Canterbury Basin

Basin Summary

Canterbury Basin has many similarities to the productive Taranaki Basin. It has viable source rock in the Cretaceous and suitable reservoir and seal rocks at several stratigraphic intervals. The offshore part of the basin is the more prospective; large structural culminations and stratigraphic on-lap plays have been mapped at shelf depths and about 10 new prospects have been identified in deeper water. Although it remains a frontier region, drilling results indicate the area has excellent potential.

• Canterbury Basin Fact File [916 kB PDF]
• Canterbury Basin Map [410 kB JPEG]

Key facts   Location A basin of about 360,000 sq km extending from the Canterbury Plains out to an offshore region east of the South Island. Geology Up to 6,000 m of Cretaceous to Recent transgressive-regressive basin-fill. Thickest in offshore Clipper sub-basin. Wells Eight onshore wells between 1920 and 2008. Five offshore wells from 1970 to 2006.

Prospects

Several onshore and offshore structures identified; most are anticlinal drapes over basement horsts. Current commitments to drill Carrack-Caravel and Barque prospects.

Source rocks

Cretaceous syn-rift and post-rift coal measures; Late Paleocene marine shales have potential in the offshore but may be immature.

Reservoir rocks

Sandstones, generally quartzose, of Late Cretaceous to Miocene age, ranging from fluvial and paralic to shelf and turbidite depositional settings.

Port facilities

Port of Timaru
www.primeport.co.nz

Port of Otago
www.portotago.co.nz

Lyttleton Port of Christchurch
www.plc.co.nz

• New Zealand Infrastructure and Port Facilities [1.25 MB PDF]
   

To view or print PDF files you will require PDF viewing software: Adobe Acrobat Reader.