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Natt Arian

PhD student - Geo

Biography

Natt Arian obtained his BSc (Hons) petroleum geology and engineering in 1990, he has worked and taken various roles in the petroleum industry until 2005 when he started his PhD project here at ASP. His project concentrating on better understanding of petroleum generation, expulsion, migration, accumulation and preservation to determine the petroleum prospectivity of the Tasmania's Bass Basin. He is interested in basin modeling, reservoir characterization, fault and sealing properties and structural geology, therefore as part of his study he is determining porosity trends, compaction factors and reservoir characterization to be integrated in to basin modeling, at the same time he is willing to determine the effects of stresses on fault properties especially palaeo-stresses to be integrated in to 3D basin modeling for better determination of the hydrocarbon migration pathways. He is a member of AAPG, SEG, SPE and PESA.

PhD research project

Understanding the Hydrocarbon Generation, Migration and Preservation History of TasmaniaÕs Bass Basin

Supervisors: Dr. Peter Tingate and Professor Richard Hillis

Scholarship support: Minerals Resources Tasmania

Project description:

The Bass Basin located in Tasmania's waters between Tasmania and Victoria, it has attracted exploration since early 1960's, its Yolla gas production project is due to start very soon, however comparing to its neighbor Gippsland Basin the amount of hydrocarbons discovered is too low. Past geochemical and geothermal studies proved existence of mature source rocks at depths which has generate and expelled hydrocarbons, but past exploration proved many reservoirs under the regional seal not received hydrocarbon charge. Hence the research to find migration pathways and accumulation for the expelled hydrocarbon is important.

Developing series of detailed 2D and 3D generation/migration/accumulation models will be crucial for the Bass Basin prospectivity, the project will use PetroMod basin modeling software to create such models. understanding of petroleum The previous work on individual aspects of the petroleum systems in the basin will be integrated in to basin modeling, thus exploration uncertainties can be highlighted and exploration risk can be reduced. As part of the input to the modeling, the study will also describe regional porosity trends within the basin, which will also allow a regional reservoir quality assessment of the Lower Eastern View Group.

The modeling will indicate the key processes of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation in the region. The modeling aims to identify areas of comparatively higher, or lower prospectivity, as well as potentially identifying yet undrilled prospects. The constructed basin models will be combined with a review of fault seal analysis (in 2D and 3D), and leakage-indicators. The integration of the hydrocarbon charge and fault seal modeling with leakage indicators will allow a dynamic awareness of the trap filling and spill processes. The results of this project will lead to a greater understanding of the hydrocarbon generation, migration and preservation history of Tasmania's Bass Basin, and hopefully leads to more successful exploration in the basin.