In Portion 11, Ph. of Stockrington Diamond Drilling near an unnamed creek tributary to Surveyor Creek has disclosed coal continuously for a distance of 7,600 feet south from the northern boundary of the Portion. The seam is split and banded and the coal is inherently high in ash. Proximate analyses of the coal were carried out by the New South Wales Mines Department laboratory in Sydney. All coal ores were forwarded from the field and shale etc. bands of greater thickness than half an inch were discarded by the analysts. Stony coal or carbonaceous shale with S.G. greater than 1.6 was also rejected from the assay samples. Consequently the analyses quoted indicate a composition roughly equivalent to that which might be expected for cleaned or hand-picked coal from this area.

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.

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.

A geological investigation of the Yeuralba mineral field was undertaken by the Bureau of Mineral resources as part of the field activities for the 1952 field season. Actual field work occupied five weeks in August and September. Most of this time was devoted to sampling individual greisen occurrences. In addition, a geological map of Yeuralba and the surrounding area was prepared on a scale of 1:25,000. Sandstones and tuffaceous sandstones of Lower Proterozoic age have been folded and intruded by porphyry, epidiorite, and granite, in the Yeuralba area. The granite intrusion was followed by a strong tensional movement and a regional system of black faults and strong joints was developed. Lower Cretaceous sandstone and porcellanite unconformably overlie the igneous rocks and Lower Proterozoic metamorphics. The granite has been hydrothermally altered to a marked degree along these fractures. Tin, tungsten, gold and bismuth mineralization is associated with greisen, tourmalite, topazite, and other alteration products of the granite. Cassiterite-bearing tourmalites and assiterite-wolframite-gold-bearing topazites and tourmalites occur within the granites mass and wolframite-scheelite-bismuth-bearing greisens at the contact between the granite and the sediments. Bulk sampling and preliminary grab sampling of a number of these bodies indicates that several of the bodies should be tested in a more detailed manner, to determine whether they will bulk at a grade which would permit economic mining of the deposits.

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, of approximately 16 square miles, is 10 miles east of Singleton in the Parishes of Sedgefield and Marwood, County of Durham and in the Parish of Belford, County of Northumberland. The Bureau on Mineral Resources drilled 5 rotary cored bores, as shown on BMR Map N14/109, to 150 ft., 301 ft., 167 ft. 1 in., 202 ft. 8 in. and 131 ft. respectively. The result of drilling was total absence of coal. This may be seen in the attached logs.

This report describes a geophysical test survey made in September 1952, at the request of the Queensland Department of Mines and Mines Exploration Pty. Ltd., over an area measuring 750 feet by 1,000 feet in the Liontown area, about 28 miles south-west of Charters Towers, Queensland. The existence of a lead lode was known, because of its exposure in some inclined shafts, and this test survey was made to determine if the geophysical methods used could locate the exact position of the known lode, the ultimate object being, if the test survey were successful, to extend the investigations over a greater area. Self-potential and electromagnetic methods were used. A fairly strong indication, with an easterly strike, was recorded by the electromagnetic method at a position coinciding with the known lode, but no clear anomaly was recorded there by the self-potential survey. An even stronger electromagnetic anomaly, also with an easterly strike, was recorded about 300 feet south of the known lode, and was continuous from one end of the surveyed area to the other. The only self-potential anomaly of any importance was recorded between the two electromagnetic indications and is probably due to a quartz reef with pyrite mineralisation. The results show that the test was successful, in that the known lead lode was clearly indicated, and it is recommended that the survey be extended over a greater area to determine the full extent of the mineralisation. A target for a diamond drill-hole is also suggested, to determine the cause of the high electrical conductivity in the southern part of the area.

Mining and exploration activities and geological investigations carried out in the Rum Jungle area during 1951 and 1952 have provided important results and basic information concerning the known uranium deposits, and indicate the presence of numerous interesting prospects requiring further investigation. Details of the results and the nature of the investigations are given in the following pages.