Mesozoic Oil Geochemistry in Australia's Bonaparte Basin

Isotopic and biomarker analyses characterize four distinct oil families within the Westralian Petroleum Supersystem. The study correlates oils across the Vulcan Sub-basin, Zone of Co-operation, and Browse Basin, identifying sources from Jurassic and Early Cretaceous rocks. This analysis was presented by the Australian Ocean Data Network at the 2000 AAPG International Conference.

Use Cases

• Correlate oil families across the Vulcan Sub-basin, ZOCA, and Browse Basin using isotopic signatures and biomarker data.
• Distinguish marine-influenced from land-plant-influenced oil families using specific biomarker signatures described for the ZOCA region.
• Identify source rocks for oils reservoired in the fractured Darwin Formation by analyzing their marine geochemical signature against the Cretaceous Echuca Shoals Formation.
• Characterize the distinct marine carbonate biomarker signature present in condensate from the Sunrise-1 field.

Strengths

• Analysis distinguishes four specific oil families/sub-families with defined geochemical signatures.
• Study correlates data across multiple sub-basins including Vulcan, ZOCA, and Browse.
• Findings were peer-reviewed and presented at a major international conference (AAPG 2000).

Limitations

• Data is over two decades old, limiting relevance to current exploration models.
• Underlying sample data, row counts, and analytical measurements are not provided.
• Geographic focus is restricted to the Bonaparte Basin, limiting broader applicability.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Isotopic and biomarker analyses performed on Mesozoic oil samples.

Time Range

Mesozoic era (focus on Jurassic and Cretaceous periods)

Freshness

null

Geography

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