Latest Exploration NSW survey looks for petroleum deposits near Griffith

A new $255 000 seismic survey is now underway near Griffith to help evaluate the petroleum potential of the area.

The survey work is part of Exploration NSW – a seven-year, $30 million project funded by the NSW Government to help accelerate mineral and petroleum exploration and investment.

NSW currently only produces a limited amount of its own gas and petroleum products.

The results of this survey could potentially open up more than 250 000 square kilometers of untested, unexplored petroleum resources – and create a 'new frontier' for gas and oil production in the region.

This particular project will use special hydraulic vibrating machines that create seismic waves, which then travel down through the earth.

The vibrations create echoes, which are detected by sensitive monitoring equipment spread out along the surface over approximately 8 kilometres.

This allows geoscientists to ‘see’ the geological features deep below the surface and determine whether the region has the potential for gas and petroleum.

The four-day survey is taking place 40km west and southwest of Griffith.

The exploration work could provide longer-term benefits to the Griffith region.

Exploration NSW projects have helped drive investment and jobs in other regions of the State.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries geoscientists will evaluate information obtained from the Griffith survey, with data expected to be available to industry by early 2007.