Groundwater connectivity in the eastern extension of the Beetaloo Sub-basin

Recent geological investigations in the central McArthur Basin have identified an eastern extension of the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Investigations have highlighted the potential prospectivity of the marine shales of the Roper Group in the upper Beetaloo Sub-basin in this area for unconventional energy resources.

However, this newly identified eastern extension of the Sub-basin has not been subject to scientific assessment and the potential impacts on water resources and water dependent ecosystems from unconventional gas exploration and development in this area remains poorly understood.

Elsewhere in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, the aquifers of the Carpentaria Basin, the Cambrian Limestone Aquifer (CLA) and Roper Group are separated by aquitards.

In the eastern extension, these aquitards are absent and therefore new research is required to determine whether mixing of these water sources does occur and whether this needs to be considered further if the unconventional gas industry is developed in this region.

This research project will collect new baseline environmental data to better characterise groundwater flow processes governing inter aquifer-aquitard connectivity and groundwater–surface water connectivity in this area and provide new information to underpin future decision making on water and energy resource planning, investment and management.