From Geoscience Australia
JSON format icon JSON RDF format icon RDF ISO19115-3 XML

Undiscovered resource assessment methodologies and application to the Bonaparte Basin

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

JSON format icon JSON RDF format icon RDF ISO19115-3 XML

A medium term forecast of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources for the Mesozoic and Palaeozoic petroleum systems of the Bonaparte Basin has been generated by Geoscience Australia. It concludes that there is a mean expectation that 56 gigalitres (350 million barrels) of oil, 82 billion cubic metres (2.9 trillion cubic feet) of gas, and 18 gigalitres (115 million barrels) of condensate are likely to be discovered in the next ten to fifteen years. This assessment is highly sensitive to the modelled number of wildcat wells to be drilled and is based on historical drilling success rates. The assessment process only assesses existing play types and cannot account for new or unconceived plays. This assessment is significantly smaller than the US Geological Survey assessment released in 2000, and the difference is mainly attributable to the timeframe being addressed by the two different assessment processes and the level to which reserves growth is modelled. The Geoscience Australia forecast is for the medium term with no reserves growth modelled whereas the USGS forecast approximates an ultimate discovery assessment with reserves growth incorporated. An appropriate assessment methodology is critical when attempting to undertake an assessment and should be selected to answer specific questions. The Geoscience Australia methodology is a discovery-process (or creaming curve) model and the assessment results are primarily used for input into production forecasts. The assessment process has been revised with this new assessment being a petroleum system approach which is more suitable than the migration fairway approach used in the previous resource estimations. Reserves growth has been identified by the US Geological Survey as a critical element in estimating future hydrocarbon supply. Research is being directed within Geoscience Australia to determine its effect on its resource assessments.

Files and APIs

Tags

Additional Info

Field Value
Title Undiscovered resource assessment methodologies and application to the Bonaparte Basin
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/7292cb82-22bd-4c82-be03-98c9b65d055a
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        122.5,
        -15.6
      ],
      [
        131.4,
        -15.6
      ],
      [
        131.4,
        -9.0
      ],
      [
        122.5,
        -9.0
      ],
      [
        122.5,
        -15.6
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Undiscovered resource assessment methodologies and application to the Bonaparte Basin". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/undiscovered-resource-assessment-methodologies-and-application-to-the-bonaparte-basin