This paper provides a brief summary of mineral potential assessments of uranium deposits in Australia conducted by Geoscience Australia during the last 25 years. The assessment were carried out at different scales which vary from the geological province-scale (1:1 million to 1: 2.5 million) to a more detailed local-scale (1:250 000). The scale and method of assessment were defined by the main objectives of the assessment namely: a) competing land-use issues; b) resource availability; and c) prospectivity analysis for mineral exploration. Mineral potential of uranium deposits was assessed using critical mappable features of fertile uranium mineral systems. A mineral system is generally defined by its constituent elements, which include: (1) sources of energy driving the system; (2) sources of fluids, metals, and ligands; (3) pathways along which melt or fluid move, (4) chemical and/or physical traps in proximity to pathways; and (5) outflow zones for discharge of residual fluids; and (6) preservation (Wyborn et al., 1994; Knox-Robinson and Wyborn 1997; Jaques et al., 2002). These constituent elements and their mappable features are used to construct a probabilistic framework for generating mineral potential maps. The levels of mineral potential are either shown in non-numeric symbols, such as high, moderate and low, or in numeric symbols where potential is calculated by using GIS-based methods, such as index overlay, weights of evidence, and fuzzy logic. The paper also discusses a quantitative assessment of undiscovered uranium resources in sandstone-hosted uranium deposits. The assessment is based on the spatial density of uranium resources in sedimentary basins.

Prospecting was carried out along favourable structures in an area of granite and sediments. One uranium prospect was discovered near the Yenberrie wolfram field but appears to be very small and low in grade. Some general notes on the geology of the area were also made.

Report on the activities of the administrative and technical sections in the Katherine-Darwin area, to May, 1954. A brief account is given of geophysical operations. The results of prospecting and development work are summarised.

The airborne scintillometer survey made in the latter half of 1952 revealed a number of anomalies in the Brodribb area. Detailed geological and geophysical work was carried out on this prospect during 1952 (Frankovich 1953) and some costeans were excavated by bulldozer. In 1953 diamond drilling and further geological and geophysical work was undertaken. During 1953, six diamond drill holes, with a total footage of 1583 feet, were drilled in the Brodribb area and were arranged to make an exhaustive test for the occurrence of a primary uranium deposit of importance in the area.

White's South prospect is situated on the southern bank of the Finniss River (East branch) about 400 feet south southwest of White's Deposit (Ward 1953). Rocks do not outcrop in the area, but low radioactive anomalies were located in this area by the Geophysical Section 1951 suggesting that the western continuation of White's Deposit after faulting might be beneath the soil cover. Low grade ore intersections were obtained in five diamond drill holes put down in the area in 1952. A plan of the area on a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch accompanies this report (Plate 1).

In the course of geological investigation of the area included in the Katherine, Mt. Todd and Lewin Springs 1-miles sheets, carried out by J.H. Rattigan and A.B. Clark, Bureau of Mineral Resources, A.B. Clark found, in September 1953, uranium mineralization subsequently known as the A.B.C. Prospect, 11 miles north-north-east of the township of Katherine. This report is a record of the detailed investigation which followed the discovery.

The area described in this report extends for 6.5 miles south of the southern boundary of the Hundred of Goyder, and for approximately 8.5 miles west of the Stuart Highway. The North Australian Railway runs approximately through the centre of the area. No uranium-bearing minerals have yet been discovered in the Waterhouse Area, but copper mineralization, associated with some radioactivity is known to occur. A slate formation, which is partly graphic, carries the main signs of copper and uranium mineralization noted to date, and is underlain by a quartzite breccia. Those beds are similar to, and are possibly identical with, those carrying the uranium and copper ore at Rum Jungle, where surface showings were not impressive. The mineralized slate at Waterhouse warrants prospecting and at least one known deposit warrants drilling. Other parts of the area, in which radiometric anomalies have been found by the airborne scintillometer, need further ground investigation.

As a result of the field activities of the Bureau during 1953 regional geological maps have been prepared for the Rum Jungle district, the Katherine-Edith River district and the Coronation Hill-Goodparla district, which cover the Katherine, Lewin Springs and Mt. Todd 1 mile military sheets and portions of the Marrakai, Mt. Tolmer, Batchelor, Tumbling Waters, Goodparla North, Goodparla South and Mt. Evelyn sheets. Detailed geological and geophysical reports and plans have also been prepared for all known radioactive mineral prospects, costeaning and diamond drilling has been undertaken to test some of the prospects and inspectional reports have been made on practically all airborne scintillometer anomalies located during surveys in 1952, and on some of those found during 1953. Prospecting operations have also been undertaken. A summary of the activities of the Bureau during 1953 and the results achieved is given in the following pages, and further details can be obtained from reports mentioned in the list of references.

A point has been reached in the prospecting of this field where it is necessary to review results and consider future actions. The bore on site A has been completed and Mr. Knight has concluded his preliminary geological survey of the area. The information now available modifies some of our earlier views. The following statement summarises the position.

The occurrence of molybdenite deposits near Yetholme has been known for many years. The most important deposits are close to the eastern boundary of Ph. Yetholme, Co. Roxburgh. The deposits have been worked in a small way for molybdenite at several places, have been examined by several geologists, and have been investigated by two of the major mining companies. The result of this work has shown that although considerable tonnages are available, the molybdenite content is too low to make mining attractive. It is not proposed to describe the geology, mining excavations, and other factors affecting the field in this report since that has already been done in several previous reports. It is the purpose of this report, however, to point out that the Yetholme deposits contain a considerable amount of scheelite and may well warrant large scale mining for this now important ore of tungsten.