AGSO Marine Survey 207: Hydrocarbon Sniffer Data NW Australia

AGSO Marine Survey 207 collected 4788 line km of water column geochemical 'sniffer' data from the NW Australian Margin between 21 September and 23 October 1998. The survey targeted the Northern Carnarvon Basin, offshore Canning Basin, Yampi Shelf, and Southern Bonaparte Basin to detect natural hydrocarbon seepage. Results show moderate to strong methane and ethane concentrations near the Wandoo B Platform and parts of the Yampi Shelf, with repeatability observed compared to a 1996 survey.

Use Cases

• Mapping hydrocarbon seepage locations based on methane and ethane concentration anomalies.
• Correlating water column geochemistry with seismic data and regional seal thickness.
• Assessing petroleum exploration potential in the Northern Carnarvon Basin and Yampi Shelf.
• Monitoring background hydrocarbon levels across 160 survey lines for environmental baseline studies.

Strengths

• Contains 4788 line km of systematically collected survey data.
• Provides specific concentration findings (weak to moderate methane, moderate to strong ethane) for key locations.
• Demonstrates temporal repeatability by comparing results to a 1996 survey (S176).

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are unknown, limiting detailed analysis.
• Metadata for size, rows, license, and author is missing across all sources.
• Platform update dates conflict (2026-06-23 vs 2026-04-10), indicating potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO)

Collection Method

Regional water column geochemical 'sniffer' program conducted via contract vessel TSMV Pacific Conquest.

Time Range

21 September to 23 October 1998

Freshness

2026-06-23 03:34:11.390231

Geography

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