Geology and Prospectivity of the Northern Houtman Sub-basin

Geoscience Australia's 2014–15 seismic survey (GA-349) reassessed the tectonic evolution and petroleum prospectivity of the northern Houtman Sub-basin offshore Western Australia. Interpretation enabled mapping of the Moho, basement, and major depositional sequences, creating a 3D geological model covering the survey area. This study significantly reduced exploration risk in this frontier region.

Use Cases

• Assess petroleum prospectivity based on mapped Permian–Cretaceous sedimentary sequences.
• Model crustal structure and basin evolution based on seismic and potential field data interpretation.
• Identify exploration targets based on the mapped structural architecture and fault zones.
• Correlate regional seismic stratigraphy to develop a new tectonostratigraphic framework.

Strengths

• Based on new seismic reflection data acquired in 2014–15 under a government precompetitive data program.
• Includes interpretation products like a 3D geological model and maps of major sequences.
• Identifies a Permian–Cretaceous succession up to 16 km thick and a Permian syn-rift sequence up to 10 km thick.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Seismic reflection data acquisition and integrated interpretation with potential field modelling.

Time Range

Survey conducted 2014–15; geological data covers Permian to Cretaceous periods.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:43:15.160344; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Houtman Sub-basin, offshore Western Australia, Perth Basin.