Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) 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 a low emissions economy, strong 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. The deep stratigraphic drill hole, NDI Carrara 1 (~1751 m), was completed in December 2020 as part of the MinEx CRC National Drilling Initiative (NDI) in collaboration with Geoscience Australia and the Northern Territory Geological Survey. It is the first test of the Carrara Sub-basin, a depocentre newly discovered in the South Nicholson region based on interpretation from seismic surveys (L210 in 2017 and L212 in 2019) recently acquired as part of the Exploring for the Future program. The drill hole intersected approximately 1100 m of Proterozoic sedimentary rocks uncomformably overlain by 630 m of Cambrian Georgina Basin carbonates. This contractor report (FIT - Schlumberger) presents hydrocarbon and aqueous fluid inclusion petrology and data (micro-thermometry, salinities etc.) on four hydrocarbon-bearing calcite veins sampled from NDI Carrara 1 between 762.56-763.60 m depth, (under contract to, and fully funded by, Geoscience Australia as part of the Exploring for the Future program).

In addition to typical seafloor VHMS deposits, the ~3240 Ma Panorama district contains contemporaneous greisen- and vein-hosted Mo-Cu-Zn-Sn occurrences that hosted by the Strelley granite complex, which drove VHMS circulation. High-temperature alteration zones in volcanic rocks underlying the VHMS deposits are dominated by quartz-chlorite±albite assemblages, with lesser low-temperature quartz-sericite±K-feldspar assemblages, typical of VHMS hydrothermal systems. Alteration assemblages associated with granite-hosted greisens and veins, which do not extend into the overlying volcanc pile, include quartz-topaz-muscovite-fluorite and quartz-muscovite(sericite)-chlorite-ankerite. Fluid inclusion and stable isotope data suggest that the greisens formed from high temperature (~590C), high salinity (38-56 wt % NaCl equiv) fluids with high densities (>1.3 g/cm3) and high -18O (9.3±0.6-), which are compatible with magmatic fluids evolved from the Strelley granite complex. Fluids in the volcanic pile (including the VHMS ore-forming fluids) were of lower temperature (90-270C), lower salinity (5.0-11.2 wt % NaCl equiv), with lower densities (0.88-1.01 g/cm3) and lower -18O (-0.8±2.6), compatible with evolved Paleoarchean seawater. Fluids that formed the quartz-chalcopyrite-sphalerite-cassiterite veins, which are present within the upper granite complex, were intermediate in temperature and isotopic composition (T = 240-315C; -18O = 4.3±1.5-) and are interpreted to indicate mixing between the two end-member fluids. Evidence of mixing between evolved seawater and magmatic-hydrothermal fluid in the granite complex, along with a lack of evidence for a magmatic component in fluids from the volcanic pile, suggest partitioning of magmatic-hydrothermal from evolved seawater hydrothermal systems in the Panorama VHMS system, interpreted as a consequence swamping of the system by evolved seawater or density contrasts.

<div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) 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.</div><div><br></div><div>The Stansbury Basin is a relatively underexplored basin in southern South Australia. Stansbury West 1 was drilled on the east coast of Yorke Peninsula to test the basal Permian sands and Paleozoic carbonate known to contain traces of hydrocarbon gas and residual oil. The well encountered no significant hydrocarbons and was abandoned as dry. A known occurrence of hydrogen-rich natural gas was discovered nearly a century ago in a well to the north of Stansbury West 1. Also potential hydrogen gas enrichment in the near-surface in the surrounds of the Stansbury West 1 drillhole has been proposed using satellite imagery and land surface features.</div><div><br></div><div>The study of natural hydrogen gas occurrences is a focus for the second phase of the EFTF program (2020–2024) and the fluid inclusion stratigraphy (FIS) technique of Fluid Inclusion Technology (Schlumberger) provides a convenient method to measure the well's complete downhole section for both hydrocarbon non-hydrocarbon gases that have been geologically trapped in fluid inclusions and then mechanically released in the laboratory.</div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia have undertaken (via the service provider, FIT Schlumberger) stratigraphic reconstructions of bulk volatile chemistry from fluid inclusions from the drillhole Stansbury West 1, Stansbury Basin. FIS analysis was performed on 270 cuttings and core samples from 15.24 to 1743.53 metres, including 4.9 metres of Archean gneiss and granitic basement at the base of the drillhole.</div><div><br></div><div>This ecat record releases the final report containing the results of fluid inclusion stratigraphy and thin section analyses, raw data files (*.LAS) and rock descriptions by FIT Schlumberger (Company reference number FI220025a).</div>

Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is an Australian Government program led by Geoscience Australia (GA), in partnership with state and Northern Territory governments. The EFTF program (2016-2024) aims to drive industry investment in resource exploration in frontier regions of onshore Australia by providing new precompetitive data and information about their energy, mineral and groundwater resource potential. Under the EFTF program, the Onshore Energy Project undertook a study of petroleum prospectivity of the onshore Officer Basin in South Australia and Western Australia. Yowalga 3 well in Western Australia was selected based on the occurrence of gas and oil shows reported in the well completion report. Sampling of cuttings and cores was done at Geoscience Australia's Petroleum Data Repository in Canberra. Geoscience Australia commissioned a fluid inclusion stratigraphy (FIS) study on the downhole samples. Here, volatile components ostensibly trapped with fluid inclusions are released and analysed revealing the level of exposure of the well section to migrating fluids. Integration of thin section (TS) preparations reveal to extent of gas and fluid trapping within fluid inclusions while microthemometry (MT) gives an estimation of fluid inclusion trapping temperature. For Yowalga 3, FIS analysis was performed on 698 cuttings and 30 cores between 140 metres and 3526 metres base depth, together with 22 samples prepared for TS. To support this study, lithostratigraphic tops were compiled by Geoscience Australia. The results of the study are found in the accompanying documents. Note: Yowalga 3 results are in two parts, Part 1 and Part 2, since the total number of samples exceeded to maximum number of samples (575) for a Schlumberger well report. Part 1 has cuttings by increasing depth and Part 2 has the remaining cuttings then the cores.

The Paleoproterozoic Westmoreland region is located 1250 km southeast of Darwin. The Westmoreland region is flanked on the southeast by the Paleoproterozoic Mt Isa Inlier and the Neoproterozoic South Nicholson Basin and in the northwest it is overlapped by Mesoproterozoic sediments of the McArthur Basin. The northern and southern ends of the McArthur basin share many geologic attributes including correlative stratigraphic rock types, which suggests that there is potential for unconformity-related uranium deposits in the southern McArthur basin and adjacent Westmoreland region. In fact, over fifty occurrences of uranium (some with minor gold) and copper mineralisation have been recorded in the Westmoreland region. Fluid inclusion studies have been carried out on selected uranium and copper prospects on the Northern Territory side of the Westmoreland region. Four types of inclusions have been observed, (Type A) Vapour-rich inclusions containing 30 100 vol.% vapour. Varying amounts of CO2 ± N2 ± CH4 have been detected in these inclusions, (Type B) Liquid-rich inclusions with up to 30 vol.% vapour, (Type C) Liquid-only inclusions, and (Type D) Three-phase (vapour + liquid + solid) liquid-rich inclusions containing a small daughter crystal. Type A, vapour-rich inclusions and some Type B, liquid-rich inclusions homogenised over the range 171 to 385 °C and are thought to be related to early metamorphic events. Other Type B and Type D inclusions typically homogenised between 100 and 240 °C with a mode around 120 °C, while the presence of liquid-only inclusions suggests trapping at temperatures below 50 °C. Eutectic melting temperatures indicate the presence of CaCl2 in the fluids but final melting temperatures show the presence of both high and low salinity brines. This suggests mixing between saline basinal fluids and low salinity meteoric fluids that continued down to temperatures below 50 °C.

Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is an Australian Government program led by Geoscience Australia (GA), in partnership with state and Northern Territory governments. The EFTF program (2016-2024) aims to drive industry investment in resource exploration in frontier regions of onshore Australia by providing new precompetitive data and information about their energy, mineral and groundwater resource potential. Under the EFTF program, GA’s National Hydrogen Project and in collaboration with Minerals Resources Tasmania (MRT) undertook a study of hydrogen and helium potential of south-east Tasmania with the sampling of cores from Jericho 1 on Bruny Island. This well was selected based on the availability of core and historic reports of hydrogen-rich natural gases from this well and petroleum exploration wells in the region. Sampling of cores was done at MRT’s Core Repository in Hobart. Geoscience Australia commissioned a fluid inclusion stratigraphy (FIS) study on the downhole samples. Here, volatile components ostensibly trapped with fluid inclusions are released and analysed revealing the level of exposure of the well section to migrating fluids. Integration of thin section (TS) preparations reveal the extent of gas and fluid trapping within fluid inclusions while microthemometry (MT) gives an estimation of fluid inclusion trapping temperature. For Jericho 1, FIS analysis was performed on 179 cores between 87 m and 640.6 m base depth, together with 7 samples prepared for TS and 1 sample for MT. To support this study, lithostratigraphic tops were compiled by MRT. The results of the study are found in the accompanying documents.

<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, ³He, ⁴He), Neon (Ne, ²⁰Ne, ²¹Ne, ²²Ne), Argon (Ar, ³⁶Ar, ³⁸Ar, ⁴⁰Ar), Krypton (Kr, ⁷⁸Kr, ⁸⁰Kr, ^82<Kr, ⁸³Kr, ⁸⁴Kr, ⁸⁶Kr) and Xenon (Xe, ¹²⁴Xe, ¹²⁶Xe, ¹²⁸Xe, ¹²⁹Xe, ¹³⁰Xe, ¹³¹Xe, ¹³²Xe, ¹³⁴Xe, ¹³⁶Xe) 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>

Fluid inclusion studies have been carried out on quartz veining from Jackson's Pit and Eva uranium mines and the Dianne and St Barb copper prospects in the Westmoreland region. Four types of inclusions have been observed. Type A, vapour-rich inclusions, contain 30 - 100 vol.% vapour with varying amounts of CO2 ± N2 ± CH4. Type B, liquid-rich inclusions, contain up to 30 vol.% vapour. Type C inclusions are liquid-only. Type D, three-phase (vapour + liquid + solid) liquid-rich inclusions, contain a small daughter crystal. Type A, vapour-rich inclusions and some Type B, liquid-rich inclusions homogenised over the range 171 to 385°C. Other Type B and Type D inclusions typically homogenised between 100 and 240°C with a mode around 120°C, while the presence of liquid-only inclusions suggests trapping at temperatures below 50°C. This may indicate three phases of fluid flow in the region with progressively cooling fluids. Eutectic melting temperatures as low as -79.8ºC in Type B and C inclusions suggest the presence of CaCl2 and other salts in the fluids. Final ice meeting temperatures for Type B and C inclusions fall into two groups. The first group has final melting temperatures below -10ºC while the second group shows final meeting above -10ºC and more typically close to 0ºC indicating the presence of low salinity fluids. This suggests mixing between saline basinal fluids and low salinity meteoric fluids that continued down to temperatures below 50°C.

<div>Geoscience Australia’s Onshore Basin Inventories project delivers a single point of reference and creates a standardised national basin inventory that provides a whole-of-basin catalogue of geology, petroleum systems, exploration status and data coverage of hydrocarbon-prone onshore Australian sedimentary basins. In addition to summarising the current state of knowledge within each basin, the onshore basin inventory reports identify critical science questions and key exploration uncertainties that may help inform future work program planning and decision making for both government and industry. Volume 1 of the inventory covers the McArthur, South Nicholson, Georgina, Wiso, Amadeus, Warburton, Cooper and Galilee basins and Volume 2 expands this list to include the Officer, Perth and onshore Canning basins. Under Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program, several new onshore basin inventory reports are being delivered. Upcoming releases include the Adavale Basin of southern Queensland, and a compilation report addressing Australia’s poorly understood Mesoproterozoic basins. These are supported by value-add products that address identified data gaps and evolve regional understanding of basin evolution and prospectivity, including petroleum systems modelling, seismic reprocessing and regional geochemical studies. The Onshore Basin Inventories project continues to provide scientific and strategic direction for pre-competitive data acquisition under the EFTF work program, guiding program planning and shaping post-acquisition analysis programs.</div>

This report is a synopsis of research compiled and carried out within the Predictive Mineral Discovery CRC F3 project "Micrometallogeny of hydrothermal fluids". The F3 project's original objectives were: (1) Geology-driven terrain and ore fluids investigations to evaluate the chemistry and fluid processes within mineral systems in order to extend the focus of fluid studies beyond direct ore deposit analysis. (2) LAICPMS and PIXE technique and methodology development were techniques utilized throughout the project and methodologies were developed for their combined application. (3) Diamond-cell autoclave experiments component of the project was a scoping-collaboration in year one of F3 with the Museum of South Australia. (4) Database development and fusion with numerical modelling resulted in development of a web-based database for fluid inclusion research has been successful and is currently accessed at http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals/research/methodology/geofluids/flincs_about.jsp