Geoscience Australia Marine Survey SS06/2006 Post-Survey Report: Natural Hydrocarbon Seepage Survey on the Central North West Shelf

The petroleum potential of the central North West Shelf, encompassing the Offshore Canning and Roebuck basins, is currently considered to be poor compared to other North West Shelf basins, due to unsuccessful exploration in the past (13 dry wells drilled during 1970-1984) and the perceived absence of a prolific source rock.

In order to improve the understanding of the petroleum prospectivity of the central North West Shelf, Geoscience Australia undertook a natural hydrocarbon seepage survey of the area. The aim of the survey was to identify any sites of natural hydrocarbon seepage, which would provide direct evidence for an active petroleum system within the sub-surface. A secondary objective was to contribute to the understanding of the modern sedimentary and oceanographic processes influencing this part of the shelf, and the nature of the benthic habitats.

This report presents a summary of the results of Geoscience Australia's RV Southern Surveyor Survey SS06/2006 on the central North West Shelf, undertaken 29 May to 22 June 2006. More than 70 Gb of geophysical and oceanographic data and 140 sediment, water and video samples were acquired during the survey.

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