The 3D Basement and Thermal Structure of the Gunnedah Basin

Abstract

With the development of geothermal resources by in the Cooper Basin, South Australia, interest in sedimentary basins for potential resources has intensified. In Eastern Australia sedimentary basins not only host large deposits of coal, they are closer to large population centres with established infrastructure. The 3D architecture and geothermal potential of such sedimentary basins has so far not been assessed in great detail, however the assessment of temperature at 5km and heat flow in these Basin systems by Budd (2007) indicates some potential in the Sydney-Gunnedah-Bowen Basin System. This paper focuses on the Gunnedah Basin and aims to better constrain the 3D structure and thermal evolution of the Basin and presents a 3D depth to basement model, derived from regional gravity modelling, density measurements, borehole and seismic information, and basement temperatures from thermal modelling.