Salinity of Deep Formation Water in the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Salinity ranges from almost fresh water (<1000 mg/L TDS) to brines exceeding 300,000 mg/L TDS, with most values below 10,000 mg/L. This dataset from Geoscience Australia contains estimates and measurements from well logs, oil-production wells, and drill stem tests. It describes spatial and stratigraphic patterns, including high-salinity zones linked to Ordovician and Silurian evaporite deposits.

Use Cases

• Modeling paleo-hydrology based on described stacking of paleo-salinity profiles.
• Predicting salinity distribution with depth based on the linear relationship with burial depth mentioned in the description.
• Identifying regions with high-salinity brine remnants, such as in the Devonian Reef Complex or Nita Formation.
• Analyzing the impact of evaporite dissolution on water chemistry in specific stratigraphic units like the Grant Group.

Strengths

• Salinity values are provided with a concrete range from <1000 mg/L to >300,000 mg/L TDS.
• Description includes specific geological contexts for high-salinity areas, such as the Willara and Kidson Sub-Basins.
• Identifies key stratigraphic units where salinity patterns are evident, like the Mellinjerie Limestone and Carribuddy Formation.

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, as most wells are near basin margins.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Estimated from well log data or measured on water samples from oil-production wells and drill stem tests.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:30:23.305831; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia, with specific mention of sub-basins like Willara and Kidson.