Publications

The Mesozoic hydrocarbon exploration in the East Papua region relies on the presence of the Early Cretaceous Woniwogi and Toro Sandstones, and Late Jurassic Kopai Sandstone as the crucial reservoir targets. Distribution of the Valanginian Woniwogi Sandstone is well-developed in the Birds’ Body region and extends to the east across the border into Papua New Guinea (PNG). The sandstone is interpreted to have been correlatable to the Alene Sandstone member of the Ieru Formation. In contrast, the Berriasian Toro Sandstone is only present in the Digul region and PNG, but has been eroded in Kariem and possibly shaled-out to the west and north. The Late Jurassic Kopai Sandstone is present across the region, but on-laps onto the Arafura Landmass to the south. The Kopai Sandstone is considered to be time equivalent with the Digimu, P’nyang, Hedinia, or Iagifu Sandstones. Lack of exploration wells have been drilled in the East Papua region compared to those drilled in PNG with the same reservoir objectives. Numerous large oil and gas reserves have been discovered in PNG both in the area along the fold belt and foreland regions. The Mesozoic geology of the East Papua is largely the western extension of the Mesozoic geology of PNG. Regional stratigraphic correlation and palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic time suggest that the Woniwogi, Toro, and Kopai Sandstones were deposited in shallow marine shelf during regression pulses during the Triassic-Cretaceous transgression mode.