Canterbury Basin

Key facts

Where

A basin of about 55,000 sq km extending from the Canterbury Plains out to an offshore region east of the South Island.

Geology

Composite basin morphology from diverse episodes of tectonic activity. Mid-Cretaceous to Quaternary basin fill with over 6 km of sediment thickness in places.

Wells drilled

11 wells over 500 m depth, four of these offshore.

Discoveries

The offshore Galleon-1 well flowed 10 mmcfd and 2300 bopd of condensate, but the well was abandoned as sub-commercial.

Prospects

Three main targets: drape structures over mid-Cretaceous basement horsts; stratigraphic pinch-out of Late Cretaceous coal measures against basement; Miocene to Recent structures.

Potential source rocks

Mid-late Cretaceous to Eocene coaly sediments, and Paleocene marine black shales.

Potential reservoir rocks

Cretaceous conglomerates and sandstones, Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic transgressive sandstones and Miocene sandstones.

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