New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol.

40: 223-236
0028-8306/97/4002-0223
$7.00/0
The Royal Society of New Zealand 1997

223

Basement geology of Taranaki and Wanganui Basins, New Zealand

N. MORTIMER
A. J. TULLOCH
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences
Private Bag 1930
Dunedin, New Zealand
T. R. IRELAND
Research School of Earth Sciences
Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
Abstract We present a revised interpretation of the
basement geology beneath Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic
Taranaki and Wanganui Basins of central New Zealand,
based on new petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological data from 30 oil exploration wells. Recently
published structural and magnetic interpretations of the area
assist in the interpolation and extrapolation of geological
boundaries. Torlesse and Waipapa Terranes have been
identified in Wanganui Basin, and Murihiku Terrane in
eastern Taranaki Basin, but Maitai and Brook Street Terrane
rocks have not been recognised. Separation Point Suite,
Karamea Suite, and Median Tectonic Zone igneous rocks
are all identified on the basis of characteristic petrography,
geochemistry, and/or age. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon measurements on igneous samples from western Taranaki wells do
not give precise ages but do provide useful constraints:
Motueka-1 granite is latest Devonian - earliest Carboniferous; Tangaroa-1 and Toropuihi-1 are Carboniferous; and
Surville-1 is Cretaceous (cf. Separation Point Suite). Our
interpretation of sub-basin geology is compatible with
previously observed onland relationships in the North and
South Islands.
Keywords North Island; Taranaki; Wanganui; Eastern
Province; Western Province; Median Tectonic Zone;
terranes; granitoids; petrology; petrography; geochemistry;
U-Pb dating; zircon

underlying and adjacent pre-Late Cretaceous crystalline

basement, units of which are exposed in the North and South
Islands.
The distribution of geological units beneath and adjacent
to these two basins has important implications for the
Paleozoic and Mesozoic tectonic evolution of New Zealand.
The area straddles the North and South Islands, regions
which are commonly treated separately in tectonic analyses
(e.g., see comments by Black 1994). It is valuable to know
if recognised terranes and igneous suites continue between
the two islands and to the north and west of New Zealand.
A knowledge of sub-basin geology also helps with studies
of the provenance and paleogeography of basin strata and
in the reconstruction of reservoir sandstone depositional
systems.
The onland basement rocks of New Zealand are well
characterised on a regional (i.e. 1:1 000 000) scale and can
be most simply divided into Eastern and Western Provinces
that are separated by the Median Tectonic Zone (MTZ). The
Eastern Province is dominated by Late PaleozoicMesozoic
indurated sandstone and mudstone with subordinate mafic
volcanics and chert, in part overprinted by the Haast Schist.
The Western Province consists of early Paleozoic siliciclastic
and carbonate rock, intruded and metamorphosed by midPaleozoic and Cretaceous granitoids. The MTZ is characterised by a zone of Carboniferous and Early Triassic to Early
Cretaceous volcanic, plutonic, and sedimentary rocks, whose

long 170E
200km

lat 35S ~

STUDY
AREA

Wellington
Chatham Islands

G95075

South Island

Stewart Island

Received 20 December 1995; accepted 12 September 1996

Pacific
Ocean

North Island

INTRODUCTION
Taranaki and Wanganui Basins (Fig. 1) are two major, Late
CretaceousCenozoic sedimentary basins in central New
Zealand, that are, respectively, hydrocarbon-producing and
hydrocarbon-prospective. The clastic sedimentary rocks of
the basins were all ultimately derived from erosion of the

180c

45S-

Fig. 1 Location of the study area in the New Zealand region. T,

Taranaki Basin; W, Wanganui Basin.

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 41 *

224
38

,-

tangaroa-1
Ariki-t
'

Wainui-1 #

KH

EASTERN PROVINCE
& MEDIAN TECTONIC:
ZONE

Te Ranga-1

| . r 1 Torlesse Terrane
L , ,_J Rakaia (r), Pahau (p)

Moa.1B

Caples Terrane (c)

Waipapa Terrane (w)

Pukearuhe-1
McKee-1 &
ToeToe-1
Tane-1

\
Maitai Terrane

lnglewood-1

Taranga-1 i

Murihiku Terrane
Witiora-1
Mt. TaranakW ;
"=-' pUniwhakau-1
;' Rotokare-1.

C X X j Rotoroa Complex
t l
(MTZ)

WESTERN PROVINCE
,*+*+*'
*^^

Mainly Separation
Point Suite

r > +
Mainly Karamea
r + + I Suite
| S ; 7 ] Buller Terrane (b)
f.;./*'/*j Takaka Terrane (t)

STRUCTURES
"""

Major Cenozoic
faults
Esk Head Melange
Haast Schist

SAMPLE SITES

well penetrates basement

well penetrates cover only

other subsurface sampling

POSITIVE
MAGNETIC ANOMALIES
-- >+100 gamma
42S

172E

174

176

Fig. 2 Geology in the vicinity of Taranaki and Wanganui Basins. Location of oil exploration wells referred to in the text, and selected
magnetic anomalies (from Hunt 1978) are also shown. KH, Kawhia Harbour; PP, Pio Pio; FR, Fishermans Rock; MT, Mt Tongariro:
RT, Rangipo hydro tunnel; WT, WhakapapaTawhitikuri hydro tunnel; LT, Lake Taupo; KR, Kaimanawa Range; PU, Port Underwood
Unshaded areas are water and Late Cretaceous to Quaternary cover. Geology from Sporli (1978), Cooper & Tulloch (1992), and Mortimer
(1993, 1995).

nature and contacts with the flanking Eastern and Western

Provinces are the topic of ongoing research (Kimbrough et
al. 1994). The rocks of the Eastern and Western Provinces
have been divided into a number of petrographically and
geochemically distinct tectonostratigraphic terranes and
igneous suites (Fig. 2). Details of these divisions are beyond
the scope of this paper, but recent summaries have been
provided by Roser & Korsch (1988), Tulloch (1988),
Bradshaw (1989), Cooper & Tulloch (1992), Mortimer
(1993, 1995), Black (1994), Kimbrough et al. (1994), and
Muiretal. (1994).

PREVIOUS WORK AND SCOPE OF STUDY

Cope & Reed (1967) examined material from 10 onshore
North Island oil exploration wells and proposed correlations
of the indurated sandstone and schist in the wells with
various facies of the New Zealand geosyncline (Eastern
Province). Wodzicki (1974) examined basement material
from four offshore oil exploration wells in the area of Fig. 2
and showed that various Western Province igneous and
metamorphic rocks were represented. The provenance of
CretaceousCenozoic sandstones in western and eastern

Mortimer et al.Taranaki & Wanganui Basin basement

Taranaki Basin broadly reflects derivation from Western and
Eastern Province sources, respectively (e.g., Smale 1992).
In this paper we present a revised and updated
interpretation of the distribution of basement geological units
beneath Taranaki and Wanganui Basins (area of Fig. 2). Since
the above studies were completed, much new information
has become available. In particular, our interpretations are
based on:
(1) petrographic and/or geochemical analyses of basement
material from a total of 30 offshore and onshore oil
exploration wells, including re-examination of material
from the earlier studies (Tables 1, 2);
(2) U-Pb SHRIMP dates on zircons from igneous rocks in
four wells (Table 3);
(3) interpretations of offshore magnetic anomalies (Hunt
1978; Davy 1992);
(4) recent maps of basin and sub-basin structure from seismic
reflection studies (Anderton 1981; Thrasher & Cahill
1990);
(5) contemporary subdivisions of onland geology into
terranes, metamorphic facies, and igneous suites with
which to correlate the exploration well material (e.g.,
Tulloch 1988; Mortimer 1993, 1995; Black 1994;
Kimbrough et al. 1994; Muir et al. 1994, 1996); and
(6) supplementary subsurface information from xenoliths,
dredge hauls, and tunnels (Beetham & Watters 1985;
Graham 1985, 1987; Carter et al. 1988; Gamble et al.
1994).
Onland geological units are, of course, defined not just
on the basis of their petrological content but also by using
fossil, stratigraphic, lithofacies, and structural data. Despite
the fact that the oil exploration well core and cuttings do
not provide this extra information, we are confident that our
petrological-geochronological approach yields valid
interpretations.

PETROLOGICAL RESULTS
As expected from the studies of Cope & Reed (1967) and
Wodzicki (1974), samples from wells in the eastern half of
Fig. 2 (east of long. 174E) have the features of Eastern
Province metasedimentary rocks, and those in the western
half of Fig. 1 (west of long. 174E) have the features of
Western Province and/or Median Tectonic Zone plutonic and
metamorphic rocks. For convenience, we describe the well
samples in these eastern and western groups. A summary of
the principal petrographic features of all well samples used
in this study is given in Table 1.
Eastern wells
Wanganui Basin
Whole rock geochemical analyses of samples from
Wanganui Basin wells are given in Table 2 and Palmer et
al. (1995). As noted by Cope & Reed (1967), Kaitieke-1,
Young-1, Stantiall-1, and Santoft-1A penetrated indurated
clastic sedimentary rocks, and Parikino-1 penetrated schist.
All sandstones are unfoliated except in Santoft-1 A (too fine
grained to be classified using Bishop's (1972) textural zone
schemeit might be IIA) and in Parikino-1 (textural zone
IIA-B).

225
The Kaitieke-1 sandstone is a volcanic litharenite and
contrasts with the other sandstones which are feldspathic
litharenites and lithic feldsarenites (Folk et al. 1970) (Fig. 3).
The well is located only 8 km along-strike from surface
outcrops of the volcanic litharenite-dominated Waipapa
Terrane (Sporli 1978; Beetham & Watters 1985; Black 1994).
On the basis of detrital modes and geographic location, we
therefore correlate Kaitieke-1 basement with the Waipapa
Terrane. The closest basement outcrops to Stantiall-1,
Young-1, Santoft-1 A, and Parikino-1 wells are Rakaia
Torlesse sandstones exposed in the North Island axial ranges
(Sporli 1978; Beetham & Watters 1985). The detrital modes
and the Ti/Zr and La/Sc ratios of these samples fall within
the range of Rakaia Torlesse sandstones (Fig. 3,4A; see also
Mortimer 1995 for other chemical similarities), and outside
the range of the more volcaniclastic Eastern Province
terranes which lie west of the Torlesse. The lower La/Sc
ratio of the Parikino-1 pelite as compared to the psammite
(Fig. 4A) is highly distinctive of Torlesse rather than Caples
and Waipapa volcaniclastic terranes (Roser et al. 1993;
Mortimer 1993 and references therein).
All Wanganui Basin basement samples contain authigenic pumpellyite, prehnite, or epidote, but zeolites are
conspicuously absent (Table 1); the rocks have thus
experienced at least prehnite-pumpellyite facies metamorphism. Although regional metamorphic gradients are
present in all New Zealand terranes (e.g., Bishop 1972; Boles
1974; Black et al. 1993; Mortimer 1993), grade of
metamorphism generally varies within known limits and,
we believe, can be used to supplement terrane correlations
made on the basis of detrital petrographic and geochemical
criteria. The prehnite-pumpellyite to greenschist facies rocks
of Young-1, Stantiall-1, Santoft-IA, Parikino-1, and
Kaitieke-1 are similar to the observed metamorphic grade
of the Rakaia Torlesse and Waipapa Terranes with which
we correlate them, and distinctly different from the zeolite
facies Murihiku Terrane and Pahau Torlesse Terranes (cf.
Boles 1974; Black et al. 1993; Black 1994).
Subsurface basement rocks in and near Wanganui Basin
have also been sampled by means other than oil exploration
wells. Fishermans Rock in Cook Strait (P51016) is a
weathered tzIIA psammitic schist (Mortimer pers. obs.) of
Rakaia Torlesse affinity (B. P. Roser in Carter et al. 1988,
see their table 1 for chemical analysis). Graham (1985) and
Beetham & Watters (1985) noted Waipapa Terrane volcanic
litharenites in the Whakapapa-Tawhitikuri tunnel but
Torlesse Terrane feldsarenites in the Rangipo tunnel of the
Tongariro Power Development project. Graham (1987)
described contact-metamorphosed Torlesse sandstone
xenoliths from Mt Tongariro, thus narrowing the position
of the TorlesseWaipapa boundary south of Lake Taupo to
within c. 10 km.
Taranaki Basin
The detrital modes of sandstones from onshore Taranaki
Basin wells Kiore-1, Pukearuhe-1, Rotokare-1, Tatu-1, and
Uruti-1 are distinctly less quartz and lithic rich than the
Wanganui Basin sandstones mentioned above, and are
similar to compositions reported from the Murihiku Terrane
(Fig. 3). The abundance of tuffaceous and calcareous
material in the sandstones is also typical of Murihiku
sandstones (e.g., Boles 1974) and atypical of other Eastern
Province terranes. The geochemical composition of
sandstones from the above five wells and from

Table 1 Summary of petrographic data and preferred correlation of basement samples from Taranaki and Wanganui oil exploration wells.
Well

P no.

Lithology

Notes

Correlation

and Te Ranga-1)
17517.83'
Cuttings
17433.73'
Core
17433.73'
Core
17425.02'
Core
17508.83'
Core
17430.58'
Cuttings
17442.42'
Core
17430.58'
Core
17424.17'
Core
175 12.41'
Core
17520.03'
Core
17455.02'
Core
17455.02'
Core
17437.90'
Cuttings
17434.77'
Core
17430.75'
Core
17530.00'
Core
17530.00'
Core

33377
30651
51395
51396
30501
51393
30850
51394
51390
29822
16573
30608
51391
51397
16570
16572
30502
30503

Medium ss
Fine-medium ss
Fine ss-siltstone
Fine ss
Schist
Medium ss
Fine ss
Fine ss
Medium ss
Fine ss-siltstone
Medium ss
Medium ss
Fine ss
Calc. siltstone
Calc. medium ss
Calc. siltstone
Medium ss
Medium ss

Q5, F20, L75. Quartzprehnite veins, intermediate volcanic clasts

Ql 1, F41, L48. Volcanic lithics, chloritised glass fragments. Calcic plagioclase
Quartz rich, heulandite patches, detrital muscovite
Quartz rich, detrital biotite, zeolitised glass shards, much sericite
tzIIB-IHA, quartz, ab., muse, chlorite, titanite, epidote. Strain-slip cleavage
Q9, F37, L54. Acid volcanic and plutonic lithics. Heulandite and laumontite
Quartz rich, detrital biotite
Quartz rich. Pink zeolitised patches
Q7, F37, L56. Volcanic lithic, zeolites (including heulandite). Albitised feldspar
Microfaulted and incipient pressure solution cleavage. Pumpellyite
Q30, F32, L38. Detrital muscovite, biotite, epidote. Pumpellyitised feldspar
Q15, F38, L47. Volcanic lithics. Heulanditised glass shards. Calcic plagioclase
Quartz and feldspar rich, volcanic lithics, authigenic zeolites. Calcic plagioclase
Calcareous matrix, calcite veins, detrital quartz, biotite prominent
Q10, F50, L40. Detrital biotite. Zeolite (phillipsite?) veins. Albitised feldspar
Quartz rich, detrital epidote, biotite, muscovite, authigenic chlorite, zeolite
Q29, F33, L38. Detrital biotite, muscovite. Incipient pressure solution cleavage
Q44, F27, L29. Detrital biotite. Matrix sericite prominent. Pumpellyite.

Wai papa
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Torlesse
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Torlesse
Torlesse
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Murihiku
Torlesse
Torlesse

Western wells (offshore Taranaki and offshore South Island)

Ariki-1
4814
3812.09'
17341.85'
Cuttings
Kiwa-1
3850-3853
3948.65'
17241.88'
Cuttings
Kongahu-1
2015-2016
4114.85'
17152.47'
Core
Maui-2
3469-3563
3936.77'
17326.97'
Cuttings
Maui-4
3850-3905
4002.40'
17314.45'
Cuttings
Moa-IB
3523-3546
3829.72'
17321.18'
Cuttings
Motueka-1
1564
4031.43'
173c29.02'
Cuttings
North Tasman- 1 2722-2725
40 12.01'
173 16.33'
Cuttings
Ruby Bay-1
268-281
4114.15'
17305.28'
Core
Surville-1
2199
4043.33'
17326.83'
Cuttings
Tane-1
4471
3856.33'
17238.33'
Cuttings
Tane-1
4471
3856.33'
17238.33'
Cuttings
Tangaroa-1
3984.5-3984.7
3810.78'
17352.32'
Core
Tangaroa-1
3985.8
3810.78'
17352.32'
Core
4197
3858'
17315'
Core
Taranga-1
Toropuihi-1
2192
4051.25'
17156.73'
Cuttings
Wainui-I
3892-3894
3827.87'
17318.51'
Cuttings
4222-4229
3906.80'
17328.50'
Cuttings
Witiora-1

11826
50886
44741
39790
39792
39787
51535
11828
39887
50890
50888
50889
51291
51295
54827
50892
11827
50895

Various
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Schist
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Granitoid
Silicified rhyolite
Basalt
Granitoid
Granitoid
Matrix-rich ss
Granitoid

Basalt-andesite, and volcaniclastic ss. Secondary ab, chlorite, calcite, hematite

Fine-grained kaolinised ?biotite granite. Biotite now pale brown micaceous clay
Coarse-grained biotite granite; brown biotite altered to chlorite and muscovite
Medium-grained hornblende diorite. Brown/green hornblende, access magnetite
Sodic leucogranite (Wodzicki 1974)
Biotite, hornblende, pyroxene-bearing schist (Wodzicki 1974)
Fine-medium grained biotite granite; c. 5% green biotite; magnetite, titanite
Fine-grained chloritised biotite granite. Pink K-feldspar. Contaminated with Cz ss
Medium-grained biotite hornblende diorite with 2-3% quartz and K-feldspar
Fine-medium grained biotite granite; c. 2% green biotite, trace opaque
Medium-grained biotite granodiorite; c. 3% green biotite, trace titanite
Medium-grained biotite granodiorite; c. 3% green biotite, trace titanite
Feldspar phenocrysts, spherulitic groundmass. Sec. quartz, ep, chlorite, sericite
Basalt. Rare clinopyroxene phenocrysts to 1 mm. Secondary epidote and chlorite
Medium-grained biotite quartz-monzodiorite. Trace magnetite, titanite
Fine-grained biotite granite; trace olive-green biotite, trace fluorite
Single cutting (c. I % of sample) of recryt. siliceous metasandstone
Medium-grained granite, trace green biotite. Ilmenite/hematite

MTZ
Separation Point
Karamea Suite
MTZ
Separation Point
Takaka Terrane
Pz I-type granite
Karamea Suite
MTZ
Separation Point
Separation Point
Separation Point
MTZ basement
MTZ basement
Separation Point
Pz A-type granite
Takaka Terrane
Separation Point

Eastern wells
Kaitieke-1
Kiore-1
Kiore-1
Manutahi-1
Parikino-1
Pukearuhe-1
Puniwhakau-1
Puniwhakau-1
Rotokare-1
Santoft-IA
Stantiall-1
Tatu-1
Tatu-1
Te Ranga-1
Uruti-1
Uruti-2
Young-1
Young-1

Depth (m)

Lat. (S)

(Wanganui, onshore Taranaki,

393.2-393.8
3903.20'
534.3
3913.43'
534.9
3913.43'
1389.5
3941.12'
2312.2
3948.07'
3853.65'
3132-3138
3919.10'
2146.1
3919.10'
2146.1
3924.85'
3232.7
4012.32'
2627.4-2630.5
4005.02'
2085.5-2087.0
3855.12'
857.1
3855.12'
857.7
3812.15'
3877-3882.5
3856.37'
341.3-342.9
3857.67'
1546.3-1549.3
40 17.63'
1025.7-1028.4
40 17.63'
1031.5-1034.8

Long. (E)

Type

z;
3<
eal

3
&

s
E.
o
O
a
Q

o*

(TO

*&
ET
>-<;

o'

All "P no." samples are catalogued in the National Petrology Reference Collection, Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences. Pz, Paleozoic; MTZ, Median Tectonic Zone; ss, sandstone; calc,
calcareous; Q, F, L, framework quartz, feldspar and lithic grains as a percentage of total framework grains. Percentages are visual estimates only and are probably accurate to + 25% of the
amount present.
4-.

2
o
a
p

Table 2

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses of basement core and cuttings material from Taranaki and Wanganui wells.

P
Well

Pno. Rock type

SiO2

TiO2 AI2O3 Fe2O3T MnO

MgO CaO

Na2O

K2O P2O5

LOI TOTAL

Ba

Ce

Cr

Cu

Ga La

Nb Ni

Pb

Rb

Sc

Sr

Th

Zn

Zr

Eastern iwells
K.iore-1

51395

fine ss

59.52

0.86

16.82

6.73

0.07

2.46

2.05

3.83

2.87

0.21

4.55

99.97

464

52

76

36

18

20

25

19

95

15

210

1.9

160

28

90

171

Manutahi-1

51396

fine ss

64.24

0.70

16.12

5.11

0.07

1.98

1.51

3.73

3.59

0.16

2.99 100.20

421

54

35

20

22

25

15

17

139

14

160

11

3.5

119

33

86

207

Puni-1

51394

fine ss

59.44

0.89

16.65

6.36

0.09

2.84

3.05

3.76

2.74

0.20

4.03 100.05

498

48

54

37

20

18

24

19

115

16

595

11

2.8

151

31

104

194

crq
p
3
C

Rotokare-1

51390

med ss

64.60

0.70

16.01

4.75

0.06

1.91

1.53

3.66

3.56

0.16

3.14 100.08

418

51

34

20

21

23

13

19

139

13

161

12

2.7

113

32

80

204

Tatu-1

51391

fine ss

62.72

0.72

16.19

5.95

0.08

1.95

2.41

3.01

3.41

0.12

3.49 100.05

477

44

32

24

23

19

10

12

18

142

13

430

2.0

124

29

97

204

Uruti-1

16570

calc ss

53.68

0.74

16.69

8.23

0.10

2.17

4.76

4.03

1.79

0.18

7.00

99.37

520

55

35

24

20

23

15

18

52

15

647

1.9

149

25

99

160

99.27 1055

03

Western wells
K.iwa-1

50886

granite*

76.25

0.10

11.99

0.47

0.05

0.23

1.51

2.87

4.24

0.01

1.55

15

15

11

<1

20

87

<1

348

1.0

63

60

Kongahu-1

44741

granite

73.29

0.24

14.00

2.08

0.04

0.47

0.29

2.95

5.56

0.16

1.06 100.14

360

47

19

21

33

297

61

15

5.0

22

50

30

96

Maui-2

39790

diorite*

46.51

1.51

17.46

11.60

0.20

6.17

8.28

3.18

1.00

0.38

3.23

99.52

458

40

29

71

23

12

20

21

33

947

<1.0

257

25

134

76

Motueka-1

51535i

granite*

70.29

0.23

15.84

2.28

0.05

0.47

1.03

4.82

4.14

0.07

0.70

99.92

985

53

22

25

13

15

160

164

16

6.0

12

40

36

227
151

Motueka-1 51535ii

granite*

72.01

0.14

15.29

1.34

0.02

0.17

0.82

4.73

4.37

0.03

0.79

98.92

922

41

18

18

14

151

155

13

4.8

11

22

21

N Tasman-1

11828

granite*

72.87

0.22

14.50

1.40 <0.01

<0.01

0.81

3.55

4.95

0.17

0.73

99.20

760

42

16

26

<1

25

21

35

<1

183

25

83

14

9.0

20

19

156

118

Ruby Bay

39887

diorite

57.38

0.94

17.23

7.49

0.13

3.20

6.22

3.81

2.11

0.31

0.82

99.64

566

57

23

32

20

24

14

15

70

23

609

10

2.0

140

37

84

234
64

Surville-1

50890i

granite*

70.34

0.16

15.81

1.12

0.03

0.49

1.68

4.64

4.24

0.06

0.80

99.37

735

14

<2

19

11

20

163

671

1.0

15

36

Surville-1

50890M

granite*

70.53

0.21

15.54

1.25

0.03

0.39

1.72

4.77

4.06

0.07

1.33

99.90

689

25

19

11

23

150

634

12

1.7

17

34

78

50888

granite*

67.90

0.25

16.94

1.31

0.02

0.32

2.63

5.70

2.36

0.08

1.87

99.38 1171

35

18

19

19

52

1038

1.0

20

50

136

99.41 1193

Tane-1
Tane-1

50889

granite*

67.67

0.20

16.94

0.94

0.02

0.21

2.13

6.19

2.45

0.08

2.58

43

15

24

54

772

1.0

19

30

127

Tangaroa-1

51291

rhyolite

73.33

0.35

14.75

1.30

0.05

1.07

4.25

3.39

0.44

0.08

1.04 100.05

137

21

22

14

19

11

440

2.0

39

13

52

189

Tangaroa-1

51295

basalt

49.15

1.23

16.26

11.61

0.18

5.55

7.99

3.38

0.73

0.17

4.03 100.28

201

16

46 108

18

4 <2

17

12

17

40

288

1.0

373

21

97

61

Taranga-1

54827

granite

68.15

0.38

15.66

3.01

0.03

1.22

1.17

5.33

2.60

0.18

1.81

99.54

741

37

21

17

14

62

577

1.1

47

49

120

Toropuihi-1

50892

granite*

75.61

0.04

12.73

1.04

0.01

0.05

0.55

3.82

4.70

0.01

0.65

99.21

204

47

<2

35

20

50

10

47

512

15

37

13.0

129

92

121

Witiora-1

50895

granite*

77 58

0.06

12.11

0.37

0.01

0.08

0.54

3.82

4.12

0.01

0.60

99.30

907

14

<2

13

79

73

1.0

53

Major elements wt%, trace elements ppm. * indicates cuttings, not core, analysed;
, total iron as Fe2C>3; LOI, loss on ignition. Analytical methods, along with analyses of Stantiall-1,
Santo ft-1 A, Young-1, Kaitieke-1, and Parikino-1 well samples are given in Palmer et al. (1995). Analyst Ken Palmer, Victoria University, except for North Tasman-1 granite PI 1828 which was
analysed by John Hunt, Spectrachem Analytical.

to

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 40

228
Table 3

U-Pb analyses of zircon from Toropuihi-1, Tangaroa-1, Motueka-1, and Surville-1 rocks.

Analysis U
Toropuihi-1
1.1
2674
7189
1.2
3680
2.1
4157
2.2
7073
2.3
7662
3.1
337
4.1
2424
5.1
5.2
1211
4339
6.1
4473
7.1
4779
8.1
Tangaroa-i
1.1

1.2
2.1
2.2
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
4.1
4.2
5.1
5.2
6.1
6.2
7.1
7.2
8.1
8.2
9.1
9.2
9.3

4259

4150
2528
2317
988
983
625
744
397
1080
7495
6490
480
537
574
530
3654
3588
90
74
120

204pb/206pb

207pb/206pb

238Tj/206pb

Age (Ma)

Th

Th/U

711
3579
903
1382
2875
2758
609
1225
426
2112
1489
2284

0.27
0.50
0.25
0.33
0.41
0.36
1.81
0.51
0.35
0.49
0.33
0.48

0.00004 0.00003
0.00015 0.00003
0.00015 0.00004
0.00044 0.00007
0.00102 0.00008
0.00116 0.00007
0.00018 0.00041
0.00010 + 0.00006
0.00018 0.00012
0.00331 0.00017
0.00202 + 0.00014
0.00153 0.00013

0.05386 0.00105
0.05608 + 0.00044
0.05380 + 0.00040
0.05737 + 0.00059
0.06614 + 0.00053
0.06761 0.00048
0.05584 0.00173
0.05393 + 0.00060
0.05331 0.00111
0.10286 0.00063
0.08356 0.00069
0.07445 0.00087

19.91 0.45
20.09 + 0.41
19.99 0.42
20.43 + 0.43
22.29 + 0.46
21.51 0.47
28.18 0.73
20.28 + 0.44
20.10 0.46
22.19 0.48
20.44 0.42
27.58 0.59

315.6
312.1
314.4
306.5
278.9
288.3
224.1 +
310.0
312.9
268.9+
297.8
224.2

1869
1481
990
916
450
443
270
327
299
786
3420
2277
252
285
182
169
1090
1070
55
45
70

0.44
0.36
0.39
0.40
0.46
0.45
0.43
0.44
0.75
0.73
0.46
0.35
0.53
0.53
0.32
0.32
0.30
0.30
0.62
0.61
0.59

0.00286 0.00306
0.00302 + 0.00324
0.00543 0.00565
0.00278 0.00310
0.00066 0.00101
0.00065 0.00114
0.00066 0.00107
0.00063 0.00170
0.00412 0.00504
0.00757 0.00807
0.00078 + 0.00081
0.00098 0.00103
0.00158 0.00254
0.00241 0.00355
0.00243 0.00320
0.00133 + 0.00141
0.00044 0.00053
0.00050 0.00066
0.01794 + 0.02519
0.01321 0.01839
0.00940 + 0.01094

0.08744 + 0.00218
0.09235 0.00047
0.11915 0.00124
0.08932 0.00177
0.05382 0.00096
0.05548 + 0.00053
0.05496 0.00154
0.05557 0.00099
0.08480 + 0.00192
0.15702 0.02552
0.06072 + 0.00203
0.06250 + 0.00142
0.05613 0.00095
0.05913 0.00123
0.06660 + 0.00042
0.06243 0.00087
0.05643 0.00040
0.05605 + 0.00038
0.11567 + 0.00163
0.11906 0.00432
0.08728 + 0.00239

25.46 + 0.77
25.58 0.69
19.40 0.49
21.68 0.55
19.08 0.48
19.15 0.48
21.33 0.99
20.54 0.53
22.00 0.85
21.78 0.55
19.56 0.94
22.96 + 0.89
19.68 0.51
19.68 + 0.52
21.01 +0.53
21.88 + 0.56
21.85 0.55
21.74 + 0.54
16.09 + 0.43
18.19 0.55
19.64 0.59

239.0 7.2
235.4 6.3
299.4 7.6
277.8+ 7.0
327.3 8.2
325.5 8.2
293.1 13.6
303.9 7.8
275.2 10.6
255.4 6.4
317.1 15.3
270.5 10.5
316.8 8.2
315.7 + 8.4
293.7 7.4
283.6 7.2
285.8 7.2
287.4 7.2
360.6 9.7
318.7+ 9.6
306.6 9.3

2320
370
1018
172
220
555
318
142
370
243
313
106
576
323

0.76
0.69
0.44
0.51
0.56
0.74
0.62
0.49
0.66
0.83
0.63
0.15
0.62
0.47

0.00012 0.00004
0.00115 0.00031
0.00017 + 0.00006
0.00091 0.00063
0.00162 0.00047
0.00056 0.00036
0.00106 + 0.00024
0.00042 + 0.00037
0.00095 + 0.00038
0.00175 + 0.00044
0.00098 0.00052
0.00043 0.00071
0.00001 0.00001
0.00090 0.00086

0.05401 0.00042
0.05945 0.00156
0.05248 0.00071
0.06749 + 0.00147
0.06636 0.00198
0.05872 0.00172
0.06135 0.00185
0.06864 0.00159
0.05742 0.00136
0.07096 0.00213
0.06127 + 0.00154
0.05590 + 0.00110
0.05591 0.00078
0.05795 0.00086

17.02 0.19
17.72 + 0.28
17.71 0.20
19.23 + 0.31
18.88 + 0.36
17.78 + 0.30
17.68 0.26
18.37 0.40
19.01 0.30
18.29 0.32
19.41 0.47
18.01 0.30
17.55 0.27
16.81 +0.31

370.1 4.0
353.8 5.5
356.7 3.9
323.8 5.2
330.2 6.1
352.8 5.7
353.8 5.0
338.2 7.2
331.1 5.1
338.8 5.8
320.9 7.5
347.5+ 5.7
356.5+ 5.3
370.9+ 6.6

864
72
73
716
472
262
733
281
542
172
99
35
148
512
108

0.67
0.59
0.40
0.71
0.74
0.86
0.68
0.78
0.65
0.95
0.97
0.86
0.55
0.68
0.73

0.00104 0.00059
0.00787 0.00260
0.00387 0.00340
0.00180 + 0.00055
0.00162 0.00083
0.00623 0.00159
0.00163 + 0.00045
0.00811 0.00148
0.00094 0.00058
0.00473 0.00207
0.08576 + 0.03168
0.02463 0.01981
0.00221 0.00271
0.00596 + 0.00276
0.00001 0.00001

0.05444 0.00217
0.07712 0.00421
0.08580 0.00701
0.06271 0.00155
0.07817 0.00220
0.08800 0.00337
0.06121 0.00152
0.10042 0.00533
0.07353 0.00192
0.09043 + 0.00451
0.44765 + 0.02837
0.22505 0.01868
0.07851 0.00313
0.06824 0.00242
0.08070 0.01019

53.96 0.96
49.90+ 1.44
54.35 1.89
55.74 + 0.79
56.18 1.21
55.24 1.36
55.78 0.81
51.81 + 1.07
57.62 1.34
55.44 1.73
28.84 1.94
43.83 3.03
58.21 1.71
48.54 0.93
49.49 2.49

119.0 2.1
125.4+ 3.6
114.1 4.0
114.2 1.6
111.4 2.4
112.0 2.8
114.3 1.7
117.7+ 2.5
109.2 2.5
111.3 3.5
124.6 10.7
117.6 8.6
106.2 3.1
128.7 2.5
124.4 6.4

7.0
6.2
6.5
6.4
5.6
6.1
5.7
6.6
7.0
5.7
6.0
4.7

Motueka-1

1.1
2.1
3.1
4.1
5.1
6.1
7.1
8.1
9.1

3057
538
2314
335
393
754
515
290
563
10.1
292
11.1
495
12.1
696
13.1
933
14.1
686
Surville-1
1.1
1292
2.2
121
3.1
182
4.1
1012
5.1
637
6.1
303
7.1
1078
8.1
359
9.1
837
10.1
181
11.1
101
12.1
41
13.1
270
14.1
756
15.1
149

Analyst T. R. Ireland. Analytical methods and operating conditions are similar to those described in Muir et al. (1994).

Mortimer et al.Taranaki & Wanganui Basin basement

229

El Kaitieke-1
o Kiore-1
O Pukearuhe-1
Rotokare-1
Tatu-1
Uruti-1

60-

Kiore-1 Kaitieke-1
Uruti-1
Rotokare-1

40-

D Taranaki Basin
Wanganui Basin
Parikino-1
SantofMA
Stantiall-1
Young-1

2fJ.Puni-1
Tatu-'
Manutahi-f

Stantiall-1
+ Young-1

La/Sc

1200
i Maui-'2-.

Fig. 3 Petrographic plot of visually estimated modes of mediumand coarse-grained sandstones from eastern wells of Taranaki and
Wanganui Basins, and of point-counted populations from selected
New Zealand terranes. Q, F, L, total quartz, feldspar, lithic grains,
respectively. North Island Torlesse ( = 19) and southern Waipapa
O = 25) data from Finlow-Bates (1970), Beetham & Watters
(1985), and Mortimer (1995); Murihiku data (n = 21) from
MacKinnon (1983). Hexagons indicate one standard deviation
about the mean.

Puniwhakau-1 and Manutahi-1 are permissibly Murihiku,

but cannot be uniquely distinguished from Caples-Waipapa
sandstones using chemical criteria alone (Fig. 4A).
The presence of zeolites in Uruti-1 and 2, Tatu-1, Kiore-1,
Puniwhakau-1, Rotokare-1, Pukearuhe-1, and Manutahi-1
further suggests a correlation with the Murihiku Terrane (cf.
descriptions by Boles 1974; Black et al. 1993). The lack of
prehnite-, pumpellyite-, or epidote-bearing assemblages rules
out a correlation with Maitai, Caples, Waipapa, and Rakaia
Torlesse Terranes.
Western wells
Wells for which only petrographic data could be used for
interpretation include Ariki-1, M o a - I B , Tasman-1, and
Wainui-1. Ariki-1 cuttings were of altered basalt, andesite,
?dacite, and volcaniclastic sandstone, all with abundant
metamorphic chlorite, hematite, and sericite. The igneous
rocks in Ariki-1 are not dissimilar to those in nearby
Tangaroa-1, for which core was available and which we
studied in greater detail (see below). We concur with
Wodzicki's (1974) correlation of quartzofeldspathic and
calcareous schist in M o a - I B with the Onekaka Schist
(Takaka Terrane of Cooper & Tulioch 1992); such rock types
are essentially absent from the Buller Terrane and are, as
yet, unknown from the MTZ. The presence of a single cutting
of recrystallised siliceous sandstone in the nearby Wainui-1
is also compatible with a Takaka Terrane correlation.
We can add little to W o d z i c k i ' s (1974) detailed
description of the indurated ignimbrite-rich brecciaconglomerate in Tasman-1 (Fig. 2). Wodzicki (1974)
tentatively favoured a correlation with the late Early
Cretaceous Hawks Crag Breccia but noted that the Tasman-1

a.
3

Ruby Bay-1
MEDIAN TECTONIC
ZONE ROCKS

400

50

100O

SiO2 (wt%)

Kiwa-1

Toropuihi-1 8 0

Tangaroa-1
o rhyolite
basalt

100
BJ

10
5

S,
o

s
0.1

Lord Howe Rise

rhyolites
Lake Roxburgh
tonalites
Rb Ba Th U Nb K La Ce Sr P Zr Ti Y

Fig. 4 Geochemical plots of well samples. A, Sandstones and

schists from eastern wells plotted on La/Sc versus Ti/Zr binary
diagram. Murihiku, Caples-Waipapa, and Torlesse fields from
Roser et al. (1993). Arrow for Parikino-1 links analyses of
psammitic (psam) and pelitic (pel) portions of core (pelitic at arrow
tip). High metamorphic grade of Wanganui Basin samples suggests
Caples-Waipapa and Torlesse correlations; low metamorphic grade
of Taranaki samples suggests a Murihiku correlation (see text).
B, Granitoids from western wells plotted on SiC>2 versus Sr
diagram, comparing compositions of granitoid samples with
respect to onland reference suites. Fields from Tulioch (unpubl.
data). C, Basalt and rhyolite from Tangaroa-1 plotted on
primitive mantle-normalised multi-element diagram (of Sun &
McDonough 1989). Both samples have calc-alkaline and
subduction-related character. Nb concentration of basalt is plotted
at practical detection limit (2 ppm). Other data from McDougall
& van der Lingen (1974) and Tulioch (unpubl. data).

230

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 40

clasts were dominated by ignimbrite and soda granite instead

of potassium-rich granite. We note that the early Late
Cretaceous Beebys Conglomerate near Nelson is also a
reddish colour, and contains a clast assemblage more like
the Tasman-1 breccia (e.g., P43602; Johnston 1990). Thus,
there may be closer onland analogues of the Tasman-1
breccia than realised by Wodzicki (1974).
Geochemical data are presented for 12 wells which
penetrate igneous basement of the MTZ or Western Province
(Table 2, Fig. 4B-C). Similar results for replicate samples
of two wells, in which cuttings were hand picked by different
operators, supports the validity of whole rock analysis using
relatively small (c. 15 g) samples of cuttings. Only 1.5 g of
cuttings were available for XRF analysis of the North
Tasman-1 sample.
Basement in Tane-1, Surville-1, Kiwa-1, Witiora-1, and
Taranga-1 can be confidently assigned to the Cretaceous
Separation Point Suite (SPS); in addition to high Sr (Fig. 4B),
all except Witiora-1 have high Sr/Y ratios (144-634)
characteristic of the SPS (Tulloch & Rabone 1993; Muir et
al. 1995). Witiora-1 rock has low Y and Rb and is still
considered to belong to the SPS despite K 2 0>Na 2 0 and
depleted Sr because these values probably result from
extreme fractionation. Surville-1 has unusually high K2O
and Rb for SPS, but low Y, Nb, and apparent lack of zircon
inheritance render correlation with Rahu Suite (Tulloch
1983) unlikely.
Toropuihi-1 bottomed in biotite granite with high Ga, Y,
and Nb indicative of an A-type affinity, similar to granites
immediately onshore at Whakapoi Point and at Cape
Foulwind c. 100 km to the southwest (Cooper & Tulloch
1992). Such granites are rare elsewhere in New Zealand.
Kongahu-1 and, less confidently, North Tasman-1 and
Motueka-1 are both correlated with the S-type granites of
the Karamea Suite, most abundantly exposed onshore in the
Karamea Batholith (Fig. 2) (Tulloch 1988). Motueka-1 (and
North Tasman-1) has somewhat high Na for typical Karamea
Suite, but the zircon data discussed below confirm a midPaleozoic age. Although the Motueka-1 rock contains a trace
of magnetite, Na and Sr are not high enough to suggest
correlation with I-type granites of the Paleozoic Paringa
Suite (Cooper & Tulloch 1992); correlation with MTZassociated Carboniferous granites is a possibility.
Wodzicki (1974), using only petrographic criteria,
correlated basement in Maui-2 and Ruby Bay-1 with the
Rotoroa Complex (part of the Median Tectonic Zone;
Kimbrough et al. 1993, 1994). The chemical data presented
in this study (e.g., moderate Sr values, high Y compared to
SPS; Fig. 4B) confirm these earlier correlations.
Tangaroa-1 intersected interbedded rhyolite and basalt.
Both are considerably altered and the rhyolite is strongly
silicified. The rhyolite analysis is characterised by very low
K and Rb. A mantle-normalised multi-element plot of the
analyses (Fig. 4C) exhibits enrichments in Rb, Ba, and Sr
and Nb-depletion, characteristic of calc-alkaline, subductionrelated suites. We know of no obvious onshore correlatives
of this basalt-rhyolite basement, although a possible plutonic
correlative of the rhyolite is the Lake Roxburgh Tonalite on
the western edge of the MTZ in Fiordland (Kimbrough et
al. 1994), which has similar chemistry (Fig. 4C). Tangaroa1 rhyolite is clearly chemically dissimilar from Cretaceous
rhyolites on the Lord Howe Rise (McDougall & van der
Lingen 1974) (Fig. 4C). At least some foliated amphibolite
and diorite xenoliths from Mt Taranaki are not cognate and

were probably derived from Rotoroa Complex-like

correlatives (R. B. Stewart pers. comm. 1992; Gamble et al
1994).
ION PROBE ZIRCON U-Pb ANALYSES
Methods
Zircon was separated and analysed on the ion probe
(SHRIMP) at the Australian National University in an
attempt to better constrain the affinities of rocks from four
of the wells. Isotopic data are presented in Table 3 and Fig. 5
Except for Tangaroa-1, for which core of rhyolite was
available, all zircon samples were separated from the same
hand-picked cuttings of granite used for geochemical
analysis. The clearest, most prismatic grains were selected
for analysis, but there is a possibility that cuttings and
subsequent zircon separates were derived from more than
one basement component.
The zircon data are normalised to 206 Pb/ 238 U of 0.0928
for the 572 Ma SL13 standard. The data plotted in Fig. 5
have not been corrected for common Pb contributions. For
Phanerozoic zircons, the estimation of common Pb by wav
of the 204 Pb/ 206 Pb results in large uncertainties of the
radiogenic 207Pb abundance. For these zircons, common Pb
is determined by a lever rule between common Pb on the
abscissa and radiogenic Pb on the concordia curve, and the
ages are derived from the 26pb*/238U ratios. All zircon
analyses should lie on a line connecting the radiogenic age
to common Pb (dashed lines in Fig. 5) if they are consisten*
with a single magmatic age and variable contributions of a
common Pb component. Large common Pb contributions
are apparent by discordant analyses in Fig. 5, and those with
large common Pb contributions often appear to have lost Pb
as well, when compared with more concordant zircons.
Discordant zircons are apparent in all four rocks, and
determining a crystallisation age for such zircon populations
can be subjective. For this work, we adopt the simple
approach that a concordant population that has the highest
U-Pb age defines the magmatic age. A spread of data away
from the best-fit line indicates either: (1) the presence of
both magmatic and inherited grains; (2) beam spots
overlapping magmatic rim and inherited core; (3) Pb-loss;
or (4) some combination of 1, 2 and 3.
Results
Approximately half of the Toropuihi-1 zircons (Fig. 5 A)
form a tight cluster around concordia at 312 + 7 Ma, with
the remaining zircons being younger, with higher common
Pb, and scattered. No older inherited grains are apparent and
the scatter is probably due to Pb loss. The tight cluster
indicates the Carboniferous age is almost certainly
magmatic. Strontium isotope analysis of the whole rock
yields Sr = 15.39 0.01 ppm and 8 7 Sr/ 8 6 Sr =
1.1619 0.0001. Rb concentration from duplicate XRF
analysis is 512 2 ppm. Model ages based on assumed Srinitial ratios of 0.705 and 0.715 range from 314 to 318 Ma.
These ages overlap with, and thus are consistent with, the
zircon age of 312 7 Ma. Conversely, the high 87Rb/86Sr
ratio (100-101), together with the error on the zircon age,
do not allow a precise calculation of the Sr initial ratio.
Tangaroa-1 zircons (Fig. 5B), separated from rhyolite,
are scattered over the concordia plot, making a unique
interpretation very subjective. The oldest, most concordant

Mortimer et al.Taranaki & Wanganui Basin basement

231

0.15

0.15

20

25

20

238(J/206pb

25

238(J/206pb

0.15

0.15

CM

0.00.
15

20

25

30

30

40

50

60

70

238(J/206pb
Fig. 5 Tera-Wasserburg U-Pb zircon concordia diagrams for Tangaroa-1 rhyolite and Toropuihi-1, Motueka-1, and Surville-1 granites.
A single magmatic population with different contributions from common Pb would lie on a line (dashed) between the inferred radiogenic
composition and the common Pb composition on the abscissa. However, all these samples appear to have been affected by Pb loss as
indicated by the scattered analyses with younger ages and/or high common Pb. Toropuihi-1 gives a relatively well constrained
Carboniferous age, and although Tangaroa-1 shows more scatter, it too is likely Carboniferous. Motueka-1 is distinctly older (possibly
Devonian), similar to the Karamea Suite (Muir et al. 1994, 1996). Surville-1 is Early Cretaceous, but there is considerable scatter
between 110 and 125 Ma.

cluster of six grains gives a mean 238 U/ 206 Pb age of 321 Ma,
although one grain with high common Pb is significantly
older than this at c. 361 Ma. Cretaceous zircons are
conspicuously absent; because of the large scatter, we can
only assign a Carboniferous magmatic age to the rock.
Motueka-1 zircons (Fig. 5C) cluster quite closely in an
age range of 330-370 Ma, although the scatter exceeds
analytical error for a single statistical population. A good
cluster at c. 350 Ma is suggestive of an igneous crystallisation age, in which case two 370 Ma zircons are inherited.
Alternatively, if 370 Ma is a magmatic age, most of the
zircons have lost Pb. The low degree of scatter covering all
the zircons suggests a latest Devonian or earliest Carboniferous magmatic age.
Surville-1 zircons (Fig. 5D) cluster in a restricted age
range c. 110-125 Ma but with excessive scatter for this to
be a single population. The data could be interpreted either
as representing a 125 Ma crystallisation age with Pb-loss
affecting many grains, or as a 110 Ma granite containing
inherited 125 Ma grains. Either interpretation would be
difficult to justify on the basis of the Surville-1 zircon U-Pb

data alone, although in either case the magmatic age is Early

Cretaceous, and the data are consistent with the assignment
of Surville-1 to the Separation Point Suite on the basis of
chemical affinities and age (Fig. 4B) (Kimbrough et al.
1994).
Although interpretation of the U-Pb data from these four
rocks is problematical when it comes to assigning a
magmatic age and associated error, it is apparent that the
basement in Toropuihi-1, Tangaroa-1, and Motueka-1 is
Carboniferous-Devonian in age, whereas Surville-1
basement is Cretaceous. The former three samples therefore
have affinities with Paleozoic Western Province or MTZ
granitoids, whereas Surville-1 is likely to correlate with the
Separation Point Suite.
MAGNETIC ANOMALIES
The short wavelength and linear nature of the Junction
Magnetic Anomaly (JMAbetween Pio Pio and near Tahi1 in Fig. 2) and its correspondence with the Dun Mountain
Ophiolite Belt of the Maitai Terrane throughout New Zealand

232

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 40

has been summarised by Hunt (1978). A prominent long

wavelength, high amplitude anomaly, west of the JMA, also
extends south from Mt Taranaki to near Tahi-1 (Fig. 2;
equivalent to anomaly "R" of Davy 1992). From near Tahi1 to D'Urville Island, magnetic anomalies become indistinct,
but between D'Urville Island and the Rotoroa Complex, the
JMA and the western anomaly merge into a single, broad,
very strong magnetic anomaly (Fig. 2). This single strong
anomaly is caused by the close and parallel disposition of
the highly magnetic rocks of the Maitai Terrane, Brook Street
Terrane, and Median Tectonic Zone; at a local scale,
individual anomalies are still resolvable (Hunt 1978). East
of the JMA, Davy (1992) has emphasised a magnetically
quiet region corresponding to the sandstone and schist of
the Caples, Torlesse, and Waipapa Terranes.
Non-basement magnetic signatures in the area of Fig. 2
include those generated by: (1) the Quaternary andesitic
stratovolcano of Mt Taranaki, which has a separate, short
wavelength anomaly, slightly offset from the broad western
anomaly (Davy 1992); (2) buried Miocene andesite
volcanoes in offshore Taranaki, north of about latitude 39S
(Herzer 1995); and (3) a Late Cretaceous igneous complex
in the Torlesse Terrane at latitude 42S.
West of about longitude 174E, Davy (1992, fig. 7)
showed an area of high magnetic contrast, which he
interpreted in terms of linear magnetic anomalies (this
contrast is not as obvious on Fig. 2, which is simplified from
Hunt 1978). Although we do not necessarily accept that these
anomalies are all as linear as Davy claims (cf. Hunt 1978
and Davy 1992), we do regard the high contrast as typical
of magnetic signatures of the Western Province, which
contains a variety of highly magnetic plutons (Tulloch 1989).
This variable magnetic character of Western Province and
MTZ units means that magnetic anomalies are of limited
use in distinguishing these units from Brook Street and
Maitai Terranes. The JMA, however, is an invaluable
magnetic datum in interpreting basement geology beneath
Taranaki and Wanganui Basins (see below).
BASIN AND SUB-BASIN STRUCTURE
Interpretation of seismic reflection lines in the area by
Anderton (1981), Thrasher & Cahill (1990), and Lewis et
al. (1994) has identified a number of major faults that offset
the basement-cover unconformity by up to 6 km. The
Taranaki and Manaia Faults (Fig. 6) are two of the most
important in the area and have had a long and complex
history (e.g., King & Thrasher 1992). Mortimer (1993) has
drawn attention to the fact that the Picton Fault (Fig. 6) is a
major metamorphic and structural boundary within the
Marlborough Schist.
From our experience in onshore South Island, boundaries
of Mesozoic terranes often coincide with Cenozoic faults.
Given the lack of precision in locating contacts between
basement geological units beneath Taranaki and Wanganui
Basins, we have deliberately chosen to position them along
these major basement-cover faults where geometry permits.
DISCUSSION
Our preferred basement map of Taranaki and Wanganui
Basins is shown in Fig. 6. Although an improvement on
earlier versions, it is still essentially an outline, as data are

sparse and some major issues remain unresolved. Onshore,

Eastern Province units (terranes) occur as simple structural
belts of varying width and are thus, to a large extent,
amenable to simple interpolation and extrapolation beneath
the basins. However, the Western Province contains plutons
and batholiths that are commonly smaller than the spacing
between the oil exploration wells, so our attempts to draw
geological boundaries around them are highly schematic.
Below we discuss our assumptions, methods, and problems
in sequentially assembling Fig. 6 on a unit-by-unit basis.
Maitai Terrane
The starting point for the sub-basin geological interpretation
of Fig. 6 is the correlation of the JMA with the Dun Mountain
Ophiolite Belt of the Maitai Terrane (Hunt 1978). Although
ophiolitic or metasedimentary rocks of the Maitai Terrane
have not been penetrated by any wells, we confidently draw
Maitai Terrane as a narrow, discontinuous belt between its
surface exposures at Pio Pio and D'Urville Island (Fig. 2)
The near-constant width of the Maitai Terrane shown ir
Fig. 6 is schematic. The absence of the JMA south of Tahi1 and north of D'Urville Island (Fig. 2) coincides with ar.
area of considerable tectonic complexity in Taranaki Basir
(P. R. King pers. comm. 1996) and may reflect local excisiori
of the ophiolite belt (Fig. 6).
Torlesse Terrane
The western boundary of the Torlesse Terrane is well defined
in the northern and southern parts of Fig. 6 (Beetham &
Walters 1985; Graham 1985, 1987; Mortimer 1993, 1995)
in between, it must lie to the west (we prefer just west) o:
the Wanganui Basin wells and Fishermans Rock. With such
a boundary, Parikino-1 schist is sensibly SSW along-strike
from the Torlesse schist in the Kaimanawa Range, but is
c. 50 km farther northwest across-strike than a simple 1\TNE
extrapolation of Torlesse schist from Port Underwood to near
Kapiti Island would suggest (Fig. 2, 6).
The many NNE- and northeast-striking faults in
Wanganui Basin outlined by Anderton (1981) may be
continuations of the Wairau and/or Picton Faults (Fig. 6)
However, the absence of north-, NNW-, or northweststriking faults in seismic sections (Anderton 1981; Carter et
al. 1988; Thrasher & Cahill 1990; Lewis et al. 1994) does
not support a northwest-striking sinistral fault with 50 km
offset in Cook Strait to account for the apparent displacement
of the Torlesse-Waipapa boundary (cf. Cope & Reed 1967.
fig. 1). Lack of basement sampling in northern Cook Strait
presently precludes solution of this geometrical problem.
In Fig. 6 we have, for simplicity, drawn the western edge of
the Torlesse Terrane with a northsouth strike under much
of Wanganui Basin. The position of the Esk Head Melange
in Fig. 2 and 6 is from Mortimer (1995) and reference:therein.
Caples and Waipapa Terranes
These litharenite-dominated terranes lie in identical
structural positions between the Rakaia Torlesse and Maitai
Terranes, with Caples Terrane exposed in the South Island
and Waipapa Terrane mainly in the North Island. Nomenclature of the Waipapa Terrane is in a state of flux; it is
probably a composite terrane, and reliable discrimination
of its various parts requires lithofacies, paleontological, and
structural data (Black 1994). Neither Caples nor Waipapa

Mortimer et al.Taranaki & Wanganui Basin basement

38l

233
EASTERN PROVINCE
& MEDIAN TECTONIC
ZONE

Ixxxx'xxxxv
'j< x y x x x x xi
xxxxxx;
xxxxx:
xxx:

Taranaki Fault

Torlesse Terrane
Rakaia (r), Pahau (p)

xxx
xxxxxxx

Caples Terrane (c)

Waipapa Terrane (w)

fXXXXXXX/'

txxxxxxx
fcxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxx
+\xx

Maitai Terrane
Murihiku Terrane

*'xx

Brook St Terrane

xx;
xx;

XXX

WESTERN PROVINCE

xxxx
xxxxx
\xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
\<xxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxx>

40c

Undifferentiated
Separation
Point Suite
*"*]
+ +_jj

XXXXX)

xxxxxx
[XXX
Manaia Fault?early Late Cretaceous breccia

Paleozoic
granitoids

j - : :! Buller Terrane (b)

j " T " : " | Takaka Terrane (t)

"xxx

txxxxxx
9

Plutonic rocks of
Median Tectonic Zone

^-

Highly schematic
limits of batholiths
and MTZ rocks

-^

X X XXXX

XXXX

xxxx
xxx
xxx

STRUCTURES
_

Major Cenozoic
faults
Esk Head Melange
Haast Schist

SAMPLE SITES

172E

well penetrates basement

well penetrates cover only

other subsurface sampling

174

Fig. 6 Interpretation of pre-Late Cretaceous basement geology beneath the Taranaki and Wanganui Basins based on interpretations
made in this paper and data of Anderton (1981), Thrasher & Cahill (1990), Mortimer (1993, 1995), and Lewis et al. (1994). All contacts
are speculative. Highly speculative units and contacts are shown by question marks. See Fig. 2 for names of wells. Open circles correspond
to location of wells in which Late Cretaceous Early Cenozoic sandstones may have an MTZ and/or combined Eastern and Western
Province provenance (e.g., Smale 1992).

Terrane has been intersected in any exploration well in the

250 km between Kaitieke-1 and the South Island; consequently, we show only undifferentiated Caples and
Waipapa Terranes beneath western Wanganui Basin (Fig. 6).
Haast Schist
The occurrence of schist in Parikino-1 and Santoft-IA, and
at Fishermans Rock and Kapiti Island, supports previous
interpretations that Haast Schist is continuous from the South
Island to the Kaimanawa Range (Fig. 6) (Cope & Reed 1967;
Mortimer 1993). Mortimer (1993) emphasised major
differences in the mesoscopic and macroscopic style of schist
deformation east and west of Picton Fault, and specifically
assigned schist near Port Underwood (Fig. 2) to the same

genetic belt as schist in the Kaimanawa Range. Exactly how

far under Wanganui Basin the schist west of Picton Fault
extends is unknown. At present there are simply not enough
data to reconcile the mutual geometry of the Caples,
Waipapa, and Torlesse Terranes (see above), and different
parts of the Haast Schist between the North and South
Islands, except as broadly continuous belts (Fig. 6).
Murihiku Terrane
Murihiku Terrane lies west of Maitai Terrane and is
penetrated by nine holes. The position of the western edge
of the Murihiku Terrane in Fig. 6 is obtained as follows: the
oldest strata on the western limb of the synclinorium in
Murihiku rocks near Kawhia Harbour are Oretian (Late

234

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 40

Carnian Early Norian; Kear 1960), which, by comparison

with the Murihiku Terrane of Southland, suggests that only
c. 2 km stratigraphic thickness of earlier Triassic strata are
missing at Kawhia Harbour. So, unless an otherwise
unobserved anticlinorium. repeats the strata, the Murihiku
Terrane probably does not extend much farther west than
Te Ranga-1 (Fig. 2). Use of the Taranaki Fault as a
convenient western edge to the Murihiku Terrane requires
it to taper southwards against the Maitai Terrane (Fig. 6).
This wedge shape accords with the occurrence of Murihiku
Terrane near Nelson only as attenuated narrow fault slivers
(Johnston 1981) that are too small to be shown at the scale
of Fig. 2 and 6.
Brook Street Terrane and edge of Eastern Province
In Nelson, the Brook Street Terrane also occurs only as
narrow fault slivers (Johnston 1981, 1990), considerably
narrower than its maximum outcrop width of some 16 km
in the Takitimu Mountains of Southland. Because distinctive
pyroxene-rich lavas and sandstones of the Brook Street
Terrane were not penetrated by any of the wells, and there
is no clearly definable linear magnetic anomaly to denote
its presence, the depiction of the Brook Street Terrane
beneath Taranaki Basin on Fig. 6 is highly speculative.
However, our reason for assuming its continuity north from
D'Urville Island is that Brook Street-like rocks have been
dredged on the West Norfolk Ridge, 800 km to the northwest
of Taranaki Basin (Mortimer & Herzer 1995), and possible
broad correlatives may also occur in New Caledonia
(Campbell 1984).
In Fig. 6, we give Brook Street Terrane an arbitrary
(Takitimu) outcrop width of c. 15 km, and south of Mt
Taranaki we have selected the Manaia Fault as its obvious
likely western edge. An alternative interpretation entirely
omitting Brook Street Terrane from Fig. 6 would result in
the western edge of the Eastern Province coinciding with
the Taranaki Fault, as shown by Cope & Reed (1967) and
Wodzicki (1974).
Western Province
Buller or Takaka Terrane-like metasedimentary rocks occur
in only two of the offshore western wells shown in Fig. 6.
The high proportion of Separation Point Granite in six of
the offshore wells, suggests a greater areal extent of this
unit offshore, compared to its onshore distribution in South
Island (Fig. 6). Because granites of the Separation Point Suite
intrude rocks of both the Western Province and the Median
Tectonic Zone (Kimbrough et al. 1994), they do not constrain
the position of the Western Province/Median Tectonic Zone
boundary.
North Tasman-1 and Motueka-1 lie well to the east of
most Paleozoic granitoid rocks, the exception being the
Echinus Granite of Pepin Island (Kimbrough et al. 1993;
Beresford et al. 1996). The (oxidised) green biotite and
presence of magnetite and titanite in the Motueka-1 sample
suggest an I-type affinity. The chemistry of this rock does
not suggest a clear association with any of the recognised
Paleozoic suites, and isotopic study is required to further
characterise it. The chemistry of the rock is comparable to
the S-type Karamea Suite rather than the I-type Paringa Suite
(Cooper & Tulloch 1992), except in its relatively high Na2O
content; correlation with I-type granitoid rocks associated
with the MTZ is another possibility, although no clear

correlatives (including the relatively sodic Echinus Granite

are obvious. Correlation of the Motueka-1 granite with the
Karamea Suite suggests a considerable narrowing of the
Takaka Terrane because, onshore, S-type granites of the
Karamea Suite appear to be restricted to the Buller Terrane
(Cooper & Tulloch 1992). However, complete northward
excision of Takaka Terrane is unlikely given its occurrence
in Moa-IB. An alternative interpretation is a previously
unrecorded intrusion of Karamea Suite granites into the
Takaka Terrane.
As discussed by Cooper & Tulloch (1992), the granite
of Toropuihi-1 is similar in its A-type chemistry to the
Foulwind Granite, although a distinctly older age ol
327 6 Ma was reported by Muir et al. (1994) for the same
unit.
Median Tectonic Zone
Correlations with the MTZ can be made for the plutonic
rocks in Ruby Bay-1 and Maui-2, and some xenoliths erupted
from Mt Taranaki (Gamble et al. 1994) are consistent with
derivation from subjacent MTZ crust. No obvious
correlatives for the basalt and rhyolite encountered in
Tangaroa-1 occur onshore, but a possible plutonic equivalent
which overlaps in age within error, is the Echinus Granite
(310 5 Ma; Kimbrough et al. 1993), which appears to forrr
basement to the MTZ on Pepin Island (Fig. 2, 6) (Beresforc
et al. 1996). Tangaroa-1 rhyolite is chemically similar to the
slightly older (c. 340 Ma; Kimbrough et al. 1994) (Fig. 4C)
Lake Roxburgh Tonalite in eastern Fiordland, which may
also form older basement to the MTZ. Wide compositional
range and subduction-related calc-alkaline chemistry of the
Tangaroa-1 rocks are thus consistent with a provisional
Median Tectonic Zone correlation. Given the broad
similarity between Ariki-1 cuttings and Tangaroa-1 core, we
have included Ariki-1 in the MTZ (Fig. 6). The fact that MTZ
igneous rocks have been recovered in dredges on the West
Norfolk Ridge (Mortimer & Herzer 1995) gives us
confidence in extending the MTZ north throughout the whole
area of Fig. 6. Although we agree with Wodzicki's (1974)
tentative correlation of the red acid igneous breccia in
Tasman-1 with Late Cretaceous cover units, because the
stratigraphic age of the unit is unknown, we cannot entirely
rule out still older correlation (e.g., with the Rainy River
Conglomerate of the Median Tectonic Zone; Johnston 1990).

CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of petrography, geochemistry, and U-Pb age,
we correlate core and cuttings from 30 oil exploration wells
in Taranaki and Wanganui Basins with onshore geological
units (Tables 1,2,3). We have identified distinctive Torlesse
Terrane, Murihiku Terrane, Median Tectonic Zone, and
Separation Point Suite lithologies in a number of wells.
Maitai and Brook Street Terrane rocks have apparently not
been intersected by wells, though the presence of the former
is indicated by the prominent Junction Magnetic Anomaly
(Hunt 1978). We have used the well samples, along with
interpretations of magnetic and reflection seismic data, to
construct a new geological map of the pre-Late Cretaceous
basement beneath west-central New Zealand (Fig. 6).
Due to low sampling density, the locations of boundaries
between major rock units are imprecisely located and their
nature is indeterminate. Major questions left unanswered by

Mortimer et al.Taranaki & Wanganui Basin basement

the study include: (1) Caples-Waipapa-Torlesse-Haast Schist
geometry between the North and South Islands; (2)
continuity of the Maitai Terrane near Tahi-1; (3) extent of
the Brook Street Terrane north of D'Urville Island; (4)
correlation of Motueka-1 granite; and (5) regional geometry
of MTZ and Western Province units. However, Fig. 6 is a
significant improvement on earlier efforts: it shows overall
continuity of offshore and onshore geology and demonstrates
a greater regional extent of New Zealand basement terranes
and igneous suites than previously has been established.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We acknowledge the following oil companies for drilling to
basement, thereby supplying material for this study: Amoco N.Z.,
Anzpac Petroleum, Champlin Oil & Refining, Esso Exploration
& Production, Home Energy, Marathon Petroleum, N.Z. Acquitane
Petroleum, N.Z. Oil & Gas, N.Z. Petroleum, Shell BP & Todd Oil
Services, Superior Oil, and Tasman Petroleum. We also thank
Neville Orr for thin sections, Stewart Bush for rock powders, Ken
Palmer and John Hunt for X-ray fluorescence analyses, Bob
Stewart, John Gamble, and Joe McKee for information on Mt
Taranaki xenoliths, Ian Graham for Sr isotopic analysis of
Toropuihi-1 cuttings, and Glenn Thrasher, Peter King, Mac Beggs,
Alva Challis, Bill Watters, and Bryan Davy for helpful discussions.
Earlier versions of the manuscript were improved by presubmission reviews from Hamish Campbell, Peter King, and Mac
Beggs, and journal reviews from Tim Little and Russell Korsch.
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences contribution number
886.

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