Deep Formation Water Salinity in the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Salinity data for deep formation water in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, estimated from well logs or measured on water samples. The dataset describes salinity ranges from near-fresh (<1000 mg/L TDS) to brine (>300,000 mg/L TDS), with spatial and stratigraphic patterns. It was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated on 2026-06-05.

Use Cases

• Modeling subsurface salinity distribution based on depth and stratigraphic unit relationships described.
• Identifying regions with high-salinity brines based on locations like the Willara and Kidson Sub-Basins.
• Analyzing the influence of paleo-depositional environments (e.g., sabkhas, evaporites) on present-day water chemistry.
• Studying solute transport mechanisms like molecular diffusion suggested by linear salinity-depth trends.

Strengths

• Provides specific salinity ranges from <1000 mg/L to >300,000 mg/L TDS.
• Includes detailed geological context linking high salinity to specific sub-basins and formations (e.g., Grant Group, Mellinjerie Limestone).
• Describes observed patterns like salinity increasing with depth and within stratigraphic units.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in PDF or HTML formats, which may complicate direct machine-readability.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data.gov.au

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 07:36:27.955736; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia, with specific mentions of the Willara and Kidson Sub-Basins.