Australia has been, and continues to be, a leader in isotope geochronology and geochemistry. While new isotopic data is being produced with ever increasing pace and diversity, there is also a rich legacy of existing high-quality age and isotopic data, most of which have been dispersed across a multitude of journal papers, reports and theses. Where compilations of isotopic data exist, they tend to have been undertaken at variable geographic scale, with variable purpose, format, styles, levels of detail and completeness. Consequently, it has been difficult to visualise or interrogate the collective value of age and isotopic data at continental-scale. Age and isotopic patterns at continental scale can provide intriguing insights into the temporal and chemical evolution of the continent (Fraser et al, 2020). As national custodian of geoscience data, Geoscience Australia has addressed this challenge by developing an Isotopic Atlas of Australia, which currently (as of November 2020) consists of national-scale coverages of four widely-used age and isotopic data-types: 4008 U-Pb mineral ages from magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks 2651 Sm-Nd whole-rock analyses, primarily of granites and felsic volcanics 5696 Lu-Hf (136 samples) and 553 O-isotope (24 samples) analyses of zircon 1522 Pb-Pb analyses of ores and ore-related minerals These isotopic coverages are now freely available as web-services for use and download from the GA Portal. While there is more legacy data to be added, and a never-ending stream of new data constantly emerging, the provision of these national coverages with consistent classification and attribution provides a range of benefits: vastly reduces duplication of effort in compiling bespoke datasets for specific regions or use-cases data density is sufficient to reveal meaningful temporal and spatial patterns a guide to the existence and source of data in areas of interest, and of major data gaps to be addressed in future work facilitates production of thematic maps from subsets of data. For example, a magmatic age map, or K-Ar mica cooling age map sample metadata such as lithology and stratigraphic unit is associated with each isotopic result, allowing for further filtering, subsetting and interpretation. The Isotopic Atlas of Australia will continue to develop via the addition of both new and legacy data to existing coverages, and by the addition of new data coverages from a wider range of isotopic systems and a wider range of geological sample media (e.g. soil, regolith and groundwater).

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Geoscience Australia and Monash University have produced a series of renewable energy capacity factor maps of Australia. Solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, wind (150 metre hub height) and hybrid wind and solar capacity factor maps are included in this dataset. All maps are available for download in geotiff format. Solar Photovoltaic capacity factor map The minimum capacity factor is <10% and the maximum is 25%. The map is derived from Bureau of Meteorology (2020) data. The scientific colour map is sourced from Crameri (2018). Concentrated Solar Power capacity factor map The minimum capacity factor is 52% and the maximum is 62%. The map is derived from Bureau of Meteorology (2020) data. Minimum exposure cut-off values used are from International Renewable Energy Agency (2012) and Wang (2019). The scientific colour map is sourced from Crameri (2018). Wind (150 m hub height) capacity factor map The minimum capacity factor is <15% and the maximum is 42%. The map is derived from Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (2015) and DNV GL (2016) data. The scientific colour map is sourced from Crameri (2018). Hybrid Wind and Solar capacity factor maps Nine hybrid wind and solar maps are available, divided into 10% intervals of wind to solar ratio (eg. (wind 40% : solar 60%), (wind 50% : solar 50%), (wind 60% : solar 40%) etc.). The maps show the capacity factor available for electrolysis. Wind and solar plants might be oversized to increase the overall running time of the hydrogen plant allowing the investor to reduce electrolyser capital expenditures for the same amount of output. Calculations also include curtailment (or capping) of excess electricity when more electricity is generated than required to operate the electrolyser. The minimum and maximum capacity factors vary relative to a map’s specified wind to solar ratio. A wind to solar ratio of 50:50 produces the highest available capacity factor of 64%. The maps are derived from Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (2015), DNV GL (2016) and Bureau of Meteorology (2020) data. The scientific colour map is sourced from Crameri (2018). See the ‘Downloads' tab for the full list of references. Disclaimer The capacity factor maps are derived from modelling output and not all locations are validated. Geoscience Australia does not guarantee the accuracy of the maps, data, and visualizations presented, and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. Capacity factor values shown in the maps should not be relied upon in an absolute sense when making a commercial decision. Rather they should be strictly interpreted as indicative. Users are urged to exercise caution when using the information and data contained. If you have found an error in this dataset, please let us know by contacting clientservices@ga.gov.au. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

The Canning Basin is a large intracratonic basin in Western Australia that remains one of the least explored Paleozoic basins in the world. Recent resource assessments have renewed interest in the basin, in particular for unconventional gas within Ordovician organic-rich shales, although these proposed plays remain untested. Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is a program dedicated to exploring Australia’s resource potential and boosting investment. Launched in 2016 with $100.5 million in funding from the Australian Government, it initially focused on northern Australia. Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of Western Australia collected new, pre-competitive datasets in the frontier Kidson Sub-basin to better understand its energy resource potential. Here we present an overview of the regional petroleum systems with a focus on the modelled Ordovician section within the Kidson Sub-basin and Barnicarndy Graben (previously Waukarlycarly Embayment). Three Larapintine petroleum systems are recognised in the Ordovician (L2), Devonian‒earliest Carboniferous (L3), and Carboniferous (L4) successions of the Canning Basin. Integration of petroleum systems with interpretation of the Kidson Sub-basin seismic survey 18GA-KB1 shows that the Ordovician section is extensive, and hence, the Larapintine 2 Petroleum System is of most exploration interest across this frontier region. Ordovician organic-rich units are known within the Nambeet (Tremadocian–Floian), Goldwyer (Dapingian–Darriwilian) and Bongabinni (Sandbian) formations; however, only Nambeet and Goldwyer source rocks are considered to be present within the Kidson Sub-basin. Oil and gas shows occur within Ordovician and Silurian reservoirs, of which many are sub-salt. The range in the geochemical profile of shows from Goldwyer, Nita and Sahara reservoirs implies generation from numerous source units within the Goldwyer and Bongabinni formations. The origin of oil and gas shows within the Nambeet and Willara formations, including those in Patience 2 in the Kidson Sub-basin, is unknown but imply the presence of multiple lower Ordovician source units and include the Nambeet Formation. Within the Kidson Sub-basin, Kidson 1 is located closest to the main depocentre, whereas other wells are proximal to shelves and margins. In general, these latter wells return discouraging hydrocarbon potential pyrolysis parameters as a consequence of their sub-optimal location for source rock development and thermal maturation history. Kidson 1 penetrates the Goldwyer Formation and has TOC contents that are considered more representative of source rock richness (although diesel contamination is present) within the depocentre. Data paucity is the key limitation in resource evaluation for the Kidson Sub-basin, as such, an evaluation with volumetrics is not possible. 1D petroleum systems models of ten wells located in either the Kidson Sub-basin, Willara Sub-basin or Barnicarndy Graben were constructed to resolve whether potential source rocks were capable of hydrocarbon generation. The models demonstrate maturation of Ordovician source rocks resulting in near-complete transformation during Permian to Triassic deposition and burial. A 2D petroleum systems model constructed along the regional 2D seismic line 18GA-KB1 predicts full maturation of Larapintine 2 source rocks in the deeper parts of the Kidson Sub-basin. Expulsion and migration is considered to have taken place during the Permian‒Triassic, with potential accumulations trapped by evaporitic and fine-grained units of Ordovician and Silurian age.

This service contains features as defined under the Offshore Petroleum and Greeenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The Petroleum blocks defined under the Act, are delivered separately in the 'Australia - OPGGSA 2006 - Petroleum Blocks' service.

This service contains features as defined under the Offshore Petroleum and Greeenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The Petroleum blocks defined under the Act, are delivered separately in the 'Australia - OPGGSA 2006 - Petroleum Blocks' service.

This service contains features as defined under the Offshore Petroleum and Greeenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The Petroleum blocks defined under the Act, are delivered separately in the 'Australia - OPGGSA 2006 - Petroleum Blocks' service.

Geoscience Australia is leading the regional evaluation of potential subsurface mineral, energy and groundwater resources, through the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. Understanding the subsurface stratigraphy and depositional systems is fundamental for any exploration activities. The major challenge for exploration in northern and southern Australian onshore basins is the limited seismic data coverage; however, maximising the use of data in existing wells is a valuable source of information from which to gain insights into prospectivity. Data from 142 wells from the Canning, Amadeus, Georgina and Officer basins in the Centralian Superbasin have been used to evaluate the subsurface geology, stratigraphy and depositional environments in order to generate two-dimensional well correlations within and between basins. Primary objectives of the study are to: • establish a methodology to integrate the well data with Geoscience Australia’s many other datasets (i.e., Australian Stratigraphic Unit, Time Scale, Geochronology, STRATDAT, RESFACS) and publicly available (published and unpublished) research data and information • determine the lithostratigraphic unit tops, log and lithology characterisations, depositional facies, boundary criteria, spatial and temporal distribution and regional correlation • identify key biostratigraphic zones and markers, and geochronological absolute age dates to generate a chronostratigraphic Time-Space Diagram for each basin. This report improves the understanding of the tectonostratigraphic relationships across the Centralian Superbasin. The age of the sedimentary successions of the Centralian Superbasin have been refined using geochronology, biostratigraphy and lithostratigraphic correlation. The key results of the study are: • the Centralian Superbasin started to form at about 840 Ma with a series of extension, rifting and crustal sagging events that preceded the breakup of the Neoproterozoic Rodinia Supercontinent in the mid-Tonian • sedimentary sections deposited through parts of the global Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations are recognised in the Centralian Superbasin representing time spans of 717–668 Ma and 640–635.5 Ma, respectively • the intra-basin connection between the Canning and the Amadeus basins with the Proto-Pacific Ocean in the east, known as the Larapintine Seaway, was formed during the 480–460 Ma extensional and subsidence of the Larapinta Event. This has been determined from the integration of the recently interpreted seismic data from the Kidson Sub-basin (Kidson Sub-basin 2D Seismic Survey, EFTF) and conodont biostratigraphy in the Amadeus Basin.

This study assesses the petroleum potential of the Paleo–Mesoproterozoic Birrindudu Basin in the northwestern Northern Territory, which is one of several Proterozoic basins in northern Australia with the potential to host conventional and unconventional petroleum accumulations. Historical source rock geochemistry, porosity, and permeability data from the Birrindudu Basin are collated and interpreted; in addition, new fluid geochemistry is interpreted within the context of the greater McArthur Basin. The limited data available indicate that at least four formations have good or excellent present-day organic richness (>2 wt% TOC), and several sandstone and carbonate reservoirs have good porosity data. The calculated brittleness index of a number of organic-rich shales suggests that several are likely to be favourable for fracture stimulation and therefore might constitute good unconventional hydrocarbon targets. Four continent-scale petroleum supersystems are identified, two of which are described for the first time. These supersystems are an important tool in understanding the petroleum potential in frontier basins with limited data. Additionally, a number of basin-scale petroleum systems are potentially present within the basin successions; 14 possible conventional systems and 9 possible unconventional systems are documented. Petroleum play concepts are also described to assist with assessing the potential for conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources. The ultimate aim is to identify areas that can be targeting for precompetitive geoscience data acquisition, so as to reduce the exploration search space. Presented at Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) April 2021 (p115 - p130)

Vertical stress is one of the three principal stresses and is an important parameter in geomechanical studies that are focussed on the prediction of pore pressure, fracture gradients, and wellbore stability. Variations of the vertical stress magnitude can be attributed to variations in lithology or diagenetic history, localised uplift, and overpressures caused by disequilibrium compaction. This study uses wellbore data from 102 open-file petroleum wells to characterise vertical stress within the onshore Canning Basin of north-western Australia. Vertical stress magnitudes are interpreted from density logs and checkshot data and at 1 km depth below the ground surface range from 20.5 MPa km-1 to 25.0 MPa km-1 with a mean value of 22.1 MPa km-1 (s.d. = 1.0 MPa km-1). Significant variation is evident within the calculated stress magnitudes, and when presented spatially, three regions of elevated vertical stress are identified: the Barbwire Terrace, the Devonian Reef Complexes of the northern Lennard Shelf, and the Mowla Terrace. Lithology, abnormal pore pressures, and tectonic uplift are investigated as potential mechanisms of the observed variation. Although abnormal pore pressures are identified, no direct correlation between overpressured areas and elevated vertical stress magnitudes is observed. The Canning Basin has an extensive history of uplift; however, there is little evidence for significant recent inversion. While uplift is likely to exert some influence over vertical stress magnitudes in the Canning Basin, the primary cause is interpreted to be lithological; areas of elevated vertical stress magnitude are also areas where thick intervals of carbonate sediments are present. Appeared in The APPEA Journal 59, pages 364-382, 17 June 2019