IVZ media thread, page-5897

See also Kangaroo Island Yorke Peninsular Perth Western Australia

https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/industry/energy-resources/regulation/projects-of-public-interest/natural-hydrogen-exploration/gold-hydrogen-natural-hydrogen-exploration

Has any previous petroleum exploration occurred in thisarea?

Exploration for oil and gas on Yorke Peninsula dates back to the 1930s when entrepreneurial drilling syndicates, often funded by local farmers, drilled wells including the Ramsay Oil syndicate Bore 1. Bona fide oil traces were reported from Minlaton 1 stratigraphic hole drilled in 1956–57.

Beach Petroleum explored the basin in the 1960s with systematic exploration using airborne magnetic and gravity surveys, seismic and drilling.

In 1982–83, Pan Pacific Petroleum acquired 59 km of 24-fold Vibroseis and sampled drillcores for source rock analysis.

The Gravestock 1 exploration well was drilled in February–March 2007 by Austin Exploration in PEL 73. There has been no active exploration since.

On Kangaroo Island, poorly documented prospecting for oil and gas, including drilling some shallow bores, occurred in the 19^th century. The American Beach Oil Bore 1 exploration well was drilled in the 1920s, Investigator 1 and 2 stratigraphic research wells were drilled by the Department in the 1990s.

No seismic acquisition has occurred on the island. LK Ward, the government Geologist recorded that American Beach Oil Bore 1 was drilled in 1921 at a location identified by a diviner to test a supposed seepage of oil on the beach at Eastern Cove in June 1920. It is likely that the ‘seepage’ was a natural asphaltite stranding, which occur on Australia’s southern margin including Kangaroo Island, as described in a paperby Hall et al. (2013).

The website has more information on the prospectivityof the Stansbury Basin, which outcrops on Yorke and Fleurieu Peninsulas and Kangaroo Island.

Exploration for hydrogen is likely to follow techniques used previously in parts of Yorke Peninsula to explore for oil and gas. Field sampling and airborne geophysics are proposed and if results are encouraging seismic surveying and drilling may occur. You can view the proposed exploration work program in the PEL687 licence document. A map of the Stansbury Basin shows previousdrilling and acquisition on Yorke Peninsula.