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  • This map shows the locations of mines operating at the end of 2016, developing mines and mineral deposits in Australia. Developing mines are deposits with a proven minable resource and where mines site development has commenced or where a decision to mine has been announced. Mineral deposits highlight areas of know mineralisation with a proven or probable resource, that are not currently being mined or developed. Closed mines or mines not operating at the end of 2016 are not shown.

  • 3D structural and geological models that provide insight and understanding of the continents subsurface. The models capture 3D stratigraphy and architecture, including the depth to bedrock and the locations of different major rock units, faults and geological structures. <b>Value: </b>These models are valuable for exploration and reconstructions of Australia's evolution <b>Scope: </b>Contains a variety of 3D volumetric models and surfaces that were produced for specific projects at regional to continental scale.

  • The Congararra 1 borehole was drilled approximately 70 km NNW of Bourke, NSW. The borehole was designed to test aeromagnetic anomalies in the basement rocks, test the electrical conductivity properties of cover and basement rocks to validate airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data, and to test pre-drilling geophysical cover thickness estimates.

  • A second colour poster comparing the concepts in the computer game Minecraft with particular minerals and rocks. Aimed at school children, for display in classrooms. Designed to be printed at A2, but can also be printed smaller.

  • Statements of existing knowledge are compiled for known mineral, coal, hydrocarbon and carbon capture and storage (CCS) resources and reserves in the Adavale Basin. This data guide illustrates the current understanding of the distribution of these key resource types within the Adavale Basin region based on trusted information sources. It provides important contextual information on the Adavale Basin and where additional details on discovered resources can be found. So far, mineral deposits have not been found in the Adavale Basin. There are no coal deposits found in the basin itself, but 6 large coal deposits exist in the overlying basins in the Adavale Basin region. Historically, some small conventional gas resources have been found in the basin. Currently, there are no commercial reserves or available resources identified in the Adavale Basin itself. There are no active or planned carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in the Adavale basin.

  • Publicly available geological data in the Galilee Basin region are compiled to produce statements of existing knowledge for natural hydrogen, hydrogen storage, coal and mineral occurrences. This web service summarises mineral potential in the Galilee Basin region.

  • The Euroli 1 borehole was drilled approximately 23 km SSW of Hungerford, Queensland (which is located on the New South Wales-Queensland border). The borehole was designed to test aeromagnetic anomalies in the basement rocks, test the electrical conductivity properties of cover and basement rocks to validate airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data, and to test pre-drilling geophysical cover thickness estimates. The Euroli 1 borehole was commenced as a vertical mud rotary borehole and was completed with a deviated diamond drilled tail using a wedge.

  • Mafic igneous rocks are thought to be an important source of metals for the ca. 1640–1595 Ma sediment-hosted base metal deposits in the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic Mount Isa – McArthur Basin system of northern Australia. Such rocks are widespread—the voluminous rift-related mafic magmatism at ca. 1790–1775 Ma and ca. 1730–1710 Ma—and show local evidence for intense hydrothermal alteration and metal leaching. To better constrain the nature, degree, and regional and temporal extent of alteration and metal leaching in these rocks, we have undertaken regional sampling of mafic igneous units from available drillcore, for geochemistry, stable isotopes and petrological examination. Sampling focused on magmatism of both ages in the southeastern MacArthur Basin, complementing the extensive pre-existing data for the Mount Isa region. Alteration in the mafic igneous rocks of the southeastern McArthur Basin ranges from mildly to strongly chloritic in the older units to strongly potassic (K-feldspar–chlorite–hematite) in the younger units. The latter alteration is ubiquitous, well developed and characterised by strong K2O enrichment and extreme depletion in CaO and Na2O. Geochemical data show that this intense and pervasive potassic alteration extends to similar-aged mafic rocks in the western Mount Isa region. Metal leaching is present in both alteration types, with strong Cu and Pb depletion in the most chlorite-altered rocks, and Zn and Cu depletion in the potassic alteration. Our oxygen isotope data for these mafic rocks (of both ages) in the southeastern McArthur Basin show a limited range of values (δ18O of 6–10‰) that are negatively correlated with K2O content. Our values are significantly lighter than published data for similar igneous rocks to the west, and indicate either a temperature zonation (ca. 250 °C in the east versus ca. 100 °C in the west; preferred) and/or different fluids. Results from our geochemical forward modelling indicate the requirement for exogenous K2O to produce the observed potassic alteration. The most likely source of this K was saline brines, consistent with the interpreted lacustrine and/or evaporitic environments for much of the McArthur Basin. Timing of alteration is uncertain, and the alteration may have included diagenetic low-temperature local K-rich brines and younger higher-temperature deep basinal brines. The temporal and geographically restricted nature of the potassic alteration, however, suggests restriction of K-rich, bittern evaporitic brine production in the younger and inboard parts of the Mount Isa – McArthur Basin system. Our results provide insights that directly relate to the genesis and exploration of basin-hosted Zn-Pb and Cu-Co mineral systems. They confirm that mafic igneous rocks in the region have lost significant amounts of both Zn and Cu, many times more than required for known deposits. The study also shows that metal leaching was accompanied by magnetite-destructive alteration. Hence, identifying zones of metal leaching may be possible using inversions of geophysical data, which may assist in targeting exploration. <b>Citation:</b> Champion, D.C., Huston, D.L., Bastrakov, E., Siegel, C., Thorne, J., Gibson, G.M. and Hauser, J., 2020. Alteration of mafic igneous rocks of the southern McArthur Basin: comparison with the Mount Isa region and implications for basin-hosted base metal deposits. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.

  • The Laurelvale 1 borehole was drilled approximately 78 km SSW of Wanaaring, New South Wales, adjacent to the through-road between Tongo and Tilpa. The borehole was designed to test the geology of indistinct, linear aeromagnetic anomalies in the basement rocks, test the electrical conductivity properties of cover and basement rocks to validate airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data, and to test pre-drilling geophysical cover thickness estimates.

  • This dataset is a compilation of photographic images taken of the National Mineral and Fossil Collection specimens