MGPalaeo are excited to be working with Geoscience Australia [and Katie Norton] on the project ‘Assessing the Status of Groundwater in the Great Artesian Basin.’

We’re helping to build a comprehensive geological database, reviewing and updating all open-file palynological data for hundreds of wells across the Surat, Eromanga, and Galilee basins to help refine and improve geological models across the region.

From GA’s website: ‘The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of Australia’s most significant hydrogeological entities. Covering more than 1.7 million square kilometres, the GAB underlies parts of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The GAB contains a vast volume of underground water (estimated at 64,900 million megalitres) and is the largest groundwater basin in Australia. Groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is a vital resource for pastoral, agricultural and extractive industries as well as for town water supplies, supporting at least $12.8 billion in economic activity annually (Frontier Economics 2016). It is an essential resource that supports Indigenous cultural values and sustains a range of groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs).’

A Summary of Our Work [To Date] Includes:

  • Palynological summary sheets have been compiled for 308 wells that would best improve the understanding of distribution and characteristics of Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments across the Eromanga/Galilee/Surat basins region.
  • Data was drawn from open file well completion reports, palynological reports, and academic theses and papers.
  • All palynological data was updated to one consistent zonation scheme.
  • Where available, geochronological data was also recorded.
  • A basic regional stratigraphic chart was compiled to illustrate how the Lithostratigraphy ties to the palynological and geological timescale between the Surat, Eromanga, and Carpentaria basins.
  • Key reference wells were highlighted and a list of potential futher sampling was also compiled.

Project Deliverables

As stated on GA’s website, the following deliverables will be available for this project:

  • A stakeholder engagement workshop to communicate project results and outcomes.
  • A synthesis report documenting the key findings and recommendations from the pilot & whole-of-GAB studies.
  • Technical reports outlining all project components.
  • Project summaries of each project component.
  • Project datasets, tools and GIS products.

For more information on this project, or on the data availability, please contact us.