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 characterised into genetically related families based on biomarker and isotopic analyses. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic signatures from ~50 gas samples, combined with existing molecular data for ~1000 gas samples, show regional trends. This regional synthesis of petroleum accumulations in the Bonaparte, Browse, and Carnarvon basins was presented at the 2006 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition.

Use Cases

• Classify hydrocarbon families based on biomarker signatures mentioned in the description
• Model source rock age and depositional environment based on isotopic and molecular data
• Assess regional trends in gas wetness and non-combustible gas abundance
• Investigate the effects of maturity, multiple charging, and secondary alteration processes on oil composition

Strengths

• Analysis of ~300 oil/condensate samples provides a substantial sample set for statistical characterization
• Integration of isotopic data from ~50 gas samples with existing molecular data for ~1000 samples
• Regional synthesis covers multiple basins (Bonaparte, Browse, Carnarvon) over a 50-year discovery period

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Data is presented in PDF format, which may require extraction for computational analysis
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Documentation of biomarker and isotopic analyses of collected samples, with statistical characterization.

Time Range

Covers petroleum discoveries over the last fifty years prior to 2006.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:15:11.742605; freshness should be verified

Geography

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