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  • Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a proven geodetic imaging technique that makes use of remotely sensed radar imagery to map spatial patterns of ground surface movement and their temporal evolution. One application of the InSAR technique is to monitor human interactions with the landscape, such as the extraction of resources from the crust. The increasing demand for gas in Australia has led to increased extraction of unconventional coal seam gas (CSG) reserves, particularly in the Surat Basin in south-east Queensland. Proved and Probable reserves of CSG now exceed 32,000 Petajoules, making the Surat Basin the largest onshore gas reserve in Australia. The geological target of CSG extraction in the Surat Basin is the Walloon subgroup of the Jurassic period, which is typically between 300 to 600 metres depth. Production of CSG from the Walloon subgroup began in 2006 and reserves are currently being extracted by several operators, with combined extraction exceeding 160 Petajoules in 2013-2014. Predictions of the magnitude of subsidence in the Surat Basin based on analytical poroelastic models and quoted CSG production rates indicate that total subsidence on the order of a decimetre may occur. In this contribution we will present new InSAR analysis of the Surat Basin using multi-sensor SAR imagery spanning the 2006-2015 time period. Should patterns of subsidence be detected over the producing gas fields, we will use a geophysical inversion scheme to characterise the objective function between the spatial InSAR observations and predictions of a simple analytical model. Our methodology will make use of a Monte-Carlo sampling algorithm run on High Performance Computing architecture to efficiently sample the multi-dimensional parameter space. The homogenous poroelastic model we employ has dependence on the depth and thickness of the target geological unit as well as on the unit’s rock properties (porosity, Young’s Modulus, Poisson’s Ratio and Shear Modulus). Given that limited information about these properties is generally publically available for the Surat Basin, the geophysical inversion scheme will enable a sensitivity analysis to be conducted that will allow us to understand uncertainties and what parameters have the most significant impact on the system. This in turn will enable more accurate predictions of future subsidence using the poroelastic model. In 2014, Geoscience Australia installed a regional geodetic network over a sub-region of the north-eastern Surat Basin in the vicinity of the towns of Dalby, Miles and Chinchilla in Queensland. The network covers a region of approximately 20,000 km2 and consists of 40 co-located corner reflectors and survey marks. Ongoing SAR imaging of the corner reflectors and periodic campaign GNSS surveys on the survey marks will enable InSAR analysis to be combined with ground-based geodetic measurements and as a result, refine the geodetic reference datum in this region. Preliminary analysis of the persistent scatterer response of the corner reflector network will form a part of this contribution. A dense archive of Interferometric-Wide-Swath (IWS) and Extra-Wide-Swath (EWS) Sentinel-1A images is currently being acquired over the region since the permanently deployed corner reflectors are being used as targets for ongoing geometric and radiometric calibration of the Sentinel-1A SAR sensor. InSAR analysis of this Sentinel-1A data will also form a part of this contribution. Presented at the 2016 Living Planet Symposium (LPS16) Prague, Czech Republic

  • The Geoscience Australia Data Strategy 2018-2021 is the enterprise strategy that outlines the initiatives that should be followed in order to maximise data potential.

  • In May 2016, Geoscience Australia entered into a Sub-Proposal of the Australia Mongolia Extractives Program (AMEP) [1]. The Sub-proposal was titled 'Review of the Geoscience data and data management government for the future NGS Database and Delivery Section' [2]. This work was originally proposed in the Mongolia Scoping Study written by Bridget Ayling and Aki Nakamura [9]. The Scoping Study identified the creation of a National Geological Survey (NGS) and a National Geoscientific Database as key recommendations. This report builds on [9]¿s Priority 2 (the creation of a National Geoscientific Database) by providing an assessment of existing geoscientific data governance and process. It identifies areas where international standards and best¿practice could be applied to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the use of geoscientific data. It also proposes a roadmap to address identified gaps in data governance and technology. The findings of this report are as follows: * There are several Mongolian Government organisations who collect and hold geoscientific data, mainly within the Ministry of Mining but also outside it (Environmental Information Centre within the Ministry of Environment and Greening); * There are well established and governed processes for the collection of some scientific reports, and the delivery of some forms of maps, mostly in hard copy; * There are gaps in the government policy framework regarding spatial data management and delivery and also departmental aggregated data generally; * There is uncertainty around the governance of the future NGS and whether it will incorporate or sit beside existing geoscientific agencies. On the basis of these findings, the report includes the following recommendations which are articulated in full detail in Section 10: Recommendation 1: Data Governance Policy The Mongolian Government should formally identify custodians of existing geoscientific data holdings and define rights and obligations of custodianship. Recommendation 2: Data Exchange Policy The Mongolian Government should develop a formal data exchange policy for geoscientific data. Recommendation 3: Catalogue Development The Mongolian Government should develop and publish a data catalogue listing the data holdings of all relevant agencies, including information on the data custodian and access policy. This catalogue should adopt key international standards for metadata and online catalogue delivery. The catalogue may initially be for internal government use only but should eventually be made public, even if all of the data within it is not directly accessible. The metadata for all datasets should be listed in the catalogue, even when the data is not made available. Recommendation 4: Digital delivery for data products The Mongolian Government should develop IT infrastructure to support data exchange and distribution to support making the data listed in the data catalogues available digitally. Not all of the catalogue¿s data will either be available digitally or freely. Recommendation 5: Adopt a roadmap to prepare for a future National Geological Survey The Mongolian Government should adopt a roadmap to implement Recommendations 1 - 4 and prepare for the establishment of an NGS with NGS structural decisions based on the progress of implementing Recommendations 1 - 4. Recommendation 6: Continued Cooperation with Geoscience Australia The Mongolian Government and Geoscience Australia should continue to share information and approaches on the management and delivery of geoscientific information. This is likely to benefit both institutions.

  • <div>The pyrolysis-reflectance tie database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases, which combine key properties related to thermal maturity. These data are typically used as input parameters in basin analysis and petroleum systems modelling to assist with the discovery and evaluation of sediment-hosted energy resources. The programmed pyrolysis analyses and the maceral reflectance analyses undertaken using reflected light microscopy are conducted on rock samples, either as cores, cuttings or rock chips, taken from boreholes and field sites in Australian sedimentary basins. The full datasets are available in the pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance, maceral reflectance and organoclast maturity web services. These analyses are performed by various laboratories in service and exploration companies, Australian government institutions and universities using a range of instruments.</div><div><br></div><div>These data are collated from destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs), and literature. The data are delivered in the Combined Pyrolysis and Vitrinite Reflectance web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div>

  • <div>The Petroleum Systems Summary database stores the compilation of the current understanding of petroleum systems information by basin across Australia. The Petroleum Systems Summary database and delivery tool provide high-level information of the current understanding of key petroleum systems for areas of interest. For example, geological studies in the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program have included the Canning, McArthur and South Nicholson basins (Carr et al., 2016; Hashimoto et al., 2018). The database and tool aim to assist geological studies by summarising and interpreting key datasets related to conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration. Each petroleum systems summary includes a synopsis of the basin and key figures detailing the basin outline, major structural components, data availability, petroleum systems events chart and stratigraphy, and a précis of the key elements of source, reservoir and seal. Standardisation of petroleum systems nomenclature establishes a framework for each basin after Bradshaw (1993) and Bradshaw et al. (1994), with the source-reservoir naming conventions adopted from Magoon and Dow (1994).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The resource is accessible via the Geoscience Australia Portal&nbsp;(https://portal.ga.gov.au/) via the Petroleum Systems Summary Tool (Edwards et al., 2020).</div>

  • <div>The noble gas database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases for molecular and noble gas isotopic analyses on natural gases sampled from boreholes and fluid inclusion gases from rocks sampled in boreholes and field sites. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depths, shows and tests, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and the molecular and noble gas isotopic compositions for the natural gas samples. The molecular data are presented in mole percent (mol%) and cubic centimetres (at Standard Pressure and Temperature) per cubic centimetre (ccSTP/cc). The noble gas isotopic values that can be measured are; Helium (He, <sup>3</sup>He, <sup>4</sup>He), Neon (Ne, <sup>20</sup>Ne, <sup>21</sup>Ne, <sup>22</sup>Ne), Argon (Ar, <sup>36</sup>Ar, <sup>38</sup>Ar, <sup>40</sup>Ar), Krypton (Kr, <sup>78</sup>Kr, <sup>80</sup>Kr, <sup>82<</sup>Kr, <sup>83</sup>Kr, <sup>84</sup>Kr, <sup>86</sup>Kr) and Xenon (Xe, <sup>124</sup>Xe, <sup>126</sup>Xe, <sup>128</sup>Xe, <sup>129</sup>Xe, <sup>130</sup>Xe, <sup>131</sup>Xe, <sup>132</sup>Xe, <sup>134</sup>Xe, <sup>136</sup>Xe) which are presented in cubic micrometres per cubic centimetre (mcc/cc), cubic nanometres per cubic centimetre (ncc/cc) and cubic picometres per cubic centimetre (pcc/cc). Acquisition of the molecular compounds are by gas chromatography (GC) and the isotopic ratios by mass spectrometry (MS). Compound concentrations that are below the detection limit (BDL) are reported as the value -99999.</div><div><br></div><div>These data provide source information about individual compounds in natural gases and can elucidate fluid migration pathways, irrespective of microbial activity, chemical reactions and changes in oxygen fugacity, which are useful in basin analysis with derived information being used to support Australian exploration for energy resources and helium. These data are collated from Geoscience Australia records and well completion reports. The noble gas data for natural gases and fluid inclusion gases are delivered in the Noble Gas Isotopes web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

  • <div>The bulk rock stable isotopes database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases for the stable isotopic composition of sedimentary rocks with an emphasis on calcareous rocks and minerals sampled from boreholes and field sites. The stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen, strontium, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur are measured by various laboratories in service and exploration companies, Australian government institutions, and universities, using a range of instruments. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depth, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and the stable isotopes ratios. The carbon (<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>C) and oxygen (<sup>18</sup>O/<sup>16</sup>O) isotope ratios of calcareous rocks are expressed in delta notation (i.e., &delta;<sup>13</sup>C and &delta;<sup>18</sup>O) in parts per mil (‰) relative to the Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB) standard, with the &delta;<sup>18</sup>O values also reported relative to the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) standard. Likewise, the stable isotope ratio of hydrogen (<sup> 2</sup>H/<sup> 1</sup>H) is presented in delta notation (&delta;<sup> 2</sup>H) in parts per mil (‰) relative to the VSMOW standard, the stable isotope ratio of nitrogen (<sup> 15</sup>N/<sup>14</sup>N) is presented in delta notation (&delta;<sup>15</sup>N) in parts per mil (‰) relative to the atmospheric air (AIR) standard, and the stable isotope ratio of sulfur (<sup> 34</sup>S/<sup> 32</sup>S) is presented in delta notation (&delta;<sup> 34</sup>S) relative to the Vienna Canyon Diablo Troilite (VCDT) standard. For carbonates, the strontium (<sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr) isotope ratios are also provided.</div><div><br></div><div>These data are used to determine the isotopic compositions of sedimentary rock with emphasis on the carbonate within rocks, either as minerals, the mineral matrix or cements. The results for the carbonate rocks are used to determine paleotemperature, paleoenvironment and paleoclimate, and establish regional- and global-scale stratigraphic correlations. These data are collated from Geoscience Australia records, destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs), and literature. The stable isotope data for sedimentary rocks are delivered in the Stable Isotopes of Carbonates web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div>

  • <div>The bulk source rock database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases for the bulk properties of sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter and fluid inclusions taken from boreholes and field sites. The analyses are performed by various laboratories in service and exploration companies, Australian government institutions, and universities, using a range of instruments. Sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter are typically referred to as source rocks (e.g., organic-rich shale, oil shale and coal) and the organic matter within the rock matrix that is insoluble in organic solvents is named kerogen. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depth, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and various data types including; elemental composition, and the stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Results are also included from methods that separate the extractable organic matter (EOM) from rocks into bulk components, such as the quantification of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin and asphaltene (SARA) fractions according to their polarity. The stable carbon (<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>C) and hydrogen (<sup>2</sup>H/<sup>1</sup>H) isotopic ratios of the EOM and derivative hydrocarbon fractions, as well as fluid inclusion oils, are presented in delta notation (i.e., &delta;<sup>13</sup>C and &delta;<sup>2</sup>H) in parts per mil (‰) relative to the Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB) standard.</div><div><br></div><div>These data are used to determine the molecular and isotopic compositions of organic matter within rocks and associated fluid inclusions and evaluate the potential for hydrocarbon generation in a basin. Some data are generated in Geoscience Australia’s laboratory and released in Geoscience Australia records. Data are also collated from destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs), and literature. The bulk data for sedimentary rocks are delivered in the Source Rock Bulk Properties and Stable Isotopes web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div>

  • <b>Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema. Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas</b> The databases tables held within Geoscience Australia's Oracle Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema, together with other supporting Oracle databases (e.g., Borehole database (BOREHOLE), Australian Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD), and the Reservoir, Facies and Shows (RESFACS) database), underpin the Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas web services and publications. These products provide information in an Australia-wide geological context on organic geochemistry, organic petrology and stable isotope data related primarily to sedimentary rocks and energy (petroleum and hydrogen) sample-based datasets used for the discovery and evaluation of sediment-hosted resources. The sample data provide the spatial distribution of source rocks and their derived petroleum fluids (natural gas and crude oil) taken from boreholes and field sites in onshore and offshore Australian provinces. Sample depth, stratigraphy, analytical methods, and other relevant metadata are also supplied with the analytical results. Sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter are referred to as source rocks (e.g., organic-rich shale, oil shale and coal) and the organic matter within the rock matrix that is insoluble in organic solvents is named kerogen. The data in the ORGCHEM schema are produced by a wide range of destructive analytical techniques conducted on samples submitted by industry under legislative requirements, as well as on samples collected by research projects undertaken by Geoscience Australia, state and territory geological organisations and scientific institutions including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and universities. Data entered into the database tables are commonly sourced from both the basic and interpretive volumes of well completion reports (WCR) provided by the petroleum well operator to either the state and territory governments or, for offshore wells, to the Commonwealth Government under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act (OPGGSA) 2006 and previous Petroleum (submerged Lands) Act (PSLA) 1967. Data are also sourced from analyses conducted by Geoscience Australia’s laboratory and its predecessor organisations, the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) and the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR). Other open file data from company announcements and reports, scientific publications and university theses are captured. The ORGCHEM database was created in 1990 by the BMR in response to industry requests for organic geochemistry data, featuring pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance and carbon isotopic data (Boreham, 1990). Funding from the Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre (1991–2003) enabled the organic geochemical data to be made publicly available at no cost via the petroleum wells web page from 2002 and included BOREHOLE, ORGCHEM and the Reservoir, Facies and Shows (RESFACS) databases. Investment by the Australian Government in Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program facilitated technological upgrades and established the current web services (Edwards et al., 2020). The extensive scope of the ORGCHEM schema has led to the development of numerous database tables and web services tailored to visualise the various datasets related to sedimentary rocks, in particular source rocks, crude oils and natural gases within the petroleum systems framework. These web services offer pathways to access the wealth of information contained within the ORGCHEM schema. Web services that facilitate the characterisation of source rocks (and kerogen) comprise data generated from programmed pyrolysis (e.g., Hawk, Rock-Eval, Source Rock Analyser), pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) and kinetics analyses, and organic petrological studies (e.g., quantitation of maceral groups and organoclasts, vitrinite reflectance measurements) using reflected light microscopy. Collectively, these data are used to establish the occurrence of source rocks and the post-burial thermal history of sedimentary basins to evaluate the potential for hydrocarbon generation. Other web services provide data to characterise source rock extracts (i.e., solvent extracted organic matter), fluid inclusions and petroleum (e.g., natural gas, crude oil, bitumen) through the reporting of their bulk properties (e.g., API gravity, elemental composition) and molecular composition using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also reported are the stable isotope ratios of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and noble gas isotope abundances using ultimate high-resolution variable multicollection mass spectrometry. The stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen and strontium are also reported for sedimentary rocks containing carbonate either within the mineral matrix or in cements. Interpretation of these data enables the characterisation of petroleum source rocks and identification of their derived petroleum fluids, which comprise two key elements of petroleum systems analysis. Understanding a fluid’s physical properties and molecular composition are prerequisites for field development. The composition of petroleum determines its economic value and hence why the concentration of hydrocarbons (methane, wet gases, light and heavy oil) and hydrogen, helium and argon are important relative to those of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide for gases, and heterocyclic compounds (nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur) found in the asphaltene, resin and polar fractions of crude oils. The web services and tools in the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal (https://portal.ga.gov.au/), and specifically in the Source Rock and Fluid Atlas Persona (https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/sra), allow the users to search, filter and select data based on various criteria, such as basin, formation, sample type, analysis type, and specific geochemical parameters. The web map services (WMS) and web feature services (WFS) enable the user to download data in a variety of formats (csv, Json, kml and shape file). The Source Rock and Fluid Atlas supports national resource assessments. The focus of the atlas is on the exploration and development of energy resources (i.e., petroleum and hydrogen) and the evaluation of resource commodities (i.e., helium and graphite). Some data held in the ORGCHEM tables are used for enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture, storage and utilisation projects. The objective of the atlas is to empower people to deliver Earth science excellence through data and digital capability. It benefits users who are interested in the exploration and development of Australia's energy resources by: • Providing a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the organic geochemistry of Australian source rocks • Enhancing the understanding of the spatial distribution, quality, and maturity of petroleum source rocks. • Facilitating the mapping of total petroleum and hydrogen systems and the assessment of the petroleum and hydrogen resource potential and prospectivity of Australian basins. • Facilitating the mapping of gases (e.g., methane, helium, carbon dioxide) within the geosphere as part of the transition to clean energy. • Enabling the integration and comparison of data from diverse sources and various acquisition methods, such as geological, geochemical, geophysical and geospatial data. • Providing data for integration into enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture, storage and utilisation projects. • Improving the accessibility and usability of data through user-friendly and interactive web-based interfaces. • Promoting the dissemination and sharing of data among Government, industry and community stakeholders. <b>References</b> Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre (APCRC) 1991-2003. Australian Petroleum CRC (1991 - 2003), viewed 6 May 2024, https://www.eoas.info/bib/ASBS00862.htm and https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A001918b.htm#pub-resources Boreham, C. 1990. ORGCHEM Organic geochemical database. BMR Research Newsletter 13. Record 13:10-10. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/90326 Edwards, D.S., MacFarlane, S., Grosjean, E., Buckler, T., Boreham, C.J., Henson, P., Cherukoori, R., Tracey-Patte, T., van der Wielen, S.E., Ray, J., Raymond, O. 2020. Australian source rocks, fluids and petroleum systems – a new integrated geoscience data discovery portal for maximising data potential. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/133751. <b>Citation</b> Edwards, D., Buckler, T. 2024. Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema. Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/149422

  • <div>The bulk oils database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases for the bulk properties of petroleum liquids (e.g., condensate, crude oil, bitumen) sampled from boreholes and field sites. The analyses are performed by various laboratories in service and exploration companies, Australian government institutions, and universities using a range of instruments. Petroleum is composed primarily of hydrocarbons (carbon and hydrogen) with minor quantities of heterocyclic compounds containing either nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depth, shows and tests, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and various data types including; API gravity, elemental composition and photographs of the samples. The stable carbon (<sup>13</sup>C/<sup>12</sup>C) and hydrogen (<sup>2</sup>H/<sup>1</sup>H) isotopic ratios of crude oil and derivative saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions are presented in parts per mil (‰) and in delta notation as &delta;<sup>13</sup>C and &delta;<sup>2</sup>H, respectively. Results are also included from methods that separate crude oils into bulk components, such as the quantification of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) fractions according to their polarity.</div><div><br></div><div>These data provide information about the petroleum fluid’s composition, source, thermal maturity, secondary alteration, and fluid migration pathways. They are also useful for enhanced oil recovery assessments, petroleum systems mapping and basin modelling. Hence, these sample-based datasets are used for the discovery and evaluation of sediment-hosted resources. Some data are generated in Geoscience Australia’s laboratory and released in Geoscience Australia records. Data are also collated from destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs), and literature. The bulk oils data are delivered in the Petroleum Bulk Properties and Stable Isotopes web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div>