Unconventional Middle Cambrian Petroleum Systems in Australia's Georgina Basin

Geoscience Australia is evaluating the shale gas and oil potential of Australia's onshore sedimentary basins, starting with the Georgina Basin. The basin covers approximately 325,000 square kilometers and contains Middle Cambrian source rocks like the Thorntonia Limestone and Arthur Creek Formation. Source rock analysis includes Rock Eval data, with reported TOC up to 15.5% and Hydrogen Index up to 500 mg hydrocarbons/g TOC.

Use Cases

• Modeling hydrocarbon generation potential based on reported source rock richness and maturity data.
• Assessing regional shale gas/oil resource potential using basin-scale geochemical and stratigraphic data.
• Correlating oil stains and biodegradation effects using detailed geochemical signatures described in the summary.
• Identifying analogues for data-poor basins based on the described assessment methodology.

Strengths

• Assessment is based on methodology developed by the United States Geological Survey.
• Source rock data includes specific metrics, such as TOC up to 15.5% and Hydrogen Index up to 500 mg hydrocarbons/g TOC.
• Geographic scope is defined as the Georgina Basin, covering an area of approximately 325,000 sq. km.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-05-14.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Systematic evaluation using stratigraphy, tectonic history, petrography, geochemistry, and petroleum systems modeling.

Time Range

Focuses on Proterozoic-Paleozoic sediments, specifically Middle Cambrian source rocks.

Freshness

Last metadata update was 2026-05-14 03:01:37.684727.

Geography

Georgina Basin in south-central Australia.