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Rift Evolution in the Capel and Faust Basins, Offshore Eastern Australia, and Implications for Regional Petroleum Prospectivity

Created 20/01/2026

Updated 20/01/2026

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The Capel and Faust basins are located on the northern Lord Howe Rise between eastern Australia and New Caledonia in water depths of 1300-2500 m. Under the Australian Government's New Petroleum (2003-2007) and Offshore Energy Security (2007-2011) programs, Geoscience Australia acquired new geological data including high quality 2D seismic data, high resolution multibeam bathymetry, gravity and magnetic data, and rock dredge samples. These data have been analysed and synthesised for a geological and petroleum prospectivity assessment of the area. Prior to this phase of data collection, geoscientific data was limited to regional seismic profiles acquired during the 1970s to 1990s, shiptrack potential field and bathymetric data, and one DSDP drill hole.

The interpretation of new data has improved definition of depocentres previously indicated by regional satellite gravity data. The largest depocentres are approximately 150 km long and 40 km wide. Seismic data suggest that the basin fill attains a maximum total thickness of over 6 km and consists of two syn rift and one sag megasequence packages, overlying a pre rift basement. The basement includes an older (?Mesozoic) sedimentary succession and a possible rift precursor volcanic succession. The early syn rift megasequence (Syn rift 1) is inferred to be dominated by Early Cretaceous (or older) volcanics and volcaniclastic sediments. It may also include coaly and lacustrine sediments. The late syn rift megasequence (Syn rift 2) is likely to be dominated by Late Cretaceous non marine clastic sediments, with localised volcanics and coal. The upper part of this megasequence was deposited under increasingly marine influence and is likely to include deltaic and shoreline sandstones. The post rift megasequence is essentially a Late Cretaceous to Recent deepeningupward marine succession that becomes increasingly calcareous and fine grained.

Presented to the Australian Earth Sciences Convention (AESC) 4 - 8th July 2010

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Title Rift Evolution in the Capel and Faust Basins, Offshore Eastern Australia, and Implications for Regional Petroleum Prospectivity
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/en/dataset/918b29a7-9d80-4330-8018-ac7ff1771067
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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This dataset was originally found on data.gov.au "Rift Evolution in the Capel and Faust Basins, Offshore Eastern Australia, and Implications for Regional Petroleum Prospectivity". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/rift-evolution-in-the-capel-and-faust-basins-offshore-eastern-australia-and-implications-for-re3