2023 PESA WEBINAR SERIES: Burial History of the South Nicholson Region

With only a few studies conducted in the past years, the South Nicholson region is one of Australia’s least-explored geological areas. It underwent a complex history of tectonic activities, orogenic events, and the formation of sedimentary basins over billions of years. Despite growing interest in mineral and petroleum prospectivity, the region has minimal seismic, well, and geophysical data. A vital outcome of the recently published exploring for the future (EFTF) program was the discovery of a new sub-basin named Carrara sub-basin. The sub-basin is bound by a gravity low on the SE side of the south Nicholson region and contains thick sequences of proterozoic rocks of the northern lawn hill platform (NLHP), Mount Isa province, and Mcarthur basin. Recent drilling activities over the NLHP have shown potential shale gas plays within the sequences of the Isa super basin, and these sequences are also observed over the Carrara Sub-Basin.

We apply new data obtained from the recently drilled NDI Carrara-1 well to conduct a study on the burial history of the area by estimating decompacted thickness, porosity, and maximum burial depths of significant stratigraphic horizons identified within the south Nicholson region. Our results shed light on important geological events and parameters in the basin (including uplift, subsidence, and sedimentation rate). The resulting burial history is a crucial step in determining the mineral and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the region.