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| Muderong Shale | |
|---|---|
| Name | Muderong Shale |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Age | Eocene |
| Period | Paleogene |
| Primary lithology | Shale |
| Region | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Unit of | Gascoyne, Perth Basin |
| Underlies | White Hills Sandstone |
| Overlies | Lesueur Sandstone |
Muderong Shale is a Paleogene shale unit in Western Australia notable for its fine-grained lithology and fossil content. The formation is recognized within Australian regional geology and has been referenced in studies involving the Perth Basin, Gascoyne Province, Carnarvon Basin, Curtin University, and Australian geological surveys. Research on the unit intersects with investigators from institutions such as the Geological Survey of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, CSIRO, The Australian Academy of Science, and industry groups like Woodside Petroleum and Chevron Corporation.
The formation comprises dark gray to black fissile shale exposed in outcrop and subsurface sections across the Gascoyne River catchment, the Perth Basin margin, and select coastal cliffs near Shark Bay and Dongara. Regional mapping has been conducted by teams from the Geological Survey of Western Australia, the Australian Government's geological agencies, and field parties affiliated with Murdoch University, University of Adelaide, Macquarie University, and private consultants working for BHP Group and Santos Limited. Global comparisons have been drawn with units studied at the British Geological Survey, United States Geological Survey, Natural History Museum, London, and research groups at Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Stratigraphically, the shale is placed within Paleogene sequences correlated to Eocene stages and associated with the Perth Basin stratigraphic framework defined by researchers such as members of the Australian Stratigraphy Commission. It overlies older Cretaceous sandstones mapped in the Lesueur region and is conformably succeeded by Tertiary sandstones and limestones interpreted by authors from the Geological Society of Australia and contributors to the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Borehole data from exploration campaigns by Woodside Petroleum, Shell plc, and state surveys have refined thickness estimates and lateral facies changes noted in reports prepared for the State Library of Western Australia and archived in collections at the W.A. Museum.
The formation is dominated by organic-rich shale, siltstone, and subordinate claystone with occasional calcareous nodules and thin sandstone interbeds documented by petrographers at Curtin University and micropaleontologists at the Australian National University. Fossil assemblages include foraminifera, ostracods, and plant macrofossils studied in collaboration with paleontologists from the Natural History Museum of Western Australia, the Queensland Museum, and international specialists from University College London and University of Cambridge. Palynological investigations conducted by labs at the Australian National University, Monash University, and University of Melbourne have provided biostratigraphic age control and correlations with Eocene floras known from collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sedimentological and geochemical analyses suggest deposition in a shallow marine to paralic setting influenced by transgressive-regressive cycles interpreted by sedimentologists affiliated with University of Sydney, James Cook University, and the International Association of Sedimentologists. Radiometric and biostratigraphic age constraints correlate the unit to early to mid-Eocene intervals used by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, with correlations drawn to sequences documented in the Otway Basin, Eromanga Basin, and sections studied in the Newark Supergroup by researchers at Harvard University and Yale University.
The organic-rich nature and thermal maturity of some intervals have prompted evaluation by petroleum geoscientists at Santos Limited, Woodside Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, and consultancy firms including RPS Group and Golder Associates. Studies by the Geological Survey of Western Australia and industry partners have assessed source-rock potential, gas generation, and shale-hosted hydrocarbon prospectivity analogous to systems explored by ExxonMobil in other basins. Exploration data archived at the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator and reported in state technical bulletins provide the basis for ongoing resource assessments.
Initial descriptions and mapping were produced by field geologists associated with the Geological Survey of Western Australia and early Australian stratigraphers linked to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with subsequent revisions by academic researchers at University of Western Australia and Murdoch University. The unit has been cited in regional syntheses published by the Geological Society of Australia and in theses deposited at university libraries including University of Sydney and University of Western Australia. International collaborators from institutions such as University of Tokyo and University of California, Berkeley have contributed to paleontological and geochemical studies.
Outcrops occur within landscapes managed by agencies like the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and local governments including the Shire of Shark Bay and Shire of Carnamah, intersecting protected areas such as Shark Bay World Heritage Area and regional reserves catalogued by the Australian Heritage Council. Land-use planning and conservation assessments have involved stakeholders including Environmental Protection Authority (Western Australia), indigenous organizations like the Yamatji Nation and Malgana people, and resource companies coordinating with the National Native Title Tribunal and state land agencies to balance heritage, biodiversity, and exploration interests.
Category:Geologic formations of Western Australia