Australia’s longest single continuous onshore seismic line has just been completed in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, running a total of 872 kilometres from Kiwirrkurra to Marble Bar.
The survey was conducted by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Geological Survey of WA (GSWA) and Geoscience Australia to identify the deep geological structures of the region and boost resource exploration investment in Western Australia.
The $4.75 million survey of the Kidson Sub-basin was co-funded by the Australian Government’s $100.5 million Exploring for the Future program and the State’s Exploration Incentive Scheme. It took 52 days and involved 40 crew members, a convoy of three vibrator (Vibroseis) trucks and associated backup vehicles.
The raw data acquired by the survey remains to be processed, with Geoscience Australia planning to release the results at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association’s annual Oil and Gas conference in Brisbane in May 2019. According to Acting Mines and Petroleum Minister Francis Logan, the survey is set to deepen the geological understanding of the region, encourage exploration investment and the creation of jobs for Western Australians.
“The seismic survey may have taken 52 days, but it took the GSWA team 18 months to plan,” said Mr Logan this morning.
“I’d like to congratulate the team for successfully running this complex project and breaking an Australian record, recording a seismic line up to 50 kilometres deep is quite an achievement,” he commented, “I would also like to thank the Kiwirrikurra, Martu and Njamal traditional owners for providing valuable advice and heritage monitors to ensure the survey ran smoothly.”
Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, also welcomed the findings of the study.
“The Australian Government is investing in projects like the Kidson Sub-basin seismic survey to build a bigger, better picture of the region’s mineral, energy and groundwater potential,” he said.
“Although it takes a few months to process the raw data from the survey, the results will be worth the wait. All data collected as part of the Exploring for the Future program is made freely available online by Geoscience Australia, an invaluable resource for exploration companies looking to invest in Northern Australia, ” Mr Canavan explained.
He also said that Australia’s wealth of natural resources has underpinned the country’s economic success for decades.
“Through programs such as Exploring for the Future, the Australian Government is ensuring the resources sector continues to contribute to both local communities and the national economy,” he commented.