The Cooper Basin is Australia's premier onshore hydrocarbon producing province and hosts a range of conventional and unconventional gas play types. This study investigates the petroleum generation potential of the basin's major Permian source rocks, to improve regional understanding of the basin's hydrocarbon prospectivity. Source rock distribution, thickness, present-day amount of total organic carbon (TOC), quality (Hydrogen Index) and maturity were mapped across the basin, together with original source quality maps prior to the on-set of generation. Results of the source rock property mapping and basin-specific kinetics were integrated with 1D burial and thermal history models and a 3D basin model to create a regional pseudo-3D petroleum system model for the basin. The modelling outputs quantify the spatial distribution of both the maximum possible hydrocarbon yield, as well as the oil/ gas expelled and retained, for ten Permian source rocks. Monte Carlo simulations were used to quantify the uncertainty associated with hydrocarbon yields and to highlight the sensitivity of results to each input parameter. The principal source rocks are the Permian coal and coaly shales of the Gidgealpa Group, with highest potential yields from the Patchawarra Formation coals and coaly shales. The broad extent of the Cooper Basin's Permian source kitchen and its large total generation potential (P50 scenario >2000 bboe) highlights the basin¿s significance as a world-class hydrocarbon province. The difference between the P90 (~800 bboe) and P10 (>4000 bboe) scenarios demonstrate the range of uncertainties inherent in this modelling.

<div>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 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, $225 m investment by the Australian Government. </div><div>As part of this program, Geoscience Australia led two deep crustal reflection seismic surveys in the South Nicholson region, revealing the existence of the Carrara Sub-basin, a large sedimentary depocentre up to 8 km deep, beneath the Georgina Basin (Carr et al., 2019; 2020). The depocentre is believed to contain thick sequences of highly prospective Proterozoic rocks for base metals and unconventional hydrocarbons. To confirm geological interpretations and assess resource potential, the National Drilling Initiative, NDI Carrara 1 stratigraphic drill hole was completed in late 2020, as a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) and the MinEx CRC (Geoscience Australia, 2021). NDI Carrara 1 is located on the western flank of the Carrara Sub-basin on the South Nicholson seismic line (17GA-SN1) (Figure 1.1; Figure 1.2), reaching a total depth of 1751 m, intersecting sedimentary rocks comprising ca. 630 m of Cambrian calcareous shales of the Georgina Basin and ca. 1100 m of Proterozoic carbonates and siliciclastics that include black shales of the Carrara Sub-basin.</div><div>This report presents data on selected rock samples from NDI Carrara&nbsp;1, conducted by the Mawson Analytical Spectrometry Services, University of Adelaide, under contract to Geoscience Australia. These results include bulk carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of bitumens and isolated kerogens. In addition, a selection of 10 samples was analysed at Geoscience Australia for comparison purposes.</div><div><br></div>

The Cooper Basin is a Pennsylvanian to Middle Triassic intracratonic basin in northeastern South Australia and southwestern Queensland (Gravestock et al., 1998; Draper, 2002; Carr et al., 2016). Exploration activity in the region has recently expanded with explorers pursuing a range of newly-identified unconventional hydrocarbon plays (Goldstein et al., 2012; Menpes et al., 2013; Greenstreet, 2015). In support of this ongoing exploration activity in the region, Hall et al. (2016a) reviewed the Cooper Basin source rock geochemistry and maturity based on a compilation of updated and quality controlled publically available total organic carbon (TOC), Rock-Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance data. This is the first study of its kind to be undertaken for the Cooper Basin as a whole and builds on the previous work of Boreham & Hill (1998) in South Australia. This data pack contains the supplementary material accompanying this report. The distribution, quantity, quality and thermal maturity of the organic matter were described for all formations within the Pennsylvanian¿Permian Gidgealpa Group and collectively for the formations within the Triassic Nappamerri Group (Hall et al., 2015a, 2016a). Where possible, data were also analysed by lithology. The total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis data were used to investigate source rock quality, maturity and kerogen type. Original Hydrogen Index (HIo) values for each formation and lithology were determined through the analysis of a subset of low maturity samples and through application of a maturity correction based on Cooper Basin-specific kinetics (Deighton et al., 2003; Mahlstedt et al., 2015). Where data density permits, maps of present day TOC content and both present day HI and original HI were created, showing the spatial variation in the amount and quality of the source rock present now and prior to the onset of hydrocarbon generation. This data pack includes all TOC and Rock Eval data for the Cooper Basin stratigraphic evaluated in Hall et al. (2016a). It also includes the grids of present day TOC for the shale and/or coaly shale intervals, along with the grids of present day and original HI by formation. These datasets quantify the spatial distribution, quantity and quality of the source rocks and provide important insights into the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Cooper Basin (Hall et al., 2015b; Kuske et al., 2015). This was the first study to be completed as part of the Australian Petroleum Source Rock Mapping project, a new work program being undertaken at Geoscience Australia to improve our understanding of the petroleum resource potential of Australia's sedimentary basins.

<div>The Roebuck Basin on Australia’s offshore north-western margin is the focus of regional energy exploration activity. Drilling in the Roebuck Basin resulted in oil and gas discoveries at Phoenix South&nbsp;1 (2014), Roc&nbsp;1 (2015–2016) and Dorado&nbsp;1 (2018) in the Bedout Sub-basin (Figure 1‑2) and demonstrated the presence of a petroleum system in Lower Triassic strata. These discoveries have been evaluated for development and production with infill drilling at Roc&nbsp;2 (2016), Phoenix South&nbsp;2 (2016), Phoenix South&nbsp;3 (2018), Dorado&nbsp;2 (2019), and Dorado&nbsp;3 (2019). Recent drilling by Santos (2022) has resulted in the discovery of oil at Pavo&nbsp;1 (2022) and hydrocarbon shows at Apus&nbsp;1 (2022).</div><div><br></div><div>To complement this industry work, Geoscience Australia’s Offshore Energy Systems program produces pre-competitive information to assist with the evaluation of the energy and resource potential of the central North West Shelf, including both hydrogen and helium resources, and to attract exploration investment to Australia. As part of this program, determination of the molecular and noble gas isotopic composition of natural gases from selected petroleum wells in the Roebuck Basin were undertaken by Smart Gas Sciences, under contract to Geoscience Australia, with results from these analyses being released in this report. This report provides additional gas data to determine the sources of natural gases in the Roebuck Basin and build on previously established gas-gas correlations. Noble gas isotopic data can be used in conjunction with carbon and hydrogen isotopic data to determine the origin of both inorganic and organic (hydrocarbon) gases. This information can be used in future geological programs to determine the source and distribution of hydrogen and helium in natural gases and support acreage releases by the Australian Government.</div><div><br></div>

<div>A regional hydrocarbon prospectivity assessment has been undertaken of the offshore Otway Basin by the Offshore Energy Systems Section. This program was designed to produce pre-competitive information to assist with the evaluation of the hydrocarbon resource potential of the offshore Otway Basin and attract exploration investment to Australia. The inboard part of the basin is an established hydrocarbon province with onshore and shallow-water offshore discoveries, whereas the outboard deep-water region, where water depths range from 500 to 6300&nbsp;m, is comparatively underexplored and considered a frontier area.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of this program, molecular and noble gas isotopic analyses were undertaken by Smart Gas Sciences, under contract to Geoscience Australia on available gas samples from the Waarre Formation in the Shipwreck Trough in the offshore eastern Otway Basin, with data from these analyses being released in this report. This report provides additional compositional information for gases in the Waarre Formation reservoirs and builds on previously established gas-gas correlations and gas-oil correlations. Noble gas isotopic data can be used in conjunction with carbon and hydrogen isotopic data to determine the origin of both inorganic and organic (hydrocarbon) gases. This information can be used in future geological programs to determine the source and distribution of hydrogen and helium in natural gases and support acreage releases by the Australian Government.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

<p>Geoscience Australia's Oracle organic geochemical database comprises analytical results for samples relevant to petroleum exploration, including source rocks, crude oils and natural gases collected across the Australian continent. The data comprises organic chemical analyses of hydrocarbon-bearing earth materials as well as including connectivity to some inorganic analyses. These data enable petroleum fluids to be typed into families and correlated to their source rock, from which depositional environment, age, and migration distances can be determined, and hence the extent of the total petroleum system can be mapped. This comprehensive data set is useful to government for evidence-based decision making on natural resources and the petroleum industry for de-risking conventional and unconventional petroleum exploration programs. <p>The data are produced by a wide range of analytical techniques. For example, source rocks are evaluated for their bulk compositional characteristics by programmed pyrolysis, pyrolysis-gas chromatography and organic petrology. Natural gases are analysed for their molecular and isotopic content by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-temperature conversion-mass spectrometry (GC-TC-IRMS). Crude oils and the extracts of source rocks are analysed for their bulk properties (API gravity; elemental analysis) and their molecular (biomarkers) and isotopic (carbon and hydrogen) content by GC, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and GC-TC-IRMS. <p>The sample data originate from physical samples, well completion reports, and destructive analysis reports provided by the petroleum industry under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act (OPGGSA) 2006 and previous Petroleum (submerged Lands) Act (PSLA) 1967. The sample data are also sourced from geological sampling programs in Australia by Geoscience Australia and its predecessor organisation's Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) and Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR), and from the state and territory geological organisations. Geoscience Australia generates data from its own laboratories. Other open file data from publications, university theses and books are also included <b>Value:</b> The organic geochemistry database enables digital discoverability and accessibility to key petroleum geochemical datasets. It delivers open file, raw petroleum-related analytical results to web map services and web feature services in Geoscience Australia’s portal. Derived datasets and value-add products are created based on calculated values and geological interpretations to provide information on the subsurface petroleum prospectivity of the Australian continent. For example, the ‘Oils of Australia’ series and the ‘characterisation of natural gas’ reports document the location, source and maturity of Australia’s petroleum resources. Details of the total petroleum systems of selected basins studied under the Exploring for the Future project can be found in the Petroleum Systems Summaries Tool in Geoscience Australia’s portal. Related Geoscience Australia Records and published papers can be obtained from eCat. <b>Scope:</b> The collection initially comprised organic geochemical and petrological data on organic-rich sedimentary rocks, crude oils and natural gas from petroleum wells drilled in the onshore and offshore Australian continent. Over time, other sample types (ground water, fluid inclusions, mineral veins, bitumen) from other borehole types (minerals, stratigraphic – including the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program), marine dredge samples and field sites (outcrop, mines, surface seepage samples) have been analysed for their hydrocarbon content and are captured in the database. Results for many of the oil and gas samples held in the Australian National Offshore Wells Data Collection are included in this database.

<b>Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema. Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas</b> The databases tables held within Geoscience Australia's Oracle Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema, together with other supporting Oracle databases (e.g., Borehole database (BOREHOLE), Australian Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD), and the Reservoir, Facies and Shows (RESFACS) database), underpin the Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas web services and publications. These products provide information in an Australia-wide geological context on organic geochemistry, organic petrology and stable isotope data related primarily to sedimentary rocks and energy (petroleum and hydrogen) sample-based datasets used for the discovery and evaluation of sediment-hosted resources. The sample data provide the spatial distribution of source rocks and their derived petroleum fluids (natural gas and crude oil) taken from boreholes and field sites in onshore and offshore Australian provinces. Sample depth, stratigraphy, analytical methods, and other relevant metadata are also supplied with the analytical results. Sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter are referred to as source rocks (e.g., organic-rich shale, oil shale and coal) and the organic matter within the rock matrix that is insoluble in organic solvents is named kerogen. The data in the ORGCHEM schema are produced by a wide range of destructive analytical techniques conducted on samples submitted by industry under legislative requirements, as well as on samples collected by research projects undertaken by Geoscience Australia, state and territory geological organisations and scientific institutions including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and universities. Data entered into the database tables are commonly sourced from both the basic and interpretive volumes of well completion reports (WCR) provided by the petroleum well operator to either the state and territory governments or, for offshore wells, to the Commonwealth Government under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act (OPGGSA) 2006 and previous Petroleum (submerged Lands) Act (PSLA) 1967. Data are also sourced from analyses conducted by Geoscience Australia’s laboratory and its predecessor organisations, the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) and the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR). Other open file data from company announcements and reports, scientific publications and university theses are captured. The ORGCHEM database was created in 1990 by the BMR in response to industry requests for organic geochemistry data, featuring pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance and carbon isotopic data (Boreham, 1990). Funding from the Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre (1991–2003) enabled the organic geochemical data to be made publicly available at no cost via the petroleum wells web page from 2002 and included BOREHOLE, ORGCHEM and the Reservoir, Facies and Shows (RESFACS) databases. Investment by the Australian Government in Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program facilitated technological upgrades and established the current web services (Edwards et al., 2020). The extensive scope of the ORGCHEM schema has led to the development of numerous database tables and web services tailored to visualise the various datasets related to sedimentary rocks, in particular source rocks, crude oils and natural gases within the petroleum systems framework. These web services offer pathways to access the wealth of information contained within the ORGCHEM schema. Web services that facilitate the characterisation of source rocks (and kerogen) comprise data generated from programmed pyrolysis (e.g., Hawk, Rock-Eval, Source Rock Analyser), pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) and kinetics analyses, and organic petrological studies (e.g., quantitation of maceral groups and organoclasts, vitrinite reflectance measurements) using reflected light microscopy. Collectively, these data are used to establish the occurrence of source rocks and the post-burial thermal history of sedimentary basins to evaluate the potential for hydrocarbon generation. Other web services provide data to characterise source rock extracts (i.e., solvent extracted organic matter), fluid inclusions and petroleum (e.g., natural gas, crude oil, bitumen) through the reporting of their bulk properties (e.g., API gravity, elemental composition) and molecular composition using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also reported are the stable isotope ratios of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur using gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and noble gas isotope abundances using ultimate high-resolution variable multicollection mass spectrometry. The stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen and strontium are also reported for sedimentary rocks containing carbonate either within the mineral matrix or in cements. Interpretation of these data enables the characterisation of petroleum source rocks and identification of their derived petroleum fluids, which comprise two key elements of petroleum systems analysis. Understanding a fluid’s physical properties and molecular composition are prerequisites for field development. The composition of petroleum determines its economic value and hence why the concentration of hydrocarbons (methane, wet gases, light and heavy oil) and hydrogen, helium and argon are important relative to those of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide for gases, and heterocyclic compounds (nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur) found in the asphaltene, resin and polar fractions of crude oils. The web services and tools in the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal (https://portal.ga.gov.au/), and specifically in the Source Rock and Fluid Atlas Persona (https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/sra), allow the users to search, filter and select data based on various criteria, such as basin, formation, sample type, analysis type, and specific geochemical parameters. The web map services (WMS) and web feature services (WFS) enable the user to download data in a variety of formats (csv, Json, kml and shape file). The Source Rock and Fluid Atlas supports national resource assessments. The focus of the atlas is on the exploration and development of energy resources (i.e., petroleum and hydrogen) and the evaluation of resource commodities (i.e., helium and graphite). Some data held in the ORGCHEM tables are used for enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture, storage and utilisation projects. The objective of the atlas is to empower people to deliver Earth science excellence through data and digital capability. It benefits users who are interested in the exploration and development of Australia's energy resources by: • Providing a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the organic geochemistry of Australian source rocks • Enhancing the understanding of the spatial distribution, quality, and maturity of petroleum source rocks. • Facilitating the mapping of total petroleum and hydrogen systems and the assessment of the petroleum and hydrogen resource potential and prospectivity of Australian basins. • Facilitating the mapping of gases (e.g., methane, helium, carbon dioxide) within the geosphere as part of the transition to clean energy. • Enabling the integration and comparison of data from diverse sources and various acquisition methods, such as geological, geochemical, geophysical and geospatial data. • Providing data for integration into enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture, storage and utilisation projects. • Improving the accessibility and usability of data through user-friendly and interactive web-based interfaces. • Promoting the dissemination and sharing of data among Government, industry and community stakeholders. <b>References</b> Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre (APCRC) 1991-2003. Australian Petroleum CRC (1991 - 2003), viewed 6 May 2024, https://www.eoas.info/bib/ASBS00862.htm and https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A001918b.htm#pub-resources Boreham, C. 1990. ORGCHEM Organic geochemical database. BMR Research Newsletter 13. Record 13:10-10. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/90326 Edwards, D.S., MacFarlane, S., Grosjean, E., Buckler, T., Boreham, C.J., Henson, P., Cherukoori, R., Tracey-Patte, T., van der Wielen, S.E., Ray, J., Raymond, O. 2020. Australian source rocks, fluids and petroleum systems – a new integrated geoscience data discovery portal for maximising data potential. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/133751. <b>Citation</b> Edwards, D., Buckler, T. 2024. Organic Geochemistry (ORGCHEM) Schema. Australian Source Rock and Fluid Atlas. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/149422

<div>The pyrolysis-gas chromatography database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) database and supporting oracle databases for open system pyrolysis-gas chromatography (pyrolysis-GC) analyses performed on either source rocks or kerogen samples taken from boreholes and field sites. Sedimentary rocks that contain organic matter are referred to as source rocks (e.g., organic-rich shale, oil shale and coal) and the organic matter within the rock matrix that is insoluble in organic solvents is named kerogen. The analyses are undertaken by various laboratories in service and exploration companies using a range of instruments. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depth, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and the molecular composition of the pyrolysates. The concentrations of the aliphatic hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon and organic sulfur compounds are given in several units of measure [e.g., percent (resolved compounds) in the S2 peak (wt% S2), milligrams per gram of rock (mg/g rock), micrograms per gram of kerogen (mg/g kerogen) etc.].</div><div><br></div><div>These data are used to determine the organic richness, kerogen type and thermal maturity of source rocks in sedimentary basins. The results are used as input parameters in basin analysis and petroleum systems modelling to evaluate the potential for hydrocarbon generation in a sedimentary basin. These data are collated from destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs) and literature. The data are delivered in the Source Rock Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography 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>The bulk oils database table contains publicly available results from Geoscience Australia's organic geochemistry (ORGCHEM) schema and supporting oracle databases for the bulk properties of petroleum liquids (e.g., condensate, crude oil, bitumen) sampled from boreholes and field sites. The analyses are performed by various laboratories in service and exploration companies, Australian government institutions, and universities using a range of instruments. Petroleum is composed primarily of hydrocarbons (carbon and hydrogen) with minor quantities of heterocyclic compounds containing either nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur. Data includes the borehole or field site location, sample depth, shows and tests, stratigraphy, analytical methods, other relevant metadata, and various data types including; API gravity, elemental composition and photographs of the samples. The stable carbon (¹³C/¹²C) and hydrogen (²H/¹H) isotopic ratios of crude oil and derivative saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon fractions are presented in parts per mil (‰) and in delta notation as &delta;¹³C and &delta;²H, respectively. Results are also included from methods that separate crude oils into bulk components, such as the quantification of saturated hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) fractions according to their polarity.</div><div><br></div><div>These data provide information about the petroleum fluid’s composition, source, thermal maturity, secondary alteration, and fluid migration pathways. They are also useful for enhanced oil recovery assessments, petroleum systems mapping and basin modelling. Hence, these sample-based datasets are used for the discovery and evaluation of sediment-hosted resources. Some data are generated in Geoscience Australia’s laboratory and released in Geoscience Australia records. Data are also collated from destructive analysis reports (DARs), well completion reports (WCRs), and literature. The bulk oils data are delivered in the Petroleum Bulk Properties and Stable Isotopes web services on the Geoscience Australia Data Discovery Portal at https://portal.ga.gov.au which will be periodically updated.</div>

A regional hydrocarbon prospectivity study was undertaken in the onshore Canning Basin in Western Australia as part of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program, an Australian Government initiative dedicated to driving investment in resource exploration. As part of this program, significant work has been carried out to deliver new pre-competitive data including new seismic acquisition, drilling of stratigraphic wells and the geochemical analysis of geological samples recovered from exploration wells. A regional, 872 km long 2D seismic line (18GA-KB1) acquired in 2018 by Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA), images the Kidson Sub-basin of the Canning Basin. In order to provide a test of geological interpretations made from the Kidson seismic survey, a deep stratigraphic well, Barnicarndy 1, was drilled in 2019 in partnership between Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) in the Barnicarndy Graben, 67 km west of Telfer, in the South West Canning Basin. Drilling recovered about 2100 m of continuous core from 580 mRT to the total driller’s depth (TD) of 2680.53 mRT (Normore and Rapaic, 2020). An extensive analytical program was carried out to characterise the lithology, age and depositional environment of these sediments. This included detailed organic geochemistry including isotopic and biomarker analyses of core samples. In order to determine the possible presence of organic contaminants in core samples that may jeopardise interpretation of results, manufactured products used during drilling and sample processing were identified as potential sources of hydrocarbon contamination and were investigated for their hydrocarbon content. In addition, in order to test if any hydrocarbon contamination was occurring due to contact with these manufactured products, water samples from the sumps and surface samples of drill muds from specific depths were collected and analysed as well.