INFLUENCE OF HYDROCARBON MIGRATION AND SEEPAGE
ON BENTHIC COMMUNITIES IN THE TIMOR SEA, AUSTRALIA
G.W. O’Brien1,6, K. Glenn1, G. Lawrence2,
A.K. Williams3, M. Webster1, S. Burns4 and
R. Cowley5
1
Geoscience Australia
Canberra ACT 2601
2 ITF with the Indian Ocean ultimately provided a range of
TREICOL Limited
Knebworth Hertfordshire UK
3
Nigel Press Associates
Crockham Park Edenbridge Kent TN8 6SR UK
4
RadarSat International
3851 Shell Road, Suite 200
Richmond British Columbia Canada V6X 2W2
5
Signalworks Pty Ltd
93 Hume Street
Greensborough Victoria 3088
6 over either fault systems which tap the reservoir, along
Now at: National Centre for Petroleum Geology and
Geophysics (NCPGG)
University of Adelaide SA 5001
gobrien@ncpgg.adelaide.edu.au
ABSTRACT
The Ashmore Platform–Timor Sea region of Australia’s
North West Shelf is an area of significant petroleum
exploration potential, with several large commercial oil
fields present. Moreover, exploration activity seems likely
to continue at current levels for the foreseeable future,
and may also extend into deeper water, given high oil
prices and improved drilling technologies. The area is
also one of high conservation value, with both the Cartier
Marine reserve and Ashmore Reef (a Category 1 marine
park), as well as numerous other genetically-rich
carbonate seed bank systems, closely associated spatially
with exploration activities. Balancing the conservation
and resource values in this area will present a key
challenge into the future.
The magnitude of this challenge has been highlighted
by recent work undertaken by AGSO, which involved the
acquisition and interpretation of assorted remote sensing
data, such as high-resolution bathymetry (including side-
scan sonar), satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR),
Landsat, water column geochemical sniffer, airborne
laser fluorosensor, seismic data and seafloor sediment
sampling. These studies have shown that, at both a
regional and local scale, the development of these
important carbonate systems appears to directly relate
to the geological development of the area.
At a regional scale, the collision between the Australian
and Eurasian crustal plates in the Pliocene (<5 MaBP)
induced the formation of the Timor Trough. The rapid
subsidence associated with the formation of the trough
provided a range of ideal habitats within which rapidly
growing carbonate communities could effectively out-
compete other types of sediment deposition/accumulation
processes on the continental shelf. Moreover, this trough
focussed the location of (what would become) the
Indonesian Through Flow (ITF). The conjunction of the
diverse genetic opportunities, a situation which
reinforced the favourable growth conditions created by
the rapid subsidence. As a result of these processes,
reefal growth in the Timor Sea took place almost
exclusively over the last five million years, with most
occurring over the last three million years or so.
At a local scale, new data also strongly suggest that the
locations of the majority of reefs and carbonate banks
and build-ups in the area are associated with active and
palaeo-hydrocarbon seeps. These seeps are localised
migration fairways, or at the pinch-out of the regional
Cretaceous top seal. Our interpretations suggest that the
reefs and the build-ups formed by a sequential process.
Firstly, hydrocarbon seepage (induced by collision-
related faulting) localised small seafloor (chemo-
lithotrophic) biological carbonate communities, which
ultimately formed topographically positive features.
These higher relief features were subsequently
preferentially colonised by an assortment of reef-building
biota, whose rapid growth progressively kept up with
rising sea-level (which was driven principally by collision-
related subsidence). The most favourable conditions for
initial reef colonisation probably occurred during periods
of relatively low sea-level, when the areas around the
reefs were located at much shallower water depths (<40m)
than today, and ample sunlight reached the seafloor.
Clearly, the fact that the genetically rich carbonate
communities in this area are probably causally related to
natural hydrocarbon seepage (and the attendant
processes which drove that seepage) will present a series
of almost unique exploration, development (especially
engineering) and conservation challenges.
KEY WORDS
Bonaparte and Browse Basins, Neogene carbonate
bank and reef development, hydrocarbon seepage,
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), geochemical sniffer.
INTRODUCTION
Over the last decade, investigations have revealed the
Bonaparte Basin and the northern Browse Basin to be
areas of widespread and intense palaeo- and present day
hydrocarbon seepage, and attendant trap breach (O’Brien
and Woods, 1995; O’Brien et al, 1998a,b, 2000). In the
Bonaparte Basin, fault seal failure is probably the
APPEA JOURNAL 2002—225
G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley
principal factor controlling leakage, whereas hydrocarbon
seepage in the northern Browse Basin, particularly on
the Yampi Shelf (O’Brien et al, 1998a, 2000), is mostly
associated with progressive top seal failure towards the
basin margin.
Previous investigations have focussed on the petroleum
exploration implications of leakage and seepage in the
region. In contrast, in this study, several types of
hydrocarbon seepage and supporting data have been
used to investigate possible relationships between the
distribution and type of seeps, the regional geology and
geological history, and the formation of tropical carbonate
banks and reefs in this area.
Five distinct areas have been studied (Fig. 1). These
are:
1. The Yampi Shelf, near the Cornea and Londonderry
exploration wells. This is an area of intense gas and
oil seepage (O’Brien et al, 2000).
2. The Heywood Shoals, on which the Heywood–1
exploration well was drilled. This is an area of
significant oil seepage.
3. The Sahul Shoals, an area with modest oil seepage.
4. The Karmt Shoals, an area of intense oil seepage, and
5. The Buller Bank: The Buller Bank lies over the Buffalo
oil field.
This study used Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data
which were acquired and interpreted over the entire
region to map oil slicks (Fig. 2). SAR coverage over the
region was typically two-fold, though in some areas
coverage was five-fold (O’Brien et al, 2001) These SAR
data were complemented by regional and 3D seismic
data, as well as side-scan sonar and water column
geochemical sniffer survey data in some areas.
These data have been used to test the premise that the
formation of carbonate reefs and banks in this area is
causally related to hydrocarbon seepage.
Regional geology and oceanography
The large-scale structural architecture, geomorphology
and Neogene fault reactivation history of the Bonaparte
Basin have all been closely controlled by the collision of
the Australian and Eurasian Plates. At a regional scale,
this collision induced rapid Pliocene down-warping and
flexing of the crust within the outer Bonaparte Basin. The
flexural stresses in turn drove much of the extensional
fault reactivation which resulted in partial to complete
trap breach, and attendant seepage, in the area (O’Brien
et al, 1996, 1999). Ultimately, the collision resulted in the
formation the Timor Trough, which is a major foreland
basin system. This trough was produced in the Pliocene
by the uplift of a major marginal plateau system which
was then located along the extreme north-eastern flank
of the Bonaparte Basin (and the attendant down-warping
of the thinned crust located between the marginal plateau
and the inboard Bonaparte Basin). This palaeo-marginal
plateau system comprised a significant part of what is
now the island of Timor. The relationship of this palaeo-
marginal plateau to the inboard Bonaparte Basin was
226—APPEA JOURNAL 2002
probably similar to that presently seen between the
Exmouth Plateau and the inboard Carnarvon Basin in the
southern North-West Shelf. The collision in the Bonaparte
Basin characteristically resulted in rapid Pliocene
subsidence and deposition at both localised and regional
scales. Pliocene depocentres formed at this time include
the Cartier and Nancar Troughs.
The formation of the Timor Trough (Figs 1 and 3)
focussed the location of what would become the
Indonesian Through Flow (ITF), an important
oceanographic feature which now brings hot, saline water
from the Indonesian Archipelago southwards. From a
biological view-point, the entry of the hot waters of the
ITF, the tropical setting of the Bonaparte Basin and the
rapid Pliocene subsidence all combined to provide an
extremely favourable suite of environments for the growth
of carbonate bank and reef communities. The presence
of abundant hydrocarbon seepage, which in other areas
has been linked to carbonate formation (Hovland et al,
1987, 1984; Roberts et al, 1987, 1989a,b,c), provides
another factor to consider in relation to bank and reef
development in this region.
The deep-water channel that now constitutes the Timor
Trough was probably particularly critical during times of
low sea level, when most of the Bonaparte Basin would
have been sub-aerially exposed. This can be seen on
Figures 4a, b, c and d, which show the approximate
geomorphology of the region for times when sea-level
ranged from present day (Fig. 4a), to 55, 100 and 120 m
below present day sea-level. These images were generated
by computer in ER-Mapper using AGSO’s digital terrain
model for the region. The -120 m image (Fig. 4d) roughly
corresponds to how the region would have looked at the
time of maximum lowering of sea level, approximately
18,000 years ago. Clearly, many of the important carbonate
reefs and banks in this area, such as Ashmore Reef,
Cartier Reef and Hibernia Reef, were all either sub-
aerially exposed, or located very close to the coastline, at
this time. A comparison between Figure 4a (present day)
and Figure 4d emphasises just how much the
geomorphology of this region has been affected by sea-
level change in the Quaternary.
RESULTS
Ages of reefs in the Bonaparte Basin
A significant unknown within the Bonaparte Basin is the
age of the carbonate banks and reefs in the region, and how
the timing of the initiation of bank and reef development
relate to tectonism and trap breach during the Neogene.
The best indications on the ages of carbonate banks and
reefs in the region comes from 3D seismic data (Figs 5a, b
and c). In this paper, we have used interpretations derived
from the Buller 3D Survey in the northern Bonaparte Basin.
These images effectively represent slices through the 3D
seismic data volume, and correspond broadly to surfaces at
the present day (Fig. 5a), the mid-Pliocene (Fig. 5b) and the
Miocene (Fig. 5c) horizons.
 9∞

or Sunrise
Tim
Troubadour

Evans Shoals

Sahul
Laminaria
Platform
k
B an
Karmt Shoals Elang
ller
11∞ Bu Bayu

Sahul
Shoals Oliver

Jabiru
Challis
Vu Talbot
Skua

Montara

13∞

Heywood
Shoals
Londonderry
Cornea
lf
S he
m pi
Ya

0 200 km

15∞

122∞ 124∞ 126∞ 128∞ 130∞ 14/OA/1366

Figure 1. Bathymetry of the Timor Sea, showing areas investigated.

APPEA JOURNAL 2002—227

Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia
G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley

122∞ 124∞ 126∞ 128∞

10∞

Corallina 1
Laminaria 1

12∞
Elm 1

Skua 1
Woodbine 1
Crux 1

Londonderry 1
Cornea 1
14∞
Scott Reef 1

Gwydion 1

Adele Island 1

16∞

0 200 km

14/OA/1355

Figure 2. Coverage of the SAR data used in the present study.

These slices suggest that the banks and reefs in the Hydrocarbon seepage and carbonate reef and
Bonaparte Basin were essentially absent in the Miocene
bank formation
(Fig. 5c), but developed in the Pliocene (Fig. 5b), and are
still growing strongly at the present day. These data
indicate that the timing of the onset of reef growth YAMPI SHELF, BROWSE BASIN
broadly coincided with both the timing of Pliocene
The northern Yampi Shelf is an area of significant oil
subsidence and trap breach in this region.

228—APPEA JOURNAL 2002

 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia
d
relan
e Fo
g en
Neo
sic
ras
Ju cean
O sin
Ba
Figure 3. Oblique view (looking northeast) of the bathymetry of the Timor Sea.
and gas seepage (O’Brien et al, 1998a, 2000, 2001). There
is strong spatial compartmentalisation of the oil and the
gas seepage (Figs 6 and 7). This may be due to the
combined effects of separate oil (Early Cretaceous or
Jurassic) and gas (Palaeozoic?) sources, the progressive
failure of the top-seal margin-wards and differences in
the relative permeability of oil and gas (O’Brien et al,
2000).
The gas leaks prolifically inboard from the Cornea
wells, whereas the oil seepage, defined by the SAR slicks,
is focussed at the basin margin, along the approximate
edge of the regional seal (Fig. 6).
A side-scan sonar investigation (using RV Franklin) of
the zone of most intense oil seepage on the far inboard
part of AGSO seismic line 165-09 (Fig. 7) revealed the
presence of metres-high build-ups on the seafloor (Fig.
8). These features were concentrated closely around the
region of high oil slicks density, but were absent
elsewhere. Whilst these build-ups have not yet been
sampled successfully, the most plausible explanation is
that they represent biological communities living on the
seeping hydrocarbons.
HEYWOOD SHOALS, BROWSE BASIN
The SAR data acquired over the Heywood Shoals (Fig.
9) suggests that the shoals are an area which is leaking
14/OA/1356
liquid hydrocarbons prolifically. In contrast, slicks occur
at only low densities further away from the shoals—the
Heywood Shoals are effectively a bulls-eye with respect
to the presence of oil slicks. This observation is supported
by recent fluid inclusion investigations of the Heywood–1
exploration well (Mark Brincat, CSIRO Petroleum, pers.
comm. 2002) which demonstrate that this structure
previously contained a hydrocarbon column which later
leaked. Seismic data through the shoals (Fig. 10) show
that the shoals are located directly over a major basin-
margin fault system.
The seismic and SAR data, when combined with the
observation that numerous hydrocarbon shows were
encountered in the Heywood–1 exploration well, and the
fact that a palaeo-oil column was present in the structure,
suggest that the presence of these shoals at this specific
location may be related to hydrocarbon seepage.
SAHUL SHOALS, ASHMORE PLATFORM
Numerous SAR slicks were detected around the carbonate
banks which constitute the Sahul Shoals (Fig. 11). In
particular, these slicks were present around the edges of
the banks, perhaps suggesting that the cores of the banks
are impermeable to hydrocarbons migrating from depth.
No commercial hydrocarbon accumulations have yet
been discovered around the Sahul Shoals, and in general,
APPEA JOURNAL 2002—229
G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley

a b

c d

14/OA/1357

Figure 4. Pseudo-bathymetry of the Timor Sea for varying sea-levels. 4a. Present day. 4b. Minus 55 m. 4c Minus 100 m. 4d. Minus 120 m.

the number of hydrocarbon shows detected in exploration
wells in this area has also been sparse. These observations
suggest that the amount of hydrocarbons seeping to the
seafloor around the Sahul Shoals is probably quite small.
Nevertheless, a close spatial relationship seems to exist
between the seeps and the carbonate build-ups.
KARMT SHOALS, NANCAR TROUGH
Numerous, dense clusters of SAR slicks were detected
around the edges of the carbonate banks which constitute
the Karmt Shoals (Figs 12a and b). As with the Sahul
Shoals, these slicks were present around the edges of the
banks, but were absent over the banks themselves.
The SAR observations are consistent with the
interpretations of Bishop and O’Brien (1998), who
presented seismic and Airborne Laser Fluorosensor
evidence for seepage in the region. Bishop and O’Brien
also reported the presence of widely distributed
thermogenic hydrocarbons within the off-bank sediments
in this area. More recent work on sediment samples
around the Karmt Shoals (Edwards and Hulskamp, 1998)
has also revealed the presence of liquid hydrocarbons,
which they noted were broadly similar to the oil found in
the Corallina field to the north.
O’Brien et al (2001) proposed that the numerous SAR
slicks present in and around the Karmt Shoals were due
to a combination of low fault seal capacity in the Nancar
Trough, and vigorous secondary and tertiary hydrocarbon
migration processes. These workers proposed that
significant Pliocene subsidence within the Nancar Trough
had probably re-invigorated the petroleum system in the
region.

230—APPEA JOURNAL 2002

 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia

a b Reefs present

c 14/OA/1358

Figure 5. Slices through the Buller 3D Survey seismic data. 5a. Present day seafloor. 5b. Approximately Mid-Pliocene. 5c. Approximately
Late Miocene.

Heywood
Li
ne

Shoals
16
5-
09

Londonderry
Major gas seep

Cornea

SAR anomalies
Sniffer survey

14/OA/1367

Figure 6. Oil (via SAR) and gas (bottom water methane via sniffer) seepage on the Yampi Shelf, overlain on bathymetry. Position of AGSO
seismic line YST 165-09 indicated.

APPEA JOURNAL 2002—231

 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 CDP

300

200

ppm
Methane in
bottom waters
100
SAR oil slicks at

232—APPEA JOURNAL 2002

edge of seal

0
NW SE
3694 2694 1694 694 SP
0

0.5
ertiary
Base T

Basement high bald of seal

Two-way time (s)

nian
Turo

1.0
G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley

Basement
tian
e Ap
Lat 14/OA/1368

Figure 7. AGSO seismic line 165-09, showing offset of gas (bottom water methane) and oil (via SAR) seepage. Oil seeps are located principally at edge of seal.
 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia

14/OA/1360
N
Build-ups over
seeps
Side-Scan Sonar Seafloor
build-ups over oil seeps
(line 165-09)

als
ho
dS
oo
yw
He
gh
ou
thr
ine
ic l
ism
Se
14/OA/1359

Figure 8. Side-scan sonar record of seafloor through region of oil

seepage at end of line 165-09 (see Figures 6 and 7).

BULLER BANK, BONAPARTE BASIN

A major carbonate bank, the Buller Bank, is located over

the commercial Buffalo oil field (Fig. 13). In contrast to the
strong evidence for present day seepage seen around the
carbonate banks within the Karmt Shoals, no SAR slicks
were detected over the Buffalo structure or specifically
around Buller Bank. Nevertheless, an obvious spatial Figure 9. Oil slicks (via SAR data) over Heywood Shoals, with
correlation exists between the location of a commercial oil location of seismic line (Figure 10) indicated. Locations of seafloor
field and the presence of a large carbonate bank. build-ups seen in Figure 8 indicated.

A MODEL FOR CARBONATE
BANK AND REEF DEVELOPMENT
The data presented in this paper suggest that a strong
spatial, and probably causal, relationship exists between
the location of hydrocarbon seeps in the Timor Sea and the
presence (or absence) of carbonate banks and reefs. The
key linking feature between a wide range of features, from
small, seafloor build-ups, to isolated carbonate shoals such
as Heywood Shoals, to large clusters of banks such the
Karmt Shoals, is that they are all associated with modern
seeps. Where seeps are absent, so (generally) is the evidence
for significant contemporary carbonate bank formation.
From our observations, the following simple, three-
stage model is proposed. This model proposes that the
reefs and the build-ups in the region formed by a relatively
simple, sequential process. It grossly understates what in
reality would undoubtedly be very complex systems. The
model is as follows.
Firstly, an active petroleum system was established
involving the formation of charged traps (Fig. 14a) and
active migration fairways.

APPEA JOURNAL 2002—233

G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley
0
3
Two-way time (s)
Figure 10. AGSO seismic line showing that Heywood Shoals are located over major, basin margin fault system. Significant SAR slicks present
around Heywood Shoals.
Subsequently, in the Neogene, collision-related
faulting induced hydrocarbon seepage above charged
hydrocarbon accumulations (Fig. 14b) or migration
fairways. As a result, small, localised seafloor (chemo-
lithotrophic) biological carbonate communities
developed, and used the hydrocarbons as a food source.
These communities eventually formed significant,
topographically positive features. These higher relief
features were subsequently preferentially colonised by
an assortment of reef- and bank-building biota.
It is probable that initial reef colonisation occurred
preferentially during periods of relatively low sea level,
when the areas around the reefs were located at much
shallower water depths (perhaps less than 40 m) than
today, and the seafloor was well within the photic zone.
Rapid growth of the bank systems was facilitated by
rising sea level, which was in turn driven principally by
234—APPEA JOURNAL 2002
SAR oil slicks over and
around Heywood Shoals
collision-related subsidence (Fig. 14c). The ability of the
localised banks to keep pace with the rapid Pliocene
subsidence resulted in the development of apparently
isolated banks (Fig. 14c) which were surrounded by
much deeper water (in some cases up to 400 m).
The observations presented in this paper indicate that
an intimate association exists between the evolution of
the petroleum systems in the Timor Sea and the
development of key biological systems, and biological
diversity, in the region. The fact that the genetically-rich
carbonate communities in this area are probably causally
related to natural hydrocarbon seepage, and to the
attendant processes which drove that seepage, will
present a series of almost unique exploration and
development (especially engineering) and conservation
challenges in this important region.
 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia

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 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia

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Figure 13. Carbonate bank (Buller Bank) located over Buffalo oil field.

APPEA JOURNAL 2002—237

G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley

Late Miocene Sea Level

Sea Floor

Post-rift sediments
sediment
Hydrocarbon
column
colum

Re
e
oir

~5.7 Ma Fault Reactivation / Hydrocarbon Seepage

Seafloor build-u

dim
Post-rift sed s

R s
Residual e
column oir

Pliocene to Recent Oil slicks

Carbonate t
build-ups
over oil seep

e n w e ge
Pl i o Rese
rvoir
i ments
ed
t-r ift s
Pos Oil
Gas 14/OA/1365

Figure 14. Three stage schematic model for seepage-related carbonate bank and reef formation in the Timor Sea.

238—APPEA JOURNAL 2002

 Influence of hydrocarbon migration and seepage on benthic communities in the Timor Sea, Australia
THE AUTHORS
Geoffrey O’Brien is a Research
Fellow and geoscience consultant
with NCPGG, University of
Adelaide. Dr O’Brien has
previously worked for
Geoscience Australia as research
group leader of the Marine
Environment and Basin Studies
Program, for BHP and for
Western Mining Corporation. His
present work is focussed on the
application of multi-disciplinary research strategies to basin
evaluation and environmental management on continental
margins. Member: PESA, AAPG and AGU.
Kriton Glenn received a BSc
(Hons) in geology from the
Australian National University,
Geology Department and is
presently completing a PhD at
Adelaide University. He has
worked on the bio-stratigraphy
of all Australian offshore basins
with Geoscience Australia and
for the past three years has been
employed by Environment
Australia to provided a wide range of geo-scientific advice for
Australia’s Marine Protected Areas.
Geoff Lawrence (BSc, PhD,
FGS, FIMM) founded The Really
Easy Imaging Co Ltd (TREICoL) in
1992 after 10 years as Manager of
Satellite Remote Sensing at BP
Exploration. TREIC o L joint-
ventured with the NPA Group to
develop offshore basin screening
(OBS) using satellite radar to map
hydrocarbon seepage and
pollution offshore. They have
screened 310 basins in 150 OBS projects from 66 countries to
become the leaders in this technology. Previously, Geoff was
a visiting industry associate at NASA’s JPL and senior geologist
and exploration manager in 40 countries of Africa, Middle East
Southeast Asia and Australia (where his surveys found Nabarlek
uranium and two nickel deposits) with international consultants
Hunting. He was the founding President of the Geological
Remote Sensing Society.
Alan Williams gained a BSc
(Hons) in Geology from the
University of Wales (Swansea) in
1965 and a MSc in Geochemistry
from the University of Leeds in
1966. After initial forays into UK
base metal exploration, mud
logging in the UKCS and lecturing
at Addis Ababa University, he
spent 1970–78 as a remote
sensing geologist for Hunting
Surveys and Consultants. He joined BP Exploration in 1979,
initially as a geological geochemist, later heading up the
interpretation team for BP’s ALF Project and finally managed
BP’s Integrated Seepage Detection team. In 1992 he joined
World Geoscience Corporation to manage the latest version
of the ALF technology from Guildford, UK. In 1995, he moved
to National Remote Sensing Centre Limited in Farnborough to
head up global oil marketing services, and in 1999, joined Nigel
Press Associates Ltd (NPA) as exploration business manager.
Alan has presented papers on various aspects of satellite
exploration, specialising in remote seepage detection methods.
Member: AAPG, SEG, IPA, PESGB and APPEA.
Mark Webster is a technical
specialist with the Petroleum and
Marine Program (North West
Australian Margins Project) at
AGSO. Key areas of responsibility
include data management and
manipulation, image processing
and GIS development.
Shawn Burns works for RadarSat International in British
Columbia, Canada. He is a business development manager for
RadarSat, particularly within the Asia-Pacific Region, and has
been involved in a number of pilot studies using SAR data
around Australia. These studies have included environmental
management, oil exploration and disaster assessment.
APPEA JOURNAL 2002—239
G.W. O’Brien, K. Glenn, G. Lawrence, A.K. Williams, M. Webster, S. Burns and R. Cowley

THE AUTHORS

Robert Cowley graduated

with a BSc (Hons) degree from
the University of Adelaide in
1984. He has worked as a
petroleum geophysicist in
exploration and field
development roles in most of
Australia’s major offshore
basins, principally with BHP
Petroleum. He has worked
on software development
projects with Signalworks Pty Ltd, including systems used to
process and interpret airborne laser fluorosensor data.
Member: ASEG and SEG.

240—APPEA JOURNAL 2002