OT2008 Acreage Release

2008 Otway Basin Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release - additional acreage now available

Four onshore blocks in the onshore Otway Basin of South Australia are now being offered for petroleum exploration licences (PELs) on the basis of competitive work program bidding. The OT2008 acreage release initially opened at APPEA on  6 April 2008 with three blocks (OT2008-A, B and C) on offer. The recent surrender of PEL 57 has enabled an additional block OT2008-D, to be added to the acreage release. All blocks contain mainly Early Cretaceous oil and wet gas targets.

The location of the blocks can be viewed in the OT2008 Acreage Release map (.PDF - 100 KB) while press releases regarding the acreage release can be found on the Minister's media webpage.

Bidding closes at 4.00 pm on Thursday 27 November 2008 and it is planned that the winning bids will be announced in January 2009.  Two main plays exist within these areas.

  • The proven gas play from within the Penola Trough, i.e. the Pretty Hill Sandstone, shale-rich Laira Formation reservoir-seal couplet,
  • The Waarre Sandstone reservoir overlain by Belfast Mudstone oil and gas play and
  • The Jacaranda Ridge Sandstone / Sawpit Sandstone reservoir members of the Pretty Hill Formation overlain by Sawpit shale seal.

These blocks are being offered at a time when the economics controlling commercialisation in the Otway Basin are good, with the entire SE Australian gas market accessible via the SEAGAS pipeline and the international oil price at record levels.


Applications

Applications may be made for either or all of the three areas, OT2008-A, B, C and D. Licences are offered on the basis of the most competitive five-year work program. In the event that more than one area is offered to an applicant  for licence, there is no obligation for the applicant to accept any or all of the offers. It should be noted that there are no criteria limiting the number of exploration licences which may be offered to one applicant.

The closing date for OT2008-A, B, C and D applications is 4.00 pm on Thursday 27 November 2008.

A free acreage release DVD has been produced to assist explorers evaluate the blocks. It contains:

  • OT2008 brochure
  • Application forms and bid assessment criteria
  • Well completion reports
  • Information about available seismic data
  • Otway Basin GIS dataset
  • Environmental reports

To place an order for the free DVD, please lodge an online request via the Free Data Order Form.

For more information on the OT2008 release please contact:

Petroleum and Geothermal Group
Division of Minerals and Energy Resources
Primary Industries and Resources South Australia
Level 6, 101 Grenfell Street
GPO Box 1671
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Phone   +61 8 8463 3204
Fax   +61 8 8463 3229