The Kangaroo Caves zinc-copper deposit in the Archaean Panorama District in the northern Pilbara Craton, Western Australia contains an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 6.3 million tonnes at 3.3% zinc and 0.5% copper. The Kangaroo Caves area is characterised by predominantly tholeiitic volcanic rocks of the Kangaroo Caves Formation, which is overlain by turbiditic sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Soanesville Group. Zinc-copper mineralisation is hosted mainly by the regionally extensive Marker Chert, the uppermost unit of the Kangaroo Caves Formation, and structurally controlled by D1 synvolcanic faults. The upper area of the deposit is characterised by quartz-sphalerite ± pyrite ± baryte ± chalcopyrite, whereas the lower area contains mainly chlorite-pyrite-quartz-carbonate-sericite ± chalcopyrite ± sphalerite. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses show that cobalt-nickel ratios in pyrite are significantly greater in the upper, zinc-rich area (median copper/nickel = 0.4) of the deposit than the lower, zinc-poor area (median copper/nickel = 5). Structural analysis of the Kangaroo Caves area combined with Leapfrog modelling of ore and trace element distribution shows that the deposit is predominantly an elongate sheet of zinc mineralisation (-1%), which plunges ~30° to the northeast and is approximately 1000 metres in length. The morphology of the Kangaroo Caves deposit was retained from its original formation, despite rotation during the D2 event. Variations in hydrothermal alteration assemblages, including the copper and nickel contents of pyrite within the deposit and underlying dacite, are interpreted to be the result of variations in the influx and mixing of seawater with upwelling volcanogenic fluids during zinc-copper mineralization. At the Kangaroo Caves area the cobalt-nickel ratio of pyrite can be used as an exploration vector towards high-grade zinc-copper mineralization.

The FreeGs is a web-enabled thermodynamic database of geologically related substances.

Fluid inclusion studies of the major deposits and prospects in the Tanami region indicate that they formed over a range of temperatures and depths. Gold mineralisation is structurally controlled with the highest grades occurring in brittle, dilational structures or at the intersection of quartz veins and anticlines. Mineralisation occurs in a number of different rock assemblages including amphibolite facies sediments, greenschist facies sediments, intercalated units of basalt and sediments, and dolerite intrusives, but in all cases there is a close relationship between mineralisation and carbonaceous shales or iron-rich lithologies. The ore-bearing fluids appear to range in composition but are generally moderate to low-salinity fluids (<13 wt% NaCl eq), which contain CO2 to a greater or lesser extent. The different gas compositions of the fluids result from fluid-rock interaction leading to generation of CH4 or N2 depending on whether the fluids have interacted with mafic or sedimentary sequences. Microthermometric and laser Raman microprobe data indicate that the Groundrush deposit formed at the greatest temperatures and depths (260 ? 430 ?C and up to 11 km), from moderate salinity fluids (?13.9 wt.% NaCl eq.) that were enriched in CH4 ? CO2. The Granites deposit formed at temperatures ranging from 220 ? 312 ?C and depths between 2.3 and 9.8 km. The ore-fluids contained CO2 ? N2 ? CH4 and were of low to moderate salinity (0 ? 14 wt.% NaCl eq.). The Coyote prospect formed over the range 290 ? 360 ?C and at depths between 3.4 and 7.5 km. This deposit contained CO2-rich inclusion (some with graphite crystals), CH4-rich inclusions (also some with graphite crystals), and CO2 ? N2-bearing inclusions, all with salinities below 6.7 wt.% NaCl eq. The Callie deposit formed at temperatures ranging from 254 ? 326 ?C and depths between 2.3 and 6.0 km. The ore-forming fluids contained CO2 ? N2 and had salinities ?13 wt.% NaCl eq., but there is also evidence for isothermal mixing with higher salinity fluids. Deposits in the region of the Tanami Gold Mine formed at temperatures ranging from 260 ? 380 ?C and depths between 1.5 and 5.6 km. Low to moderate salinity (?13 wt.% NaCl eq.),CO2-bearing inclusions were only observed in quartz veins from 2 of the open-cut pits but these inclusions are believed to represent the mineralising fluids in this region. The quartz veins from these deposits typically contain ubiquitous 2-phase, aqueous inclusions with evidence for isothermal mixing between high- and low-salinity fluids at temperatures between 100 and 200 ?C. Hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon isotopic data from fluid inclusions and mineralised quartz veins indicate that the source of the mineralising fluids was either a metamorphic or mixed magmatic/metamorphic fluid. However, as most deposits in the Tanami region appear to post-date the main period of magmatic activity, a metamorphic origin for the mineralising fluids appears the most likely. Gold mineralisation in the Tanami region resulted from fluid/rock interaction and reduction of the ore-bearing fluids by Fe-rich rocks or graphitic sediments. However, at higher crustal levels, boiling/effervescence due to pressure fluctuations may have enhanced gold deposition. There is also evidence for fluid mixing which, particularly for the deposits of the Tanami Gold Mine, occurs at lower temperatures than those estimated for mineralisation, indicating that it is a late stage process with little effect on the main stage of mineralisation.

Australian mineral exploration spending in 2007-081 rose by 41% to a record $2461.4 million2 of which 44% was spent on the search for new deposits3. Spending rose in all States and the Northern Territory; Western Australia dominated with 51% of Australian mineral exploration spending. Base metals were the dominant target with 32% of exploration spending while gold was the major commodity sought with 24% of total spending. Exploration results were announced for a wide range of commodities from across the country with significant increases in resources at the Prominent Hill copper-gold project in South Australia, Cadia gold-copper project in New South Wales, Cloncurry copper and gold project in Queensland and the Solomon iron ore project in Western Australia. High-grade nickel intersections were reported from the Spotted Quoll and Lounge Lizard deposits in Western Australia.

Fluids in mineral systems may be derived from above, within, or below the Earth's crust. Fluid production rates and observed Cl contents indicate that the dominant inputs to mineral systems are surface derived (meteoric & bittern) waters and those transported into the crust from below, principally by magmas. These conclusions can be used as part of any analysis of the distribution of mineral systems and ore deposits.

The Paterson AEM survey was flown over the Paterson Orogen, the eastern Pilbara Craton and the on-lapping Officer and Canning Basins in NW Western Australia between September 2007 and October 2008 as part of the Commonwealth Government's Onshore Energy Security Program. The survey was designed to provide pre-competitive data for enhancing uranium and other mineral exploration. Flight lines were at a variety of spacings from 6, 2 and 1 km to 200 m targeting known deposits and other covered highly prospective rocks for a total area of 45,330 km2. The survey data has afforded new insights into the Paleozoic paleotopography of the region which is blanketed by regolith including Phanerozoic sediments including Permian glaciogene, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments. These insights have major implications for mineral prospectivity.

Abstract attached

From 1995 to 2000 information from the federal and state governments was compiled for Comprehensive Regional Assessments (CRA), which formed the basis for Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) that identified areas for conservation to meet targets agreed by the Commonwealth Government with the United Nations. These 3 CDs were created as part of GA's contribution to the Eden, NSW CRA. CD1 contains original and final versions of all data coverages and shapefiles used in the project, Published Graphics files in ArcInfo (.gra), postscript (.ps) and Web ready (.gif) formats, all Geophysical Images and Landsat data and final versions of documents provided for publishing. CD2 contains the DEFUNCT directories, data that has been modified or replaced in the final version. CD3 contains the INTEGRTN directory, integration data used for evaluating options.

Legacy product - no abstract available

The Olympic Copper-Gold Province of the eastern Gawler Craton of South Australia, in hosting the Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Carrapateena and Moonta-Wallaroo deposits, has the greatest known iron-oxide, copper, gold and uranium (IOCGU) metal endowment of any geological province on Earth. The historic Moonta-Wallaroo copper-gold mining fi eld is within the Moonta sub-domain and is hosted by the ~1750 Ma Wallaroo Group that preserves some evidence of evaporitic sedimentation, similar to other major iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) provinces in Australia and North America. Observations in the Moonta-Wallaroo district indicate that mineralisation was broadly associated with intense metasomatic alteration, intrusion of granites and gabbros of the Hiltaba Suite, moderate grade metamorphism and intensely partitioned deformation. The driving force of this extensive ~1600 to 1500 Ma hydrothermal, magmatic and tectonic event was a major thermal pulse, the cause of which remains under debate. The vein-style mineralisation in the Moonta-Wallaroo district developed in ground prepared by ductile shearing. Widespread sub-economic copper mineralisation in the region is associated with intense regional magnetite-bearing skarn-like alteration of the Cloncurry type, with oxidation and hematite replacement of early magnetite. Targeting of structurally-controlled demagnetised zones and the oxidised margins of magnetic anomalies has been applied successfully in the northern Olympic Copper-Gold Province (e.g. Prominent Hill) and is also applicable to the Moonta-Wallaroo region. The recently discovered copper-gold mineralisation at the Hillside copper-gold deposit demonstrates the continued prospectivity of this southern portion of the Olympic Copper-Gold Province.