CHAPTER VIII

Petroleum System and Play

Concepts of Papua Bird’s Head

Abstract
Bintuni, berau anad salawati basin are situated in the bird’s head area and administrativel located
in the west papua province area. The “ bird’s head” is tectonically bounded by the sorong fault
zone in the north, by the ransiki fault zone in the east, and by the seram-buru collision zone
(northern banda Arc) which includes the saram trough in southwest. This collision zone adjoins
the bird’s head near to the kumawa-onin-misool ridge. To the south, the tarera-aiduna the
transform fault system delineates the bird’s head in this area. The present – day “bird’s head”
includes the lengguru fold and thrust belt to the east, and the onin-kumawa bomberai peninsula in
the southwest (figure 8.1)
These areas have attracted many companies to explore for over eighty years. Multi TCF of gases
and million barells of oils have been discovered in this region and prove this region to be a prolific
hydrocarbon province.
Salawati basin has been well-known as oil prone basin on Miocene reefal carbonate kais reservoir.
The geochemistry of its oils suggest tertiary-aged source. Up to date, 350 MMB of oils has been
discovered.
Unlike salawati basin, bintuni basin is recognized as one of giant gas-rich basin with total resource
is up to 23 TCF. It is mainly coming from Mesozoic play and minor contribution of Cainozoic and
Paleozoic play
On the other hand, berau basin remains under-explored. No single significant successfully
discovery has been taking in the place in this basin neverhelees a couple evindences of
hydrocarbon presence in this strongly working petroleum system.
INTRODUCTION
In salawati basin, the dutch government (NNGPM) succcessfuly drilled and found oil in
Miocene ksis carbonate at depth of 130 m in klamono structure in 70’s. starting from that success,
exploration activities intensified with the big discovery of the field walio (>200 MMBOE) at 1973
in the same play
In the early age of the exploration in bintuni, exploration target was primarily focused on the
tertiary-age play as commercial oil accumulations discoveries on the Miocene kais limestone in
salawati basin. Although several exploration wells had been drilled deeper into the pre-tertiary,
none of these were successfully in finding any hydrocarbons.
Roabiba -1 drilled in 90’s is the first well drilled in the bintuni basin which has proved
working pre-tertiary petroleum system play. It has discovered gas in middle – Jurassic sandstone.
The roabiba -1 gas discoveries in ofaweri -1 and wos -1.
These small stranded gas discoveries had generated new exploration interest to pursue the
pre- tertiary hydrocarbons in the area, especially in the northern part of bintuni basin, there are
vorwata, wariagar deep, ubadari, ofaweri, roabiba, asap, merah, and kido.
Berau basin remains under-explored. Limited exploration activities have been conducted in
the area. A notable exploration activity is gunung -1x well drilled I the late 80’s by occidental. It
targeted pre-tertiary play in berau basin, no hydrocarbon as found though some iol shows with
minor gas peaks present in Jurassic kemblengan and Triassic tipuma sandstone. The latest
exploration activity in this sub-region in conducted by local EP in 2013 through anggrek hitam- I
well. It successfully found the reservoir but no hydrocarbon presence
BINTUNI - BERAU BASIN
Bintuni – berau basin petroleum system is summarized in simplified petroleum system chart
(figure 8.2)
SOURCE ROCK PRESENCE
Some high – organic content rock are either found on outcrop or penetrated in the well. The
are :
PLIO – PLEISTOCENE KLASAFET – STEENKOOL SOURCE ROCK
Plio – Pleistocene steenkool-klasafet source rock is described as a thick of dark grey shales
interspersed with clayey sandstones, and lignite materials which are penetrated in the most of the
well in Bintuni basin. Its thickness could reach up to 15.000 ft to Bintuni depocenter or eastward
toward lengguru fold-thrust belt (LFTB) (Perkins and livsey, 1993)
Steenkool which is dutch word means hard coal. It names after predominantly presence of
coal. These coal are one of gas-prone source rock candidate. Based on existing penetration
(stenkool -1 and other wells in the northern part of the basn ). Cheavallier and Bordenave (1986)
describes the plesitocene steenkool source rock as poor quality source while parkins and livsey
(1993) categorize as a very good gas prone source rocks but with immature condition. Total
organic content (TOC) is low (less than 1%) with a few fighter values correspond to thin layers
of lignitic shales. In steenkool -1 these source rock contain humic kerogen type III and low
hydrogen indices (less 70 mg/g TOC) therefore it is categorized as gas-prone source rock
In the other hand, Pliocene klasafet formation provived marine oil-prone type II marine
source rock which are proven in salawati basin. Wasian, jagiro, and mogoi discoveries have proven
working Miocene kais “Salawati – type” play in bintuni. Dolan and Hermany (1988) interpreted
wasian and jagiro oil as marine-derived organic sourced. Residual oil on Miocene kais carbonate
in ofaweri -1 indicates tertiary type II/III source rock ( perkins and livsey, 1993).

EOCENE – OLIGOCENE FAUMAI SOURCE ROCK

The Eocene – Oligocene faumai limestone is interbedded with deep- marine shale that has
a potential moderate-good source rock. TOC value is up to 2%. Which corresponds to organic-rich
thin beds. The korogen is mixed os sapropelic type with hydrogen indices range 400 to 600 mg
HC/g of TOC (Chavellier and Bordenave, 1986). It is characterized as oil-prone type II. On the
outcrop, this marine shale has TOC up to 1.3% with HI less than 150 mg/g TOC therefore it
characterizes this source rock as gas-prone type III (anshori et al, 2010).
In wiriagar deep, this source rock has TOC is up to 1.5% and HI is 200-350 mg/g TOC.
Hence, this source rock is characterized as gas-prone source rock with minor oil prone potential
(8.3)

PALEOCENE WARIPI – DARAM AND CRETACEOUS JASS SOURCE ROCK

Paleocene waripi – daram type III source rock are penetrated in Tangguh wells. The source
rock are typically gas-prone with TOC is up to 2% (figure 8.3). those organic materials which are
terrigeneous material are transported through channel slope to basin floor (Pradipta et al, 2017)
 Unlike the Paleocene source rock, type II source rocks are developed in cretaceous shale in
Tangguh. The hydrogen indices are up to 500mg/g TOC (Figure 8.3). Even further to the west,the
cretaceous jass shale shows good qulity of oil prone source rock in East onin -1x.

EARLY – MIDDLE JURASSIC LOWER KEMBELANGAN SHALE

Early –middle Jurassic lower kembelangan shales and coals along with Permian ainim coal
/ carbonaceous shales have been described as the primary source rock in bintuni.
Based on perkins and livsey (1993), these source rocks are well developed in the eastern part
of the basin. Most the Tangguh wells penetrated distal facies of the source rock well shalefal
marine shale has 1-4 % TOC (figure 8.4). Roabiba -1 penetrated 70 feet of carbonaceous shale.
Based on kerogen description, these type III source rocks are vitrinite dominated which indicated
strong terrestrial influence. Based on cutting/core description, transported coals are present but
only a few measurements. The TOC is up to 80% and the hydrogen index is about 350 mg/g TOC
(pradipta et al, 2017)
In Berau basin, jurasssic kemblengan source rok has been proven by Gunung -1x. The source
rock is associated with deltaic to marginal marine shale and coal. Source rock quality is good
quality to excellence where TOC is about 5-23 % and HI is 100 -380 mg/g TOC. The thickness
of the carbonaceous shale is up to 340 feet ( gunung -1x FWR, 1998)

PERMIAN AINIM COAL AND SHALE

Permian coal and carbonaceous shales grouped as Ainim formation are interpreted as th
source rock with TOC up to 88% and HI up to 264 mg/g TOC ( perkins and livsey, 1993).
Tangguh wells have proved the presence of these source rocks e. q. wiriagar deep wells. The
carbonaceous Permian shale itself has 10-46% TOC and HI is up to 414 mg/g TOC (figure 8.4).
The source rock is deposited in non-marine environment (pradipta et al, 2017).

SOURCE ROCK MATURITY

In bintuni basin, the principal gas generation of the Jurassic kembelengan source rock is
dated as Eocene – early Oligocene to recent (figure 8.5 & 8.7) ( SKK migas and PT Gada Energi,
2016 ; pradipta et al, 2017). Calibrated 1-D thermal modelling for several offset bird’s head wells
indicates that present-day heat flow decreases eastwards across the wiriagar and vorwata ridges
into the late Mio-pliocene depocenter. The heat flow is expected to further decrease int the Pliocene
foredeep/bintuni depocenter adjacent to the leading edge of the lengguru fold belt. It is controlled
primarily by basement architecture (pradipta et al, 2017). The geothermal gradient in eastern part
of bintuni basin is around 2.5-2.8 deg c/100 meters. The plio-pleistocene sediment is bintuni can
have very high geothermal gradient, it is up to 7degc/100 meters in mogoi deep (chevallier and
Bordenave, 1986).
Despite repid Pliocene loading and subsidence, the influence of thermal transient effects in
the bintuni foredeep on subsurface temperatures appear to be mild, with relatively minor
suppression of isotherms observed in depocenter models. High heating rates nevertheless shift the
onset of kerogen breakdown and expulsion to temperatures at least 10 degC above those for more
passively subsiding basins (pradipta et al, 2017)
The shallower source rock, such as tertiary source rock has not entered the thermogenic
maturation window in the most of the basin. In steenkool -1x, vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values of
Pleistocene klasefat smples suggest immature from all wells range form 0.3 % remaining below
0.45% anfd from thermal alteration index (TAI) suggesting the same conclusion content
(Chavellier and Bordenave, 1986). Bomberai trough is one place where Pliocene klasefet source
rock are thermally mature.
In Bomberai trough (South Bintuni Onshore), Mandala-1 has confimed the presence mature
Pliocene klasefat source rock which are capable to generate a certain amount of hydrocarbon
(Collins and Qureshi, 1977). This maturity os controlled by rapid burial I plio-pleistocene where
the klasefat is found around >10.000 ft TVDSS (figure 8.8). This trough is the continuation of
Bintuni depocenter (Parkins and Livesey, 1993) Where the Jurassic source rock reaches its
maturation window.
In Berau basin, the maximum burial at present day time can be found I the central of the
basin as Berau basin is bounded by two ridges, Onin-Misool ridges and sekak ridges (Fraser, 2015).
Unlike Bintuni basin, maximum burial in Berau basin is not controlled by the subsidence due to
thrusting anf folding. I D Basin model in Agung -1X and Gunung -1x sugrest the Permian source
rocl reached maturation window in cretaceous while Jurassic source rock was in Miocene-pliocene
(figure 8.6) (SKK Migas and PT Gada Energi)
Looking at depth structures map at Jurassic and Permian by SKK Migas and PT Gada
Energi (2016). The present day depocenter in Berau basin is not as deep as in Bintuni. The Bintuni
depocenter reaches 7km TVDSS whereas Berau depocenter is only 3-4 km TVDSS (figure 8.9).
Assuming same heat flow history, therefore the Berau depocenter does not in the same level of
maturity as Bintuni which has generated multi –TCF of gases.

RESERVOIR PREENCE AND ITS QUALITY

PLEISTOCENE STEENKOOL CLASTIC

The recent to Pliocene formation consist of near shore clastic derived from uplifted blocks
to the north. Its facies change frequently over short distances with sandstones and mudstones
interfingering, and considers as a molasses –type deposit.
Based on analysis on kido shallow -1x core, it suggest the main factors controlling reservoir
quality are the inferred lithic and micaceous composition of the sandstone. Other factors reducing
reservoir quality are mionor calcite – cemented zones and locally forming vertical permeability
barriers. In paleo environment analysis, occurrence of tidal facies is repsented by an interval of
Helminthopsis-bioturbated mudstone, clay-laminated rippled sandstone. Ripple cross-laminated,
flaser-laminated sandstone, and clay-laminated sandstone (figure 8.11)

MIOCENE KAIS REEFAL CARBONATE

In Miocene, salawati and bintuni basin are mostly occupied by carbonate platform
In Miocene, salawati