AGSO Marine Survey 207: Hydrocarbon Seepage Data from NW Australia (1998)

4788 line kilometers of water column 'sniffer' data were acquired by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) in September and October 1998. The survey targeted the Northern Carnarvon Basin, Yampi Shelf, and Southern Bonaparte Basin to detect natural hydrocarbon seepage. Moderate to strong methane and ethane concentrations were detected near the Wandoo B Platform and parts of the Yampi Shelf, with some measurements showing repeatability from a 1996 survey.

Use Cases

• Mapping hydrocarbon seepage probability based on detected methane and ethane concentrations.
• Validating seismic interpretations of seal integrity based on coincident geochemical and seismic line data.
• Analyzing temporal changes in seepage by comparing 1998 data with the 1996 S176 survey mentioned.
• Modeling regional hydrocarbon migration pathways for the Northern Carnarvon and Bonaparte Basins.

Strengths

• Covers 4788 line kilometers of systematic geochemical sampling.
• Provides direct measurements of methane and ethane concentrations in the water column.
• Includes temporal validation with repeat measurements from a 1996 survey on the Yampi Shelf.

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 bias inherent to the specific survey lines of data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Acquired via a regional water column geochemical 'sniffer' program from the vessel TSMV Pacific Conquest.

Time Range

21 September to 23 October 1998

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 17:01:47.052729; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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