Fluvial reservoirs in dryland endorheic basins: the Lake Eyre Basin as a world-class modern analogue

Intracratonic dryland basins have been common throughout geological time and significant hydrocarbon reservoirs are contained in these basins. Based on a literature compilation of fluvial dryland reservoirs, the authors demonstrate the need for new modern analogue data from dryland fluvial systems, and present new field data from the Neales River, in the Lake Eyre catchment. The selected study reach has a complex planform, with a downstream transition from single channel to anabranching. Results of the observations of the channel bed grain size, the geomorphology and the channel geometry (width and depth) allow the authors to infer that the channel bed grain size is more strongly related to planform geomorphology than the channel geometry (width to depth ratios). Based on the grain size and channel geometry data the authors present, the authors conclude that the planform geomorphology exerts a greater control on channel bed material size than channel geometry. This interpretation is based on the analysis of satellite imagery, topographic survey data and grain size descriptions. In this paper, the authors provide channel geometry data and grain size data that will improve understanding of dryland fluvial sedimentology. The authors hope this contributes to enhancing hydrocarbon exploration and production in petroleum reservoirs developed in dryland fluvial settings.