AGSO Marine Survey 207: Hydrocarbon Seepage Detection in NW Australian Waters (1998)

4788 line kilometers of water column geochemical 'sniffer' data were acquired by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) from 21 September to 23 October 1998. The survey targeted the Northern Carnarvon Basin, offshore Canning Basin, Yampi Shelf, and Southern Bonaparte Basin to detect natural hydrocarbon seepage using the vessel TSMV Pacific Conquest. Weak to strong concentrations of methane and ethane were detected in specific areas, with some measurements showing repeatability from a 1996 survey.

Use Cases

• Mapping hydrocarbon seepage intensity based on methane and ethane concentration data mentioned in the description
• Modeling the relationship between regional seal thickness and seepage location based on survey findings near the Kimberley Block
• Comparing temporal seepage activity based on repeatability measurements between the 1996 and 1998 surveys
• Identifying prospective areas for petroleum exploration based on detected hydrocarbon anomalies in the water column

Strengths

• Covers 4788 line kilometers of survey data across a significant regional margin
• Includes temporal validation with noted repeatability of measurements between 1996 and 1998 surveys
• Targets four specific geological basins: Northern Carnarvon, offshore Canning, Yampi Shelf, and Southern Bonaparte

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-06-04 06:33:45.420589

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), via Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Regional water column geochemical 'sniffer' program conducted from a survey vessel

Time Range

21 September to 23 October 1998

Freshness

Survey conducted in 1998; metadata last updated 2026-06-04.

Geography

NW Australian Margin, from Dampier to west of Darwin, covering the Northern Carnarvon Basin, offshore Canning Basin, Yampi Shelf, and Southern Bonaparte Basin