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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668345
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,700.00
Summary
A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technolo ....A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technologies providing Australia with new knowledge about the causes and effects of toxic cyanobacterial blooms, eutrophication, and contamination of reservoirs by bush-fires. The new facility will also supply advanced oil fingerprinting techniques to the petroleum industry minimizing exploration risk and increasing the chance of the discovery of new oil deposits.Read moreRead less
The rise of algae and the emergence of animals. This project aims to uncover the environmental changes that transformed the oceans 650 million years ago when complex algal cells started to replace bacteria as the dominant forms of life. Using a groundbreaking combination of molecular fossils and isotopes from ancient sedimentary rocks, the project aims to reveal how the flow of energy changed through Earth’s ecosystems. The expected outcomes include new knowledge about our own origins and the ev ....The rise of algae and the emergence of animals. This project aims to uncover the environmental changes that transformed the oceans 650 million years ago when complex algal cells started to replace bacteria as the dominant forms of life. Using a groundbreaking combination of molecular fossils and isotopes from ancient sedimentary rocks, the project aims to reveal how the flow of energy changed through Earth’s ecosystems. The expected outcomes include new knowledge about our own origins and the events that led to the emergence of the first animals. Additionally, new insights about the mechanisms that generated the oldest hydrocarbon reserves may lead to a new biomarker tool to aid discovery of major new oil or gas reserves in Australia’s Red Centre.Read moreRead less
Molecular traces of our primordial ancestors. This project aims to work with the exploration industry to develop an age-diagnostic fingerprinting tool for ancient petroleum seeps. Primordial molecules extracted from 1.6 billion years old rocks are the first and only witnesses of this extinct world. Australia’s vast red centre retains undiscovered oil reserves. This project will yield information about an oil’s provenance and help predict where reserves may be hidden, increasing the accuracy of s ....Molecular traces of our primordial ancestors. This project aims to work with the exploration industry to develop an age-diagnostic fingerprinting tool for ancient petroleum seeps. Primordial molecules extracted from 1.6 billion years old rocks are the first and only witnesses of this extinct world. Australia’s vast red centre retains undiscovered oil reserves. This project will yield information about an oil’s provenance and help predict where reserves may be hidden, increasing the accuracy of surveys and reducing costs and risks of exploration. Broader benefits from the findings may change common understanding about our very earliest ancestors and their effect on the planet’s evolution.Read moreRead less