Petroleum Potential Assessment of Australia's Central Eastern Margin

A preliminary assessment covers Australia's east coast from the New South Wales-Victoria border to the southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The report evaluates at least four known offshore sedimentary basins, including the Sydney and Maryborough Basins, and identifies several graben features associated with Tasman Sea rifting. This evaluation was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify prospective offshore sedimentary basins like the Sydney Basin and Maryborough Basin for hydrocarbon exploration.
• Analyze geological features such as graben and half-graben structures associated with Tasman Sea rifting for potential reservoir traps.
• Evaluate the petroleum potential of basement rocks covered by Cainozoic sediments in the study area.
• Assess the offshore extensions of basins like Clarence-Moreton and Nambour Basins based on geological evidence.

Strengths

• Report provides a regional-scale assessment covering a significant portion of Australia's eastern continental margin.
• Identifies and describes at least four specific sedimentary basins with offshore components.

Limitations

• The assessment is preliminary, with much of the regional geology described as virtually unknown.
• Data for identified features like graben structures is noted as very limited.
• Petroleum potential within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is excluded from the analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Geological synthesis and preliminary assessment based on existing, sparse exploration data.

Time Range

Assessment references historical permit data from the 1960s and 1970s.

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Australia's central eastern continental margin, from the NSW-Victoria border to southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park offshore Queensland.