L039 Surat seismic reflection and refraction survey, QLD, 1959

In October and November 1959 a seismic party fromthe Bureau of Mineral Resources carried out a seismic survey inthe Surat Basin, Queensland at the request of Australian Oil andGas Corporation Ltd. A traverse extending from Surat eastwardto within 10 miles of Tara was shot in five-mile sections ofcontinuous reflection profiling with approximately five-mileintervals between the sections.^In addition two refractiontraverses were shot near Surat to record velocities and depthsof as many horizons as possible.Reflections were of fair to good quality throughoutthe survey and it was possible to correlate bands of reflectionsfrom one five-mile section to the next with considerable certainty.Over most of the traverses four reflecting horizons were followed,and in a few places reflections were obtained from a still deeperfifth horizon. The reflection survey revealed a wide basin betweenSurat and Cabawin (about 70 miles east of Surat), with its maximumthickness of sediments under Meandarra. The sediments there appearto be at least 19,000 ft thick. A marked anticline was discoverednear Cabawtin.The refraction survey, using the "Depth Probing" method,revealed a refractor with a calculated velocity of 20,180 ft/secsituated about 1000 ft below the fourth reflecting horizon.