VPRS 4550 Seismic Survey Tapes

Full description

This series consists of seismic field survey computer tapes accumulated by the agencies responsible for mining administration.

The surveys are conducted under licence by companies in the course of oil exploration ventures. Under the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 [No.9772] ss.115-118, companies may be required to furnish the designated authority with information regarding the surveys and any subsequent exploration. Upon expiration of the royalty period this information may be made available to the public or on request to a person by the designated authority.

The series in custody does not represent all the survey tapes accumulated by the agency as tapes are also held by Australian Archives. Seismic survey data collected as part of offshore explorations are transferred to Australian Archives in accordance with the requirements of the (Commonwealth) Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967. State legislation requires that seismic survey data relating to onshore explorations be lodged with the state department responsible for conduct of seismic surveys under the provisions of the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982 and the Petroleum Act 1998.

The tapes are arranged in numerical order within "G" number grouping. "G" numbers represent a geophysical survey and are allocated sequentially by the agency upon the grant of a survey permit. From 1976 to 1983 each consignment transferred may have included various "G" numbers; more recently each consignment is made up of only one "G" number.

Related information may be found in VPRS 4551 Seismic Survey Technical Back-up Data.

Transfer of tapes to the Commonwealth

Until September 2006, this series also held a significant number of tapes relating to offshore explorations. At that time, a project was undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries that identified all of the offshore tapes. These were deaccssioned from this series and PROV custody and transferred to a Commonwealth agency, Geoscience Australia.