The northern Houtman Sub-basin is an under-explored region of the Perth Basin, offshore Western Australia. A study by Geoscience Australia used new seismic reflection data from 2014–15 to reassess tectonic evolution, structural architecture, and petroleum prospectivity, creating a 3D geological model. This work mapped sequences up to 16 km thick and identified a zone of volcanic seaward-dipping reflector sequences.
Use Cases
- Assessing petroleum prospectivity based on mapped Permian–Cretaceous sequences and structural architecture.
- Modeling crustal structure and tectonic evolution based on seismic interpretation and potential field data.
- Identifying exploration targets based on the mapped 10 km thick Permian syn-rift succession and Lower Triassic Kockatea Shale.
- Correlating regional seismic stratigraphy to develop a new tectonostratigraphic framework for the basin.
Strengths
- Includes interpretation of new seismic reflection data acquired in 2014–15 under a government precompetitive data program.
- Maps a depocentre with up to 16 km of Permian–Cretaceous succession and specific formations like the up to 1800 m thick Kockatea Shale.
- Integrates seismic interpretation with potential field modelling to show crustal thickness variations from less than 5 km to over 25 km.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data files are in DOCX and PDF formats, which may require extraction for quantitative analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network, likely originating from Geoscience Australia.
- Collection Method
- Seismic reflection data acquisition and interpretation, integrated with potential field modelling.
- Time Range
- Seismic data from 2014–15; study covers geological periods from the Paleozoic? to Cretaceous.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-27 21:21:38.569543; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Northern Houtman Sub-basin, Perth Basin, offshore Western Australia.