Bonaparte Basin

Sedimentary and volcanic: limestone, sandstone, siltstone, basalt, coal, glacial coarse clastic sediments.

Epoch Min:

Cenozoic.

Epoch Max:

Cambrian.

Age Min:

65 Ma.

Age Max:

500 Ma.

Summary:

A composite basin that outcrops near the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and extends offshore underlying the waters of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and Timor Sea. Includes the Late Devonian Petrel Sub-basin and Vulcan Sub-basin. Extends into Western Australia.

Relationship:

Overlies Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary and igneous rocks of the Pine Creek Orogen and Proterozoic sediments of the Fitzmaurice Basin.

Thickness:

At least 5 km onshore deepening to 15 km offshore.

Economic:

Nine significant petroleum wells have been drilled within the Northern Territory portion of the basin. Contains small gas and oil accumulations. MVT style Pb-Zn-Ag occurrences and minor coal interbeds are present onshore.

Metamorphism:

Unmetamorphosed.

Main Reference:

Ahmad M and Munson TJ, 2013. Chapter 36: Bonaparte Basin: in Ahmad M and Munson TJ (compilers) ‘Geology and Mineral Resources of the Northern Territory’. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Special Publication 5