Petroleum Origin in Bowen and Surat Basins: Source, Maturation, and Migration Analysis

130 core samples and natural gas analyses resolve the generation and migration history of petroleum in Australia's Bowen and Surat basins. Biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analysis confirmed a dominant Permian terrestrial source with minor Triassic and marine influences. The data, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, details liquid expulsion and gas generation phases alongside biodegradation effects.

Use Cases

• Modeling petroleum generation windows based on vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values of 0.65-1.4% mentioned in the description
• Correlating discovered oils to source rocks using biomarker and stable carbon-isotope analysis results
• Assessing the liquid generation potential of different coal facies (e.g., lower vs. upper delta plain) as described
• Simulating hydrocarbon migration and remobilization driven by gas generation phases outlined in the study
• Evaluating the impact of biodegradation on petroleum quality across the basin's migration history

Strengths

• Analysis is based on 130 core samples from potential source rocks, providing a substantial physical basis
• Includes biomarker and stable carbon-isotope data, enabling detailed source rock and maturity assessment
• Defines specific vitrinite reflectance (Ro) windows for liquid expulsion (0.65-0.7% to 1.05%) and main gas generation (1.05% < Ro < 1.4%)
• Differentiates between dominant Permian terrestrial, minor Triassic, and minor marine source contributions

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for statistical modeling
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Bowen and Surat basins study area

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 15:52:16.730632; freshness should be verified

Geography

Bowen and Surat basins, Australia