NRS-15078 | Petroleum geological reports (PGR)

Full description

Petroleum Geological reports relate to the search for hydrocarbons that may be a source of petroleum. The reports detail exploration work and surveys conducted to locate thick deposits of unmetamorphosed sediments that may be hydrocarbons. The reports draw on aeromagnetic and gravity data, seismic reflection and refraction data and surface geology to ascertain if an area contains useful deposits of hydrocarbons. The reports may be an interpretation of new data, a reinterpretration of existing data, or a combination of the two.

The reports may contain maps of borehole and seismic survey locations; aeromagnetic pixel maps showing total magnetic intensity; gravimetric pixel maps showing gravity anomalies, diagrams showing perspective view of sediment thickness and seismic lines.

The reports may also contain a brief history or summary of exploration and mining in the area, an interpretation of survey data, conclusions and recommendations regarding further exploration or mining. Some reports may contain a notice inserted into the reports to acknowledge a missing document.

The Petroleum geological report series is part of the Geological Survey collection, a unique collection of unpublished reports on the results of exploration submitted to the then Department of Mineral Resources by companies and individuals as a consequence of exploration and mining licences being granted. The exploration reports are essential sources of information for explorers, and also add to the understanding of the State's geology, mineral, coal and petroleum resources. If the company is still engaged in mining activity or if mining licences are still active then reports may be confidential and unavailable.

Due to the high access rates for the Geological Survey Reports, the then Department of Mineral Resources undertook a copying program making digitised copies available on the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website under Geological Survey (DIGS). Interested parties can view published and unpublished exploration, mining and Departmental reports on-screen and these can be downloaded. The images have been slightly downgraded to minimise download times, however, higher quality images can be ordered from DIGS.


Custody History
The original reports comprising the Geological Survey collection were transferred from the Department of Mineral Resources to the State Records Authority between 1999 and 2001.

A note concerning access to the Petroleum Geological Reports
The original reports will not be issued to the public so those interested in accessing them should refer to the Geological Survey (DIGS) website where copies of non-confidential reports are available. The reports are indexed and can be searched by title, author, subject terms, tenement, location, map reference, report number, and report year. In addition to the reports being indexed, the various documents making up the report, such as contents page, text, maps, and photographs, are also indexed and therefore retrievable.