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

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts data on petroleum generation in the Bowen and Surat basins. The dataset includes analysis of natural gases and 130 core samples from potential source rocks, using biomarker and stable carbon-isotope techniques. It was last updated on 2026-06-16.

Use Cases

• Modeling petroleum generation windows based on vitrinite reflectance thresholds (0.65-0.7% to 1.05%) mentioned in the description
• Differentiating Permian versus Triassic petroleum sources using stable carbon-isotope analysis results
• Assessing liquid hydrocarbon potential from different coal facies (lower vs. upper delta plain) described in the data
• Correlating petroleum samples to terrestrial versus marine organic matter sources via biomarker analysis

Strengths

• Includes data from 130 core samples, providing a substantial basis for analysis
• Biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analyses offer 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 may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing solely on Australian basins

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Analysis of natural gases and core samples from potential source rocks.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 21:27:39.286879; freshness should be verified

Geography

Bowen and Surat basins, Australia