Hydrogeological Study of Palaeozoic Aquifers in the Canning Basin for Zn-Pb Mineralisation

A reconnaissance study of the major Palaeozoic aquifers in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, based on data from 30 oil exploration wells. The 430,000 km2 basin contains Zn-Pb sulphide deposits, and the report analyzes groundwater flow, temperature, and salinity to model ore-forming fluid mechanisms. The dataset was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling compaction-driven fluid flow for ore genesis based on described geopressured zones and sandstone lenses.
• Analyzing groundwater flow direction and velocity patterns in Palaeozoic aquifers mentioned in the study.
• Assessing the relationship between aquifer structure, tectonic effects, and Zn-Pb mineralisation locations.
• Comparing present hydrogeological regimes with Silurian to Permian conditions described as the ore-forming period.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on data from 30 oil exploration wells, providing a subsurface data foundation.
• Report includes specific quantitative ranges for groundwater velocity (0.2 to 0.5 m y-1) and temperature (30 to 83°C).
• Covers a large, defined geographic area of 430,000 km2 within the Canning Basin.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and methodological bias inherent to a reconnaissance study based on oil well data.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Reconnaissance study based on analysis of data from 30 oil exploration wells.

Time Range

Study focuses on Palaeozoic geological periods, but data collection date is unspecified.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04 10 16:35:24.299014; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia (onshore area of 430,000 km2).