Western Australia's Canning Basin is a large intracratonic basin with a sedimentary sequence up to 18 km thick. The dataset describes five major periods of Phanerozoic sedimentation, including marine and continental phases, and identifies potential hydrocarbon and groundwater resources. It was published by Geoscience Australia and last updated on 2026-04-20.
Use Cases
- Identify potential petroleum trap structures based on described Devonian reef and Fairfield Group sequences.
- Assess groundwater resource potential based on described Jurassic sandstones, Tertiary calcrete, and Quaternary alluvium.
- Model basin evolution and tectonic history based on the five described periods of sedimentation and erosion.
- Plan geological reconnaissance or drilling campaigns based on the structural characterization of the Fitzroy Trough and fault systems.
Strengths
- Describes a thick sedimentary sequence with specific geological detail, including a thickness of up to 18 km.
- Identifies specific geological features and resources, such as Devonian reefs and the Fairfield Group as potential petroleum targets.
- Provides a detailed historical framework of five major sedimentation periods from the Ordovician to the Cainozoic.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data is provided in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Geoscience Australia Data
- Collection Method
- Compiled from reconnaissance mapping, drilling, and geophysical data.
- Time Range
- Covers geological periods from the Early Ordovician to the Quaternary (Cainozoic).
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-04-20 03:40:00.771469; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Onshore Canning Basin, Western Australia, located between the Halls Creek Province and the Pilbara Block.