Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

The seismic survey made by the Geophysical Section of the Bureau of Mineral Resources to assist in the search for oil in the Carnarvon (North-West) Basin of Western Australia. The seismic field work in the Carnarvon Basin was confined to one field season, i.e., from April to December 1951, and consisted of surveys on the Capa Range and Giralia Anticlines. Both refraction and reflection methods were used. The purpose of the seismic work was to determine if the structures at surface extended to depth and thus establish if a suitable site for a deep exploration drill hole exist. The seismic work has shown that seismic methods are applicable in the investigation of possible oil-bearing struotures in the Carnarvon Basin. It is clear from the results obtained on the Giralia Anticline, that investigation with a view to tile selection ot deep drilling sites cannot be carried out thoroughly without seismic surveys of selected areas.

Report on the activities of the administrative and technical sections in the Katherine-Darwin area, to September, 1954. A brief account is given of geophysical operations. The results of prospecting and development work are summarised.

This record gives a brief account of the conditions encountered in a geological reconnaissance of the south-western portion of the Canning Basin - an area covered mostly by sand and seif dune, interspersed by scattered low rock outcrops.

On the 4th November, 1954, the first report of eruptive activity at Bam Island was received at the Observatory, Rabaul. Mr. M.A. Reynolds was at that time engaged on an investigation at Tuluman Volcano, Manus Sub-district. As he had most of the field equipment with him the writer signalled a request to him to proceed to Bam to investigate this report. On the afternoon of the 5th it was learned that the Lorengau radio was out of operation and that Reynolds had not received the signal. The writer departed Rabaul at 0700 hours 6th November, 1954, and arrived at Wewak at 1200 hours. The m/v. "Ella" was made available and the writer departed Wewak at 0300 hours together with Cadet Patrol Officer R.G. Noble for Bam Island, arriving there at 1300 hours that day. The writer spent a little over a day on the island and returned to Wewak on the 9th November. The recent investigation revealed that the present activity consists of only mild explosions, ejecting well crystallised lava, which though incandescent when ejected was solid. Seismic activity only accompanied the actual exposions and was not premonitory.

Samples from four cores from Cape Range No. 1 Test Well, Shothole Canyon, Exmouth Gulf were submitted for palaeontological examination, by West Australian Petroleum Pty. Ltd. Portion of each core was crushed, washed and examined for microfossils. Foraminifera of Lower Cetaceous age were found in all samples. Radiolaria, ostracoda and Inoceramus prisms were also present. A detailed list of microfossils recognised in each sample is given below.

No details are available of the previous volcanic activity of Vitu Island, but some old natives have stories of unusual phenomena referable to vulcanism which accompanied a change in sea level many years ago. The inference of the stories was that the change was sudden and accompanied by increased emissions of steam from Zones A and B (of this report). It was impossible to assess from natives interrogated how long ago this occurred, but palms estimated to be about 40 years old grow near the shore in the area to which the stories refer. This area embraces the Catholic Mission, Balangori No. 2 village and Mt. Utopi, and, according to legend, most of the coastal portion to an height of about 300 feet was previously submerged. A more detailed survey of the island would be necessary to establish the veracity of the stories, but there is certainly evidence that portion of the area was submerged. Old oyster shells occur to heights of about 30 feet above sea level attached to basalt cliffs below the Catholic Mission. Since it was necessary for the "Theresa May", on which the writer was travelling, to visit the Vitu Island Group on the return trip from the Langila Crater investigation, the advantage was taken of examining as many thermal areas as possible. Although geysers and fumaroles occur on Narage Island, the northernmost island of the group, it was possible only to examine briefly those areas on Vitu (Garove) Island in the time available.

The 1954 investigation was primarily concerned with examination of as many of the thermal areas as possible in the short time available, and to record temperatures which could be used as a basis for comparison in future investigations. The writer arrived at Talasea on the "Theresa May" on the 28th August after completing investigations in the Langila Crater area and on Vitu Island. Over the next three days thermal areas near Talasea and west of Pangala village on the north coast of Garua Harbour were visited and temperatures taken.