Ocean, and shallow reefs pose a hazard for navigation.

Commonwealth marine reserves

Release Area V17-2 is located 82 km northwest of Apollo Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR).

Victorian marine national parks

Release Area V17-2 is located 35 km northwest of Twelve Apostles Marine National Park (MNP).

Key ecological features

Key Ecological Features include the Bonney Coast Upwelling, 28.5 km west of the area and the West Tasmania Canyons, 66 km south of the area (National Conservation Values Atlas, 2016).

Biologically important areas

Release Area V17-2 includes the following biologically important areas (National Conservation Values Atlas, 2016):

Foraging area for seabirds (including Albatross; Shy, Indian Yellow-nose, Black-browed, Buller’s, Campbell, Antipodean and Wandering; Australian Gannet; Short-tailed Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel; Wedge-tailed Shearwater) (Table 1).
Known Pygmy Blue Whale distribution and feeding area, Bonney Upwelling between Cape Otway and Robe.
White Shark known distribution area, autumn, winter and spring.

Table 1 Breeding periods (b) for key seabirds whose foraging areas are adjacent to, or overlap the Release Area.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Australian Gannet

Common Diving Petrel

Short-tailed Shearwater

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

The Atlas of Living Australia (www.ala.org.au) provides further information on animals and plants recorded from the release area, including Threatened or Listed Species.

Heritage

Historic shipwrecks are located to the north in coastal waters.

Indigenous cultural heritage, including protection of sea Country is discussed in the The Kooyang Sea Country Plan (Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation, 2004). Kirrae Whurrong Country encompasses the region west of the Gellibrand River (Parks Victoria, 2006).

References and information resources

Barton et 2012. Marine Natural Values Study Vol 2: Marine protected areas of the Otway Bioregion. Parks Victoria Technical Series, No. 75, 110.

Murray-Wallace, C.V. 2014. The continental shelves of SE Australia. In, Chioci, F. L. and Chivas, A. R. (eds), Continental Shelves of the World: Their Evolution During the Last Glacio-Eustatic Cycle. Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 41, 273-291.

National Conservation Values Atlas http://www.environment.gov.au/webgis-framework/apps/ncva/ncva.jsf

Geoscience Australia Marine Sediments http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/pls/www/npm.mars.search

Apollo Commonwealth Marine Reserve https://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/south-east/apollo

Twelve Apostles Marine National Park (Victoria) http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/twelve-apostles-marine-national-park

Parks Victoria, 2006 Twelve Apostles Marine National Park and The Arches Marine Sanctuary Management Plan.

Fisheries http://www.afma.gov.au/fisheries/

Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation, 2004, Kootyang Sea Country Plan https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/4fc3aad8-47f4-4d90-b58e-bbadbd9e369d/files/kooyang-plan05.pdf

Shipwrecks http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritage_shipwrecks and http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/historic-shipwrecks

Release Area V17-3

Characteristics

Located on the shelf in water depths of approximately 50−70 m, and 6 km south of the nearest coast, where the suburban areas of Port Campbell and Princetown are located.
Along this section of shelf, sediment and sedimentary rock are primarily of Palaeogene and Neogene age with textures and compositions broadly similar to modern sediment. Recent basaltic rock and carbonate sediment are sources of coastal material, and both lithologies are present below sea level, including as reefs, on the shallow shelf. Unconsolidated seabed sediments are generally carbonate sands [calcarenite; Barton et al, 2012; Murray-Wallace, 2014; see also Geoscience Australia Marine Sediments database (MARS)]. The shelf environment is generally palimpsest (Murray-Wallace, 2014).
Potential hazards include storms and swells generated from the Southern Ocean, and shallow reefs pose a hazard for navigation.

Commonwealth marine reserves

Release Area V17-3 is located 23.5 km north west of Apollo Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR).

Victorian marine national parks

Release Area V17-3 is adjacent to Twelve Apostles Marine National Park (MNP).

Key ecological features

Key Ecological Features include the Bonney Coast Upwelling, 83 km west of the area and the West Tasmania Canyons, 62 km south of the area (National Conservation Values Atlas, 2016).

Biologically important areas

Release Area V17-3 includes the biologically important areas (National Conservation Values Atlas, 2016):

Foraging area for seabirds including Albatross; Shy, Indian Yellow-nose, Black-browed, Buller’s, Campbell, Antipodean and Wandering; Australian Gannet; Short-tailed Shearwater; Common Diving Petrel; Wedge-tailed Shearwater.
Known Pygmy Blue Whale distribution and feeding area, Bonney Upwelling between Cape Otway and Robe. Adjacent to Southern Right Whale aggregation, breeding and calving area, May to November; migration and resting in coastal waters.
White Shark known distribution area, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

Table 2 Breeding periods (b) for key seabirds whose foraging areas are adjacent or overlapping to the Release Area.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Australian Gannet

Common Diving Petrel

Short-tailed Shearwater

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

The Atlas of Living Australia (www.ala.org.au) provides further information on animals and plants recorded from the release area, including Threatened or Listed Species.

Heritage

Shipwrecks are located to the north of the area in coastal waters. The most famous is the wreck of the Loch Ard, which is on the Victorian Heritage register, located at -38.65, 143.07. The wreck of the S.S. Selje is located within the area (-38.82, 143.02).

References and information resources

National Conservation Values Atlas http://www.environment.gov.au/webgis-framework/apps/ncva/ncva.jsf
Apollo Commonwealth Marine Reserve https://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/south-east/apollo
Twelve Apostles Marine National Park (Victoria) http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/twelve-apostles-marine-national-park
Parks Victoria, 2006 Twelve Apostles Marine National Park and The Arches Marine Sanctuary Management Plan.
Fisheries http://www.afma.gov.au/fisheries/
Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation, 2004, Kootyang Sea Country Plan https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/4fc3aad8-47f4-4d90-b58e-bbadbd9e369d/files/kooyang-plan05.pdf
Shipwrecks http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/vhd/heritage_shipwrecks and http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/historic-shipwrecks

Geoscience Australia products

Regional geology and seismic

Basement structure and its influence on the pattern and geometry of continental rifting and breakup along Australia’s southern rift margin. Geoscience Australia Record by Gibson et al, 2012
Time-Depth Functions for the Otway Basin. Geoscience Australia Record by Petkovic, 2003
An Audit of Selected Offshore Petroleum Exploration Wells in the Otway Basin, Southeastern Australia. Geoscience Australia Record by Smith et al, 2003
Deep Structure of the Otway Basin, Southeastern Australia, Survey 137 (Phases 1 and 2): Post-cruise report. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record by Blevin et al, 1995
NGMA/PESA Otway Basin Symposium, Melbourne, 20 April 1994: Extended Abstracts. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record by Finlayson, 1994
Otway Basin Seismic Test Survey 1991 : Operational Report. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record by Wake-Dyster et al, 1994
Otway Basin Seismic Survey 1992: Operational Report. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record by Wake-Dyster et al, 1994
BMR Cruise 67: Otway Basin and west Tasmanian sampling. Bureau of Mineral Resources Report by Exon et al, 1992
Offshore Otway Basin Study. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Geographic Dataset by Williamson,1988
Extended abstracts: Otway Basin Workshop, Canberra, 17 March 1987. Bureau of Mineral Resources Record, 1987

Stratigraphy

Otway and Sorell Basins Biozonation and Stratigraphy, 2015, Chart 34. Geoscience Australia Stratigraphy Chart by Kelman et al. 2015
New and Revised Palynological Data for the Otway Basin. Geoscience Australia Record by Monteil et al, 2004
Otway Basin - Biostratigraphic Dataset. Geoscience Australia Dataset by Buckler, 2001

Petroleum systems and accumulations

The Oils of Eastern Australia. Geoscience Australia Report by Summons et al, 2002
South-eastern Australia Surface Geochemistry II: Light Hydrocarbon Geochemistry in Bottom-waters of the Gippsland Basin, Eastern Otway Basin, Torquay Sub-basin and the Durroon Sub-basin. Vols 1 and 2. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Record by Bishop et al, 1992
Australian Petroleum Accumulations Report. Otway Basin, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Australian Geological Survey Organisation Report by Miyazaki, 1990
Preliminary Post-cruise Report: Hydrocarbon Gas Geochemistry in sediments of the offshore Otway and Gippsland Basins: Project 9131.20 BMR Fossil Fuels Project. Bureau of Mineral Resources Record by Heggie and O’Brien, 1988

Search for these and other Geoscience Australia reports and products at www.ga.gov.au/search

Contact Geoscience Australia’s Client Services for more information or to order these reports or products,
phone 61 (02) 6249 9966, email clientservices@ga.gov.au

References

BLEVIN, J.E. AND CATHRO, D.L., 2008—Australian Southern Margin Synthesis, Project GA707. Client report to Geoscience Australia by FrOG Tech Pty Ltd. https://www.ga.gov.au/products/servlet/controller?event=GEOCAT_DETAILS&catno=68892

BOREHAM, C.J., HOPE, J.M., JACKSON, P., DAVENPORT, R., EARL, K.L., EDWARDS, D.S., LOGAN, G.A. AND KRASSAY, A.A., 2004—Gas–oil–source correlations in the Otway Basin, southern Australia. In: BOULT, P.J., JOHNS, D.R. and LANG, S.C. (editors), Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium II, Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, 603–627.

CLIFF, D.C.B., TYE, S.C. AND TAYLOR, R., 2004—The Thylacine and Geographe gas discoveries, offshore eastern Otway Basin. The APPEA Journal, 44(1), 441–462.

DUDDY, I.R., EROUT, B., GREEN, P.F., CROWHURST, P.V. AND BOULT, P.J., 2003.—Timing constraints on the structural history of the western Otway Basin and implications for hydrocarbon prospectivity around the Morum High, South Australia. The APPEA Journal, 43(1), 59–83.

ELLIS, C., 2003a—Minerva-3 Well Completion Report, Interpretive Volume. BHP Billiton Petroleum report, February 2004, unpublished.

ELLIS, C., 2003b—Minerva-4 Well Completion Report, Interpretive Volume. BHP Billiton Petroleum report, February 2004, unpublished.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF VICTORIA, 1995—The stratigraphy, structure, geophysics and hydrocarbon potential of the Eastern Otway Basin. Geological Survey of Victoria, Report 103, 241 pp.

GIBSON, G.M., MORSE, M.P., IRELAND, T.R. AND NAYAK, G.K., 2011—Arc-continent collision and orogenesis in western Tasmanides: Insights from reactivated basement structures and formation of an ocean-continent transform boundary off western Tasmania. Gondwana Research, 19, 608–627.

GIBSON, G. M., TOTTERDELL, J.M., MORSE, M. P., GONCHAROV, A., MITCHELL, C.H. AND STACEY, A.R., 2012—Basement structure and its influence on the pattern and geometry of continental rifting and breakup along Australia’s southern rift margin. Geoscience Australia, Record, 2012/47.

HALL, M. AND KEATLEY, J., 2009—Otway Basin, stratigraphic and tectonic framework. GeoScience Victoria 3D Victoria Report 2, Department of Primary Industries.

HORAN, S., 1995—Champion-1 VIC/P30 Interpretive Well Completion Report, Interpretative Volume. BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd, November 1995, unpublished

KELMAN, A.P., BERNECKER, T., SMITH, T., OWEN, K., TOTTERDELL, J. AND PARTRIDGE, A.D., 2015—[Web page] Otway and Sorell Basins Biozonation and Stratigraphy, 2015, Chart 34. https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/76687/Chart_34_Otway_Sorrel_Basin_2015.pdf (last accessed 22 November 2016).

KRASSAY, A.A., CATHRO, D.L. AND RYAN, D.J., 2004—A regional tectonostratigraphic framework for the Otway Basin. In: BOULT, P.J., JOHNS, D.R. and LANG, S.C. (editors), Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium II, Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, 97–116.

LOCKE, A., 1994a—Minerva-1 Well Completion Report, Interpretative Volume. BHP Petroleum report, April 1994, unpublished.

LOCKE, A., 1994b—Minerva-2A Interpretative Well Completion Report. BHP Petroleum report, April 2004, unpublished.

LUXTON, C.W., HORAN, S.T., PICKAVANCE, D.L. AND DURHAM, M.S., 1995—The La Bella and Minerva gas discoveries, offshore Otway Basin. The APEA Journal, 35, 405–417.

MUSTICA, A., 1994—Loch Ard-1 Interpretive Data (Well Completion Report). BHP Petroleum report, June 1994, unpublished.

O’BRIEN, G.W., BERNECKER, T., THOMAS, J.H., DRISCOLL, J.P. AND RIKUS, L., 2006—An assessment of the hydrocarbon prospectivity of Areas VIC/O-06(1), VIC/O-06(2), VIC/O-06(3) and V06-1, eastern onshore and offshore Otway Basin, Victoria, Australia. Victorian Initiative for Minerals and Petroleum Report 87, Department of Primary Industries.

O’BRIEN, G.W., BOREHAM, C.J., THOMAS, H.J. AND TINGATE, P.R., 2009—Understanding the critical success factors determining prospectivity—Otway Basin, Victoria. The APPEA Journal, 49(1), 129–170.

OGG, J.G., OGG, G.M. AND GRADSTEIN, F.M., 2016—A Concise Geologic Time Scale 2016. Elsevier, Oxford, 234 pp.

PARTRIDGE, A.D., 2001—Revised stratigraphy of the Sherbrook Group, Otway Basin. In: HILL, K.C. and BERNECKER, T. (editors), Eastern Australian Basins Symposium, A Refocused Energy Perspective for the Future, Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, 455–464.

SMITH, M.A., CATHRO, D.L., EARL, K.L., BOREHAM, C.J. AND KRASSAY, A.A., 2003—An audit of selected offshore petroleum exploration wells in the Otway Basin, southeastern Australia. Geoscience Australia, Record, 2003/21.

STACEY, A.R., MITCHELL, C.H., STRUCKMEYER, H.I.M. AND TOTTERDELL, J.M., 2013—Geology and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the deepwater Otway and Sorell basins, offshore southeastern Australia. Geoscience Australia, Record, 2013/02.

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