Within the Central Australian region, nominally constrained by 22.5oS 134oE and 31.5oS 144oE for this study, lie several systems of stacked basins beneath the extensive Mesozoic Eromanga Basin. Remnants of Proterozoic basins are largely inferred from gravity, unexplored, and are not everywhere differentiated from an extensive cover of the lower Palaeozoic Warburton Formation. This sequence is the central link between the contiguous Amadeus, Officer and Georgina Basins, and the Thomson Fold Belt. Since the Carboniferous, the region has largely experienced intracratonic sag and has accumulated continental sediments, including thick coal measures, with intermittent tectonism and uplift. In late Early Cretaceous, marine conditions briefly invaded this subsiding region, but continental sedimentation resumed in the Late Cretaceous. Tectonism occurred in the Tertiary with basin inversion and subsequent formation of the Great Artesian Basin. In the Cainozoic, the region is again in subsidence and accommodating fluvial and aeolian sediment slowly into the Eyre Basin. The preserved depocentres of the Carboniferous-Permian-Triassic Cooper, Pedirka-Simpson, and Galilee Basins are spatially separate, although all contain comparable, largely organically-mature continental coal measure sequences.

Extended abstracts from various authors compiled as the Proceedings volume of the 2012 Australian Geothermal Energy Conference, 14-16 November 2012, Crown Plaza, Coogee Beach, Sydney.

This paper focuses on the thermal modelling conducted in the Cooper Basin and Tattapani hot spring regions in order to highlight the latest work being done by Geoscience Australia to improve our understanding of the temperature and fluid flow fields in areas away from direct measurements.

This map presents radiogenic crustal heat production values calculated from available geochemical data from basement rock exposures from across the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT). Heat production is derived from the radiogenic decay of the radioactive elements, primarily, U, Th and K. This map, along with the companion GA record (2012/63), highlights the magnitude and heterogeneity of crustal heat production across the AAT, and provides earth scientists with the first crustal heat production assessment across much of East Antarctica. Crustal heat production values across the AAT show a wide range from negligible to as much as 65 'Wm-3. Generally, elevated heat production values are characteristic of Cambrian felsic intrusives, with intermediate values from Proterozoic intrusive and metasediments (2-8 Wm-3), and low values (<2 'Wm-3) from Archean rocks. A good illustration of the correlation of geological age with heat production is from Prydz Bay (map 5), where the Vestfold Hills (mostly ~2500 Ma in age) exhibits uniformly low heat production (average ~0.8 'Wm-3), whereas Proterozoic rocks south of the Vestfold Hills have intermediate values (average ~2.6 'Wm-3). Cambrian intrusives, in contrast, have significantly elevated values (average ~15 'Wm-3). We anticipate that this simple compilation of crustal heat production may form a basis for future studies on the thermal structure of the East Antarctic crust, in particular, sub-glacial heat flow, which remains a critical, yet poorly characterised, boundary parameter controlling the dynamic behaviour of the vast Antarctic ice sheet. For further information and data tables, the reader is referred to 'A reconnaissance crustal heat production assessment of the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT)' by C. J. Carson and M. Pittard, GA record 2012/063 (pp 57), Geocat 74073.

Processed seismic data (SEG-Y format) and TIFF images for the 2007 Georgetown - Charters Towers Deep Crustal Seismic Survey (L185), acquired by Geoscience Australia (GA) under the Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP), in collaboration with the Queensland Geological Survey. Stack and migrated data for line 07GA-GC1 as well as CDP coordinates and maps. 07GA-GC1 is 492.9 km long. The traverse began at Ooralat Station, north of the Gulf Developmental Road and headed southeast toward Einasleigh along dirt roads. At Einasleigh, the line veered east-southeast in the direction of Charters Towers passing to the west of the township, then traversed through the Charters Towers gold mining area and terminated approximately 100 km south of Charters Towers at the Cape River. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

Processed seismic data (SEG-Y format) and TIFF images for the 2007 Isa-Georgetown Deep Crustal Seismic Survey (L184), acquired by Geoscience Australia (GA) under the Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP), in collaboration with the Queensland Geological Survey. Stack and migrated images and data are included for lines 07GA-IG1 and 07GA-IG2 as well as CDP coordinates and maps. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

Processed seismic data (SEG-Y format) and TIFF images for the Curnamona line acquired as part of the 2008 Curnamona-Gawler-Arrowie Deep Crustal Seismic Survey (L189), acquired by Geoscience Australia (GA) under the Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP). Stack and migrated data for line 08GA-C1 as well as CDP coordinates and gravity data. The Curnamona line is 262km in length and runs north-south, east of Lake Frome in South Australia. Raw data for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au

Work conducted at the Bureau of Mineral Resources (now Geoscience Australia) in the early 1990s was instrumental in bringing hot rocks geothermal research and development to Australia. Following the announcement of the Australian Government's Energy Initiative in August 2006, a new geothermal project has been started at Geoscience Australia. This paper, presented at 3rd Hot Rock Energy Conference in Adelaide, August 2007, outlines the scope of the Onshore Energy Security Program and the development, implementation and progress to date of the Geothermal Energy Project.

This presentation was delivered at the Geothermal Energy Industry Roundtable at Parliament House in March 2007.

Currently it is difficult to assess the quality of Australian geothermal exploration targets, particularly for those with differing amounts of geological data. To rectify this, Geoscience Australia is developing a tool for evaluating geothermal potential across the continent and for identifying areas that warrant additional investigation. An important first step in the development of this tool is synthetic thermal modelling. Synthetic modelling has been used to perform a sensitivity analysis, determine the importance of different geothermal parameters and the values necessary to produce specific temperatures at depth. The results of this work are presented in this abastract.