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.

Exploring for the Future is a four year $100.5 million initiative by the Australian Government conducted in partnership with state and Northern Territory government agencies and universities that aims to boost northern Australia's attractiveness as a destination for investment in resource exploration. The acquisition of deep crustal seismic reflection data in the Kidson Sub-basin (Canning Basin) between the Kiwirrkurra community and Marble Bar in northern Western Australia was a major EFTF deliverable, and was completed in August 2018. This paper presents the preliminary geological interpretation of the sedimentary succession imaged by the Kidson Sub basin seismic line.

Laboratory results for fluid inclusion gas analysis in GA's Isotope and Organic Geochemistry Laboratory under GSWA Approval G004119

Geoscience Australia currently uses two commercial petroleum system modelling software packages, PetroMod https://www.software.slb.com/products/petromod and Zetaware http://www.zetaware.com, to undertake burial and thermal history modelling on wells in Australian sedimentary basins. From the integration of geological (age-based sedimentary packages, uplift and erosional events), petrophysical (porosity, permeability, and thermal conductivity) and thermal (downhole temperature, heat flow, vitrinite reflectance, and Tmax) input data, to name the most significant, a best-fit model of the time-temperature history is generated. Since the transformation of sedimentary organic matter (kerogen) into petroleum (oil and gas) is a chemical reaction, it is governed by chemical kinetics i.e. time and temperature (in the geological setting pressure is of secondary importance). Thus, the use of chemical kinetics associated with a formation-specific, immature potential source rock (where available) from the basin of interest is considered a better practical approach rather than relying on software kinetic defaults, which are generally based on the chemical kinetics determined experimentally on Northern Hemisphere organic matter types. As part of the Australian source rock and fluids atlas project being undertaken by the Energy Systems Group’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program, compositional kinetics (1-, 2-, 4- and 14-component (phase) kinetics) were undertaken by GeoS4, Germany. The phase kinetics approach is outlined in Appendix 1. This report provides the compositional kinetics for potential source rocks from the Ordovician Goldwyer (Dapingian–Darriwilian) Formation and the Bongabinni (Sandbian) Formation, Carribuddy Group, Canning Basin, Western Australia.

This report presents the results of an elemental and carbon and oxygen isotope chemostratigraphy study on three historic wells; Kidson-1, Willara-1 and Samphire Marsh-1, from the southern Canning Basin, Western Australia. The objective of this study was to correlate the Early to Middle Ordovician sections of the three wells to each other and to wells with existing elemental and carbonate carbon isotope chemostratigraphy data from the Broome Platform, Kidson and Willara sub-basins, and the recently drilled and fully cored stratigraphic Waukarlycarly 1 well from the Waukarlycarly Embayment.

<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. 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 EFTF program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government.</div><div>The onshore Canning Basin in Western Australia was the focus of a regional hydrocarbon prospectivity assessment undertaken by the EFTF program dedicated to increasing investment in resource exploration in northern Australia, with the objective being to acquire new data and information about the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources concealed beneath the surface. As part of this program, significant work has been carried out to deliver pre-competitive data in the region including new seismic acquisition, drilling of a stratigraphic well, and geochemical analysis from historic exploration wells.</div><div>As part of this program, a compilation of the compound-specific isotopic compositions of crude oils from 30 petroleum wells in the Canning Basin have been completed. The samples were analysed in Geoscience Australia’s Isotope and Organic Geochemistry Laboratory and the collated results are released in this report. This report provides additional stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic data to build on the oil-oil correlations previously established by Edwards and Zumberge (2005) and Edwards et al. (2013). This information can be used in future geological programs to determine the origin of the crude oils, and hence increase our understanding of the Larapintine Petroleum Supersystem, as established by Bradshaw (1993) and Bradshaw et al. (1994).</div><div><br></div>

Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program is investigating the mineral, energy and groundwater resource potential of sedimentary basins and basement provinces in northern Australia and parts of South Australia. A key challenge in exploring Australian onshore sedimentary basins is that these are often areas with limited seismic data coverage to image the sub-surface structural and stratigraphic architecture. Consequently, well logs are often the main data sets that are used to understand the sub-surface geology. Where good seismic data coverage is available, a considerable amount of time is generally required to undertake an integrated interpretation of well and seismic data. The primary aim of this study is to develop a methodology for visualising the three-dimensional tectonostratigraphic architecture of sedimentary basins using just well data, which can then be used to quickly screen areas warranting more detailed studies of resource potential. A workflow is documented which generates three-dimensional well correlations using just well formation tops to visualise the regional structural and stratigraphic architecture of the Amadeus, Canning, Officer and Georgina basins in the Centralian Superbasin. A critical step in the workflow is defining regionally correlatable supersequences that show the spatial linkages and evolution through time of lithostratigraphic units from different basin areas. Thirteen supersequences are defined for the Centralian Superbasin, which were deposited during periods of regional subsidence associated with regional tectonic events. Regional three-dimensional correlation diagrams have been generated to show the spatial distribution of these supersequences, which can be used as a reconnaissance tool for visualising the distribution of key stratigraphic elements associated with petroleum, mineral and groundwater systems. Three-dimensional well correlations are used in this study to redefine the Centralian Superbasin as encompassing all western, northern and central Australian basins that had interconnected depositional systems driven by regional subsidence during one or more regional tectonic events between the Neoproterozoic and middle Carboniferous. The Centralian Superbasin began to form during a series of Neoproterozoic rift-sag events associated with the break-up of the Rodinia Supercontinent at about 830 Ma. Depositional systems in the Amadeus and Officer basins were partially disconnected by an emergent Musgrave Province during these early stages of superbasin evolution. Subsequent regional uplift and erosion of the superbasin occurred during the late Neoproterozoic–early Cambrian Petermann Orogeny. The Officer and Amadeus were permanently disconnected by the uplifted Musgrave Province following this major orogenic event. Rejuvenation of the Centralian Superbasin occurred during middle–late Cambrian extension and subsidence resulting in the generation of several new basins including the Canning Basin. Subsidence during the Ordovician Larapinta Event created an intracontinental seaway that episodically connected the Canning, Amadeus, Georgina and Officer basins to the proto-Pacific Ocean in the east. Fragmentation of the Centralian Superbasin began at the onset of the Alice Springs Orogeny during the Rodingan Event when the uplifted Arunta Region disconnected the Amadeus and Georgina basins. The Rodingan Movement initially disconnected depositional systems between the Canning and Amadeus basins, which promoted the development of a large evaporitic depocentre over the southern Canning Basin. However, these basins subsequently reconnected during the Early Devonian Prices Creek Movement. Complete fragmentation of the Centralian Superbasin occurred during the Late Devonian–middle Carboniferous Pillara Extension Event when the Canning and Amadeus basins became permanently disconnected. Widespread uplift and erosion at the culmination of the Alice Springs Orogeny in the middle Carboniferous resulted in final closure of the Centralian Superbasin.

A key challenge in exploring Australian onshore sedimentary basins is limited seismic data coverage. Consequently, well logs are often the main datasets that can be used to understand the subsurface geology. The primary aim of this study was to develop a methodology for visualising the three-dimensional (3D) tectonostratigraphic architecture of sedimentary basins using well data, which can then be used to quickly screen areas warranting more detailed studies of resource potential. This project has developed a workflow that generates 3D well correlations using sequence stratigraphic well tops to visualise the regional structural and stratigraphic architecture of the Amadeus, Canning, Officer and Georgina basins in the Centralian Superbasin. Thirteen Neoproterozoic‒Paleozoic supersequence tops were interpreted in 134 wells. Three-dimensional well correlations provide an effective regional visualisation of the tectonostratigraphic architecture across the main depocentres. This study redefines the Centralian Superbasin as encompassing all western, northern and central Australian basins that had episodically interconnected depositional systems driven by regional subsidence during one or more regional tectonic events between the Neoproterozoic and middle Carboniferous. The Centralian Superbasin began to form during Neoproterozoic extension, and underwent several phases of partial or complete disconnection and subsequent reconnection of depositional systems during various regional tectonic events before final separation of depocentres at the culmination of the Alice Springs Orogeny. Regional 3D correlation diagrams have been generated to show the spatial distribution of these supersequences, which can be used to visualise the distribution of stratigraphic elements associated with petroleum, mineral and groundwater systems. <b>Citation: </b>Bradshaw, B., Khider, K., MacFarlane, S., Rollet, N., Carr, L. and Henson, P., 2020. Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Centralian Superbasin (Australia) revealed by three-dimensional well correlations. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.

The Kidson Sub-basin covers ~91 000 km2, and is a largely under-explored and sparsely imaged region of the Canning Basin in northern Western Australia. The 872 km Kidson Sub-basin seismic survey was acquired to enhance understanding of the subsurface and thereby assist in the assessment of the region for hydrocarbon and mineral potential. Specifically, the survey aimed to improve basin-wide stratigraphic correlation, determine the extent of basin depocentres, image major structures and place constraints on the sub-basin’s geological event history. The new seismic profile reveals that the Kidson Sub-basin is ~500 km long and ~6.5 km deep. It contains a lower conformable package of Ordovician to Devonian clastic sediments, carbonates and evaporites unconformably overlain by the clastic-dominated Permian Grant Group and Poole Sandstone. Normal faults imaged at the base of the sequence with growth strata in the hanging wall constrain rifting to between Cambrian and Silurian in age. Folding along the southeastern edge of the basin is inferred to be a consequence of the Carboniferous Meda Transpression linked to the Alice Springs Orogeny in central Australia. The known source rocks of the Goldwyer and Bongabinni formations have been interpreted to extend across the Kidson Sub-basin, which is encouraging for energy prospectivity in the region. <b>Citation:</b> Southby, C., Carr, L.K., Henson, P., Haines, P.W., Zhan, A., Anderson, J.R., MacFarlane, S., Fomin, T. and Costelloe, R., 2020. Exploring for the Future: Kidson Sub-basin seismic interpretation. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.

Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is a $225 million initiative by the Australian Government conducted in partnership with state and Northern Territory government agencies and universities that aims to boost northern Australia's attractiveness as a destination for investment in resource exploration. A complementary initiative, the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) is a Western Australian State-Government initiative that aims to encourage exploration in Western Australia for the long-term sustainability of the State’s resources sector. The Kidson Sub-basin seismic survey (18GA-KB1 or L211) was acquired as part of EFTF and the EIS, as a collaboration between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of Western Australia (Resource Strategy Division). The 872 km long seismic line was acquired in an east-southeast to west-northwest orientation, on the road between the Kiwirrkurra community in the east, to approximately 20 km from Marble Bar, near the West Australian coast. The primary aims of the seismic survey were to better understand the subsurface geology, crustal architecture and spatial extents of basin and basement terrains. Crucially, the seismic survey was planned to address a lack of coherent seismic data across the Kidson Sub-basin, onshore Canning Basin and to increase the resource prospectivity of the region. The seismic survey imaged the following subdivisions of the Canning Basin: the Wallal Embayment Barnicarndy Graben, Anketell Shelf, and the Kidson Sub-basin, The survey also imaged several pre-Phanerozoic basement terrains, and several seismically distinct, mid to-lower crustal tectonic provinces. This report comprises a summary of the basement and basin geology, mineral and energy systems of the area, and an interpretation of the newly acquired seismic data.