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3D Mapping and Gravity Modelling of Capel and Faust Basins

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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The Capel and Faust basins lie at water depths of 1500-3000 metres, 800 km east of Brisbane. Geoscience Australia began a petroleum prospectivity study of these remote frontier basins with acquisition of reflection and refraction seismic, gravity, magnetic and multi-beam bathymetry data across an area of 87,000 km2 during 2006/07. The approach mapped a complex distribution of sub-basins through an integration of traditional 2D reflection seismic interpretation techniques with 3D mapping and gravity modelling. Forward and inverse gravity models were used to inform the ongoing reflection seismic interpretation and test the identification of basement. Gravity models had three sediment layers with average densities inferred from refraction velocity modelling of 1.85, 2.13, 2.31 t/m3 overlying a pre-rift basement of density 2.54 t/m3, itself considered to consist in part of intruded older basin material. Depth conversion of horizon travel times was achieved using a function derived from models of refraction data. Gravity modelling of the simple density model arising from the initial interpretation of reflection seismic data indicated a first order agreement between observed and calculated data. The second order misfits could be accounted for by a combination of adjustments to the density values assigned to each of the layers, localised adjustments to the basin depths, and heterogeneity in the basement density values. The study concluded that sediment of average velocity 3500 m/s exceeds 6000 m thickness in the northwest of the area, which is sufficient for potential petroleum generation.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title 3D Mapping and Gravity Modelling of Capel and Faust Basins
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/0bca6ad2-b704-41a8-8a81-b37c9e3be955
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 22/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        159.5,
        -29.5
      ],
      [
        163.5,
        -29.5
      ],
      [
        163.5,
        -25.5
      ],
      [
        159.5,
        -25.5
      ],
      [
        159.5,
        -29.5
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "3D Mapping and Gravity Modelling of Capel and Faust Basins". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/3d-mapping-and-gravity-modelling-of-capel-and-faust-basins