National and Global Petroleum Assessment

Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources in the 

Canning Basin Province, Australia, 2017

Introduction

The U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) completed an assessment of 

undiscovered, technically recoverable 

continuous (unconventional) and 

conventional oil and gas resources in 

the Canning Basin Province, Australia 

(figs. 1 and 2). The Canning Basin is a 

mosaic of horsts and grabens initially 

formed by extension in the Early 

Ordovician to Silurian, the bounding 

faults of which have been reactivated 

through the Paleozoic and Mesozoic 

by alternating episodes of compressional and extensional deformation 

(Zhan and Mory, 2013). Initial extension and subsidence in the Ordovician 

to Silurian resulted in deposition 

of the Goldwyer Formation marine 

source rock, which is the most viable 

petroleum source rock in the province 

(Ghori, 2013; Triche and Bahar, 

2013; Omotoye, 2014). Extension and 

subsidence in the Late Devonian and 

early Carboniferous led to the deposition of Laurel Formation marine source 

rock. Episodes of compressive deformation occurred in the late Silurian 

to Early Devonian, in the middle 

Carboniferous, and in the Triassic. 

As thermal maturation of petroleum 

source rocks in the Canning Basin is 

interpreted to have occurred prior to 

Triassic uplift and erosion, the Triassic 

event might have breached many 

structural traps, potentially leading to 

loss of oil and gas from conventional 

traps (Zhan and Mory, 2013) and selfsourced reservoirs such as shales. The 

potential loss of oil and gas resources 

resulting from the Triassic event is the 

major source of geologic uncertainty 

in this assessment of conventional and 

continuous resources.

Figure 1. Location of the Canning Basin Province and six continuous assessment units 

(AUs) in Australia. Basin and shelf areas are from Ghori (2013); province boundary is from 

Klett and others (1997).

0 150 KILOMETERS 75

0 75 150 MILES

Fitzroy Trough Carboniferous–

 Permian Tight Gas AU

EXPLANATION

Fitzroy Trough Goldwyer Shale Gas AU

Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Oil AU

Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Gas AU

Canning Basin Province boundary

Broome Platform-Jurgurra Terrace 

 Goldwyer Shale Oil AU

Broome Platform-Barbwire Terrace 

 Goldwyer Shale Gas AU

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN

TERRITORY

QUEENSLAND

SOUTH AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES

VICTORIA INDIAN

OCEAN

TASMAN

SEA TASMANIA

Map

area CORAL

SEA

KIDSON

SUBBASIN

GREGORY SUBBASIN

WILLARA

SUBBASIN

FITZROY

TROUGH

Broome

Platform

Mowla

Terrace

Johns Arch

Munro Arch

Lennard

 Shelf

Crossland Platform

Barbwire Terrace

Anketell Shelf

Tabletop Shelf

Ryan Shelf Warri Arch

Betty Terrace

Balgo Terrace

Billiluna

Shelf Samphire Graben

Wallal Embayment Wallal Platform Waukarlycarly

Embayment

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN TERRITORY

TIMOR

SEA

AUSTRALIA

LAKE

ARGYLE

Port Hedland

Broome

OSCAR RANGE/PINNACLE

FAULT SYSTEM

DAMPIER FENTON

FAULT SYSTEM

ADMIRAL BAY

FAULT SYSTEM

 Pender

Terrace

Jurgurra

Terrace

120° E 125° E

15° S

20° S

25° S

Base map from U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2018–3023

May 2018

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically

recoverable resources of 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 34.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Canning Basin Province of Australia.
Total Petroleum Systems and Assessment Units

In the Canning Basin Province, the Carboniferous–Permian 

Total Petroleum System (TPS) in the Fitzroy Trough is defined 

by gas sourced mainly from marine shales of the Carboniferous 

Laurel Formation (Kingsley and Streitberg, 2013). The geologic 

model for the Fitzroy Trough Carboniferous–Permian Tight Gas 

Assessment Unit (AU) is for gas, generated from organic matter 

in Laurel Formation shales (and possibly from the Goldwyer 

Formation), to have migrated locally and been trapped within 

low-permeability, nonmarine to shallow marine sandstones and 

siltstones of the Laurel Formation, Yellow Drum Sandstone, 

Anderson Formation, and Reeves Formation.

The Goldwyer TPS was defined to encompass oil or gas 

retained within potential Goldwyer Formation self-sourced 

reservoirs in the Fitzroy Trough Goldwyer Shale Gas AU 

(includes the Gregory Subbasin), the Broome PlatformJurgurra Terrace Goldwyer Shale Oil AU, the Broome 

Platform-Barbwire Terrace Goldwyer Shale Gas AU (includes 

the Willara Subbasin), the Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale 

Oil AU, and the Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Gas AU. The 

geologic model for potential shale-oil and shale-gas resources 

in the Goldwyer TPS is for some portion of the oil or gas to 

have been retained within Goldwyer shales following Triassic 

compression, uplift, and erosion.

The Paleozoic Composite TPS was defined to account for 

oil and gas from multiple sources that are potentially trapped in 

conventional fields (Feiner and others, 2017), which retained 

hydrocarbons following compressive deformation in the Triassic, 

in the Fitzroy-Lennard Conventional Oil and Gas AU, the 

Broome-Jurgurra Conventional Oil and Gas AU, and the Kidson 

Subbasin Conventional Oil and Gas AU.

Assessment input data for nine assessment units are shown 

in table 1. For continuous assessment units, well drainage areas, 

success ratios, and estimated ultimate recoveries are guided by 

geologic analogs from the United States.

Figure 2. Location of the Canning Basin Province and three conventional assessment 

units (AUs) in Australia. Basin and shelf areas are from Ghori (2013); province boundary is 

from Klett and others (1997).

Fitzroy-Lennard Conventional Oil and Gas AU

EXPLANATION

Broome-Jurgurra Conventional Oil and Gas AU

Kidson Subbasin Conventional Oil and Gas AU

Canning Basin Province boundary

Base map from U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

0 150 KILOMETERS 75

0 75 150 MILES

Balgo Terrace

Samphire Graben

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN TERRITORY

TIMOR

SEA

AUSTRALIA

LAKE

ARGYLE

Port Hedland

DAMPIER FENTON 

 FAULT SYSTEM

ADMIRAL BAY

FAULT SYSTEM

 Pender

Terrace

KIDSON

SUBBASIN

WILLARA

SUBBASIN

FITZROY

TROUGH

Broome

Platform

Munro

Lennard

Shelf

Crossland Platform

Barbwire Terrace

Anketell Shelf

Tabletop Shelf

Ryan Shelf Warri Arch

Betty Terrace

Billiluna

Shelf

Wallal Embayment Wallal Platform Waukarlycarly

Embayment

Broome

OSCAR RANGE/PINNACLE

FAULT SYSTEM

Jurgurra

Terrace

GREGORY SUBBASIN

Mowla

Terrace

Arch

120° E 125° E

15° S

20° S

25° S

Johns Arch

WESTERN

AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN

TERRITORY

QUEENSLAND

SOUTH AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH

WALES

VICTORIA INDIAN

OCEAN

TASMAN

SEA TASMANIA

Map

area CORAL

SEA

CANNING

BASIN

PROVINCE
Table 1. Key input data for six continuous and three conventional assessment units in the Canning Basin Province, Australia.

[AU, assessment unit; %, percent; EUR, estimated ultimate recovery per well; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; MMBO, million barrels of oil. Well drainage area, 

success ratio, and EUR are defined partly using U.S. shale-oil and shale-gas analogs. The average EUR input is the minimum, median, maximum, and calculated mean. 

Shading indicates not applicable]

Assessment input data—

Continuous AUs

Fitzroy Trough Carboniferous–Permian Tight Gas AU Fitzroy Trough Goldwyer Shale Gas AU

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Potential production area of AU (acres) 1,100 2,817,000 11,786,000 4,868,033 500 2,500,000 13,797,000 5,432,500

Average drainage area of wells (acres) 40 110 180 110 100 160 220 160

Success ratio (%) 10 50 90 50 10 50 90 50

Average EUR (BCFG) 0.25 0.6 1.5 0.645 0.1 0.4 1.3 0.447

AU probability 1.0 1.0

Assessment input data—

Continuous AUs

Broome Platform-Jurgurra Terrace Goldwyer

Shale Oil AU

Broome Platform-Barbwire Terrace Goldwyer 

Shale Gas AU

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Potential production area of AU (acres) 500 2,158,500 4,317,000 2,158,667 500 5,610,000 11,222,000 5,610,833

Average drainage area of wells (acres) 100 160 220 160 100 160 220 160

Success ratio (%) 10 50 90 50 10 50 90 50

Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.01 0.04 0.2 0.049 0.1 0.3 1.2 0.350

AU probability 0.9 0.9

Assessment input data—

Continuous AUs

Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Oil AU Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Gas AU

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Minimum Mode Maximum Calculated 

mean

Potential production area of AU (acres) 500 8,281,500 16,563,000 8,281,667 500 4,469,000 9,298,000 4,589,167

Average drainage area of wells (acres) 100 160 220 160 100 160 220 160

Success ratio (%) 10 50 90 50 10 50 90 50

Average EUR (MMBO, oil; BCFG, gas) 0.01 0.04 0.2 0.049 0.1 0.3 1.2 0.350

AU probability 0.5 0.5

Assessment input data—

Conventional AUs

Fitzroy-Lennard Conventional Oil and Gas AU Broome-Jurgurra Conventional Oil and Gas AU

Minimum Median Maximum Calculated 

mean

Minimum Median Maximum Calculated 

mean

Number of oil fields 1 3 18 3.5 1 8 50 9.5

Number of gas fields 1 10 60 11.8 1 8 50 9.5

Size of oil fields (MMBO) 5 10 1,000 24.9 5 10 500 19.3

Size of gas fields (BCFG) 30 60 6,000 149.3 30 60 3,000 115.8

AU probability 0.5 0.5

Assessment input data—

Conventional AU

Kidson Subbasin Conventional Oil and Gas AU

Minimum Median Maximum Calculated 

mean

Number of oil fields 1 15 90 17.7

Number of gas fields 1 15 90 17.7

Size of oil fields (MMBO) 5 10 1,000 24.9

Size of gas fields (BCFG) 30 60 6,000 149.3

AU probability 0.5

Undiscovered Resources Summary

The USGS quantitatively assessed undiscovered continuous 

and conventional oil and gas resources within the Canning Basin 

Province, Australia (table 2). For undiscovered resources, the 

estimated mean totals are 1,275 million barrels of oil (MMBO), 

or 1.3 billion barrels of oil, with an F95–F5 range from 0 to 

4,819 MMBO; 34,449 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG), or 

34.4 trillion cubic feet of gas, with an F95–F5 range from 3,903 

to 96,210 BCFG; and 796 million barrels of natural gas liquids 

(MMBNGL) with an F95–F5 range from 88 to 2,257 MMBNGL. 

Of the total mean oil resources of 1,275 MMBO, about 72 percent, 

or 919 MMBO, is continuous oil, and of the mean total gas 

resources of 34,449 BCFG, about 91 percent, or 31,270 BCFG, is 

continuous gas. For continuous gas resources, about 47 percent, or 

14,741 BCFG, is potential tight-gas resources.
Canning Basin Province Assessment Team

Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Thomas M. Finn, Phuong A. Le, 

Michael E. Brownfield, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, and Heidi M. Leathers-Miller

For More Information

Assessment results are also available at the USGS Energy Resources Program website at https://energy.usgs.gov.

Table 2. Results for six continuous and three conventional assessment units in the Canning Basin Province, Australia.

[MMBO, million barrels of oil; BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas; NGL, natural gas liquids; MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked 

estimates. For gas accumulations, all liquids are included in the NGL category. F95 represents a 95-percent chance of at least the amount tabulated; other fractiles are 

defined similarly. Fractiles are additive under the assumption of perfect positive correlation. Shading indicates not applicable]

Total petroleum systems and

assessment units (AUs)

AU

probability

Accumulation 

type

Total undiscovered resources

Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)

F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean

Carboniferous–Permian Total Petroleum System

Fitzroy Trough Carboniferous–Permian Tight 

Gas AU 1.0 Gas 2,712 12,072 35,885 14,741 61 282 887 353

Goldwyer Total Petroleum System

Fitzroy Trough Goldwyer Shale Gas AU 1.0 Gas 1,191 5,774 19,444 7,491 27 135 482 179

Broome Platform-Jurgurra Terrace Goldwyer 

Shale Oil AU 0.9 Oil 0 225 812 291 0 262 999 350 0 1 5 2

Broome Platform-Barbwire Terrace Goldwyer 

Shale Gas AU 0.9 Gas 0 4,489 14,262 5,465 0 105 352 131

Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Oil AU 0.5 Oil 0 57 2,541 628 0 68 3,064 753 0 0 16 4

Kidson Subbasin Goldwyer Shale Gas AU 0.5 Gas 0 231 9,468 2,470 0 5 232 59

Total undiscovered continuous resources 0 282 3,353 919 3,903 22,896 83,122 31,270 88 528 1,974 728

Paleozoic Composite Total Petroleum System

Fitzroy-Lennard Conventional Oil and Gas AU 0.5 Oil 0 8 197 45 0 9 238 54 0 0 1 0

Gas 0 172 3,713 884 0 0 90 21

Broome-Jurgurra Conventional Oil and Gas AU 0.5 Oil 0 0 371 91 0 0 447 109 0 0 2 1

Gas 0 0 2,215 543 0 0 53 13

Kidson Subbasin Conventional Oil and Gas AU 0.5 Oil 0 37 898 220 0 41 1,087 264 0 0 6 1

Gas 0 228 5,388 1,325 0 5 131 32

Total undiscovered conventional resources 0 45 1,466 356 0 450 13,088 3,179 0 5 283 68

Total undiscovered resources 0 327 4,819 1,275 3,903 23,346 96,210 34,449 88 533 2,257 796

References Cited

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ISSN 2327-6916 (print) ISSN 2327-6932 (online) https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20183023