Kaufana No. 1 Bore was drilled to a depth of 3,380 feet. Thin Pliocene calcareous greywacke unconformably overlies Miocene "f-3" siltstone; this in turn disconformably overlies Miocene "fl-2" siltstone, shale, and greywacke. The Miocene "f-3" Bokama Limestone was not encountered, but may have been represented by a stratigraphic equivalent with a different lithology. No shows of hydrocarbons were observed.

The completion report of A.A.O. No. 8, (Karumba) has been wrttten by A.C.M. Laing* and contributions on Petrology by N.C. Stevens,*** Micropalaeontology by I. Crespin,** and Electrical Logging by D.F. Dyson** are appended. The report is one of a series of reports published on bores subsidized under the Petroleum Search Subsidy Act, 1957-58. The hole was put down to determine the stratigraphical sequence of the south-eastern part of the Carpentaria Basin, an extension of the Great Artesian Basin, and to evaluate the significance of a gravity high. The significance of the bore is that the stratigraphical sequence of the area and the depth of hasement are now actually known from drilling evidence. It is the third test bore recently drilled in the Gulf of Carpentaria, on geophysical indications. The other two are Wyaaba No. 1 (Frome-Broken Hill Co. pty Ltd), and Weipa No. 1 (Zinc Corporation Ltd). The stratigraphy encountered in these bores is shown on the correlation chart, Plate 2. A composite well log of A.A.O. No. 8 is attached (Plate I). It is surprising to note from the log that no separate tests were made of the intervals 760-900 feet and 1540-1630 feet. The electrical log for both intervals suggests possibilities of oil, gas, or salt water; a small gas show was actually observed at 1595 feet. * Mines Administration Pty Ltd, Brisbane. ** Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra. *** University of Queensland.

The rig and ancillary gear were shipped by the 300-ton landing barge "Wewak" from Kaufana, Papua, to Wilson Island, a distance of approximately 1,000 miles. They were thence transferred to Wreck Island by the drilling company's landing barge "Tamona" of 47.38 registered tonnage. All stores, supplies, and fresh water were transported 58 miles from Gladstone by the "Tamona". Communications were maintained by an A.W.A. 5A Transceiver with OTC Station VIR Rockhampton. The bore was spudded in at 1400 hours, 7th May, 1959. 12-1/4 inch hole was drilled to 493 feet. Owing to lost circulation, no cuttings could be recovered from the hole, and a laborious system of bailing was resorted to. The 12-1/4 inch pilot hole was opened to 17-1/2 inches, and 13-3/8 inch J55x54.5 lb. STC casing was run to 480 feet. 12-1/4 inch hole was drilled to 1,170 feet, but owing to porous unconsolidated sediments and lost circulation in higher zones it was decided to run and cement 9-5/8 inch J55x40 lb. STC casing at 1,110 feet. 8-1/2 inch hole was then drilled to total depth, 1,898 feet. Recent, Pleistocene, Pliocene, and Miocene sediments were penetrated; basement was encountered at 1,795 feet. Fourteen cores were cut during the drilling of the bore, using a 20-foot Reed K500 "Kor-King" barrel. Both hard and soft formation 5-5/8 inch core heads were used. The hole was logged to total depth with a Failing Logmaster, giving the self-potential, 16 and 63 inch normal and single point resistivity, and gamma ray curves. No shows of oil or gas were noted, and in consequence no drill stem tests were carried out. Three deviation surveys were made; the maximum deviation was 1/2 degree at 1,580 feet. The bore was abandoned as a dry hole by placing cement plugs from 1,160 to 1,060 feet and from 50 feet to surface; a metal name plate affixed to a projecting pipe was welded on to the cap sealing the bore.

In several publications which have appeared during the last few years mention was made of Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian and Tithonian) and Lower Cretaceous (Neocomian and Aptian) marine fossils from Dampier Land, a peninsula which lies between the townships of Derby and Broome in the north of Western Australia. The fossils were listed in detail or otherwise mentioned in more or less preliminary stratigraphical descriptions of the area in papers by Brunnschweiler (1951a, 1951 b, 1954, 1957), Guppy (1953), Guppy, Lindner, Rattigan, & Casey (1958), and Fairbridge (1953). A great deal of geological work has been carried out since those preliminary exploration activities, chiefly by the staff of the West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd (WAPET). The currently accepted stratigraphical picture has recently been presented by McWhae, Playford, Lindner, Glenister, & Balme (1958), and the reader is referred to this paper for the overall situation and the relationships of the formations mentioned in the present descriptions of the fossils. The occurrence of Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous formations in this region has been known for many years, but only in recent years have the nature and extent of the sequences become known in reasonable detail. The only description of Upper Jurassic fossils of this area is found in a short paper by Teichert (1940a). Unfortunately several of the fossil specimens described hereafter were lost in the fire in the Canberra offices of the Bureau of Mineral Resources in April, 1953. The illustrations on plates I and II had to be made up from discoloured and singed photographs, the negatives of which did not survive the fire. Mostly," open" nomenclature is applied even where an obviously new form is in evidence; for new species can only be established where satisfactory type material is still available. The main purpose of this paper is to substantiate earlier statements by showing what fossils have been found, even though this can only be done with the help of photographs which luckily escaped destruction by the fire. Much of the work for this paper was done before mid-1954, when the writer was still a member of the staff of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, and engaged in work on the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Australian Mesozoic.

Compiled by Tectonic Map Committee, Geological Society of Australia, in association with the Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics and the State Mines Departments and with the assistance of Australian Universities, Mining and Oil Exploration Companies and the Royal Australian Navy. Base map and bathymetric contours prepared by the Division of National Mapping. Drawn and published by the Bureau of mineral resources, Geology and Geophysics, Department of national Development.

Legacy product - no abstract available

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