Project History and Focus

The Molasse Basin is located to the north of the Alps and extends from France to the eastern border of Austria.  In Germany, it is located in Bavaira, Germany’s largest federal state and the 7th largest economy in the European Union, with a population of roughly 12.7 million people.  After decades of exploration in the basin, over 1,200 exploratory wells have been documented, with some 192 discoveries. Mobile Oil Company, (now ExxonMobil), RAG, RWE, GDF Suez E&P and Wintershall Holding, GmbH, among others, actively and successfully played in the basin and made numerous discoveries.

The foreland province of the Bavarian Alps was once, prior to the discovery of the Groningen gas fields in Northern Germany, Germany’s main oil and gas producing area. It has produced over 71 MMBO and 718 BCF of gas. Compared to other thrust belts worldwide, none have foreland production without also having thrust-belt production-except Bavaria. There are numerous indications of an active petroleum system including foreland production, area gas and oil seeps, and most of the drilled wells in the play had oil and gas shows, or actual recovery of oil.  The basin’s seismic data quality is excellent and numerous prospects have been identified in the basin and mapped with a total resource potential estimated by some industry players to host over 1.3BBO (approx:7.28 TCF). Resources of this magnitude have the ability to significantly reduce German dependence on imported hydrocarbons.

Numerous elements lead to Afton’s choosing the under-played and under-developed Molasse Basin.  Good fiscal terms, quality seismic data, proven play type, infrastructure and apparently re-development of existing oil and gas fields.  The Bavarian Salient has enormous exploration potential in both sub-thrust fault blocks and the Triangle zone play. At least four play types have been identified by Afton: a vastly underexplored Malm reef trend, untested duplex structures, tertiary faulted monoclines, Mesozoic subthrusts, Tertiary subthrusts, an oil shale play, and coalbed methane (CBM).

Afton Energy Ltd. has acquired a vast amount of geologic and geophysical data to aid in the evaluation of the oil and gas potential of the Molasse Basin. Oil and gas field maps, geologic maps, historical records, geological and geophysical reports, well reports, seismic data and geochemical all have aided and wil continue to inform Afton’s understanding of the basin and its potential.

Starting with local expertise, a proprietary 13,000 hectare 3D data set, and a massive subsurface data set, Afton executed a successful project to discover and produce tertiary oil and gas production assets in Southeast Texas.  World class services, infrastructure and major gas market contributed to Afton’s success in the project.