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Trilobites were notably flexible in the moulting behaviours they employed, producing a variety of moult configurations preserved in the fossil record. Investigations seeking to explain this moulting variability and its potential impacts are few, despite abundant material being available for study. We present the first quantitative study on moulting in a single trilobite species using a dataset of almost 500 moult specimens of Estaingia bilobata from the Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 4) Emu Bay Shale, South Australia. Specimens were categorized by moulting mode (Salter's or Sutural Gape) and their associated configurations, and their body proportions measured from both a museum collection (including a bycatch sample) and a randomly‐collected field sample. This enabled analysis of the proportion of E. bilobata specimens displaying the Sutural Gape and Salter's modes of moulting and their different configurations, and tests for association between moulting behaviour and body proportions. The results show a wide range of E. bilobata moulting configurations in all samples, suggesting that configurations represent definable instances in a largely continuous spectrum of variation. Analyses comparing body proportions of specimens showing the two modes of moulting were non‐significant, suggesting there is no true association between moulting behaviour and body proportion, except for a single significant result for body length. All results were relatively consistent between the museum and field samples. However, removing accessioned specimens from the museum sample brought results even further in line with the field sample, supporting the need for consideration of museum collection bias in palaeontological analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in tandem laser ablation mass spectrometer technology have demonstrated the capacity for separating parent and daughter isotopes of the same mass online. As a result, beta-decay chronometers can now be applied to the geological archive in situ as opposed to through traditional whole-rock digestions. One novel application of this technique is the in situ Rb–Sr dating of Proterozoic shales that are dominated by authigenic clays such as illite. This method can provide a depositional window for shales by differentiating signatures of early diagenetic processes versus late-stage secondary alteration. However, the hydrothermal sensitivity of the Rb–Sr isotopic system across geological timescales in shale-hosted clay minerals is not well understood. As such, we dated the Mesoproterozoic Velkerri Formation from the Altree 2 well in the Beetaloo Sub-basin (greater McArthur Basin), northern Australia, using this approach. We then constrained the thermal history of these units using common hydrocarbon maturity indicators and modelled effects of contact heating due to the intrusion of the Derim Derim Dolerite. In situ Rb–Sr dating of mature, oil-prone shales in the diagenetic zone from the Velkerri Formation yielded ages of 1448 ± 81, 1434 ± 19, and 1421 ± 139 Ma. These results agree with previous Re–Os dating of the unit and are interpreted as recording the timing of an early diagenetic event soon after deposition. Conversely, overmature, gas-prone shales in the anchizone sourced from deeper within the borehole were dated at 1322 ± 93 and 1336 ± 40 Ma. These ages are younger than the expected depositional window for the Velkerri Formation. Instead, they are consistent with the age of the Derim Derim Dolerite mafic intrusion intersected 800 m below the Velkerri Formation. Thermal modelling suggests that a single intrusion of 75 m thickness would have been capable of producing a significant hydrothermal perturbation radiating from the sill top. The intrusion width proposed by this model is consistent with similar Derim Derim Dolerite sill thicknesses found elsewhere in the McArthur Basin. The extent of the hydrothermal aureole induced by this intrusion coincides with the window in which kerogen from the Velkerri Formation becomes overmature. As a result, the mafic intrusion intersected here is interpreted to have caused kerogen in these shales to enter the gas window, induced fluids that mobilize trace elements, and reset the Rb–Sr chronometer. Consequently, we propose that the Rb–Sr chronometer in shales may be sensitive to temperatures of ca. 120 ∘ C in hydrothermal reactions but can withstand temperatures of more than 190 ∘ C in thermal systems not dominated by fluids. Importantly, this study demonstrates a framework for the combined use of in situ Rb–Sr dating and kerogen maturation indicators to help reveal the thermochronological history of Proterozoic sedimentary basins. As such, this approach can be a powerful tool for identifying the hydrocarbon potential of source rocks in similar geological settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authigenic components in marine sediments are important archives for past environment reconstructions. However, defining reliable age constraints and assessing the effects of postdepositional overprints in Precambrian sequences are challenging. We demonstrate a new laser-based analytical approach that has the potential to rapidly and accurately evaluate the depositional and alteration histories of Proterozoic shales. Our study employs a novel application of in situ Rb-Sr dating coupled with simultaneous trace-element analysis using reaction-cell laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS/MS). We present results from shales sourced from two wells in the Proterozoic McArthur Basin, northern Australia. These rocks have been widely used by previous studies as a key section for ancient biogeochemical and paleo-redox reconstructions. Shales from well UR5 yielded initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios, Rb-Sr ages, and rare earth element plus yttrium (REEY) patterns similar to those of a dolerite sampled from the same core. We propose that the UR5 samples chronicle hydrothermal alteration instigated by the dolerite intrusion. In contrast, a correlative shale from well UR6 yielded an age consistent with the expected depositional age (1577 ± 56 Ma) with REEY and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios similar to ca. 1.5 Ga seawater. We suggest that this sample records the minimum depositional age and early marine diagenetic history for this unit. This new technique can date Proterozoic shales quickly, cheaply, and with minimum sample preparation. Importantly, ages are triaged to differentiate between those recording primary marine versus secondary processes. This novel approach provides a potentially powerful tool for dating and fingerprinting the vast array of ancient marine shales for further studies of Earth systems through deep time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ca. 1.4 Ga Velkerri and Xiamaling Formations, in Australia and the north China craton, respectively, are both carbonaceous shale deposits that record a prominent euxinic interval and were intruded by ca. 1.3 Ga dolerite sills. These similarities raise the possibility that these two units correlate, which would suggest the occurrence of widespread euxinia, organic carbon burial, and source rock deposition. Paleomagnetic data are consistent with Australia and the north China craton being neighbors in the supercontinent Nuna and thus permit deposition in a single large basin, and the putative stratigraphic correlation. However, lack of geochronological data has precluded definitive testing. The Xiamaling Formation has been shown to exhibit depositional control by orbital cycles. Here, we tested the putative correlation with the Velkerri Formation by cyclostratigraphic analysis. The Velkerri Formation exhibits sedimentological cycles that can be interpreted to represent the entire hierarchy of orbital cycles, according to a sedimentation rate that is consistent with Re-Os ages. Comparison of the inferred durations of the euxinic intervals preserved in both the Xiamaling and Velkerri Formations reveals a nearly identical ~10-m.y.-long oceanic euxinic event. This permits the interpretation that the two hydrocarbon-rich units were deposited and matured in the same basin of Nuna, similar to the Gulf of Mexico during the breakup of Pangea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluid flow in the upper crust not only impacts the redistribution of heat and elements, driving the formation of economic ore deposits, but it also exerts control on metamorphism, metasomatism, and deformation. However, reconstructing the history of fluid flow in ancient basins is exceedingly difficult, particularly in Archean sedimentary rocks because of extensive overprinting and recrystallization. Here, we report U-Pb ages for monazite and xenotime that grew in bedding-parallel veins in 2.63-2.5-b.y.-old shales along the southern Pilbara craton, Australia. The U-Pb ages define six discrete populations, at 2.41 Ga, 2.30 Ga, 2.20 Ga, 2.10 Ga, 2.05 Ga, and 1.66 Ga, which formed ≥200 m.y. after deposition. The abundance of bedding-parallel crack-seal and fibrous veins in banded iron formations (BIFs) and underlying shales suggests a history of episodic buildup of fluid pressure followed by microfracturing, fluid expulsion, and mineral growth. Thermometry of vein minerals indicates temperatures between 230 °C and 320 °C, implicating the migration of hydrothermal fluids. The development of bedding-parallel veins at 2.41 Ga, 2.20 Ga, and 1.66 Ga was coeval with regional orogenic events known to have affected the craton, whereas vein growth at 2.30 Ga, 2.10 Ga, and 2.05 Ga reveals new episodes of deformation and fluid flow. Our results show that well-preserved Archean shales devoid of structural fabrics and >150 km inboard of the craton margin preserve a cryptic history of fluid overpressure, crack-seal vein development, and hydrothermal fluid flow between 2.41 and 1.66 b.y. ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the K isotopic composition of the upper continental crust is important for understanding the processes by which the crust is generated and modified, and constraining the K isotopic budget of the silicate Earth. High-precision K isotopic data are reported for 70 well-characterized individual and composite samples from the upper continental crust, including diorite, granodiorite, granite, loess, shale, graywacke, pelite, and tillite, to constrain its K isotopic composition. δ41K varies significantly in eight I-type and two S-type granites from Australia (−0.57 to −0.40‰), nine A-type granites (−0.53 to −0.38‰), and three granitoid composites including diorite, granodiorite, and granite (−0.50 to −0.37‰) from China, mainly reflecting source heterogeneity. The 22 post-Archean Australian shales (PAAS) (δ41K = −0.68 to −0.12‰) and the 12 sedimentary composites including graywacke, pelite, and tillite from China (δ41K = −0.57 to −0.23‰) have heterogeneous K isotopic compositions while the 12 loess samples from around the world display more limited K isotopic variation (δ41K = −0.47 to −0.35‰). δ41K values display a smaller dispersion in loess compared to shales, which have comparatively more intense weathering and higher chemical index of alteration (CIA). δ41K correlates with Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 /K 2 O in shales and Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 , K 2 O/Al 2 O 3 , and δ7Li in loess, suggesting that K isotopes are fractionated during chemical weathering. Overall, the upper continental crust has a heterogeneous K isotopic composition, ranging from −0.68 to −0.12‰ with an average δ41K of −0.44 ± 0.05‰ (2SD, n = 88), which is indistinguishable from the mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Derived conditions for geomechanical stability of large-diameter deep disposal boreholes. • Numerical code validated with experiments on shale. • Effects of pre-existing cross-borehole fractures on borehole stability derived from 3D models. • Casing requirement for borehole stability derived from analytical solution. Large diameter boreholes drilled to a depth of 1000–2000 m are currently investigated in Australia as a potential solution for waste emplacement and long-term containment for long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW). Different potentially suitable types of host rocks are considered, including granite, shale and salt. This study is aimed at assessing the risk of borehole instability for a large diameter deep borehole in shale. The investigation is conducted with numerical simulations using the CSIRO-developed modelling tools FRACOD and FRCAOD3D, and the commercial code Irazu. Previous laboratory experiments on boreholes in deep shale reported in literatures have been used as validation tests of the numerical models. Under hydrostatic stresses, the FRACOD model showed extensive shear-dominated "log-spiral" fractures around a borehole in shale which is similar to the laboratory testings reported in literatures. Subsequently, 2D and 3D numerical models representing a 0.7-m diameter vertical borehole drilled to the depths of 1000 m and 2000 m have been used. "Strong" and "weak" shales are simulated. The strong and weak shales represent the higher and lower ends of the shale strength reported in literature, respectively. Results showed that a "strong" shale exhibited only small borehole breakouts at the depth of 2000 m. The "weak" shale showed large breakouts (>1.5 m) at depths of 1000 m and 2000 m caused by extensive shear fracturing. In the scenario where a pre-existing 3D fracture crosscuts the borehole, the existing fracture may propagate deeper into the rock formation depending on its orientation and on the in situ stress magnitudes. Predictions based on analytical solutions indicate a 0.02-m and 0.04-m thick casing could prevent severe failure of rock mass at 1000 and 2000 m depths, respectively. Insights from model-based investigations of borehole breakouts are critical during the site selection of rocks with suitable geomechanical properties for waste disposal and for optimising the design of large-diameter boreholes for drilling, waste emplacement and long-term safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological and petrophysical parameters are critical in evaluating the production potential of prospective shale gas plays and their economic viability for commercial development. However, based on the US experience, these characteristics can vary widely. Furthermore, the non-marine shale plays of the Cooper Basin, South Australia are distinctively different from the marine shale plays in the US. Non-marine shale may consist of higher clay content and, thus, may be less responsive to hydraulic fracturing due to the increased ductility. Conversely, the availability of sufficient amounts of quartz and siderite may counteract this effect and maintain brittleness. In this study, the mineral, total organic and gas content, thermal maturity, Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus data obtained from the Roseneath and Murteree formations of the Cooper Basin have been compared with US shale formations. The results show that the formations compare well in terms of thickness, thermal maturity, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, but not in clay mineral content and formation temperature and values for TOC, porosity and gas-in-place are comparatively lower. To determine whether such plays are economically viable will require technical, as well as economic, analysis of the hydraulic fracturing process, including the potential for horizontal and vertical well development or basin centred gas developments. A shale play that has unfavourable prospects may have upfront infrastructure and major capital costs that outweigh the potential receipts from gas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Narrabeen Group, floodplain shale and siltstone are abundant in the Wombarra Claystone, Stanwell Park Claystone and Bald Hill Claystone whereas the Newport Formation is a fine-grained lagoonal deposit. Mediumand coarse-grained fluvial channel sandstone is common in the Coalcliff, Scarborough and Bulgo. Sandstone composition includes mostly lithic grains with minor quartz, feldspar, mica and heavy minerals; litharenites and sublitharenites are common and quartzarenites are rare. The diagenetic alterations include compaction, quartz overgrowths, authigenic clay minerals, carbonate cement and authigenic feldspar. Quartz overgrowths are present in the channel, floodplain, lagoonal and shallow marine facies but are more common in the channel facies. Also, the channell facies are characterised by pore-filling carbonate cement, grain-coating carbonate cement and carbonate replacement of grains. Carbonate cement, pore-filling clays and grain-coating clays occur in all the channel, floodplain, lagoonal and shallow marine facies. Fluvial channel and floodplain facies contain feldspar overgrowths which disappear in the lagoonal and shallow marine facies. Dissolution of unstable grains is observed in the channel, floodplain and lagoonal facies but is more abundant in the channel facies in the Narrabeen Group. Mechanical and chemical compaction is conspicuous in the channel facies but also occurs in the floodplain and lagoonal facies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mound springs provide the primary discharge mechanism for waters of the western margin of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), Australia. Though these springs are an important resource in an arid environment, their hydraulics as they discharge from shale are poorly defined. The springs can include extensive spring tails (groundwater-dependent wetlands) and hundreds of springs in a given spring complex. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) was used to evaluate spring subsurface hydraulic-connectivity characteristics at three spring complexes discharging through the Bulldog Shale. The results demonstrate that fresher GAB water appears as resistors in the subsurface at these sites, which are characterized by high-salinity conditions in the shallow subsurface. Using an empirical method developed for this work, the ERI data indicate that the spring complexes have multiple subsurface connections that are not always easily observed at the surface. The connections are focused along structural deformation in the shale allowing fluids to migrate through the confining unit. The ERI data suggest the carbonate deposits that the springs generate are deposited on top of the confining unit, not precipitated in the conduit. The data also suggest that spring-tail ecosystems are not the result of a single discharge point, but include secondary discharge points along the tail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of Anomalocaris co-occur in the Emu Bay Shale ( Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) at Big Gully, Kangaroo Island. Frontal appendages of Anomalocaris briggsi Nedin, 1995, are more common than those of Anomalocaris cf. canadensis Whiteaves, 1892, at a quarry inland of the wave-cut platform site from which these species were originally described. An oral cone has the three large, node-bearing plates recently documented for Anomalocaris canadensis, confirming that Anomalocaris lacks a tetraradial ' Peytoia' oral cone and strengthening the case for the identity of the Australian specimens as Anomalocaris. Disarticulated anomalocaridid body flaps are more numerous in the Emu Bay Shale than in other localities, and they preserve anatomical details not recognized elsewhere. Transverse lines on the anterior part of the flaps, interpreted as strengthening rays or veins in previous descriptions of anomalocaridids, are associated with internal structures consisting of a series of well-bounded, striated blocks or bars. Their structure is consistent with a structural function imparting strength to the body flaps. Setal structures consisting of a series of lanceolate blades are similar to those of other anomalocaridids and are found in isolation or associated with body flaps. A single specimen also preserves putative gut diverticula. The morphology of the appendages, oral cone, gut diverticula and compound eyes of Anomalocaris, along with its large size, suggests that it was an active predator, and specimens of coprolites containing trilobite fragments and trilobites with prominent injuries have been cited as evidence of anomalocaridid predation on trilobites. Based on frontal appendage morphology, Anomalocaris briggsi is inferred to have been a predator of soft-bodied animals exclusively and only Anomalocaris cf. canadensis may have been capable of durophagous predation on trilobites, although predation (including possible cannibalism) by Redlichia could also explain the coprolites and damage to trilobite exoskeletons found in the Emu Bay Shale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lower Cambrian (Series 2) Emu Bay Shale biota, found at Big Gully on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, South Australia, is by far the richest Burgess Shale-type (BST) fauna in the southern hemisphere. While the trace element geochemistry of the host shale shows it accumulated beneath an oxic water column, this appears difficult to reconcile with the exceptional preservation of organs such as gut glands, muscles and eyes in some of its fauna. Micro-scale sealed vessel (MSSV) pyrolysis of kerogen isolated from a solvent extracted sample of fossiliferous Emu Bay Shale provided independent confirmation of its redox status and also implicated cyanobacteria in the preservation of its fauna. Thermal extraction and pyrolysis each yielded alkanes displaying a low ratio of pristane to phytane (pr/ph=1) and n-alkanes with a marked odd/even predominance in the

Late Permian (late Changhsingian), possible Early Triassic Induan (Dienerian), and early Olenekian (Smithian) conodonts have been recovered from the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale in the exploration well Corybas 1, northern Perth Basin, Western Australia. Placement of the biostratigraphic Permian - Triassic boundary is in the lower part of the Sapropelic Interval of the Hovea Member. The Australian endemic Protohaploxypinus microcorpus palynofloral Zone is confirmed to be of late (but not latest) Changhsingian age. The Permian - Triassic boundary, based on international calibration using conodonts, carbon-isotope stratigraphy and new radio-isotopic dating, is placed in the lower part of the Kraeuselisporites saeptatus and Lunatisporites pellucidus Zones of western and eastern Australia, respectively, which corresponds approximately to the basal part of the Rewan Group and equivalents in eastern Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Benambran Orogeny reflects the accretion of the intra-oceanic Macquarie Arc to the Gondwana Plate. The ultimate cause was the northwards strike-slip transport of the allochthonous Bega Terrane along the eastern margin of Gondwana, into a forearc position outboard of the Macquarie Arc. Ensuing oblique compression in the outboard part of the Gondwana Plate drove the Macquarie Arc into and under its backarc Wagga Basin, represented by the Girilambone - Wagga Terrane, and led to a combination of thrusting and major strike-slip faulting within, inboard and outboard of the arc over 10 million years. In this time frame, the Benambran Orogeny in the Eastern Subprovince of the Lachlan Orogen in New South Wales consists of two phases of exhumation - deformation, at ca 443 Ma (late Bolindian to early Llandovery) and ca 430 Ma (late Llandovery), separated by a relaxation/extensional event. Both phases involved deformation and exhumation of the Macquarie Arc and coeval quartz-rich turbidites and black shales of the Adaminaby Superterrane. Closure of the former backarc basin was facilitated by limited east-dipping subduction that generated the short-lived Fifield arc. The second phase of the Benambran Orogeny also involved deformation and exhumation of overlying Llandovery strata (e.g. the Yalmy Group) and syn- to post-tectonic emplacement of granitoids. In both phases, deformation of Adaminaby Superterrane rocks was more intense than deformation of arc rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rheology of layered meta-sedimentary rocks, and their orientation and position relative to major fault systems were the key controls on Proterozoic hydrothermal copper mineralization at Mount Isa, Australia. Compositional layering in the host rock partitioned mechanical behavior and strain, leading to selective permeability generation and the focusing of fluid flow. Shale layers preferentially failed by plastic shearing, whereas meta-siltstones remained elastic or failed in tension depending on magnitude of deformation and fluid pressure. Numerical simulations support the hypothesis that the orientation of layering and the proximity to major fault systems controlled fracturing and permeability increase in the Urquhart shale. The dilating shale provided a pathway for an upward-flowing, reduced basement fluid, from which quartz was precipitated during cooling. During a later event, the reactivation of steep structures provided access to surface derived oxidized metal-bearing brine, causing the precipitation of dolomite followed by chalcopyrite ore in the brecciated silicified shale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abundant illite precipitation in Proterozoic rocks from Northern Lawn Hill Platform, Mt Isa Basin, Australia, occurred in organic matter-rich black shales rather than in sandstones, siltstones and organic matter-poor shales. Sandstones and siltstones acted as impermeable rocks, as early diagenetic quartz and carbonate minerals reduced the porosity–permeability. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) studies indicate a relation between creation of microporosity–permeability and organic matter alteration, suitable for subsequent mineral precipitation. K–Ar data indicate that organic matter alteration and the subsequent illite precipitation within the organic matter occurred during the regional hydrothermal event at 1172 ± 50 (2σ) Ma. Hot circulating fluids are considered to be responsible for organic matter alteration, migration and removal of volatile hydrocarbon, and consequently porosity–permeability creation. Those rocks lacking sufficient porosity–permeability, such as sandstones, siltstones and organic matter poor shales, may not have been affected by fluid movement. In hydrothermal systems, shales and mudstones may not be impermeable as usually assumed because of hydrocarbons being rapidly removed by fluid, even with relatively low total organic carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitumens extracted from 2.7 to 2.5 billion-year-old (Ga) shales of the Fortescue and Hamersley Groups in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, contain traces of molecular fossils. Based on a combination of molecular characteristics typical of many Precambrian bitumens, their consistently and unusually high thermal maturities, and their widespread distribution throughout the Hamersley Basin, the bitumens can be characterized as ‘probably of Archean age’. Accepting this interpretation, the biomarkers open a new window on Archean biodiversity. The presence of hopanes in the Archean rocks confirms the antiquity of the domain Bacteria, and high relative concentrations of 2α-methylhopanes indicate that cyanobacteria were important primary producers. Oxygenic photosynthesis therefore evolved > 2.7 Ga ago, and well before independent evidence suggests significant levels of oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere. Moreover, the abundance of cyanobacterial biomarkers in shales interbedded with oxide-facies banded iron formations (BIF) indicates that although some Archean BIF might have been formed by abiotic photochemical processes or anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, those in the Hamersley Group formed as a direct consequence of biological oxygen production. Biomarkers of the 3β-methylhopane series suggest that microaerophilic heterotrophic bacteria, probably methanotrophs or methylotrophs, were active in late Archean environments. The presence of steranes in a wide range of structures with relative abundances like those from late Paleoproterozoic to Phanerozoic sediments is convincing evidence for the existence of eukaryotes in the late Archean, 900 Ma before visible fossil evidence indicates that the lineage arose. Sterol biosynthesis in extant eukaryotes requires molecular oxygen. The presence of steranes together with biomarkers of oxygenic photosynthetic cyanobacteria suggests that the concentration of dissolved oxygen in some regions of the upper water column was equivalent to at least ∼1% of the present atmospheric level (PAL) and may have been sufficient to support aerobic respiration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Shales of very low metamorphic grade from the 2.78 to 2.45 billion-year-old (Ga) Mount Bruce Supergroup, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, were analyzed for solvent extractable hydrocarbons. Samples were collected from ten drill cores and two mines in a sampling area centered in the Hamersley Basin near Wittenoom and ranging 200 km to the southeast, 100 km to the southwest and 70 km to the northwest. Almost all analyzed kerogenous sedimentary rocks yielded solvent extractable organic matter. Concentrations of total saturated hydrocarbons were commonly in the range of 1 to 20 ppm (μg/g rock) but reached maximum values of 1000 ppm. The abundance of aromatic hydrocarbons was ∼1 to 30 ppm. Analysis of the extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-MS metastable reaction monitoring (MRM) revealed the presence of n-alkanes, mid- and end-branched monomethylalkanes, ω-cyclohexylalkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, diamondoids, tri- to pentacyclic terpanes, steranes, aromatic steroids and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Neither plant biomarkers nor hydrocarbon distributions indicative of Phanerozoic contamination were detected. The host kerogens of the hydrocarbons were depleted in 13C by 2 to 21‰ relative to n-alkanes, a pattern typical of, although more extreme than, other Precambrian samples. Acyclic isoprenoids showed carbon isotopic depletion relative to n-alkanes and concentrations of 2α-methylhopanes were relatively high, features rarely observed in the Phanerozoic but characteristic of many other Precambrian bitumens. Molecular parameters, including sterane and hopane ratios at their apparent thermal maxima, condensate-like alkane profiles, high mono- and triaromatic steroid maturity parameters, high methyladamantane and methyldiamantane indices and high methylphenanthrene maturity ratios, indicate thermal maturities in the wet-gas generation zone. Additionally, extracts from shales associated with iron ore deposits at Tom Price and Newman have unusual polyaromatic hydrocarbon patterns indicative of pyrolytic dealkylation.The saturated hydrocarbons and biomarkers in bitumens from the Fortescue and Hamersley Groups are characterized as ‘probably syngenetic with their Archean host rock’ based on their typical Precambrian molecular and isotopic composition, extreme maturities that appear consistent with the thermal history of the host sediments, the absence of biomarkers diagnostic of Phanerozoic age, the absence of younger petroleum source rocks in the basin and the wide geographic distribution of the samples. Aromatic hydrocarbons detected in shales associated with iron ore deposits at Mt Tom Price and Mt Whaleback are characterized as ‘clearly Archean’ based on their hypermature composition and covalent bonding to kerogen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigates the iron-sulfur systematics and S-isotopic compositions of upper Paleoproterozic carbonaceous shales from the Wollogorang and lower reward formations,McArthur Basin,Northern Australia. Similarity of the rocks iron specifications with that of modern euxinic Black Sea sediments; Level of isotopic composition of sulfides in [sup 34]sulfur; Anoxic bottom-water conditions during shale deposition.

Investigates metamorphic events by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe of monazite in shales in Australia. Use of the U-Pb isotopic system in dating magmatism; Role of rifting in hydrothermal iron-oxide mineralization; Presence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

Describes the paleomagnetic study of the Elgee Formation red siltstones and shales from Kimberly Basin of Northwestern Australia. Stability of magnetic remanence; Reliability of paleomagnetic poles; Forms of paleocontinental configurations.

Lipid biomarkers play an important role in defining oil-source rock correlations. A fundamental assumption is that composition (or ratios) of biomarkers in oil is not significantly different from that in bitumen in the source rock. In order to compare the geochemical characteristics of expelled oil and residual oil, a Permian Tasmanite oil shale was used for an artificial maturation experiment to simulate the oil generation period. The results show that the Tasmanite oil shale generated high amounts of hydrocarbons (731 mg HC/g TOC) at low maturation temperatures (340 °C). The hydrocarbon (HC) group compositions are different between the expelled oil (with more aromatic HC and saturated HC) and the residual oil (with more resin fraction and asphaltene). The Pr/Ph ratio (up to 4.01) of the expelled hydrocarbons was much higher than that in residual oil (<1.0). Maturity-related biomarkers Ts/(Ts + Tm), and αααC29-20S/(20S + 20R) and C29-αββ/(ααα + αββ), also showed complicated variations with pyrolysis temperature, especially at post peak oil generation. C27-, C28-, and C29- sterane distributions showed variations with pyrolysis temperature. Therefore, without considering the influence of maturity on the abundance of compounds, either source, maturity and/or organic matter type from the chemical characteristics may not be correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnitude and direction of in-situ stresses are crucial inputs of any geomechanical analysis when it comes to the stability of structures under different downhole conditions. There have been many approaches proposed to determine these parameters on the laboratory or field scales, but many presumptions, complications and difficulties are often involved. Deformation Rate Analysis (DRA) is one of these approaches proposed to determine the magnitude of in-situ stresses based on the Kaiser effect in the applications concerning near surface conditions. In this paper attempts are made to show the application of the DRA in determination of in-situ stress for unconventional shale gas reservoirs. A case study from the Perth basin in Australia was considered to examine the accuracy of the results on the field scale. It was found that compliant shale samples may not be able to provide a good estimation of in-situ stresses, but the DRA appears to be an effective method of in-situ stress determination for unconventional shale gas reservoirs. The elapsed time between the sample extraction and testing also plays an important role during the laboratory measurements while the impact of the loading cycle on the strength of the samples should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During IODP Expedition 369, a 690 m thick succession of silty claystone spanning the early Turonian to the late Santonian was encountered at Site U1512 in the Bight Basin, offshore southern Australia. Stacking patterns, sedimentary facies and palynological assemblages reveal that the succession was rapidly deposited with hyperpycnal and hypopycnal flows in a marine prodelta setting, which was subject to basin restriction. The dominance of clay-rich facies and phytoclasts in the succession was likely the result of a major river system delivering a high sediment load into the Bight Basin when a warm, wet climate prevailed. A combination of high sedimentation rates (19–272 m/Myr) and accelerated subsidence prevented the delta from rapidly prograding into more distal regions of the basin. The complete Turonian to Santonian mudstone succession yields low total organic carbon (~1 wt%) and Type IV kerogens. However, palynofacies assemblages become progressively marine in character and total organic carbon values vary between 1 and 1.5 wt% with depth. This may indicate that the base of the hole at Site U1512 was close to potential organic-rich black shales associated with Ocean Anoxic Event 2. Low amplitude and irregular reflections on seismic data and disparities between biostratigraphic zonations suggest the upper 350 m of the Turonian to Santonian succession may represent a mass movement that happened during the Pleistocene. This study reveals that Site U1512 material likely represents a near-stratigraphically complete marine mudstone succession from high paleolatitudes, as well as the only depositional record that was fully cored from the Bight Basin. • 690 m thick Upper Cretaceous mudstone succession sampled in the Bight Basin. • A near-stratigraphically complete mudstone succession from southern high latitudes. • Deposited by hyperpycnal and hypopycnal flows in a marine prodelta setting. • Upper 350 m may represents a mass movement that occurred during the Pleistocene. • Implications for predicting source and reservoir rocks in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupled multiphysics constitutive models are generally developed based on macro-(core) scale measurements often without an in-depth knowledge of involved micro-scale phenomena. Recent addition of micro-scale imaging capabilities to triaxial and direct shear systems has enabled the characterisation of micro-scale phenomena during failure process using techniques such as 3D X-ray computed tomography. These X-ray transparent deformation-flow cells, however, are often force controlled, and incapable of measuring the displacement independently. They also have difficulties in controlling the temperature, and often do not allow measurement of permeability or cannot combine both direct shear and triaxial capabilities in one system. We therefore present the development and the first trial of an X-ray transparent apparatus capable of controlling the sample temperature without influencing X-ray radiation. The designed system allows for measurement of axial deformation both in load and displacement control-mode where permeability measurements can be conducted during the experiment. In order to assess the robustness of the designed system, the conductivity of fractured shale samples from the Beetaloo basin, Australia were measured under triaxial and direct shear loading. The triaxial experiment was conducted on a sample drilled parallel to bedding planes at 10 MPa confinement and up to 30 MPa axial stress. The gas permeability was continually measured during the loading and micro CT-images were acquired before-loading, at peak-load and after-unloading to investigate any induced damage and its potential effect on the permeability. In addition, a direct shear test was conducted on another Beetaloo shale sample with 0.5 MPa normal stress and 0.5 mm/s shear displacement. The fracture conductivity was measured throughout the test and sample was scanned before-shearing and right after-peak to investigate the effect of fracture shearing on overall fracture conductivity and aperture variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents answers to the question about the Great Oxidation Event that happened 2.4 billion years ago. The author explains that the gap in traces of hydrocarbons found in shales in Australia which are evidences of microorganisms that include oxygen-producing cyanobacteria. New sets of black shales were collected.