Geochemical Characteristics of Mesozoic Petroleum Systems in the Bonaparte Basin

The Bonaparte Basin in northwestern Australia has been explored for over twenty years. This dataset presents isotopic and biomarker analyses of Mesozoic oils to characterize oil families within the Westralian Petroleum Supersystem, contrasting them with Palaeozoic systems. The research was presented at the 2000 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition in Bali.

Use Cases

• Correlating oil families between different sub-basins based on isotopic and biomarker signatures mentioned in the description.
• Modeling source rock characteristics for the Jurassic Lower Vulcan Formation and Cretaceous Echuca Shoals Formation.
• Distinguishing between land-plant influenced and marine influenced oil families in the Zone of Co-operation (ZOCA) region.
• Comparing Mesozoic petroleum systems with Palaeozoic systems in the Petrel Sub-basin.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on specific geological formations, including the Upper Jurassic Lower Vulcan Formation and Cretaceous Echuca Shoals Formation.
• Identifies multiple distinct oil families, including a marine carbonate signature from the Sunrise-1 condensate.
• Correlates findings with oils from the neighboring Browse Basin, providing a regional context.

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 and temporal bias inherent to the specific study area and 2000 conference date.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au

Collection Method

Isotopic and biomarker analyses carried out on Mesozoic oils.

Time Range

Mesozoic era (Jurassic and Cretaceous periods); study presented in 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 07:25:45.718514; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonaparte Basin, northwestern Australia, including the Vulcan Sub-basin, Zone of Co-operation (ZOCA), and Petrel Sub-basin.