<div>This report and associated data package provide a compilation of biostratigraphic summaries, borehole logs, and stratigraphic correlations for key boreholes across the Amadeus, Officer and Georgina basins in the Paleozoic‒Neoproterozoic Centralian Superbasin and in the underlying older Mesoproterozoic South Nicholson and southern McArthur basins, laying the groundwork for further studies. This study is part of Geoscience Australia’s National Groundwater Systems project in the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program.</div><div>This work compiles publicly available borehole data to enhance regional stratigraphic understanding. Future studies should incorporate outcrop constraints, geophysical data, and additional geological dating, alongside collaboration with experts to validate sequence chronostratigraphic correlations. The stratigraphic framework aligns geological units with timeframes, enabling consistent interbasinal correlation to group aquifers and aquitards and sedimentary mapping across lithologies and time periods. This alignment supports the integration of hydrostratigraphic classifications, potentially revealing a more accurate model of water flow connectivity over geological time units. The compilation standardises borehole log interpretation and integrates geological and hydrogeological data, contributing to national databases, exploration guidance, improving groundwater understanding, and resource impact assessments for decision-making across various groundwater, energy and minerals disciplines.</div><div>The study builds on previous EFTF program work (e.g., Bradshaw et al., 2021; Khider et al., 2021; Carson et al., 2023; Anderson et al., 2023) and legacy studies across Australia, addressing challenges in understanding groundwater systems due to limited subsurface geology knowledge and fragmented data across jurisdictions. A nationally coordinated approach is essential, with well logs playing a key role in interpreting subsurface geology. The mapping process involves interpolating between surface outcrops and subsurface strata using borehole data, integrated with geophysical interpretations. The goal is to create a consistent 3D geological framework across time-equivalent basins and jurisdictions, enabling consistent groundwater system assessments and water flow path analysis at regional and national scales.</div><div>Although not intended to be a major re-interpretation of existing data, this stratigraphy review updates stratigraphic picks where necessary to ensure a consistent interpretation across the study area. This framework is based on the 13 Centralian Supersequences defined in Bradshaw et al. (2021). Using this framework, a revised stratigraphic chart is proposed in this study to align geological units across the Officer, Amadeus, and Georgina basins with the geological time scale (Gradstein et al., 2020), incorporating significant events, such as major glaciations, orogens and other tectonic movements. </div><div>This report aims to summarise the main biostratigraphic groups used, where they have been found, and provide a detailed list of the reports available. Existing biostratigraphic data from 142 boreholes in the Georgina, Amadeus, and Officer basins and underlying older southern McArthur and South Nicholson basins, were compiled to improve regional correlations, addressing data gaps identified in previous studies. Due to time constraints, only the five fossil groups found most in borehole data are included, such as trilobites, palynology, conodonts, stromatolites and small shelly fossils. However, outcrop data provides a much larger dataset and set of fossil groups and will need to be incorporated for future studies. Outcrop biostratigraphic data was excluded here, as the focus of this study was collating borehole data. Efforts were made to refine and update formation picks, ensuring consistency in correlations across larger areas. The correlation of geological units and their assignment to the corresponding 13 Centralian Supersequences in 272 key boreholes provide a foundational stratigraphic framework. Challenges include limited biostratigraphic data, diverse dating methods, and complex structural histories in the studied basins. Problems and inconsistencies in the input data or current interpretations are highlighted to suggest where further studies or investigations may be useful. Borehole correlation transects have been established across each of the basins (20 in total), displaying age data points along with formation picks and supersequence divisions. While these simple 2D transects may not capture the structural complexity of specific areas, they provide a broad overview of the interrelationships between different units across each basin.</div><div>The datasets compiled and used in this study are in Appendix A (Biostratigraphic data) and Appendix B (Borehole stratigraphic data).</div>

3D seismic survey polygon area. The data within this layer only contains high level information regarding the individual surveys, not the actual survey. NOPIMS data is supplied by the petroleum industry. NOPIMS data is only offshore petroleum that belongs to the Commonwealth. A two dimensional (3D) seismic survey is a method of exploration used to capture seismic data beneath Earth's surface. 3D seismic provides continuous information of the subsurface within the extent of the survey. transect line of information in the survey. This method sends energy waves into the Earth to detect changes in the subsurface geology. The rock formations in the subsurface geology reflect the waves back to detector, where they are captured over the desired timeframe and converted into a seismic image. Depending on the age the survey was conducted will depend on the method used to capture the information. Older records more likely used explosives to capture seismic data whereas newer surveys use compressed air.

Mineral exploration in Australia faces the challenge of declining discovery rates despite continued exploration investment. The UNCOVER roadmap, developed by stakeholders from industry, government and academia, has highlighted the need for discovering mineral resources in areas of cover. In these areas, potentially prospective basement is covered by regolith, including transported sediment, challenging many traditional exploration methods designed to probe outcrop or shallow subcrop. Groundwater-mineral interaction in the subsurface has the potential to give the water geochemical and isotopic characteristics that may persist over time and space. Geoscience Australia’s hydrogeochemistry for mineral exploration project, part of the Exploring for the Future Programme, aims to use groundwater chemistry to better understand the bedrock-regolith system and develop new methods for recognising mineral system footprints within and below cover. During the 2017 dry season (May to September), ~150 groundwater samples (including QC samples) were collected from pastoral and water supply bores in the regions of Tennant Creek and McArthur River, Northern Territory. The Tennant Creek region has a demonstrated iron oxide-hosted copper-gold-iron(-bismuth) mineral potential in the Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic basement and vast areas of regolith cover. Among the critical elements of this mineral system, the presence/absence of redox contrasts, iron enrichment, presence of sulfide minerals, and carbonaceous intervals can potentially be diagnosed by the elemental and isotopic composition of groundwater. The McArthur River region, in contrast, has demonstrated sediment-hosted stratiform lead-zinc-silver mineral potential in the Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic basement and also vast areas of regolith cover. Here, critical mineral system elements that have the potential to be identified using groundwater geochemistry include the presence of felsic rocks (lead source), carbonate rocks (zinc source), basinal brines, dolomitic black shales (traps), and evaporite-rich sequences. Preliminary results will be presented and interpreted in the context of these mineral systems.

This web service provides links to access pictures and documents for any geological or geophysical feature data that are delivered by complementary feature services for these data, including but not limited to: boreholes, field sites, structures, stratigraphic units, samples, mines, mineral deposits and mineral occurrences, along with descriptions of those objects.

<div>This dataset represents the second version of a compilation of borehole stratigraphic unit data on a national scale (Figure 1). It builds on the previous Australian Borehole Stratigraphic Units Compilation (ABSUC) Version 1.0 (Vizy &amp; Rollet, 2023a) with additional new or updated stratigraphic interpretation on key boreholes located in Figure 2. Its purpose is to consolidate and standardise publicly accessible information from boreholes, including those related to petroleum, stratigraphy, minerals, and water. This compilation encompasses data from states and territories, as well as less readily available borehole logs and interpretations of stratigraphy.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This study was conducted as part of the National Groundwater Systems (NGS) Project within the Australian Government's Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government. More information is available at http://www.ga.gov.au/eftf and https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/national-groundwater-systems.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>As our understanding of Australian groundwater systems expands across states and territories, including legacy data from the 1970s and recent studies, it becomes evident that there is significant geological complexity and spatial variability in stratigraphic and hydrostratigraphic units nationwide. Recognising this complexity, there is a need to standardise diverse datasets, including borehole location and elevation, as well as variations in depth and nomenclature of stratigraphic picks. This standardisation aims to create a consistent, continent-wide stratigraphic framework for better understanding groundwater system for effective long-term water resource management and integrated resource assessments.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This continental-scale compilation consolidates borehole data from 53 sources, refining 1,117,693 formation picks to 1,010,483 unique records from 171,396 boreholes across Australia. It provides a consistent framework for interpreting various datasets, enhancing 3D aquifer geometry and connectivity. Each data source's reliability is weighted, prioritising the most confident interpretations. Geological units conform to the Australian Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD) for efficient updates. Regular updates are necessary to accommodate evolving information. Borehole surveys and dip measurements are excluded. As a result, stratigraphic picks are not adjusted for deviation, potentially impacting true vertical depth in deviated boreholes.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This dataset provides:</div><div>ABSUC_v2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Australian stratigraphic unit compilation dataset (ABSUC)</div><div>ABSUC_v2_TOP&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A subset of preferred top picks from the ABSUC_v2 dataset</div><div>ABSUC_v2_BASE&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A subset of preferred base picks from the ABSUC_v2 dataset</div><div>ABSUC_BOREHOLE_v2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ABSUC Borehole collar dataset</div><div>ASUD_2023&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A subset of the Australia Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Utilising this uniform compilation of stratigraphic units, enhancements have been made to the geological and hydrogeological surfaces of the Great Artesian Basin, Lake Eyre Basin and Centralian Superbasin. This compilation is instrumental in mapping various regional groundwater systems and other resources throughout the continent. Furthermore, it offers a standardised approach to mapping regional geology, providing a consistent foundation for comprehensive resource impact assessments.</div>

Presentation for the Exploring for the Future Roadshow presentation about the Kidson Sub-basin seismic survey, Waukarlycarly-1 stratigraphic well, in addition to the Centralian Super Basin well correlation study.

The product includes: • A collection of digital files (photographs, documents, maps, cross sections, sketches, etc) stored in cloud-hosted repository. • Oracle database tables linking the files to geological features and samples described in GA’s scientific databases (including but not limited to boreholes, samples, field sites, geological provinces, stratigraphic units, samples, mines, mineral deposits, isotopes, and mineral occurrences) • WMS and WFS web services which deliver the link to other Geoscience Australia geological feature web services.

This OGC conformant web service delivers data from Geoscience Australia's Boreholes database (borehole header and directional survey data) and associated geological observations (lithostratigraphic data). The data includes records of boreholes drilled by Geoscience Australia and its predecessor organisations (BMR, AGSO), all boreholes drilled in Australian Commonwealth offshore marine jurisdictions, and a selection of onshore boreholes drilled by government and private entities. Where possible this service conforms to the GeoSciML v4.1 data transfer standard. Geoscience Australia is not a reporting or regulatory authority for borehole drilling. Borehole information in Geoscience Australia's Boreholes database is sourced from various regulatory authorities in the States, Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments for Geoscience Australia research purposes. Where Geoscience Australia is not the custodian of borehole data provided in this web service, the custodian agency provided with the data should be consulted as the authoritative source. The data dictionary for this web service is at <a href="https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/144577/144577_00_3.pdf">https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/144577/144577_00_3.pdf</a>. For information on borehole status definitions, refer to <a href="https://db-content.ga.gov.au/data_dictionary/Borehole_Status_vocabulary_2021.pdf">https://db-content.ga.gov.au/data_dictionary/Borehole_Status_vocabulary_2021.pdf</a>

This web service provides links to access pictures and documents for any geological or geophysical feature data that are delivered by complementary feature services for these data, including but not limited to: boreholes, field sites, structures, stratigraphic units, samples, mines, mineral deposits and mineral occurrences, along with descriptions of those objects.

This OGC conformant web service delivers data from Geoscience Australia's Boreholes database (borehole header and directional survey data) and associated geological observations (lithostratigraphic data). The data includes records of boreholes drilled by Geoscience Australia and its predecessor organisations (BMR, AGSO), all boreholes drilled in Australian Commonwealth offshore marine jurisdictions, and a selection of onshore boreholes drilled by government and private entities. Where possible this service conforms to the GeoSciML v4.1 data transfer standard. Geoscience Australia is not a reporting or regulatory authority for borehole drilling. Borehole information in Geoscience Australia's Boreholes database is sourced from various regulatory authorities in the States, Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments for Geoscience Australia research purposes. Where Geoscience Australia is not the custodian of borehole data provided in this web service, the custodian agency provided with the data should be consulted as the authoritative source. The data dictionary for this web service is at <a href="https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/144578/144578_00_3.pdf">https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/144578/144578_00_3.pdf</a>. For information on borehole status definitions, refer to <a href="https://db-content.ga.gov.au/data_dictionary/Borehole_Status_vocabulary_2021.pdf">https://db-content.ga.gov.au/data_dictionary/Borehole_Status_vocabulary_2021.pdf</a>