Late Devonian Photic Zone Euxinia and Oil Source Rocks in the Canning Basin

Geoscience Australia Data provides geochemical evidence for photic zone euxinia (PZE) in the Late Devonian seas of the Canning Basin, Western Australia. The data likely contains biomarker assemblages and correlations used to analyze the extent of anoxia and its implications for petroleum source rock formation. The dataset is associated with a 2018 study published in Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Use Cases

• Correlating oil biomarkers to specific geological formations based on hopane, sterane, and carotenoid abundances mentioned in the description.
• Modeling the development of photic zone euxinia in confined basins based on geochemical evidence from the Lennard Shelf and Barbwire Terrace.
• Assessing the impact of nutrient supply and restricted marine settings on algal and bacterial predominance in source rock deposition.
• Investigating the relationship between widespread anoxia and the limited occurrence of Devonian-sourced oil fields in the Canning Basin.

Strengths

• Data is associated with a peer-reviewed study published in Marine and Petroleum Geology, Volume 93, 2018.
• Focuses on a specific geological period (Givetian–Frasnian) and region (Canning Basin, Western Australia).
• Description provides detailed geological context, including comparisons between the Lennard Shelf and Barbwire Terrace margins.

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/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Likely contains geochemical and biomarker data from rock extracts and oil samples.

Time Range

Late Devonian period (Givetian–Frasnian stages).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 25 15:42:03.267732; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia, specifically the Lennard Shelf and Barbwire Terrace margins of the Fitzroy Trough.