As part of the Australian Government's Onshore Energy Security Program and the Queensland Government's Smart Mining and Smart Exploration initiatives, deep seismic reflection surveys (~2300 line km) were conducted in North Queensland to establish the architecture and geodynamic framework of this area in 2006 (Mt Isa Survey; also involving OZ Minerals and pmd*CRC) and 2007 (Cloncurry-Georgetown-Charters Towers Survey; also involving AuScope). The purpose here is to use new geodynamic insights inferred from the seismic and other data to provide comments on the large-scale geodynamic controls on energy and other mineral potential in North Queensland.

The Tasman Orogen represents a long-lived accretionary orogen with numerous orogenic cycles of extension and subsequent orogeny. Although details of the orogen are controversial, it is evident that the present configuration represents the cumulate products of many orogenies including both accretion and significant rearrangement of terranes. As a result the Tasman Orogen plays host to a significant array of commodities within a myriad of deposit styles, related to a variety of tectonic regimes. It is also evident that many mineralisation styles are repeated through the different orogenic cycles, and commonly during the same parts of the orogenic cycle. For example, volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits form early in cycles, whereas lode gold deposits form during contractional orogenesis that terminates the cycle. The geological complexity is both an advantage and disadvantage. Although the complexity can hinder regional exploration, it offers significant potential for identifying regions where previously unrecognised mineralisation styles may be present, particularly under cover where the geology (and tectonic history) is less well constrained.

Extended abstract describing metallogenic significance of georgina-Arunta seismic line. The abstract discusses mainly the Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic mineral potential, including implications to U, Cu-Co, Au, Cu-U and energy.

In July 2000, Geoscience Australia (then the Australian Geological Survey Organisation) joined with the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) in the North Australia NGA (National Geoscience Agreement) Project (NAP), a three year program to assist NTGS in their regional mapping and metallogenic programs in the southern Northern Territory.

Presented at the Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference, 20-22 June 2006, Alice Springs. The North Australia Project of Geoscience Australia had, as its starting point, the review of event chronology in the Arunta Region compiled by Collins and Shaw (1995) and only sparse dating coverage in the Tanami and Tennant regions. The knowledge-base was still dominated by younger systems, which overprinted the Palaeoproterozoic rocks. Early attempts to unravel the pre-1700 Ma evolution with SHRIMP U-Pb dating had not yet identified all of the major event systems and their scope. In the absence of detailed timing constraints, regional correlations were conjectural or based on perceived litholigical links. The prevailing model was that the earliest evolution across the Proterozoic inliers of northern Australia comprised two major basin phases separated by a single correlated orogenic episode, the 'Barramundi Orogeny', which created and defined the North Australian Craton as a tectonic domain (Etheridge et al., 1987, Meyers et al., 1996). Detailed regional re-mapping, combined with a program of imaging-assisted SHRIMP U-Pb dating studies, has led to a new understanding. Several distinct events are now recognised and there are many basin phases separated by a variety of stratigraphic and/or tectonic surfaces. Although major issues are yet to be resolved, there is greater confidence in reconstructing the evolution and metallogeny of individual regions. Some key inter-region correlations can now be demonstrated at the scale of individual formations, unconformities or events. <p>Related product:<a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/products/servlet/controller?event=GEOCAT_DETAILS&amp;catno=64764">Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference Abstracts</p>

Presented at the Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference, 20-22 June 2006, Alice Springs. The Nolan's Bore LREE/P/U deposit is located at 133° 14' 15"E ,22° 34' 40"S , approximately 135 km NNW of Alice Springs. The deposit was initially located in 1994 by PNC Exploration (Australia) Pty Ltd (Thevissen, 1995) and rediscovered by Arafura Resources NL in 1999 when the REE and phosphate potential of the deposit came to prominence. Current identified mineral resources (Indicated + Inferred, JORC compliant) stand at 18.6 Mt at 3.1% REO, 14% P2O5, and 0.021% U3O8 (Goulevitch, 2006). The deposit is open laterally and at depth. The bulk of the mineralisation is currently restricted to an area about 1500 m × 1100 m in extent, and this may increase if suspected continuity to other fluorapatite outcrops 500-600 m along strike to the SW is confirmed. A fluorapatite band located about one kilometre west of the main deposit does not appear to be linked at shallow depths to the main deposit as mineralisation is absent in the intervening area. <p>Related product:<a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/products/servlet/controller?event=GEOCAT_DETAILS&amp;catno=64764">Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference Abstracts</p>

The article describes geological constraints on the formation of sandstone-hosted uranium depoists in paleovalleyes and paleochannels

Legacy product - no abstract available

Presented at the Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference, 20-22 June 2006, Alice Springs. The 2005 Tanami Seismic Collaborative Research Project produced four regional deep seismic reflection traverses, 05GA-T1 through 05GA-T4, totalling 724 line-km. Traverse 05GA-T1, a 354.3 km long northwest-southeast regional transect started in Western Australia and ended in the Northern Territory. It was located close to Tanami Gold's Bald Hills deposits and Newmont's Tanami and The Granites mine sites. This traverse provided cross-strike information on the geometry of the Coomarie and Frankania granite complexes as well as many of the region's fault systems. The traverse ended at the southern edge of the Willowra Gravity Ridge. The cross-traverses, 05GA-T2 (101.8 km long), 05GA-T3 (179.2 km long) and 05GA-T4 (84.4 km long) provide orthogonal three-dimensional control on the geometry of the region's main fault systems. The project objectives are to: - Image the geometry of the main faults; - Determine a deformation sequence for these faults; - Identify any through-going crustal structures; - Determine stratigraphic thicknesses of the Tanami Group and granite body geometries; - Determine relationships of the various stratigraphic packages to controlling structures; - Investigate the relationship of mineralised domains to crustal scale structures; - Identify Archaean basement and its relationship to the overlying Tanami Group stratigraphy; - Investigate the character of the Tanami-Arunta boundary. <p>Related product:<a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/products/servlet/controller?event=GEOCAT_DETAILS&amp;catno=64764">Evolution and metallogenesis of the North Australian Craton Conference Abstracts</p>

Initial lead isotope ratios from Archean volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) and lode gold deposits and neodymium isotope model ages from igneous rocks from the geological provinces that host these deposits identify systematic spatial and temporal patterns, both within and between the provinces. The Abitibi-Wawa Subprovince of the Superior Province is characterized by highly juvenile lead and neodymium. Most other Archean provinces, however, are characterized by more evolved isotopes, although domains within them can be characterized by juvenile isotope ratios. Metal endowment (measured as the quantity of metal contained in geological resources per unit surface area) of VHMS and komatiite-associated nickel sulfide (KANS) deposits is related to the isotopic character, and therefore the tectonic history, of provinces that host these deposits. Provinces with extensive juvenile crust have significantly higher endowment of VHMS deposits, possibly as a consequence of higher heat flow and extension-related faults. Provinces with evolved crust have higher endowment of KANS deposits, possibly because such crust provided either a source of sulfur or a stable substrate for komatiite emplacement. In any case, initial radiogenic isotope ratios can be useful in predicting the endowment of Archean terranes for VHMS and KANS deposits. Limited data suggest similar relationships may hold in younger terranes.