Hydrocarbon Families of the NW Shelf: Molecular and Isotopic Composition of Oils and Gases

Approximately 300 North West Shelf oil and condensate samples have been statistically characterized into genetically related families based on biomarker and isotopic analyses. The Australian Ocean Data Network presents this regional synthesis, which also includes carbon and hydrogen isotopic signatures for about 50 gas samples and existing molecular data for around 1000 gas samples. This work addresses a previously unpublished regional synthesis of geochemistry for petroleum accumulations discovered over the last fifty years in the Bonaparte, Browse, and Carnarvon basins.

Use Cases

• Classify petroleum samples into genetically related families based on biomarker signatures described in the synthesis.
• Analyze regional trends in gas wetness and non-combustible gas abundance using the isotopic and molecular data for ~1050 gas samples.
• Model source rock age and depositional environment (e.g., marine rift-fill, fluvio-deltaic) based on the geochemical characteristics attributed to specific geological periods.
• Investigate the effects of maturity differences, multiple charging, and secondary alteration processes on biomarker signature variations mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Synthesizes data from approximately 300 oil/condensate samples and ~1050 gas samples, providing a substantial regional overview.
• Attributes petroleum accumulations to specific source rocks and geological ages (Early Carboniferous to Early Cretaceous), offering detailed geological context.
• Focuses on proven and potential supergiant and giant gas accumulations in deepwater areas, highlighting economic relevance.

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

Biomarker and isotopic analyses of petroleum samples, combined with statistical characterization.

Time Range

Samples collected over approximately fifty years of petroleum exploration.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:16:53.827146; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North West Shelf of Australia, specifically the Bonaparte, Browse, and Carnarvon basins.