The Bight Basin Sampling and Seepage Survey (SS01/2007), was undertaken in February-March 2007 as the final data acquisition activity of the Commonwealth Government's New Petroleum Program (2003-2007). The survey was designed to address two key petroleum systems issues in the Bight Basin. In order to assist in our understanding of the distribution of source rocks in the basin, the survey aimed to sample the distal facies of potential source intervals of Albian-Santonian age at locations on the seaward edges of the Ceduna and Eyre Terraces. Secondly, the survey aimed to investigate the presence of active petroleum systems by sampling and obtaining geophysical data at potential natural hydrocarbon seepage sites across the Ceduna Sub-basin. Nine areas of interest were identified for surveying in the eastern Bight Basin, including areas where the targeted Albian-Santonian section outcrops on the seafloor, and areas where there was seismic and other geophysical and remotely sensed evidence of possible hydrocarbon seepage. The survey, took place from 24 February-17 March 2007 using the Marine National Facility vessel R/V Southern Surveyor. The survey successfully sampled all nine targeted areas and collected 37 dredge hauls, 69 gravity cores and 15 grab samples, as well as 4600 km of swath data, and 2400 km of sub-bottom profile data. The Bight Basin Sampling and Seepage Survey was very successful in addressing the most critical of its objectives, recovering samples from the exposed up-dip northwestern edge of the Ceduna Sub-basin that provide the first evidence for a world-class marine Cretaceous source rock in the Bight Basin.

This article is the introduction to a special issue of Continental Shelf Research containing papers giving research results produced as part of Australia's Torres Strait Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) Program.

In September and October of 2011 Geoscience Australia surveyed part of the offshore northern Perth Basin in order to map potential sites of natural hydrocarbon seepage. The primary objectives of the survey were to map the spatial distribution of seepage sites and characterise the nature of the seepage at these sites (gas vs oil, macroseepage vs microseepage; palaeo vs modern day seepage) on the basis of: acoustic signatures in the water column, shallow subsurface and on the seabed; geochemical signatures in rock and sediment samples and the water column; and biological signatures on the seabed. Areas of potential natural hydrocarbon seepage that were surveyed included proven (drilled) oil and gas accumulations, a breached structure, undrilled hydrocarbon prospects, and areas with potential signatures of fluid seepage identified in seismic, satellite remote sensing and multibeam bathymetry data. Within each of these areas the survey acquired: water column measurements with the CTD; acoustic data with single- and multi-beam echosounders, sidescan sonar and sub-bottom profiler (sidescan not acquired in Area F as it was too deep in places); and sediment and biological samples with the Smith-McIntyre Grab. In addition, data were collected with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), integrated hydrocarbon sensor array, and CO2 sensor in selected areas. Sampling with the gravity corer had limited success in many of the more shallow areas (A-E) due to the coarse sandy nature of the seabed sediments. This dataset comprises sediment oxygen demand measurements from the upper 2 cm of seafloor sediments.

In September and October of 2011 Geoscience Australia surveyed part of the offshore northern Perth Basin in order to map potential sites of natural hydrocarbon seepage. The primary objectives of the survey were to map the spatial distribution of seepage sites and characterise the nature of the seepage at these sites (gas vs oil, macroseepage vs microseepage; palaeo vs modern day seepage) on the basis of: acoustic signatures in the water column, shallow subsurface and on the seabed; geochemical signatures in rock and sediment samples and the water column; and biological signatures on the seabed. Areas of potential natural hydrocarbon seepage that were surveyed included proven (drilled) oil and gas accumulations, a breached structure, undrilled hydrocarbon prospects, and areas with potential signatures of fluid seepage identified in seismic, satellite remote sensing and multibeam bathymetry data. Within each of these areas the survey acquired: water column measurements with the CTD; acoustic data with single- and multi-beam echosounders, sidescan sonar and sub-bottom profiler (sidescan not acquired in Area F as it was too deep in places); and sediment and biological samples with the Smith-McIntyre Grab. In addition, data were collected with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), integrated hydrocarbon sensor array, and CO2 sensor in selected areas. Sampling with the gravity corer had limited success in many of the more shallow areas (A-E) due to the coarse sandy nature of the seabed sediments. This dataset comprise phosphorus (P) fractions (adsorbed/oxide-associated-P; authigenic-P; detrital-P; and organic-P) in the upper ~2cm of seabed sediment.

In September and October of 2011 Geoscience Australia surveyed part of the offshore northern Perth Basin in order to map potential sites of natural hydrocarbon seepage. The primary objectives of the survey were to map the spatial distribution of seepage sites and characterise the nature of the seepage at these sites (gas vs oil, macroseepage vs microseepage; palaeo vs modern day seepage) on the basis of: acoustic signatures in the water column, shallow subsurface and on the seabed; geochemical signatures in rock and sediment samples and the water column; and biological signatures on the seabed. Areas of potential natural hydrocarbon seepage that were surveyed included proven (drilled) oil and gas accumulations, a breached structure, undrilled hydrocarbon prospects, and areas with potential signatures of fluid seepage identified in seismic, satellite remote sensing and multibeam bathymetry data. Within each of these areas the survey acquired: water column measurements with the CTD; acoustic data with single- and multi-beam echosounders, sidescan sonar and sub-bottom profiler (sidescan not acquired in Area F as it was too deep in places); and sediment and biological samples with the Smith-McIntyre Grab. In addition, data were collected with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), integrated hydrocarbon sensor array, and CO2 sensor in selected areas. Sampling with the gravity corer had limited success in many of the more shallow areas (A-E) due to the coarse sandy nature of the seabed sediments. This dataset comprises major and trace element concentrations in marine sediments.

No abstract available

This abstract contains and overview of the datasets acquired by the Australian Antarctic and Southern Ocean profiling Project in the Antarctic summers of 2000/01 and 2001/02.

This abstract presents an interpretation of the geology of the continental margin of EastAntarctica between Queen Mary and George V Lands. The data used in the interpretation were acquired under the Australian Antarctic and Southern Ocean Profiling Project.

This abstract provides an interpretation of the margin structures and breakup processes in the separation of Elan Bank (Kerguelen Plateau) from Enderby Land, east Antarctica.

To better understand the possible relationships between the geology of the seabed and the associated biological communities, a multibeam sonar survey over New Zealand Star Bank in the eastern Bass Strait was conducted.