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A new approach for estimating the amount of eroded sediments, a case study
from the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Article  in  Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering · May 2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2017.05.008

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 Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/petrol

A new approach for estimating the amount of eroded sediments, a case

study from the Canning Basin, Western Australia
Lukman Mobolaji Johnson a, *, Reza Rezaee a, Ali Kadkhodaie a, d, Gregory Smith b,
Hongyan Yu a, c
a
Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
b
Department Applied Geology, West Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
c
State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Xi'an, PR China
d
Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: In order to accurately reconstruct the burial and thermal history of sedimentary basins, one of the key uncertainty
Exhumation thickness that should be addressed is the accurate delineation of the maximum burial depths and estimation of the thickness
Burial history of eroded sections in the basin. Several methods have been routinely utilized to account for this, but each with its
Sonic transit travel time
limitations. Here, we have utilized the sonic transit time data to account for the amounts of removed sections in
Compaction curve
the Broome Platform of the partly exhumed Canning Basin, Western Australia. The observed exhumed values are
Canning Basin
further compared with the values from AFTA (Apaptite Fission Track Analysis) data as well as results of exhu-
mation observed from the projection of vitrinite reflectance data. Furthermore, a mathematical relationship is
established between the amounts of exhumation and the sonic transit time (DT) and depth. The results from the
calculated exhumed sections show a good correlation with the estimated removed sections reported from AFTA
but poor correlations with the projected vitrinite reflectance profiles. While AFTA and vitrinite reflectance
methods are widely used in the industry, the exhumation estimates derived from sonic-porosity logs are usually
independent of the thermal history of the basin and thereby would provide more accurate inputs or further
constraints into the burial history model. Also, in this study, the results from the AFTA usually allows for a wide
range of uncertainty, while the calculation of exhumation values from the new approach gives an absolute
exhumation value for the well locations. Furthermore, the sonic log approach has been able to identify and es-
timate the magnitude of an older erosional event that was not previously reported in the Geotrack report based on
thermal history methods.

1. Introduction
Understanding the amount of exhumed sections in sedimentary ba-
sins is a key step in the determination of the basins prospectivity. This is
important in terms of defining the source rock burial history and subse-
quently, its maturation and hydrocarbon generation potential. In the
conventional realm, this is important in constraining the time of trap
formation relative to the time of hydrocarbon expulsion from source
rocks. In the unconventional reservoirs, on the other hand, deep burial
and subsequent exhumation “excites” the kerogen, and brings the ther-
mally mature source rocks closer to the surface.
The Ordovician Canning Basin, Western Australia has undergone at
least three major events of uplift and erosion during its geologic history.
This basin has been described to hold the largest amounts of
unconventional shale gas resource, with “limited” information from the
Ordovician shales (Triche and Bahar, 2013). Carlsen and Ghori (2005)
suggested that the Canning Basin is one of the least explored Palaeozoic
systems in the world, and detailed understanding of some of the systems
has been a long-standing issue due to limited outcrop exposure (Eyles
et al., 2001). Like the Canning Basin, one major exploration risk associ-
ated with global Palaeozoic systems (eg the North Caspian Basin,
Kazakhstan; the Alberta Basin, Canada; and the Shetland Basin, UK) is the
timing of hydrocarbon charge, and subsequent preservation within the
complex stratigraphy and tectonic history (Ghori and Haines, 2006).
Despite the significance of exhumation estimation to the conventional
and unconventional hydrocarbon recovery, there is very limited litera-
ture that discusses this in details for the Canning Basin. However, Duddy
et al. (2006) presented a report using Apatite Fission Track Analysis

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: lukman.johnson@postgrad.curtin.edu.au (L.M. Johnson).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2017.05.008
Received 18 August 2016; Received in revised form 1 May 2017; Accepted 11 May 2017
Available online 16 May 2017
0920-4105/© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
L.M. Johnson et al.
(AFTA) to quantify the amounts of the removed section from the Triassic-
Jurassic and Eocene-Present day erosions respectively. This method
works by providing information on the maximum paleotemperatures and
subsequent cooling that sediments have been exposed to over geologic
time. This information is stored in the Apatite grains or Vitrinites and is
used to infer the possible amounts of exhumation. While this method is
valid and in general practice in the industry, it is often desirable to obtain
exhumation magnitudes irrespective of burial temperatures, given the
susceptibility of thermal methods of estimation to occasional transient
heating and hydrothermal flows in the basin. Although, hydrothermal
flows haven't been reported in the Canning Basin, It is always a good
approach to utilize a number of independent, yet complimentary ap-
proaches to constrain the thickness of exhumed sections in a sedimentary
basins (Corcoran and Dor
e, 2005). Furthermore, the exposure of older
Formations to higher temperatures as a result of deeper burial, leads to
annealing of the Apatite Fission Tracks, thereby, inaccurate paleo-
temperature estimation, and by extrapolation, the magnitude of
exhumation.
This study has attempted to document exhumation magnitudes from a
portion of the Canning Basin based on the irreversible effect of burial on
the physical properties of shales. This is well-documented in the sonic
logs, thereby, the sonic transit time of compacted shales is plotted against
depth. The sonic tool typically measures the present day transit time,
which is an outcome of all stages of tectonic activities; and subsequently,
the total compaction the sedimentary succession has been exposed to at
the time of log acquisition. This approach provides a complimentary
exhumation estimation in the Canning Basin, as well as an improved
spatial resolution across the sub-basin relative to AFTA data availability.
In this study, four wells in the Broome Platform are studied, and subse-
quently, the results from these wells are further applied to other wells
within the sub-basin. A method, first proposed by Athy (1930) has been
applied to several global basins and has proved to be effective in the
study areas. Magara (1976, 1986) also proposed an additional technique,
still utilizing the shale compaction trends.
Fig. 1. Location of the study area. The green circles roughly indicate the Hilltop 1, Aquila 1, McLarty 1, and Kunzea 1 well locations (not to scale) (Cadman et al., 1993). (For interpretation
of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
20
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28
The exhumation values obtained from this study is compared with
exhumation values obtained from the thermal history dependent
approach (VR and AFTA) in order to validate or accurately constrain the
obtained values.
2. Geologic setting
The Canning Basin, Western Australia occupies 506,000 km2 of which
over 430,000 km2 is onshore (Fig. 1). The development of this basin
initially began in the Early Palaeozoic as an intracratonic sag between the
Precambrian Pilbara and Kimberley Basins. This basin contains two
major north-westerly trending troughs separated by a mid-basin arch,
and marginal shelves (GWA, 2014). The several subdivisions that have
been documented for this basin are based on the structural elements
(mostly extension, subsidence, compression, and erosion) which have
been active at different times in the evolution of the basin. The defor-
mation recorded in the southern Canning Basin is significantly lower
than in the counterpart northern region. This is attributed to the absence
of major fault block movements in the south (GWA, 2014).
For this study, 4 wells in the Broome platform have been selected in
the first instance, along a northeast-southwest transect. The results is
then further applied to other wells in the sub-basin.
Western Australia has been affected by a series of geodynamic events
since the Ordovician Period. The Canning Basin, in particular, was
affected by the early Ordovician extensional events that came about as a
result of the breakup of micro-continents from the northeastern Gond-
wana. The dominant structure in the Canning Basin is the northwest
trending elevated Precambrian mid-basin platform. This separates the
northern terraces from the southern Kidson and Willara sub-basins. In the
northern Canning, it is referred to as the Broome platform, representing a
horst between the Willara sub-basin and the Fitzroy Trough.
Deposition in the Lower Paleozoic times took place across the entire
basin until the Devonian, when this dominant broome swell developed.
This led to confinement of sediments into localized depressions in the
L.M. Johnson et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

Fig. 2. The general stratigraphy of the Canning Basin (GSWA, 2014).

21
L.M. Johnson et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

south, and clastic sediments were deposited in the rapidly subsiding tectonically stable basin, with minor growth faulting at the Admiral Bay
graben (Seymour, 1972). As a consequence, structures in the southern Fault. Widespread deposition continued until the early Silurian, with salt
Canning Basin are less complex, with fewer periods of tectonism. Here, deposition in parts of the Canning. The Fitzroy Trough opened up with
the mid-basin platform is locally known as the Crossland Platform, with rifting and uplift of the platform in the Devonian (Giventian), with little
adjacent Kidson and Gregory sub-basins. From the eastern edge of the stabilization until the post-Triassic. Events included faulting and
Broome Platform, there are a number of downstepping fault-bounded compression in the upper Carboniferous time – before the phase of oil
sub-basins, including the Jugura Terrace, the Fitzroy Trough which generation in the Permian - late Triassic depositional phase (Horst-
then thins out towards the Lennard Shelf (with no Ordovician sedimen- man, 1984).
tation recorded). The down-thrown Willara sub-basin is separated from Veevers (1980) posited that the Canning Basin is an aulacogen, with
the Broome Platform at the Bay Fault System, and separated from the series of northwest trending half grabens related to south-dipping faults.
Fitzroy Trough by the Dampeir Fenton Fault (Taylor, 1992). The extensional event was followed by rapid subsidence, followed by a
During the Ordovician, marine sedimentation took place on the then sag stage, characterized by tilting, uplift, compression, and erosion, as
well as widespread evaporitic and playa conditions till the Silu-
rian Period.
Table 1
The second phase of evolution is characterized by minor folding and
Removed section estimates from the Acacia 1 and 2 wells, Canning Basin (Duddy et al.,
2006). regional uplift in the Early Devonian. By the Middle – Late Devonian,
extensional tectonics dominated, which led to the introduction of con-
Estimates of removed section (m)
tinental sediments in the northeastern part of the basin and in the
Triassic-Jurassic (230- L.Eocene - Present Day (40- southwest, restricted marine conditions prevailed. Following this phase,
170 Ma) 0) Ma
a major phase of compression and uplift took place across the basin until
Maximum Likelihood Estimate 1 300 1950 the mid-Carboniferous period, marked by inversion of the Devonian
Lower and upper 95% 800–2 800 400->10 000
faults, and deposition of syntectonic fluvial sediments.
confidence limits
Fixed paleo-geothermal gradients From Late Carboniferous, renewed extension and rapid subsidence
5
C/km not allowed >10 000 dominated, with widespread transgression in the Early Permian. This was
10
C/km not allowed 3 050–4 950 followed by a period of no deposition in most parts of the basin. Regional
15
C/km not allowed 1800–3 300 and dextral wrench movements in the Late Triassic – Early Jurassic led to
20
C/km not allowed 1 200–2 300
uplift and erosion of up to 3 km sediments. This was accompanied by the
25
C/km 2 650–2 950 900–1800


30 C/km 2000–2 300 700–1 300 deposition of fluvio-deltaic and marine sediments (Laurie and Stewart,

2012). Some folding and faulting took place after the sea slowly retrea-
33.9 C/km -Present Day 1900 ± 200 800 ± 200
40
C/km 1 300–1700 450–650 ted, till the late Cretaceous times. From Cretaceous to recent, the basin
50
C/km 950–1 250 not allowed
has been land, except for the intermittent submerges of the present coast.
60
C/km 750–85 not allowed
65
C/km not allowed not allowed The general stratigraphy of the Canning Basin is summarised in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3. Standard compaction curve (Jankowsky, 1962).

22
L.M. Johnson et al.
Fig. 4. Gamma-ray and sonic logs (A) and the extrapolated ΔT shale values to the surface (B) (Poelchau, 2001).
3. Previous work from Apatite Fission Track Analysis
Duddy et al. (2006) analysed some Canning Basin wells for qualitative
thermal histories, including the timing of thermal episodes from Apatite
Fission Track Analysis (AFTA) and Vitrinite Reflectance (VR) study. The
study concluded with the following assertions.
23
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28
1 Present day geothermal gradients supplied from the Canning Basin
wells Bottom Hole Temperatures (BHT) are too high. Generally, these
BHT's were obtained from log headers, where they have been cor-
rected using a simplified correction procedure. These were further
corrected using AFTA steady state geothermal gradient.
2 AFTA and VR data showed that pre-Jurassic sequences cooled from
maximum paleo-temperatures in the Triassic, thereby responsible for
L.M. Johnson et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

Fig. 5. Interpolation of the sonic data from Hilltop 1 well on the standard compaction
curve.

the cessation of active source rock maturation in the pre-Jurassic

sequences.
3 AFTA and VR data also reveal two subsequent regional heating and
cooling episodes in the Cretaceous and Tertiary.
4 The geothermal gradient in the basin has been consistent with the
present-day heat flow with no sign of elevated basal heat flow during
the exhumation period. This suggests that heating in each event was
as a result of sediment loading, with associated cooling during uplift
and erosion.

From Duddy et al. (2006), quantitative estimates of removed sections

in the Acacia#1 and Acacia #2 wells show approximately 1 300 and
2000 m of eroded sections in the Triassic and Eocene sediments respec-
tively. This is summarised in Table 1. It should be noted that this study
indicates significant spatial variability in confidence limits of the
magnitude of exhumation.

4. Estimation of the amount of erosion

4.1. Compaction trends from sonic logs

The reduction in sedimentary thicknesses as a result of successive

burial is known as compaction. Here, we assume a vertical principal
stress for successive burial. Sonic logs are used as a proxy for compaction
because sonic interval travel time depends on porosity (Hillis et al.,
1994). The sonic curve represents the imprint of different stages of uplift
and erosion that is stored in the basins stratigraphic record. One
advantage of this method is the wide availability of sonic logs, as they
have become routinely acquired for formation evaluation. This allows for
a greater spatial resolution across the basin compared to the limited data
from AFT studies (Burns et al., 2005).
Quantifying the amount of exhumation with sonic logs was carried
out in two ways.
1 Obtaining a representative standard compaction curve: The
compaction curve commonly defines the sedimentary succession in a
basin at its maximum burial depth (Tassone et al., 2014a,b). In this
study, the scheme of Heasler and Kharitonova (1996) and Magara
(1976) was modified to obtain a best fit transit time for the Canning
Basin, using a polynomial function of the sonic transit time with
depth. Here, we consider the boundary condition of shales at zero
depth as 200 μs/ft, which also shows a decreased porosity as well as
sonic transit time with depth (Fig. 3).
2 The reduction in porosity is as a result of normal mechanical and
thermochemical compaction (Japsen et al., 2007). Data from studied
wells is then compared with the standard compaction curve by
Fig. 6. The plot of sonic transit time versus depth showing the trend for uncompacted
shales of the Hilltop#1 well. A Gamma ray cut off value of 130API was used to filter for
shale values.
extrapolation of the filtered sonic transit data to this curve. The mid-
point (mean) value represents difference in depth or the observed
vertical displacement of the present day sonic transit time values from
the standard compaction curve is measured and represents an esti-
mate the average exhumation thickness (Ware and Turner, 2002) for
a particular horizon. This is represented by equation (1) below
(Tassone et al., 2014a,b)
ET ¼ BmaxBpresent-day (1)
whereET is thickness of eroded section, Bmax is maximum burial depth
from the compaction curve, and Bpresent-day is the mean present day
burial depth.
With the gamma ray log, sand and shale units are differentiated. The
sand intervals are eliminated while the shale values of the corresponding
sonic log interval is used for extrapolation. The resultant shale interval is

24
L.M. Johnson et al.
the representative shale at the maximum burial depth at a specific
stratigraphic unit. As shown in Fig. 3, the shales are projected on the
compaction curve, and the difference in depth with the curve represents
the uplifted values. In this study, the present day depths of the resultant
extrapolated shales is compared with the Formation tops and biostrati-
graphic data of each wells to obtain the relative timing of exhumation.
This data was obtained from the Department of Mines biostratigraphic
and well completion reports.
3 Cross-plotting the sonic transit travel time (ΔT) of shales nearest to
the surface against depth (Fig. 4). The resultant trend line is subse-
quently extrapolated to the surface value of uncompacted shale
(200 μs/ft)
In extracting the representative shaly sections, the gamma ray log was
used as a filter for the shales and non-shale sections. A cut-off value of
130API was applied for the shales.
4.2. Extrapolation from Vitrinite reflectance trends
Vitrinite reflectance (VR) data were obtained from the Department of
Mines and Petroleum reports as well as from converted Tmax data. The
VR values were plotted against depth, and the offset from the normal
trend is measured as the amount of exhumation (Dow, 1977).
5. Results
5.1. Compaction trends from sonic logs
In order to compute the magnitude of erosion from sonic logs, the
polynomial function of the sonic transit time against depth is obtained
(Fig. 5). This represents the normal compaction trend in the basin, similar
to that proposed by Jankowsky (1962); Magara (1976). Utilizing equa-
tion (1), the subsequent superposition of sonic data on the normal
compaction trend (NCT) curve reveals a mean offset of 1600 m and
1400 m of exhumation in both the Triassic-Jurassic unconformity and
Silurian-Carboniferous unconformity for the Hilltop 1 well. This is the
offset of the shales from the NCT (Fig. 5). This value, when compared to
other values within the basin is close to the values reported from the
AFTA analysis. However, this haven't accounted for the Eocene uncon-
formity. Also, the Silurian-Carboniferous erosional event was not
captured in the Geotrack report by Duddy et al. (2006), probably as a
result of the exposure of the older Formations to higher temperatures and
subsequently, annealed fission tracks.
Furthermore, in the relatively uncompacted Eocene sediments, a
method proposed by Jankowsky (1962); Magara (1976) was employed
to account for the exhumation magnitudes. The extrapolation of the
normal compaction trend of these near-surface sediments to the surface
transit time value (ΔTo) of 200 μs/ft shows 800 m of exhumed sec-
tion (Fig. 6).
From these, it is estimated that a net of at least 3000 m of sediments
has been removed from the succession in this part of the Canning Basin.
The method was repeated for three (3) other wells along a rough
northeast-southwest transect as shown in Fig. 1, and the results are
shown in Table 2.
Table 2
Erosion estimation from 4 (four) Broome Platform wells, Canning Basin.
Well Name Sections
Eocene Triassic-Jurassic Permian-Carboniferous
Hilltop 1 400–800 (600) 400–2 100 (1 600) 500–2000 (1 400)
Aquila 1 600–1 200 (800) 800–1900 (1 400) 500–2 200 (1 300)
McLarty 1 500–800 (600) 200–1 200 (800) 1 000–2000 (1700)
Kunzea 1 150–300 (300) 400–800 (500) 200–1800 (900)
25
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28
5.2. Extrapolation from Vitrinite reflectance trends
The plot of Vitrinite Reflectance (and its equivalent) shows a
consistent increase with depth from Recent to Permian deposits. From
the formation tops, there is a sharp increase in VR that suggests a major
hiatus between the Permian Grant Formation and the Ordovician Gold-
wyer Formation (Fig. 7).
The original profile is projected downwards, showing a steady in-
crease in the maturation profile of the subsiding sediments with depth.
The major unconformity is observed as a result of a discontinuity in the
original profile, with an offset range between 700 m and 1600 m, with a
more probable estimate of ~1000 m. The discontinuity shows that the
sediments have been exposed to different thermal regimes, and suggests
that there was an uplift between the Permian Grant formation and the
Ordovician Goldwyer Formation. The profile also suggests that the older
vitrinites must have been exposed to extreme temperatures over time,
prior to the uplift, thereby, in the kinetics of the system, most of the
vitrinites have been annealed (Fig. 7). As described by Dembicki Jr.
(1984), variation in organic provenance or maceral misidentification is
one of the limitations to the Vitrininite Reflectance methods of erosion
estimation. This could in part be responsible for the anomalous increase
in Ro(%) over sediment thickness <100 m (Fig. 7). However, compared
to the AFT approach and the sonic log approach, exhumation estimates
from vitrinite reflectance yields results that are markedly inconsistent
with the results from the aforementioned. Here, some part of the basins
evolution have been not accounted for (Fig. 7). This may in part be
attributed to limited sample size, sample preparation methods and vit-
rinite maceral misidentification.
6. The new approach
In an attempt to establish an empirical relationship between the
magnitudes of erosion and ΔT with respect to present day depths for
compacted shales within the Canning Basin, several ΔT and observed
displacement values was computed and utilized to derive a regression
equation, which is as follows:
Thickness of eroded section (TES) ¼ 5 417–32.86ΔT 0.844depth; (2)
with a correlation coefficient of R ¼ 0.86.where
TES is Thickness of eroded section/displacement, ΔT is sonic transit
time for shale, and depth is the corresponding depth for the
shale interval.
The equation is synonymous to the general regression equation:
Y ¼ β0 þ β1 X1 þ β2 X2 þ …βn Xn þ ε (3)
Therefore, TES ¼ y ¼ the dependent variable.
Fig. 7. Vitrinite reflectance vs depth plot for Hilltop#1, showing a discontinuity in the
maturation profile of the sediment, suggestive of an uplift.
L.M. Johnson et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

Table 3 Table 4
Data from different intervals showing the sonic transit time (ΔT) and the corresponding Erosion estimation from 8 Broome Platform wells.
depth, the visual observed displacement (Jankowsky, 1962), and the calculated displace-
Well Name Sections
ment using equation (1).
Eocene Triassic-Jurassic Permian-Carboniferous
Depth (m) ΔT (μs/ft) Observed TES (m) Calculated TES (m)
Hilltop 1 400-800 (600) 400-2 100 (1 600) 500-2000 (1 400)
230 120 1 250 1 279.7
Aquila 1 600-1 200 (800) 800-1900 (1 400) 500-2 200 (1 300)
529 114 1 350 1 224.5
McLarty 1 500-800 (600) 200-1 200 (800) 1 000-2000 (1700)
268 134 930 787.6
Kunzea 1 150-300 (300) 400-800 (500) 200-1800 (900)
1 150 90 1 650 1 489.0
Musca 1 300-700 (400) 600-2000 (1 200) 300-1 500 (1 200)
268 120 1 250 1 247.6
Matches Springs 1 400-800 (600) 400-1 300 (1 000) 300-900 (600)
321 112 1 400 1 465.8
Santalum 1 150-400 (300) 900-2000 (1800) No Records
774 107 1 226 1 247.7
Edgar Range 1 400-800 (600) 300-2 100 (1 000) 200-1700 (1 400)
250 125 1 150 1 098.5
754 107 1 050 1 264.6
800 95 1 600 1 620.1
577 130 550 658.2 The contour maps indicate that, Tertiary Period, and the Silurian-
Carboniferous Period, the magnitude of erosion in the northwest quad-
rant of the Broome Platform was relatively higher than it was in the
Southwest quadrant towards the Kidson sub-basin. However, in the
Triassic-Jurassic Period, erosional activities was relatively uniform
across the sub-basin. This period is associated with the Fitzroy trans-
pression that took place across the Canning Basin.

7. Discussion and conclusion

In sedimentary basins, accurate delineation of the thickness of

Fig. 8. A plot showing TES for the Acacia#1. This further validates the equation; at 250 m
depth for the Triassic-Jurassic sediments, and ΔT of 120 μs/ft. Calculated TES in this case
is 1262 m, while the observed displacement value is 1250 m. AFTA reports also indicate a
value of 1300 m.
5 417 ¼ β0 ¼ intercept
() 32.86 ¼ β1 ¼ regression model coefficient
() 0.844 ¼ β2 ¼ regression model coefficient
ΔT ¼ X1 ¼ an independent variable
Depth ¼ X2 ¼ an independent variable
Е ¼ Error Term
This equation is basin specific, and has been tested on several in-
tervals across the basin (Table 3) as well as the Triassic – Jurassic
exhumation values as reported by Duddy et al. (2006) on the Acacia 1
well in the Barbwire Terrace (Fig. 8). The observed TES is in agreement
with the measured data from AFTA studies (Table 1), and also have a
good correlation with the calculated exhumation values, using equation
(3) above. Also, further validation is carried out on the studied data as
well as data across the basin (Table 3). However, in the deeper parts of
the basin, where the compaction curve/porosity approaches zero, esti-
mation of exhumed sections in that section would have a shallow slope
and projection of the sonic data on the curve would yield a high, inac-
curate erosion estimate. Here, the equation (TES) ¼ 5 417–32.86 (ΔT) -
0.844depth is used to calculate the thickness of exhumed sections.
With a p-value of less than 0.05 and calculated erosion values (Y) that
does not differ significantly (in exhumation magnitudes, ±150 m) of the
observed TES, we consider that depth and ΔT are the two main
contributing factors that influence (Y). Therefore, the error term is
assumed to be zero (0) in this study.
The introduced equation has further been used to calculate erosion
estimates from 4 additional Broome Platform wells (Table 4), and the
magnitudes of erosion across the sub-basin is represented in the contour
map shown in Fig. 9a–c.
exhumed sections is important in the establishment of the basins subsi-
dence history. This directly imparts the maximum temperatures that a
Formation has been exposed to over geologic time, and this could have
both positive and negative impacts on organic matter maturation, trap
formation and ultimately, hydrocarbon prospectivity in the basin. In this
study, gamma ray logs, sonic transit time logs and formation tops and
biostratigraphic data have been employed for this purpose. After
extraction of the representative shale layers for different formations, the
deviation or mean vertical displacement of the present day sonic transit
time values from the standard compaction curve is measured and rep-
resents an estimate the average amount of exhumed sections in the well
locations. This was repeated for several wells in the Broome Platform,
Canning Basin. Of the several porosity logs, sonic logs are preferred
because they display relatively simple normal compaction trends (Poel-
chau, 2001; Tassone et al., 2014a,b). Furthermore, in this study, a new
equation have been derived, which forms an empirical relationship be-
tween shale DT values, depth and the magnitude of erosion. This equa-
tion appears to be in good agreement with both the measured AFTA data
and the observed exhumation from several wells in the Canning Basin.
The study reveals an estimate of at least 3 000 m of exhumed sections
in the basin.
In the studied basin, exhumation data from 8 wells are computed and
contoured. These contours show that exhumation has been relatively
uneven across the basin. The results suggest that for each tectonic
episode, deformation and erosion is less intense onshore – towards the
Kidson sub-basin, and progressively increases in the offshore direction.
Several methods have been proposed to account for the estimation of
thickness of eroded sections in a sedimentary basin, and each have their
own limitations. While AFTA and vitrinite reflectance methods are
routinely a standard practice in exploration, the yielded erosion esti-
mates may be inaccurate (Burns et al., 2005) as these methods often
require assumed values for the basins geothermal gradient and thermal
conductivities. This is more so significant in basins that have been
affected by heating related to fluid flow or volcanic activities. Therefore,
a major advantage the compaction based method for exhumation esti-
mation is that the estimates are independent of the basins thermal his-
tory. The decrease in sonic transit travel and porosity loss is with depth is
usually associated burial depths. Also, sonic logs are routinely acquired
during drilling therefore, the wide availability of sonic logs relative to
AFTA and VR data makes the process relatively inexpensive. Thus,
providing cheap and more accurate input into the basins thermal and
burial history model. Furthermore, from this study, the exhumation

26
L.M. Johnson et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 156 (2017) 19–28

Fig. 9. a–c. Contour maps showing the magnitudes of erosion from the northwest to the south eastern parts of the Broome Platform. Data from 8 wells.

27
L.M. Johnson et al.
values reported from AFTA usually allows for a wide range of uncer-
tainty, while calculation of exhumation values from the new approach
gives an absolute value. However, a limitation to the compaction based
method of exhumation estimation is that the absolute timing of the
erosional or cooling event cannot be independently constrained (Tassone
et al., 2014a,b). Also, change in rock composition is often overlooked as it
may be difficult to differentiate radiogenic sands from shales.
However, since these studies are usually prone to high levels of un-
certainties, to accurately constrain the thickness of exhumed sections, a
combination of different approaches is usually recommended (Corcoran
and Dor
e, 2005; Tassone et al., 2014a,b). In this study, both the
compaction based estimate and thermal based estimation of exhumed
sections have been considered. At this time, the access to seismic data has
proved abortive, thereby, further validation by obtaining continuous
information using seismic cross section is not possible.
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