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Geoscience Australia has more than 40 years experience in land seismic surveys and since 1980 has acquired in excess of 15 000 kilometres of onshore deep crustal seismic reflection data and numerous 2D seismic refraction profiles.

The key objectives of the Seismic Acquisition and Processing project (SAP) are to:

Achievements to Date

Since 2006, 13 seismic programs and six magnetotelluric programs have been conducted through the OESP and ANSIR/AuScope (see Figure 1) and the results of these surveys are being released progressively. Table 1 lists the seismic surveys, their length, the data types acquired and the planned dates for release of the processed data.

Table 2 lists the magnetotelluric surveys, the number of stations and the planned dates for release of the processed data.

OESP Data Sets

Processed SEG Y data and images of seismic surveys and processed EDI files and images for magnetotelluric surveys are available for download.

• Table 1 - OESP Deep Crustal Seismic Surveys
• Table 2 - OESP Magnetotelluric Surveys
• GIS dataset of Onshore Energy Security Program (OESP) Seismic Surveys - GIS dataset of OESP seismic survey common depth point (CDP) line locations
  

L180 Mount Isa

In late 2006 deep crustal reflection seismic and gravity data were acquired across the Mount Isa Inlier and the Lawn Hill Platform in northwest Queensland (see Figure 2). The survey was a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, funded through the OESP, the Queensland Government, funded through the Smart Mining - Future Prosperity Program, Zinifex Pty Ltd and the Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre (pmd*CRC). A total of 900 kilometres of data over six traverses were acquired and the data was released at the Mount Isa Crustal Seismic Workshop, Mount Isa, June 2008.

• L180 Mount Isa

L184 and L185 Isa-Georgetown-Charters Towers

During May to October 2007 Geoscience Australia in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSA) contracted Terrex Seismic to undertake the Isa-Georgetown and the Georgetown-Charters Towers Deep Seismic Reflection Surveys. These surveys acquired 1200 kilometres of deep seismic reflection, gravity and magnetotelluric data along three traverses, 07GA-IG1, 07GA-IG2 and 07GA-GC1 (see Figure 2).

Funding for this survey was provided by the OESP and Queensland's Smart Mining - Future Prosperity Program and was aimed at imaging from the eastern edge of the Mount Isa Province across the Georgetown Province and southeast through the Charters Towers region into the Drummond Basin.

The interpreted processed data was released at the North Queensland Seismic and MT Workshop, Townsville, June 2009.

• L184 Isa-Georgetown
• L185 Charters Towers
• North Queensland Magnetotelluric
  

L186 AuScope

Leveraging off the timing and location of the Mount Isa-Georgetown-Charters Towers surveys, AuScope, which is a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme, funded 205 kilometres of seismic reflection line (see Figure 2). This line, 07GA-A1 was designed to image the Tasman Line and provide information on the structure and evolution of this part of the Australian continent.

The interpreted processed data was released at the North Queensland Seismic and MT Workshop, Townsville, June 2009.

• L186 AuScope

L188 Rankins Springs Seismic Survey

The Rankins Springs-Yathong Troughs Seismic Survey was the first survey of an under-explored onshore petroleum basin undertaken as part of the OESP. The deep seismic survey comprised two east-west traverse lines, one each across the Rankins Springs and Yathong Troughs in the southeastern Darling Basin in western New South Wales (see Figure 3). The survey acquired a total of 234 kilometres of seismic data in March 2008.

In February 2009 the northernmost line across the Yathong Trough was extended 32km to the east over the Central Lachlan Fold Belt. The 2008 data (08GA-RS2) was re-processed together with the 2009 data to produce the Rankins Springs Extension line (09GA-RS2).

The survey was jointly funded by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW-DPI) and Geoscience Australia through the OESP. The raw seismic data and uninterpreted processed seismic sections from the survey are available to the petroleum industry.

• L188 Rankins Springs
• L188 Rankins Springs Extension

L189 Gawler-Curnamona-Arrowie

Geoscience Australia undertook acquisition of seismic reflection in South Australia as part of the OESP in June/July 2008. This survey consisted of three traverse lines, one across the Gawler province (08GA-G1, 253 kilometres), one across the Curnamona province (08GA-C1, 262 kilometres) and one in the Arrowie Basin (08GA-A1, 60.4 kilometres) (see figure 4).

The interpreted processed data was released at the South Australia Seismic and MT workshop, Adelaide, May 2010.

• L189 Gawler-Curnamona-Arrowie (Gawler province)
• L189 Gawler-Curnamona-Arrowie (Arrowie Basin)
• L189 Gawler-Curnamona-Arrowie (Curnamona province)
• Gawler Magnetotelluric
• Curnamona Magnetotelluric
  

L190 Gawler-Officer-Musgrave-Amadeus Survey (GOMA)

During November and December 2008, 634 kilometres of seismic reflection, gravity and MT data were acquired in one continuous north-south traverse beginning 25 kilometres southeast of Erldunda in the Northern Territory and completing near Tarcoola in South Australia (08GA-OM1) (see figure 4). This traverse followed the Alice Springs to Adelaide railway line utilising the railway access road and was jointly funded by Geoscience Australia through the OESP, AuScope and Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy. The uninterpreted processed seismic data and sections are now available.

The aims of this survey is to provide new insights into the crustal architecture of two Neoproterozoic sedimentary basins in Central Australia and their tectonic relationship to older (Mesoproterozoic) basement terrains. Of particular relevance is the identification of structural elements in the basinal sections which may host hydrocarbons which were generated prior to the Alice Springs Orogeny.

The interpreted processed data was released at the GOMA (Gawler-Officer-Musgrave-Amadeus) seismic and magnetotelluric workshop, November 2010.

• L190 Gawler-Officer-Musgrave-Amadeus
• Gawler-Officer-Musgrave-Amadeus Magnetotelluric
  

L191 Curnamona-Gawler Link

In January 2009, seismic data were acquired along a traverse which crossed from the Gawler Craton to the Curnamona Province (09GA-CG1) see (Figure 4). This survey was jointly funded by PIRSA and Geoscience Australia through the OESP. A total of 145 kilometres of new seismic data were acquired. The traverse joins onto a traverse of the Curnamona Province which was conducted in 2003-04. The interpreted processed data was released at the South Australia Seismic and MT workshop, Adelaide, May 2010.

• L191 Curnamona-Gawler Link

L192 Georgina Basin Arunta Inlier Seismic Survey

During June and July 2009, 373 kilometres of seismic reflection, MT and gravity data were acquired along a north-south trending traverse commencing in the Paleoproterozoic Davenport Province. The traverse then crossed the Georgina Basin, Arunta Inlier into the top of the Amadeus Basin (see Figure 5). The aim of the survey was to image fundamental controlling structures of basin development, and to shed light on deformation and fault reactivation expected from the Silurian to Carboniferous Alice Springs Orogeny. The processed seismic data is available to industry.

• L192 Georgina-Arunta
• Georgina-Arunta Magnetotelluric
  

L193 AuScope Southern Delamerian Seismic Survey

During November 2009, 197 kilometres of seismic reflection and gravity data were acquired over two traverses in the Southern Delamerian Province (09GA-SD1 and 09GA-SD2) (see Figure 6). This survey was primarily funded by AuScope. GeoScience Victoria (GSV) co-contributed towards this survey with Geoscience Australia providing project management and processing. The processed seismic data is available to industry.

• L193 AuScope Southern Delamerian
  

L194 Ararat Seismic Survey

This survey was acquired directly after the Southern Delamarian survey and consists of a 69.9 kilometres traverse (09GA-AR1) that crosses the boundary between the Delamerian and Lachlan orogens (see Figure 6). GSV provided the majority of funding for this survey with Geoscience Australia providing the project management and processing through OESP funding. The processed data is available to industry.

• L194 Ararat
  

L195 AuScope/GSWA Capricorn Seismic Survey

From April through to May 2010, 581 kilometres of seismic reflection and gravity data was acquired in the Pilbara/Gascoyne region of Western Australia (10GA-CP1, 10GA-CP2 and 10GA-CP3). This was a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) and AuScope Earth Imaging (a component of NCRIS). The aim of the survey was to image the extent of the Archean crust beneath the Capricorn Orgeny and identify the relationship between the Pilbara and Yilgarn cratons (see Figure 7). The processed data and images are available to industry and a public workshop releasing the interpreted data was conducted in Perth on 23 November 2011.

• L195 Capricorn
  

L196 GSWA Youanmi Seismic and MT Survey

From May to August 2010, 695 kilometres of seismic reflection, gravity and MT data were acquired over the Youanmi Terrane and Eastern Goldfields Superterrane of the Yilgarn Craton (10GA-YU1, 10GA-YU2 and 10GA-YU3) (see Figure 7). Final processed data and images were released in August 2012.

• L196 Youanmi
  

L199 Yilgarn-Officer-Musgrave Seismic and MT Survey

In June and July 2011, 487km of seismic reflection, gravity, MT and wide angle refraction data were acquired over the western Officer Basin, another of Australia’s under-explored sedimentary basins with hydrocarbon potential. The survey data will build on the geoscientific knowledge of the architecture of Australia’s crust and the relationship with the western Yilgarn and central Musgrave cratons and the overlying Officer Basin (see Figure 7). Processing of these datasets are underway and it is proposed for release in late 2012.

L200 Southern Carnarvon Seismic Survey

The Southern Carnarvon survey imaged the Byro Sub-basin, an under-explored depocentre with both hydrocarbon and geothermal energy potential in the onshore section of the Carnarvon Basin, Australia’s premier petroleum producing province (see Figure 7). The survey was conducted in May 2011 and final data and images were released in September 2012.

• L200 Southern Carnarvon