Offshore Sydney Basin Outgassing
MEC Resources (ASX:MMR) is pleased to provide information adding to the prospectivity of its investee company Advent Energy’s (Advent) PEP11 project, offshore Sydney Basin.
The review of open file information by Advent’s geophysical advisors Total Depth Pty Ltd has demonstrated features associated with the Gorgon Gas Field that have also been identified in the offshore Sydney Basin, along the margin of investee company Advent’s PEP11 permit.
Total Depth has provided detail of other studies setting out similarities in seabed features observed in the offshore Sydney Basin and those observed associated with other major international gas fields including the +40 Trillion cubic feet (Tcf) Greater Gorgon Project area (in the Carnarvon Basin off the north west coast of Australia) and the 14 Tcf Ormen Lange Gas Field off Norway.
Seabed features consistent with active gas release were observed in the offshore Sydney Basin by Geoscience Australia in 2006 following their Southern Surveyor research cruise SS10/2006 that studied the continental slope approximately 50 km offshore along the continental margin from New South Wales. These features were reported to the ASX (MMR) on 15th September 2008 in the release entitled “Geophysical Indications of Gas in the Offshore Sydney Basin.”
The images in the ASX announcement demonstrate pockmark features including a massive feature of approximately 700 metres across by 70 metres deep. The steep nature of the walls of the pockmark demonstrated it to be an active feature, with gas migrating along faults from deeper in the geological profile.
Recent review of open file information by independent geophysical consultants Total Depth Pty Ltd has demonstrated features associated with the Gorgon Gas Field (see image in ASX announcement) consistent with those features demonstrated above in the offshore Sydney Basin.
The seabed pockmark features identified by Total Depth are geomorphologic features indicative of upward fluid flow and the venting of gas. The greater Gorgon field (of 40+ Tcf), along with many other gas accumulations offshore Western Australia, shows evidence of out-gassing and upward fluid flow which has resulted, in places, in both small scale and large scale depressions in the sea floor.
The continental slope seabed slumping features are also evident associated with other gas fields around the world, including Norway’s Ormen Lange Gas Field. The Ormen Lange Gas Field contains 14 Tcf and is situated within sediments at the head of the Storegga slide feature off Norway, as illustrated in the images contained in the ASX announcement.
MEC Resources believes these similarities provide further encouragement for the prospectivity of Advent Energy’s PEP11 project.
Download this document
