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The Murraba Basin: Another Piece of the Centralian Superbasin Jigsaw Puzzle Falls Into Place Peter Haines and Heidi Allen

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The Murraba Basin: Another Piece of the Centralian Superbasin Jigsaw Puzzle Falls Into Place Peter Haines and Heidi Allen Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum The Murraba Basin: another piece of the Centralian Superbasin jigsaw puzzle falls into place Peter Haines and Heidi Allen Geological Survey of Western Australia Topics to cover Murraba Basin: what, where, why? Centralian Superbasin Previous stratigraphy and correlations Revised stratigraphy and correlations Implications for prospectivity (mostly hydrocarbon) Review previous detrital zircon data Tectonic implications Conclusions Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Location Wolfe Basin (Neoproterozoic) Birrindudu Basin (late Paleo – early Mesoproterozoic) Tanami region (Paleoproterozoic) Canning Basin (Paleozoic) Arunta region (mostly Paleoproterozoic) Amadeus Basin (mostly Neoproterozoic) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Location Wolfe Basin (Neoproterozoic) Birrindudu Basin (late Paleo – early Mesoproterozoic) Tanami region (Paleoproterozoic) MURRABA BASIN Canning Basin (Paleozoic) Redcliff Pound Group Arunta region (mostly Paleoproterozoic) Amadeus Basin (mostly Neoproterozoic) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Location Wolfe Basin (Neoproterozoic) Birrindudu Basin (late Paleo – early Mesoproterozoic) Tanami region (Paleoproterozoic) MURRABA BASIN Canning Basin (Paleozoic) Redcliff Pound Group Hidden Basin beds Arunta region (mostly Paleoproterozoic) Amadeus Basin (mostly Neoproterozoic) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Centralian Superbasin Modified from Munson et al. 2014 Super- Generalized succession NTGS Special Publication sequences Cambrian 541 Ma SS4 Syntectonic siliciclastic package Ediacaran Post-glacial marine package SS3 ~635 Ma Elatina (“Marinoan”) Glaciation glacial erosion / unconformity Cryogenian Inter-glacial marine package SS2 Sturt (“Sturtian”) Glaciation ~720 Ma Neoproterozoic glacial erosion / unconformity Tonian Evaporite–carbonate–shale package SS1 Basal siliciclastic package Adelaide Rift 1000 Ma Complex (Geosyncline) Mesoproterozoic Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Centralian Superbasin Super- Murraba Basin Generalized succession sequences (old interpretation) Cambrian 541 Ma SS4 Syntectonic siliciclastic package Ediacaran Post-glacial marine package SS3 ~635 Ma Elatina (“Marinoan”) Glaciation glacial erosion / unconformity Cryogenian Inter-glacial marine package SS2 Sturt (“Sturtian”) Glaciation ~720 Ma Hidden Basin beds Neoproterozoic glacial erosion / unconformity ? ? ? ? Erica Sandstone Redcliff Tonian Evaporite–carbonate–shale package SS1 Murraba Formation Pound Basal siliciclastic package Lewis Range / Munyu Sst Group 1000 Ma Mesoproterozoic Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Centralian Superbasin Super- Murraba Basin Generalized succession sequences (old interpretation) Cambrian 541 Ma SS4 Syntectonic siliciclastic package Ediacaran Post-glacial marine package SS3 ~635 Ma Elatina (“Marinoan”) Glaciation glacial erosion / unconformity Cryogenian Inter-glacial marine package SS2 Sturt (“Sturtian”) Glaciation No un-faulted ~720 Ma Hidden Basin beds Neoproterozoic contact exposed; ? ? ? ? glacial erosion / unconformity relationship inferred Erica Sandstone on structural grounds Evaporite–carbonate–shale package Redcliff Tonian Murraba Formation SS1 Pound No contact exposed, Basal siliciclastic package Lewis Range / Munyu Sst Group conformity assumed 1000 Ma Mesoproterozoic Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Centralian Superbasin Super- Murraba Basin Murraba Basin Generalized succession sequences (old interpretation) (new interpretation) Cambrian Gp 541 Ma SS4 Syntectonic siliciclastic package Erica Sandstone Ediacaran Post-glacial marine package SS3 Murraba Formation ~635 Ma Elatina (“Marinoan”) Glaciation Redcliff Pound glacial erosion / unconformity unconformity Cryogenian Inter-glacial marine package fine sandstone/siltstone float SS2 Sturt (“Sturtian”) Glaciation ~720 Ma Hidden Basin beds basement clast float (?glacial) Neoproterozoic ? ? ? ? glacial erosion / unconformity concealed Erica Sandstone carbonate/chert float Evaporite–carbonate–shale package Tonian carb. SS1 Murraba Formation Basal siliciclastic package Lewis Range / Munyu Sst Lewis Ra S Munyu Sst 1000 Ma Mesoproterozoic Hidden Basin beds Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Hydrocarbon potential Super- Amadeus Basin Murraba Basin Cambrian seal sequences (Paleozoic omitted) (new interpretation) Cambrian Gp 541 Ma SS4 Arumbera Sst / Winnall Gp Dingo Gasfield, Orange 1, 2 Erica Sandstone Wallaby 1 Ediacaran Julie Formation Dingo Gasfield, Ooraminna 2 SS3 Pertatataka Formation Murraba Formation ~635 Ma Olympic Fm / Pioneer Sst Ooraminna 1, 2 Redcliff Pound glacial erosion / unconformity Cryogenian Aralka Formation fine sandstone/siltstone float SS2 Areyonga Formation ~720 Ma basement clast float (?glacial) Neoproterozoic glacial erosion / unconformity concealed Wallara Formation Finke 1 carbonate/chert float Tonian Mt Winter 1 carb. SS1 Bitter Springs Formation Heavitree / Dean Quartzite Magee 1, Mt Kitty 1 Lewis Ra S Munyu Sst 1000 Ma Mesoproterozoic Source Commercial gasfield Gas flow Oil show Salt seal Hidden Basin beds Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Hidden Basin beds (Birrindudu Basin?) Quartzites dominate outcrop >3000 m, 3700 km2 “Basal” silicified redbeds Weathered “black” shales Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Munyu Sandstone ≤400 m thick Overlying? carbonate Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Lewis Range Sandstone ≤1000 m thick Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Lewis Range Sandstone Detrital zircon provenance Modified from Munson et al. 2014 NTGS Special Publication Munyu Sandstone Age (Ma) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Lewis Range Sandstone Detrital zircon provenance Modified from Munson et al. 2014 Tanami NTGS Special Maximum Basin Publication depositional detritals Age ~ 0.9 Ga Munyu Sandstone Maximum depositional Age ~ 1 Ga Age (Ma) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Unconformity at base Murraba Formation Murraba Formation paleo-weathering profile Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum What’s below the Murraba Formation lower Murraba Formation 1 km Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum What’s below the Murraba Formation lower Murraba Formation 1 km Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum What’s below the Murraba Formation Super- ? upper ? Supersequence 2 sequence 3 Supersequence 1 ? lower ? Murraba Formation Microbial chert Ooid carbonate/chert Basement clasts 1 km Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Murraba Fm / Erica Sst (redefined Redcliff Pound Group) Murraba Fm: shallow marine Murraba/Erica: red, deltaic - fluvial Erica Sst: eolian sandstone Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Murraba Fm / Erica Sst (redefined Redcliff Pound Group) Murraba Fm: shallow marine Murraba/Erica: red, deltaic - fluvial Erica Sst: eolian sandstone Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Red syntectonic sediments (Supersequence 4) Georgina Basin Amadeus Basin Adelaide Rift Complex SS4 PC ̶ C̶ SS4 Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Supersequence 4 biogenic structures Planolites, Georgina B. Planolites, Georgina Basin Planolites, Murraba Fm Walter et al. (1989) Arumberia, Georgina B. Arumberia, Amadeus B. Arumberia, Murraba Fm Glaessner & Walter (1975) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Paleocurrents Modified from Haines et al. Munson et al. 2014 (1991) NTGS Special Publication Williams (1992) Haines et al. (2015) Lindsay (1987) Gehling (1982) Mean paleocurrent direction for Supersequence 4 Adelaide Rift fluvio-deltaic Complex sandstone facies (Geosyncline) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Paleocurrents and tectonism Modified from Munson et al. 2014 Petermann Orogeny: 580‒520 Ma NTGS Special Publication Paterson Orogeny: c. 635‒540 Ma King Leopold King Leopold Orogeny: c. 670‒510 Ma Orogeny Paterson Orogeny Petermann Orogeny Adelaide Rift Complex (Geosyncline) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Paleocurrents and tectonism Modified from Munson et al. 2014 Petermann Orogeny: 580‒520 Ma NTGS Special Publication Paterson Orogeny: c. 635‒540 Ma King Leopold King Leopold Orogeny: c. 670‒510 Ma Orogeny Paterson Orogeny Petermann Orogeny Adelaide Rift Complex (Geosyncline) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Conclusions Hidden Basin beds probably pre-Murraba; perhaps Birrindudu Basin Murraba Basin has a much more complete Neoproterozoic Centralian Superbasin succession than previously thought Youngest component are syntectonic with Petermann, Paterson, King Leopold Orogenies and may extend into Cambrian Suggestion of a linkage of tectonic provinces beneath the Canning Basin Similar Neoproterozoic stratigraphy to the Amadeus Basin allows the possibility of similar hydrocarbon systems Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Acknowledgments Ngururrpa Traditional Owners for allowing access Regolith Geochem Group for hospitality and logistics Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum .
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