Reconnaissance study of organic-walled microfossils from Barnicarndy 1, Barnicarndy Graben

42 samples from the Lower Ordovician Nambeet Formation (1354.80–2435.04 mRT) in the Barnicarndy 1 well, Canning Basin, Western Australia. Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program produced this palynological reconnaissance study to assess microfossil yield, preservation, and utility for regional and international correlation. The record includes digital images of identified microfossils such as acritarchs, algae, cryptospores, and chitinozoans.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation based on identified acritarch species like Rhopaliophora pilata and Athabascaella playfordii.
• Assessing thermal maturity of organic matter based on observed palynomorph color ranges from brown to black.
• Studying early marine and terrestrial life through the diverse suite of microfossils including cryptospores and graptolites.
• Evaluating microfossil preservation states and yield for petroleum exploration potential in the Canning Basin.

Strengths

• Includes digital images of all identified microfossil types mentioned in the description.
• Covers a specific stratigraphic interval of approximately 1080 meters within the fully cored Nambeet Formation.
• Identifies a diverse suite of palynomorphs including acritarchs, algae, cryptospores, and chitinozoans from 42 samples.

Limitations

• Microfossil yield per sample is described as mostly low, and preservation ranges from poor to good within the same sample.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to a single stratigraphic well in the Canning Basin.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Palynological study of acid-resistant organic-walled microfossils recovered from 42 core samples.

Time Range

Lower Ordovician

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 17:38:28.490599; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Barnicarndy 1 stratigraphic well, Barnicarndy Graben, Canning Basin, Western Australia