Petroleum Origin in Bowen and Surat Basins: Geochemical Analysis of 130 Core Samples

130 core samples and natural gas analyses from the Bowen and Surat basins resolve petroleum generation and migration history. Biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analysis indicates a dominant Permian terrestrial plant source with minor Triassic and marine influences. The dataset, published by the Australian Ocean Data Network, was last updated on 2026-04-16.

Use Cases

• Modeling petroleum generation windows based on vitrinite reflectance (Ro) thresholds of 0.65-1.05% mentioned in the description
• Correlating petroleum to source rock facies based on analysis of lower vs. upper delta plain coals
• Differentiating source rock contributions using biomarker and stable carbon-isotope data described
• Assessing liquid and gas potential of Permian coal facies in alluvial and delta plain environments

Strengths

• Analysis is 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 may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Australian basins studied

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Geochemical analysis of natural gases and 130 core samples from potential source rocks

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 08:53:37.620658; freshness should be verified

Geography

Bowen and Surat basins, Australia