Hydrocarbon Prospectivity And Source Rock Analysis For The Darling Basin

Geochemical data from fourteen petroleum exploration wells indicate the continental sediments of the Darling Basin have no source potential, while the marine Lower Devonian Amphitheatre Formation is gas-prone but thermally overmature for oil. The Australian Ocean Data Network compiled this analysis using cores from wells like BMR Ivanhoe No. 1 to evaluate source rock potential and organic maturation levels. The dataset was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Evaluate source rock potential by analyzing organic carbon content and maturation levels from geochemical well core data.
• Identify prospective hydrocarbon regions by correlating thermal maturity data with structural features like trough flanks and the Lake Wintlow High - Wilcannia High.
• Assess exploration risk by comparing geochemical data from the marine Amphitheatre Formation with overlying continental sediment sequences.
• Model basin history using organic maturation levels to infer past burial depths and thermal alteration across different structural domains.

Strengths

• Analysis incorporates geochemical data from fourteen distinct petroleum exploration wells.
• Evaluation covers multiple geological formations, including the continental sediments and the marine Lower Devonian Amphitheatre Formation.

Limitations

• Dataset size and specific row or column counts are not provided.
• Analysis is based on limited data available, as stated in the source description.
• Primary data formats are HTML and PDF, which may require extraction for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, utilizing open file data from the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR).

Collection Method

Geochemical analysis of cores from petroleum exploration wells.

Time Range

Geological focus is on the Devonian to Lower Carboniferous period.

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Darling Basin in western New South Wales, Australia, with specific focus on the concealed western basin and the eastern flank of the Lake Wintlow High - Wilcannia High.