AAPG and AAPG European Region – Energy Conference and Exhibition

Athens, Greece, 18 – 21 November 2007

Tectonic and Depositional History of Salawati Basin, Papua - Indonesia :

Implications to the Occurrences of Miocene Kais Carbonate Play Types

Awang Harun Satyana, Indonesia's Implementing Body for Upstream Oil and Gas
Business, Jakarta Indonesia, phone: 62-21-52900245 ext. 6164, fax: 62-21-
52900118, awangsatyana@yahoo.com

Salawati Basin, Papua in Eastern Indonesia has been producing oil and gas from
Miocene carbonate reservoirs for almost sixty years. First discovery occurred in 1936
from Klamono structure of Late Miocene Kais carbonate reefal build-up (later called
as Kasim play type). Important discoveries occurred during 1970s when the basin
was intensively explored. Many fields of carbonate build-ups were discovered,
including the Kasim and Walio fields which ever became the biggest oil producers in
Southeast Asia for build-up play. Significant discoveries occurred again during 1990s
when discoveries of Matoa, Southwest “O”, and “Matoa-20” took place. Their plays
are different : faulted Kais platform carbonates (Matoa play type), subtle very low-
relief Kais build-up (Southwest “O” play type) and subtle intra-Kais platform build-up
(Matoa-20 play type). Recent exploration activities in the Salawati Basin still
targeting all of these plays.

Salawati Basin underwent tectonic reversal during the Miocene-Pliocene as a

response to the advent of the Sorong Fault megashear. During this period, the tilting
of the basin rotated clockwisely from tilting southward, through southwestward, and
eventually northward. The Kais platform development and carbonate sedimentation
were strongly controlled by this basin's polarity change. Most of the Matoa-20 and
Southwest “O” play types developed in the lagoonal facies when the basin tilted
southward. Growth of the classical Kasim play type occurred when substrates of the
reefal build-ups subsided slightly due to the change of basin's polarity
southwestward. As the basin rapidly tilted northward, compensating faults were
formed and resulted in faulted platform of Matoa play type.

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