The preliminary results of the 2002 Bonaparte Basin assessment indicate that there is a mean expectation of finding 334 million barrels of oil, 2.96 TCF of gas, and 116 million barrels of condensate in the next ten to fifteen years. This assessment represents a fall of some 41% from the 1998 oil assessment but an increase of 30% in the amount of gas. This is mainly due to the methodology attempting to model the expectation for the next ten to fifteen years rather than modelling the ultimate potential.

Extended review of mineralexploration in Australia in 2010.

This statement has been prepared as a supplement to Summary Report No. 27 - Aluminium and Bauxite - which was issued in 1946. Since that year testing of deposits in Tasmania has been completed and new discoveries of commercial bauxite have been made in northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Further exploration in South Gippsland has resulted in minor additions to the proved reserves of Victoria, and the presence of bauxite has been reported in Papua and New Guinea. Exploration of deposits of bauxite on the north coast of the Northern Territory is not complete but sufficient accessible reserves have been proved to change the formerly unfavourable outlook for the aluminium industry now being established in Australia. Re-examination of the formerly known deposits has necessitated recalculation of the stated reserves, and has generally resulted in a reduction of the earlier estimates, but on the other hand a substantial increase has been made for the Tamborine Mountain deposits in Queensland. South Gippsland tonnages have been recalculated and expressed as dry ore so as to be consistent with the statements for other States. Tonnages throughout are long tons (2240 pounds) of dry ore. In the following tables proved reserves are those which have been systematically tested by pits or bores regularly spaced at intervals of not more than 400 feet, and in many cases only 100 feet. Indicated reserves have been tested by more widely or irregularly spaced holes.

Superficial deposits of ferruginous manganese ore occur on the southern end of the Teano Range, Peak Hill Goldfield, Western Australia at about 150 miles by road north-north-west from Meekatharra. During the course of an investigation of new manganese discoveries in north-west Western Australia by L.E. de la Hunty of the Geological Survey of W.A. and the writer, the opportunity was taken to inspect two groups of small deposits in the Teano Range. One group contains about 14,200 tons of ore which averages about 2 per cent manganese and 32 per cent iron, and the other group 4,000 tons of marginal grade containing about 46 per cent manganese and 3.5 per cent iron. The former group is not of marketable quality and the other is too small and too remote to be of commercial value.

This prospect is situated on the northern bank of the East Finniss River, approximately 500 yards north-east of Brown's workings and 800 yards south-west of White's workings. About 50 years ago the area was prospected for copper and abandoned after several costeans had been dug. A small radiometric anomaly was discovered in 1950 and the area was radiometrically contoured. A geological map on a scale of 20 feet to one inch was prepared by the writer during the 1951 field season, and accompanies this report (Plate 1). [Geology, structure, mineralization, workings, diamond drilling, and prospecting recommendations are discussed].

Pisolitic bauxite containing between 40 and 50 per cent available alumina was discovered on islands off the north-east coast of Arnhem Land in 1949, and after preliminary reconnaissance in 1951 a thorough exploration of the deposits on Marchinbar Island, Wessel group was undertaken by the Australian Aluminium Production Commission. The island is composed of a gently titled alternating sequence of sandstone, siltstone and shale of upper Proterozoic age bearing remnants of a lateritized surface which includes the bauxite occurrences. Bauxite has developed by lateritization of a sericite-quartz siltstone containing rather more than 50 per cent sericite. The rock contains 65 per cent total silica, 19 per cent alumina and 6 per cent potash. Economic bauxite is mainly confined to the Pisolitic zone which has a maximum depth of 16.5 feet and rests upon red or red and black tubular and massive laterite. Over limited areas high alumina values persist downwards into the red tubular zone for a few feet. The deposits were proved by sampling pits sunk at intersections of rectangular grids spaced at 400 feet by 200 feet, except for one deposit (Fox), which was tested on a wider scale. Proved reserves are given in the following table, but the figures for Fox deposits are of a lower order of accuracy and should be regarded as indicated reserves. [See record for full details]. The total is equivalent to 4,500,000 tons of available alumina or 2,380,000 tons of aluminium metal.

The area investigated is to the south west of the West Wallsend Extended Colliery near the township of Killingworth within Portion 34, Parish of Teralba, County Northumberland. Drilling was carried out for the Joint Coal Board as part of the programme of the proposed Barnsley Australasian Open Cut, to locate the Great Northern and Fassifern Seams which outcrop at the base of the hills. Five bores were sunk. Bores BMR 1 to 4 penetrated the Fassifern Seam.

This statement, supplemented by graphic bore logs, sets out the results of a drilling campaign conducted at Cocked Hat Creek immediately west of the village of Young Wallsend, Newcastle district, by the Bureau in accordance with an agreement between the Mines Department of New South Wales, the Joint Coal Board and the Bureau. The area covered by the drilling grids totals about 200 acres, and includes parts of Portions 55, 69, 73 and 79, Parish of Teralba, County of Northumberland. It is known that this area, and a large extension to the north amounting to at least 4 square miles, is underlain by the Australasian seam which had been intersected at 50 feet from the surface in Portion 60 where it is approximately coincident with sea-level. Also the seam is exposed at various points along the northern margin to the larger area at elevations ranging from 170 to 220 feet. The purpose of the drilling was to test the thickness and quality of this seam, hitherto almost unknown factors, and to determine whether a potential open-cut site worthy of more exhaustive investigation exists.

The purpose of a visit to the Cloncurry district, which lasted from 21st August to 30th September, 1951, was to see what aid geophysical work could give in the search for copper deposits in this field which is one of the biggest mineral fields in Australia. While the Cloncurry district in the past produced copper from many small but rich deposits, only a few exceeded 200,000 tons, and the search now is being conducted mainly with the idea of finding and developing huge but relatively low grade copper deposits with at least several hundred thousand tons, or perhaps millions of tons of copper ore containing at least 2.5 to 5 percent copper. It is possible that geophysics might help in this search, and consequently, a number of old copper mines were visited and some geophysical test traverses made. With the rather limited facilities available the tests were confined to self-potential measurements and to a few traverses with a new Atlas gravity meter, especially suitable for ore prospecting because of its lights weight and transportability and its high sensitivity and accuracy. This report gives an account of the survey and its results.

This statement sets out the results of drilling in part of the Minmi Area, Newcastle District. The area covered by the drilling grid totals about 390 acres and includes parts of Portion 130, Ph. of Teralba and Portions 15 and 26, Ph. of Hexam. This statement refers to the western and central blocks of the area. Proximate analyses and calorific value determinations of the coal cores were made by the New South Wales Mines Department laboratory in Sydney. The analyses here quoted indicate a composition roughly equivalent to that which might be expected for cleaned or hand-picked coal from this area.