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  • Under the auspices of Geoscience Australia (GA), the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and geoscience agencies from other States and the Northern Territory are collaborating in the National Geochemical Survey of Australia (NGSA) project [http://www.ga.gov.au/ngsa]. The project, which is part of GA's Onshore Energy Security Program, aims to provide a layer of geochemical data and information at the national scale using an ultra-low sampling density strategy. The target sampling material is transported regolith similar to overbank sediment accumulated near the outlet of around 1400 large catchments. A surface and a deeper sample are collected at each site using a sampling methodology developed in a series of pilot projects carried out by GA and CRC LEME, some in collaboration with NSW DPI. The sampling phase of the project is well under way with 37% of catchments nation-wide already sampled by the end of March 2008 (Figure 1). In NSW, 78 of the total 162 samples have been collected and sent to GA for the next phase of the project, sample preparation. This phase includes drying, sieving and milling of the samples. The analytical phase will begin later this year, although preliminary testing and exchange of project standards with overseas laboratories is already underway. The NGSA project is scheduled to produce a web-delivered geochemical atlas and reports by June 2011.

  • Geoscience Australia and the States and Northern Territory geoscience agencies commenced a collaborative project in 2007 aimed at delivering a layer of pre-competitive geochemical data at the national scale. The resulting dataset will provide the energy and mineral exploration industry with a picture of the background geochemical concentration levels and patterns in Australia. The sampling strategy is based on using natural weathering and transport processes to produce well-mixed, fine-grained samples representing as much as possible the average composition of large catchments (Figure 1). To this end outlet sediments, which in most cases are similar to floodplain or overbank sediments, are collected at ~1400 target sampling sites determined by terrain and hydrologic modelling. The resulting average sampling density is ~1 site/5500 km2. At each site, sampling teams (Figure 2) collect outlet sediment samples from the surface (0-10 cm) and from a deeper level (between ~60 and 80 cm) using centrally provided equipment (Figure 3) and following a detailed set of instructions. Field data, e.g. GPS coordinates, soil colour and pH, are measured (Figure 4) and recorded digitally. In the laboratory, the collected samples are dried, split and sieved before being submitted to analysis for more than 60 elements/parameters. The data, geochemical atlas and reports resulting from this project will be made available via the GA website. The project finishes in June 2011.

  • Web-based CDROM providing links to national and state surveys' Internet pages relevant to mineral exploration in Australia.

  • I5 : Batten Trough Deep Seismic Reflection Traverses

  • Introduction The Curnamona Province is endowed with the supergiant Pb-Zn-Ag Broken Hill orebody and numerous minor mineral deposits (Pb-Zn-Ag, Cu-Au, Sn, W, U, etc.). These occur mostly within the limited outcrop of the Proterozoic Willyama Supergroup. Yet the vast majority of this Province is concealed by transported regolith, hampering the success of exploration based on conventional strategies. Groundwater is a geochemical sampling medium that moves through the subsurface, is easily collected and can be analysed with great accuracy and sensitivity. It may have come in contact with mineralisation and retained a chemical `memory? or fingerprint of such an encounter. Can one detect such fingerprints in groundwater collected from existing pastoral and exploration bores? Can they be used to target exploratory drilling in areas of transported cover? These are some of the questions our study in the Curnamona Province attempts to answer. Methods .../... Results and Discussion .../... Conclusions Hydrogeochemistry is a very useful tool in the search for mineralisation under cover, particularly at the regional scale for area selection or target ranking, and should be part of any multi-disciplinary mineral exploration campaign.

  • Welcome to Australia's Energy and Mineral Resources Showcase: This CD contains copies of the Showcase presentations and supporting material. If the application does not start automatically, please open 'index.hta' or 'index' to start it manually.

  • This Record describes all aspects of the Pumkuna copper-gold prospect, Bouganville Island.