SNOWS-3: Deep Seismic Survey of Australia's Southern North West Shelf

Geoscience Australia's SNOWS program provides a regional deep-seismic framework dataset for the southern North West Shelf, a prospective hydrocarbon region. The dataset includes results from SNOWS-1 (1991, 1654 km of data tied to 20 wells) and SNOWS-2 (1992, over 2800 km along 13 lines tied to 21 wells), showing reflections down to 12 seconds two-way time. The data were acquired to determine the deep crustal structure and assess its control on major hydrocarbon fields and plays.

Use Cases

• Mapping regional structural frameworks based on deep seismic reflection profiles.
• Assessing controls of deep crustal structure on hydrocarbon field development.
• Correlating seismic stratigraphy across exploration wells using high-quality tie lines.
• Modeling basin architecture and depositional history in the Barrow, Dampier, and Beagle Sub-basins.

Strengths

• Contains over 4454 km of high-quality deep seismic data from two major surveys (SNOWS-1 and SNOWS-2).
• Data is tied to a network of exploration wells (20 for SNOWS-1, 21 for SNOWS-2), enabling regional correlation.
• Reflections are recorded to significant depths (at least 10-12 seconds two-way time), revealing deep basin structure.

Limitations

• Specific column names, data formats (beyond HTML/PDF reports), row counts, and file sizes are not provided in the metadata.
• The license, author, and precise data access details are listed as unknown or 'None'.
• The description is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence regarding the SNOWS-3 survey.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia (formerly the Australian Geological Survey Organisation - AGSO), Marine Geosciences and Petroleum Geology Program.

Collection Method

Acquired via multi-cruise marine seismic surveys (SNOWS-1 and SNOWS-2) using deep-seismic acquisition techniques.

Time Range

1991-1992 (for the described SNOWS-1 and SNOWS-2 surveys).

Freshness

2026-04-20 03:09:04.910201

Geography

Southern North West Shelf of Australia, including the Barrow, Dampier, and Beagle Sub-basins and the Exmouth Plateau.