Chronostratigraphic, molecular and isotopic approaches to age petroleum. The project aims to reduce the costs of drilling in deep-water offshore by better identifying potential drilling sites. The North-West shelf offshore Australia is the main supplier of liquefied natural gas. However, there is uncertainty about the age of petroleum (oil and gas) discovered in the region. It is not currently possible to constrain an age of fluids to a number of source rocks. The aims are to develop a high-leve ....Chronostratigraphic, molecular and isotopic approaches to age petroleum. The project aims to reduce the costs of drilling in deep-water offshore by better identifying potential drilling sites. The North-West shelf offshore Australia is the main supplier of liquefied natural gas. However, there is uncertainty about the age of petroleum (oil and gas) discovered in the region. It is not currently possible to constrain an age of fluids to a number of source rocks. The aims are to develop a high-level age discriminative tool for fluids. An interdisciplinary approach will be applied using state-of-the-art techniques including comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry, compound specific isotope analysis of hydrocarbons, clumped isotopes of methane and metagenomics.Read moreRead less
Stable carbon isotope compositions and distributions of age-diagnostic molecular fossils in Indonesian oils and source rocks for oil-source correlations. The project aims to develop a novel organic geochemical tool for determining a reliable geological age of sedimentary organic matter. The method involves measuring stable carbon isotope signatures of age-specific molecular fossils derived from land plants. To obtain accurate signatures separation techniques focusing on the compounds of interest ....Stable carbon isotope compositions and distributions of age-diagnostic molecular fossils in Indonesian oils and source rocks for oil-source correlations. The project aims to develop a novel organic geochemical tool for determining a reliable geological age of sedimentary organic matter. The method involves measuring stable carbon isotope signatures of age-specific molecular fossils derived from land plants. To obtain accurate signatures separation techniques focusing on the compounds of interest will be developed. The application of this approach in oil to source rock correlations has promise in petroleum basin studies, especially exploration, as evidenced by the strong support from Unocal. It is antipicated that the outcomes of this research will be valuable to other petroleum provinces (especially within Australia).
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100229
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understand ....Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understanding of processes altering crude oil in the sub-surface.
4. Identification of natural products from algae, cyanobacteria, plants and mushrooms as new sources of pharmaceutical agents. 5. Improved knowledge of early evolution of life on Earth, helping maintain Australian scientists as world leaders in this field. 6. Greater understanding of the source and migration of petroleum in frontier areas.Read moreRead less
New molecular and isotopic biomarker approaches to establishing source, palaeoclimate, facies and thermal history of sedimentary organic matter. The ability to identify crude oil sources is a key issue in petroleum exploration, especially in Australia where vast gas deposits occur but very limited reserves of liquid hydrocarbons have been discovered. Discoveries of new petroleum reservoirs/provinces will benefit all Australians. Technological developments made will be extended to other Australia ....New molecular and isotopic biomarker approaches to establishing source, palaeoclimate, facies and thermal history of sedimentary organic matter. The ability to identify crude oil sources is a key issue in petroleum exploration, especially in Australia where vast gas deposits occur but very limited reserves of liquid hydrocarbons have been discovered. Discoveries of new petroleum reservoirs/provinces will benefit all Australians. Technological developments made will be extended to other Australian basins leading to more effective petroleum and mineral exploration strategies. The project described will also help our understanding of climate variability of past episodes and help predict what might happen in the future. The PhD scholars will foster high-calibre postgraduate research students suitable for employment in research or in industry.Read moreRead less
Molecular fossils, the evolution of Earth's early oceans and the origin of the oldest oil. Australia retains undiscovered oil reserves. We believe that a change in primitive marine life forms may have fundamentally changed the chemistry of the Earth's oceans and is responsible for the world's oldest oil reserves. While these reserves have been found, and successfully commercialised, overseas, similar reservoirs in Australia remain elusive. The project will develop and apply technologies based on ....Molecular fossils, the evolution of Earth's early oceans and the origin of the oldest oil. Australia retains undiscovered oil reserves. We believe that a change in primitive marine life forms may have fundamentally changed the chemistry of the Earth's oceans and is responsible for the world's oldest oil reserves. While these reserves have been found, and successfully commercialised, overseas, similar reservoirs in Australia remain elusive. The project will develop and apply technologies based on hydrocarbon biomarkers to help determine the oil-producing rock types of Precambrian sedimentary rocks. This allows us to estimate the oil's age and predict where petroleum reservoirs may be hidden. PhD students involved in the project will gain valuable knowledge about the link between changes in ecology and the carbon cycle.Read moreRead less
Understanding mass extinctions and deep-time climate change: International Timescale Calibration of the Late Permian-Early Triassic of Australia. The project will enhance Australia's research strength as world leaders in isotope geochronology, geological timescale calibration, and global biological evolution studies, and will expand knowledge and provide a long overdue robust chronostratigraphic framework for a critical part of Earth's history that is a particular focus for energy resources in A ....Understanding mass extinctions and deep-time climate change: International Timescale Calibration of the Late Permian-Early Triassic of Australia. The project will enhance Australia's research strength as world leaders in isotope geochronology, geological timescale calibration, and global biological evolution studies, and will expand knowledge and provide a long overdue robust chronostratigraphic framework for a critical part of Earth's history that is a particular focus for energy resources in Australia. Our work will provide vital input to enhanced models for deep-time biotic turnover, climate change and global warming that will aid prediction of modern global atmospheric and climate changes due to human impact and provide vital data and information for Australian policy makers.Read moreRead less
Reduction of risk in exploration for petroleum liquids. Australia has an urgent need to establish additional reserves of crude oil. A feature of petroleum exploration in recent decades has been discovery of vast reserves of natural gas but an inability to replace our diminishing reserves of crude oil. Clearly new technology is required to enhance our capability to recognise crude oil-prone rather than gas-prone source rocks. The proposed project will establish the fundamental geochemical pro ....Reduction of risk in exploration for petroleum liquids. Australia has an urgent need to establish additional reserves of crude oil. A feature of petroleum exploration in recent decades has been discovery of vast reserves of natural gas but an inability to replace our diminishing reserves of crude oil. Clearly new technology is required to enhance our capability to recognise crude oil-prone rather than gas-prone source rocks. The proposed project will establish the fundamental geochemical processes that will support the potential exploration techniques, developed with Woodside Energy Limited support.Read moreRead less
Tackling the resurgences of life, advanced dating tools of oils by sophisticated molecular and isotopic analyses from major geological events. Evidence of Earth’s biogeochemical evolution is uniquely recorded in sediments and petroleum, as are the mechanisms of life’s recovery from mass extinction caused by past catastrophes. Pioneering ageing techniques will be tested on ancient sediments, low temperature mineral fabrics and petroleum leading to the exploration of new energy sources.
Gold transport in aqueous versus organic fluids: Experimental data for describing ore-forming systems. In many hydrothermal ore-forming systems, the ore is associated with inclusions of both aqueous brine and organic liquid (petroleum). The conventional theory is that the metals are dissolved and transported to the deposit by the brine, but some researchers suggest that petroleum may fill this role. This project proposes to conduct an experimental and field-based study on the chemical behaviour ....Gold transport in aqueous versus organic fluids: Experimental data for describing ore-forming systems. In many hydrothermal ore-forming systems, the ore is associated with inclusions of both aqueous brine and organic liquid (petroleum). The conventional theory is that the metals are dissolved and transported to the deposit by the brine, but some researchers suggest that petroleum may fill this role. This project proposes to conduct an experimental and field-based study on the chemical behaviour of gold in aqueous-organic and organic fluid systems, to determine which type of liquid is more important for gold mobilisation in a competitive situation. This study will provide much-needed data for more accurate modelling of ore systems, furthering our understanding and facilitating mineral exploration. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100219
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A modern, high-tech mineral separation facility for geochemistry and isotope science. This project will support geoscience research in Western Australia that incorporates a new conservative way of fragmenting rocks to their constituent grains. The facility will provide mineral samples for discovery science and for applied research for the minerals and petroleum industries.