The Roles of Geologist in Petroleum Industry and Petroleum System of Salawati

Basin, Irian Jaya

Perdana Rakhmana Putra1, Anjar Romadhon2, Christian Bona2, Eunike Verent Fransisca Rumajar2, Raden Fiqky
Amarta Kuniandi2
1 PT.Pertamina,Upstream Technology Center
2 Pertamina University, Geological Engineering

The main role of geologist in petroleum exploration is to discover location of hydrocarbon resource and
amount of useful oil in sediment (reservoir). In the process to discover the reservoir, geologist need to collect,
interpret, and analyse every data on the field, such as regional study, seismic interpretation, petroleum system
analysist, coring, and reservoir modelling. Geologist also take responsibilities to decide where the right location for
drilling (exploitation), this is the hardest part because drilling take high cost, also require accurate data and a good
interpretation.

Mr. Perdana Rakhmana Putra now on his project to

re-exploration Salawati basin that have been discovered
before. Mr. Perdana got project to discovered any oil sources
left in Salawati basin that still able to be exploited. Salawati
basin is located on north western of Irian Jaya (bird head),
Papua, and it is bounded on the north by the sorong fault zone
which separates the Australian continental plate from the
Pasicific oceanic plate. The reservoir and trap of Salawati basin
provided by highly porous and permeable Miocene reef rocks.
Salawati basin contained of marine Tertiary sedimentary rocks
Salawati basin
more than 15.000 ft (4.600m). The productive reef belt is just
basinward of the shelf and shelf-margin area, which reach
heights in excess of 1.600 ft (490m) and range in areal extent
from 2-48 sq mi. The percentage of reef carbonate rocks are
43% and average 20-30%. The reefs structure about late
Pliocene-Pleistocene have normal faults that cut many of the
reefs, combine with post reef structural tilt, have modified
considerably the original configuration of the reefs and the
associated oil accumulations. This data gained from the
exploration program concerning reef morphology, porosity
variations, and tectonic history which control the oil
accumulations.

Stratigraphy of Salawati basin

Pic2.Petroleum system of Salawati basin