Basin Taranaki

Armstrong P. A., Chapman D. S., Funnell R. H., Allis R. G. and Kamp P. J. J. (1996) Thermal modelling and hydrocarbon generation in an active-margin basin Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. AAPG Bull. 80, 1216-1241. 

Fig. 5.48 Ternary plot of relative abundance ofC29, C30 and c31 17ct-hopanes (22S + 22R) in New Zealand coals (shaded area shows province of coal-sourced oils in Taranaki Basin after Killops et al. 1998).VR = vitrinite reflectance.

Killops S.D., Raine J.I., Woolhouse A.D., Weston R.J. (1995) Chemostratigraphic evidence of higher-plant evolution in the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. Org. Geochem. 23, 429 15. 

Killops S.D., Allis R.G., Funnell R.H. (1996) Carbon dioxide generation from coals in Taranaki Basin, New Zealand implications for petroleum migration in southeast Asian Tertiary basins. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull. 80, 545—69. 

The relatively high heat flow in parts of the Taranaki Basin appears to have accelerated the natural gas generation process in which 8 C(CH4) is initially much more negative than the source organics (—27 to —29%o) but becomes more positive with increasing maturity of the soince rocks. This results in a range of 8 C(CH4) values from —32 to - 8%o. 

Surface heat flow estimates in the Taranaki Basin (Eunnell et al, 1996) range from 47 mW m in the SE to a maximum of 74 mW m near New Plymouth (where the subduction zone has a depth of ca. 200 km) before decreasing again further to the north-west. The heat flow estimate for the Maui field is 64 mW m. ... 

Fig. 2. Stratigraphy of Taranaki Basin hydrocarbon formations. Adapted from King and Thrasher (1996).

The chemical and isotopic compositions of gases from hydrocarbon systems of the Taranaki Basin reported by Hulston et at. (2001) show wide variation. The most striking difference between the souA-eastern and western groups of gases is the helium content and its isotopic ratio. In the south-east, the Kupe South and most Kapuni natural gases have low total helium concentrations of 10-19 and a minor mantle helium input of 0.03-0.321 a (where... 

Relatively positive 6 C(CH4) values observed in some TVZ and Taranaki Basin samples might suggest abiogenic generation of CH4 by serpentinization of ultrabasic rocks at depth (Berndt et ai, 1996). In this process relatively high H2 concentrations are required to reduce... 

Taranaki Basin show evidence of mantle fluid influence, particularly He and CO2 arising from the Pacific Plate subducting from the east. 

Hulston J. R., Hilton D. R. and Kaplan I. R. (2001) Helium and carbon isotope systematics of natural gases finm Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. App/. Geochem. 16, 419-436. 

King P. R. and Thrasher G. P. (1996) Cretaceous-Cenozoic Geology and Petroleum Systems of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, Institute of Geological Nuclear Sciences Monograph 13, 243 p., 6 enclosures. Lower Hutt, New Zealand. 

Volk, H., George, S.C., Killops, S.D., Lisk, M, Ahmed, M., Quezada, R.A. (2002) The use of fluid inclusion oils to reconstruct the charge history of petroleum reservoirs— an example from the Taranaki Basin. In Proceedings of the 2002 New Zealand Petroleum Conference, Crown Minerals, Auckland, pp. 221-233. 

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