Petroleum Origin in Bowen and Surat Basins: Source Rock and Biomarker Analysis

130 core samples and natural gas analyses enable resolution of petroleum generation and migration history in the Bowen and Surat basins. Biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analysis confirmed a pre-Jurassic, predominantly Permian terrestrial plant source with minor marine and Triassic influences. The data was published by Geoscience Australia Data and was last updated on 2026-04-30.

Use Cases

• Modeling hydrocarbon generation windows based on vitrinite reflectance (Ro) thresholds mentioned in the description
• Correlating petroleum fluids to source rock facies based on biomarker and isotopic signatures described
• Assessing liquid and gas potential of different coal facies (e.g., lower vs. upper delta plain) as indicated in the description

Strengths

• Analysis based on 130 core samples from potential source rocks
• Biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analyses provide multiple lines of evidence for source identification
• Specific maturation thresholds for liquid expulsion (Ro 0.65-0.7%) and gas generation (Ro >1.05%) are provided

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

Analysis of natural gases and 130 core samples from potential source rocks using biomarker and stable carbon-isotope techniques.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 15:17:51.534096; freshness should be verified

Geography

Bowen and Surat basins, Australia