Geoscience Australia Survey 267: Hydrocarbon Seepage Detection on the Yampi Shelf

Geoscience Australia Marine Survey 267 was conducted from March 3 to March 18, 2004 aboard the vessel Parmelia K. The survey tested techniques for detecting natural hydrocarbon seepage on the Yampi Shelf, a region of the North West Shelf known for intense seepage activity. It collected data including multi-beam swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar, acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) readings, and sediment samples.

Use Cases

• Validate remote sensing proxies for hydrocarbon seepage based on direct observations from echosounders and side-scan sonar.
• Analyze the relationship between seepage activity and tidal cycles based on observations mentioned in the report.
• Map seafloor features like pockmark fields and channels using the collected multi-beam swath bathymetry data.
• Study macro-biotic distribution in active seep zones based on grab and dredge sample findings.

Strengths

• Includes direct, in-situ observations of hydrocarbon seepage plumes and gas bubbles, which were previously only interpreted remotely.
• Survey employed multiple complementary techniques: echosounders, side-scan sonar, a towed fluorometer, ADCP, and sediment sampling.
• Data collection targeted a known region of intense and widespread hydrocarbon seepage on the Yampi Shelf.

Limitations

• Survey length was curtailed by unfavourable weather from tropical cyclones Evan and Fay.
• Significant down-time occurred due to poorly functioning leased equipment and lack of operator experience.
• Gravity coring was largely unsuccessful due to carbonate hard-grounds over the seepage sites.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, likely via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Marine survey aboard the Parmelia K, utilizing echosounders, side-scan sonar, a towed fluorometer, an acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP), and sediment sampling equipment.

Time Range

March 3, 2004 to March 18, 2004

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 06:10:36.785299; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Yampi Shelf, Timor Sea region of the North West Shelf, Northwestern Australia