Figure 1. Locations of 23 provinces of southeast Asia assessed in this study.
Thai Basin
Penyu-West Natuna
Basin
Malay Basin
Sulu Sea Basin
Palawan Shelf
Basin
Khorat Plateau
Thai
Cenozoic
Basins
Cuu Long Basin
Nam Con Son Basin
Baram Delta/
Brunei-Sabah
Basin
South China Sea Platform
Greater
Sarawak Basin
Kutei Basin
North
Sumatra Basin
Central
Sumatra Basin
South
Sumatra
Basin
Song
Hong Basin
Phu
Khanh
Basin
Northwest
Java Basin
East Java Basin
Barito
Basin
Tarakan
Basin
3605
Palawan
Shelf
Hanoi
Manila
Jakarta
Bangkok
Rangoon
Singapore
Vientiane
Phnom Penh
Kuala Lumpur
120°E
110°E
100°E
20°N
10°N
0°
10°S
Sulu
Sea
Gulf of
Thailand
Java Sea
Andaman
Sea
South
China
Sea
Celebes Sea
Indian Ocean
MALAYSIA
BRUNEI
PHILIPPINES
BORNEO
SULAWESI
MALAYSIA
SUMATRA
JAVA
AUSTRALIA
CHINA
THAILAND
BURMA
VIETNAM
CAMBODIA
LAOS
Indian
Ocean
Southeast
Asia
Assessment
Area
I N
D O
N E S I
A
0
250
500 Kilometers
0
125
250 Miles
Explanation
Assessed Provinces
C H I N A
Pearl River
Mouth Basin
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Fact Sheet 2010–3015
June 2010
World Petroleum Resources Assessment Project
Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of
Southeast Asia, 2010
Printed on recycled paper
Using a geology-based assessment
methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey
estimated a mean of 21.6 billion barrels
of oil and a mean of 299 trillion cubic
feet of undiscovered natural gas in
23 provinces of southeast Asia.
Introduction
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
assessed the potential for undiscovered
conventional oil and gas fields within
geologic provinces of southeast Asia
as part of the USGS World Petroleum
Resources Assessment Project (fig. 1).
Twenty-three provinces were assessed in
this study (table 1), including provinces
entirely or partially within Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, China, and
Philippines. Many of the oil and gas
basins within these geologic provinces
originated as extensional basins that
evolved into a post-rift thermal subsid-
ence phase, which is characterized by
carbonate platform deposits or prograd-
ing clastic wedges typical of passive mar-
gins. This simple sketch does not reflect
the complexity of the tectonic history in
southeast Asia, which has included rift-
ing and attenuation of continental crust,
opening and closing of ocean basins,
development of regional fault systems
and associated structures, collision and
suturing of terranes, formation of accre-
tionary prisms and local uplifts (Morley,
2001, 2002; Hutchinson, 2004; Hall and
others, 2008).
Petroleum systems in provinces
of southeast Asia reflect the complex
tectonic evolution, but generalities can
be made concerning the origin of oil and
gas in what are mainly Cenozoic basins
(Todd and others, 1997; Doust and Sum-
ner, 2007; Hall, 2009). Petroleum source
rocks mainly are synrift deep-basin
lacustrine and marginal lacustrine shales; post-rift marginal marine to marine coaly
mudstones, coals, and marine shales (Todd and others, 1997). Oil predominantly is gen-
erated from synrift lacustrine shales, whereas gas is generated from the post-rift coaly
mudstones, coals, and shales, and by cracking of earlier-formed oil. As gas generation
Total Petroleum Systems
(TPS)
and Assessment Units (AU)
AU
prob-
ability
Field
type
Largest
expected
field size
Total Undiscovered Resources
Oil (MMBO)
Gas (BCFG)
NGL (MMBNGL)
F95
F50
F5
Mean
F95
F50
F5
Mean
F95
F50
F5
Mean
Greater Sarawak Basin Province (Sarawak Basin TPS)
Central Luconia AU
1.0
Oil
–
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Gas
2,492
11,849 20,048 32,212 20,759
318
542
878
562
Balingian AU
1.0
Oil
80
361
618
1,013
643
1,435
2,529
4,233
2,641
27
48
81
50
Gas
687
2,340
4,189
7,169
4,392
132
243
425
256
East Natuna Carbonate AU
1.0
Oil
–
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Gas
1,913
4,729
9,646 18,038 10,281
126
260
494
278
Malay Basin Province (Oligocene-Miocene Composite TPS)
Main Malay-Tho Chu AU
1.0
Oil
71
240
430
732
450
893
1,658
2,945
1,756
11
21
37
22
Gas
1,158
4,200
7,661 13,049
8,008
87
160
275
167
Khmer Trough AU
1.0
Oil
82
60
179
493
214
215
681
1,974
835
3
8
25
10
Gas
535
415
1,259
3,346
1,489
8
26
71
31
Barito Basin (Eocene-Miocene Composite TPS)
Barito Foredeep Structures
AU
1.0
Oil
84
20
94
460
146
32
160
816
256
1
3
16
5
Gas
997
589
2,108
6,444
2,617
9
32
100
40
Central Sumatra Basin Province (Brown Shale-Sihapas TPS)
Pematang/Sihapas
Siliciclastics AU
1.0
Oil
14
84
142
233
148
70
133
240
141
6
12
23
13
Gas
99
85
222
562
259
2
5
12
6
East Java Basin (Eocene-Miocene Composite TPS)
East Java Carbonates AU
1.0
Oil
190
173
435
1,146
514
1,031
2,639
7,128
3,154
32
82
224
99
Gas
1,742
3,049
6,319 12,670
6,879
68
142
288
155
East Java Siliciclastics AU
1.0
Oil
294
633
1,400
2,816
1,522
1,310
2,925
5,984
3,192
67
151
311
165
Gas
2,358
8,286 17,078 32,285 18,264
613
1,291
2,471
1,381
Kutei Basin TPS
Kutei Basin Deltaics AU
1.0
Oil
32
91
160
269
168
471
847
1,464
892
5
9
16
10
Gas
952
1,299
3,056
6,652
3,401
58
143
331
162
Kutei Basin Turbidites AU
1.0
Oil
615
1,371
2,851
5,393
3,047
9,643 20,104 38,035 21,478
101
216
423
233
Gas
2,471
11,212 19,416 31,896 20,230
187
328
546
342
North Sumatra Basin (Bampo-Cenozoic TPS)
North Sumatra AU
1.0
Oil
12
48
77
119
79
288
478
763
495
5
10
17
10
Gas
183
534
934
1,570
977
36
66
121
71
Mergui Basin AU
1.0
Oil
169
71
280
1,018
374
423
1,711
6,434
2,338
8
33
137
48
Gas
1,493
2,796
6,486 13,524
7,096
188
461
1,031
516
Northwest Java Basin (Eocene-Miocene Composite TPS)
Sunda-Asri Basins AU
1.0
Oil
31
90
161
274
169
152
279
495
296
5
9
16
9
Gas
100
80
224
581
262
0
1
3
1
Ardjuna Basin AU
1.0
Oil
46
73
152
310
166
326
692
1,487
772
12
28
64
32
Gas
378
625
1,350
2,729
1,474
15
33
71
36
Biliton-Vera Basins AU
1.0
Oil
116
136
348
797
391
606
1,588
3,818
1,819
23
63
163
74
Gas
90
8
41
408
106
0
1
10
3
Penyu-West Natuna Basin Province (Oligocene-Miocene Composite TPS)
Gabus-Udang-Urang
Sandstones AU
1.0
Oil
24
27
66
150
74
109
284
699
329
1
4
10
5
Gas
153
598
1,048
1,754
1,094
24
43
72
45
South Sumatra Basin (Lahat/Talang Akar-Cenozoic TPS)
South Sumatra AU
1.0
Oil
82
133
321
681
353
537
1,338
2,967
1,491
11
28
65
32
Gas
639
1,398
3,112
6,194
3,367
48
110
228
120
Total Conventional
Resources
8,922 19,541 41,558 21,632 128,908 272,848 557,051 298,761
3,828
8,270 17,216
9,099
Table 1. Southeast Asia assessment results.—Continued
[MMBO, million barrels of oil. BCFG, billion cubic feet of gas. MMBNGL, million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas accumula-
tions, all liquids are included as NGL (natural gas liquids). Undiscovered gas resources are the sum of nonassociated and associated gas. F95 represents a 95-percent
chance of at least the amount tabulated; other fractiles are defined similarly. AU, assessment unit. AU probability is the chance of at least one accumulation of minimum
size within the AU. TPS, total petroleum system. Gray shading indicates not applicable. Largest expected oil field size in MMBO; gas field size is in BCFG]
is later than oil, gas is focused into the
younger, post-rift clastic and carbonate
reservoirs. Volumetrically, gas would be
expected to be more prevalent than oil in
these provinces where post-rift sources
have achieved the appropriate thermal
maturity for generation (Doust and
Sumner, 2007).
The methodology for the assessment
included a complete geologic framework
description for each province mainly
based on published literature and defini-
tion of petroleum systems and assessment
units within these systems. Exploration
and discovery history was a critical part
of the methodology used to estimate
sizes and numbers of undiscovered
accumulations. In areas where there are
no discoveries (for example, Phu Khanh
Basin) geologic analogs were used as a
basis for volumes of undiscovered oil
and gas resources. Each assessment unit
was assessed for undiscovered oil and
nonassociated gas accumulations, and
coproduct ratios were used to calculate
the volumes of associated gas (gas in oil
fields) and natural gas liquids.
Resource Summary
The USGS assessed undiscovered
conventional oil and gas resources in
assessment units within 23 geologic
provinces (table 1). For conventional oil
resources, the mean total is 21,632 mil-
lion barrels of oil (MMBO), with a
range from 8,922 to 41,558 MMBO;
for undiscovered conventional gas the
mean total is 298,761 billion cubic feet
(BCFG), with a range from 128,908
BCFG to 557,051 BCFG; and a mean
total of 9,099 million barrels of natural
gas liquids (MMBNGL), with a range
from 3,828 to 17,216 MMBNGL.
Of the mean oil total of
21,632 MMBO, about 70 percent is
estimated to be in six provinces—Baram
Delta/Brunei-Sabah Basin (mean of
4,278 MMBO), Kutei Basin (mean of
3,215 MMBO), South China Sea Plat-
form (mean of 2,522 MMBO), East Java
Basin (mean of 2,036 MMBO), Cuu
Long Basin (mean of 1,735 MMBO), and
Thai Basin (mean of 1,212 MMBO). In
addition, several provinces are estimated
to have potential oil volumes greater than
500 MMBO—Northwest Java Basin
(mean of 726 MMBO), Tarakan Basin
(mean of 707 MMBO), Nam Con Son
Basin (mean of 685 MMBO), Malay
Basin (mean of 664 MMBO), Greater
Sarawak Basin (mean of 643 MMBO),
and Pearl River Mouth Basin (mean of
608 MMBO).
For the mean undiscovered gas total
of 298,761 BCFG, about 60 percent is
estimated to be in six provinces—Kutei
Basin (mean of 46,001 BCFG), Greater
Sarawak Basin (mean of 38,073 BCFG),
East Java Basin (mean of 31,489 BCFG),
Baram Delta/Brunei-Sabah Basin (mean
of 26,375 BCFG), South China Sea Plat-
form (mean of 25,519 BCFG), and Nam
Con Son Basin (mean of 14,600 BCFG).
Several other provinces are estimated
to have potential gas volumes greater
than 10,000 BCFG—Thai Basin (mean
of 14,583 BCFG), Phu Khanh Basin
(mean of 13,040 BCFG), Tarakan Basin
(mean of 12,675 BCFG), Song Hong
Basin (mean of 12,266 BCFG), and
Malay Basin (mean of 12,088 BCFG).
Overall, the assessment indicates that
(1) more than 90 percent of the undis-
covered oil and gas resources are
offshore, and (2) there is more than
twice as much undiscovered gas resource
(298,761 BCFG, or 49,794 MMBOE)
than undiscovered oil resource
(21,632 MMBO) in the provinces of
southeast Asia using a barrels of oil
equivalent conversion.
References
Doust, H., and Sumner, H.S., 2007,
Petroleum systems in rift basins—a
collective approach in southeast Asia
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p. 127–144.
Hall, R., 2009, Hydrocarbon basins in
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there: Petroleum Geoscience, v. 15,
p. 131–146.
Hall, R., van Hattum, M.W.A., and Spak-
man, Wim, 2008, Impact of India—
Asia collision on SE Asia: the record
in Borneo: Tectonophysics, v. 451,
p. 366–389.
Hutchinson, C.S., 2004, Marginal basin
evolution: the southern South China
Sea: Marine and Petroleum Geology,
v. 21, p. 1129–1148.
Morley, C.K., 2001, Combined escape
tectonics and subduction roll-back-
backarc extension: a model for the
Tertiary rift basins in Thailand, Malay-
sia, and Laos: Journal of Geological
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Morley, C.K., 2002, A tectonic model
for the Tertiary evolution of strike-slip
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A.J.G., 1997, Characterizing petroleum
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For Further Information
Supporting studies of the geologic
models and the methodology used in
the assessment of Southeast Asia Basins
are in progress. Assessment results are
available at the USGS Energy Program
website, http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/.
Southeast Asia Provinces
Assessment Team:
Christopher J. Schenk (Task Leader;
schenk@usgs.gov), Michael E. Brown-
field, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A.
Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Mark A. Kirsch-
baum, Janet K. Pitman, and Richard M.
Pollastro.