Canning Basin Geology and Seismic Data for Resource Evaluation

Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program and Western Australia's Exploration Incentive Scheme integrated datasets to improve geological understanding of northern Australia. The data focuses on the onshore Canning Basin, covering approximately 530,000 km2, and includes Australia's longest onshore seismic line (18GA-KB1) and the deep stratigraphic well Waukarlycarly 1. The dataset was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Assess shale gas and tight gas potential using seismic interpretation and gas resource assessments for the Kidson Sub-basin.
• Correlate Ordovician stratigraphy across the region using elemental and δ13C isotope chemostratigraphy data from well samples.
• Model petroleum system generation and migration using geochemical character data from fluids and fluid inclusions for the Larapintine systems.
• Evaluate basin architecture and sediment thickness using the 18GA-KB1 seismic line indicating a ~6 km deep sedimentary basin.
• Calibrate seismic interpretations with stratigraphic control from the Waukarlycarly 1 well, which penetrated 2680.53 m of Cenozoic and Paleozoic strata.

Strengths

• Covers a vast geographic area of approximately 530,000 square kilometers for the Canning Basin.
• Includes Australia's longest onshore seismic line (18GA-KB1) addressing a major data gap.
• Provides deep stratigraphic control from the Waukarlycarly 1 well penetrating over 2.68 kilometers of strata.

Limitations

• Data format is PPTX, which is not a standard, machine-readable data format for analysis.
• Specific row counts, column names, and sample data are unavailable, limiting reproducibility.
• Focus is on a single, frontier basin (Canning Basin), limiting broader geographic applicability.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program and Western Australian Government's Exploration Incentive Scheme.

Collection Method

Integration of pre-competitive datasets including seismic acquisition, deep stratigraphic drilling, and geochemical analysis.

Time Range

Focus on Paleozoic geological systems (e.g., Ordovician–Devonian).

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Onshore Canning Basin in Western Australia, including the Kidson Sub-basin (91,000 km2) and Waukarlycarly Embayment.