This Record presents 40Ar/39Ar chronologic results acquired in support of collaborative regional geoscientific investigations and mapping programs conducted by Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS). Argon isotopic data and interpretations from hornblende, muscovite, and biotite from seven samples collected from the Aileron Province in ALCOOTA , HUCKITTA, HALE RIVER, and ILLOGWA CREEK in the Northern Territory are presented herein. The results complement pre-existing geochronological constraints from U–Pb zircon and monazite analyses of the same or related samples, and provide new constraints on the thermal and deformation history of the Aileron Province. Three samples (2003082017, 2003082021, 2003083040) were taken from ALCOOTA in the northeastern portion of the Aileron Province. Biotite in sample 2003082017 from the ca 1.81 Ga Crooked Hole Granite records cooling below 320–280°C at 441 ± 5 Ma. Biotite in sample 2003082021 from the ca 1.73 Ga Jamaica Granite records cooling below 320–280°C at or after 414 ± 2 Ma. Muscovite in sample 2003083040 from the Delny Metamorphics, which were deposited after ca 1.82 Ga and preserve evidence for metamorphism at ca 1.72 Ga and 1.69 Ga, records cooling below 430–390°C at 399 ± 2 Ma. The fabrics preserved in the samples from the Crooked Hole Granite and Delny Metamorphics are interpreted to have formed due to dynamic metamorphism related to movement on the Waite River Shear Zone, an extension of the Delny Shear Zone, during the Palaeoproterozoic. Portions of the northeastern Aileron Province are unconformably overlain by the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian Georgina Basin, indicating these samples were likely at or near the surface by the Neoproterozoic. Together, these data indicate that rocks of the Aileron Province in ALCOOTA were subjected to heating above ~400°C during the Palaeozoic. Two samples (2003087859K, 2003087862F) of exoskarn from an indeterminate unit were taken from drillhole MDDH4 in the Molyhil tungsten–molybdenum deposit in central HUCKITTA. The rocks hosting the Molyhil tungsten–molybdenum deposit are interpreted as ca 1.79 Ga Deep Bore Metamorphics and ca 1.80 Ga Yam Gneiss. They experienced long-lived metamorphism during the Palaeoproterozoic, with supersolidus metamorphism observed until at least ca 1.72 Ga. Hornblende from sample 2003087859K indicates cooling below 520–480°C by 1702 ± 5 Ma and may closely approximate timing of skarn-related mineralisation at the Molyhil deposit; hornblende from sample 2003087862F records a phase of fluid flow at the Molyhil deposit at 1660 ± 4 Ma. The Salthole Gneiss has a granitic protolith that was emplaced at ca 1.79 Ga, and experienced alteration at ca 1.77 Ga. Muscovite from sample 2010080001 of Salthole Gneiss from the Illogwa Shear Zone in ILLOGWA CREEK records cooling of the sample below ~430–390°C at 327 ± 2 Ma. This may reflect the timing of movement of, or fluid flux along, the Illogwa Shear Zone. An unnamed quartzite in the Casey Inlier in HALE RIVER has a zircon U–Pb maximum depositional age of ca 1.24 Ga. Muscovite from sample HA05IRS071 of this unnamed quartzite yields an age of 1072 ± 8 Ma, which likely approximates, or closely post-dates, the timing of deformation in this sample; it provides the first direct evidence for a Mesoproterozoic episode of deformation in this part of the Aileron Province.

One of the aims of the Exploring for the Future program is to promote the discovery of new mineral deposits in undercover frontiers. Iron oxide–copper–gold mineral systems are a desirable candidate for undercover exploration, because of their potential to generate large deposits with extensive alteration footprints. This mineral potential assessment uses the mineral systems concept: developing mappable proxies of required theoretical criteria, combined to demonstrate where conditions favourable for mineral deposit formation are spatially coincident. This assessment uses a 2D geographical information system workflow to map the favourability of the key mineral system components. Two outputs were created: a comprehensive assessment, using all available spatial data; and a coverage assessment, which is constrained to data that have no reliance on outcrop. The results of these assessment outputs were validated with spatial statistics, demonstrating how the assessment can predict the presence of known ore deposits. Both assessment outputs present new areas of interest with prospectivity in under-explored regions of undercover northern Australia. The intended aims are already being realised, as this tool has aided area selection for pre-competitive stratigraphic drilling as part of the MinEx CRC National Drilling Initiative. <b>Citation:</b> Murr, J., Skirrow, R.G., Schofield, A., Goodwin, J., Coghlan, R., Highet, L., Doublier, M.P., Duan, J. and Czarnota, K., 2020. Tennant Creek – Mount Isa IOCG mineral potential assessment. 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.

This report was compiled and written to summarise the four-year Palaeovalley Groundwater Project which was led by Geoscience Australia from 2008 to 2012. This project was funded by the National Water Commission's Raising National Water Standards Program, and was supported through collaboration with jurisdictional governments in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The summary report was published under the National Water Commission's 'Waterlines' series. This document is supported by related publications such as the palaeovalley groundwater literature review, the WASANT Palaeovalley Map and associated datasets, and four stand-alone GA Records that outline the detailed work undertaken at several palaeovalley demonstration sites in WA, SA and the NT. Palaeovalley aquifers are relied upon in outback Australia by many groundwater users and help underpin the economic, social and environmental fabric of this vast region. ‘Water for Australia’s arid zone – Identifying and assessing Australia’s palaeovalley groundwater resources’ (the Palaeovalley Groundwater Project) investigated palaeovalleys across arid and semi-arid parts of Western Australia (WA), South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT). The project aimed to (a) generate new information about palaeovalley aquifers, (b) improve our understanding of palaeovalley groundwater resources, and (c) evaluate methods available to identify and assess these systems.

This double-sided A4 flyer promotes EFTF chronostratigraphic work in the NT, as well as the EFTF newsletter

Promotional Video designed to highlight the appeal of the Geological TimeWalk and attract visitors to Geoscience Australia, featuring GA Chief Scientist Dr. Steve Hill.

The Geoscience Australia Structural Measurements Database contains field measurements of geological structure features such as bedding, foliation, lineation, faults and folds from field sites, measured sections, and boreholes. The database is delivered as a layer in Geoscience Australia's "Geological Field Sites, Samples and Observations" web service.

This technical report details the methods and results the drilling programs of the Upper Burdekin Groundwater Project conducted as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF)—an eight year, $225 million Australian Government funded geoscience data and information acquisition program focused on better understanding the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources across Australia. This report was written by Queensland Government collaborators in the Department of Environment and Science, and is published here as supplied to Geoscience Australia at the conclusion of the project. The drilling program itself was conducted by the Department of Environment and Science as part of the Upper Burdekin Groundwater Project. A total of 17 holes were drilled in 2017-18 at 13 sites with a total combined depth of 943.2 metres. These comprise selected locations across both the Nulla Basalt Province and McBride Basalt Province. A network of 15 monitoring bores were constructed with two test holes backfilled and decommissioned.

Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program has established new techniques to collect onshore pre-competitive datasets on an unprecedented scale. The Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) is a Western Australian Government initiative that aims to encourage exploration for the long-term sustainability of the state’s resources sector. Integration of EFTF and EIS datasets has improved understanding of the geology across northern Australia, and the associated energy, mineral and groundwater resources potential. The onshore Canning Basin covers approximately 530 000 km2, and has proven prospectivity for conventional oil and gas, mainly in the northern part of the basin. Potential exists for unconventional resources that remain largely unexplored and untested. Gas resource assessments suggest that the basin has significant potential for recoverable shale gas and tight gas. Even with exploration continuing along the flanks of the Fitzroy Trough, the Canning Basin remains one of the least explored Paleozoic basins in the world (DMIRS, 2020). Australia’s longest onshore seismic line, 18GA-KB1, acquired in the southern Canning Basin addresses a long standing data gap across the Kidson Sub-basin and Waukarlycarly Embayment that assists with the resource evaluation of this frontier region. The Kidson Sub-basin covers 91 000 km2 and has a sag basin architecture. Preliminary interpretation of the seismic data indicates that the sedimentary basin is approximately 6 km deep, and includes a conformable package of Ordovician–Devonian siliciclastic, carbonate and evaporite facies of exploration interest. The Carboniferous succession is interpreted as not being present. Located on the western end of the seismic line, the newly drilled deep stratigraphic well Waukarlycarly 1 penetrated 2680.53 m of Cenozoic and Paleozoic strata and provides stratigraphic control for the geology imaged in the Waukarlycarly Embayment. A comprehensive elemental and δ13C isotope chemostratigraphy study assists with stratigraphic correlations within Ordovician sedimentary strata across the region (Forbes et al., 2020a, b). Oil and gas discoveries throughout the Canning Basin were generated from Paleozoic marine source rocks, deposited under stratified oxic and euxinic water columns. Three distinct petroleum systems, the Ordovician (Larapintine 2), Late Devonian (Larapintine 3) and latest Devonian–early Carboniferous (Larapintine 4), are recognized based on the geochemical character of their associated fluids and each display strong stratigraphic control (Carr et al., 2020). Widespread generation of gas from Paleozoic sources is evident from molecular analyses of gases recovered from petroleum wells and fluid inclusions (Boreham et al., 2020). Currently the Larapintine 2 Petroleum System is deemed most prospective system in the Kidson Sub-basin.

Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is an ongoing multiyear initiative by the Australian Government, conducted by Geoscience Australia, in partnership with state and Northern Territory government agencies and other partner research institutes. The first phase of the EFTF program (2016-2020) aimed to improve Australia’s desirability for industry investment in resource exploration in frontier or ‘greenfield’ regions across northern Australia. As part of the program, Geoscience Australia employed a range of both established and innovative techniques to gather new precompetitive data and information to develop new insight into the energy, mineral and groundwater resource potential across northern Australia. To maximise impact and to stimulate industry exploration activity, Geoscience Australia focussed activities in greenfield areas where understanding of resource potential was limited. In order to address this overarching objective under the EFTF program, Geoscience Australia led acquisition of two deep crustal reflection seismic surveys in the South Nicholson region, an understudied area of little previous seismic data, straddling north-eastern Northern Territory and north-western Queensland. The first survey, L210 South Nicholson 2D Deep Crustal Seismic Survey acquired in 2017, consisted of five overlapping seismic lines (17GA-SN1 to SN5), totalling ~1100 line-km. Survey L210 linked directly into legacy Geoscience Australia seismic lines (06GA-M1 and 06GA-M2) in the vicinity of the world-class Pb-Zn Century Mine in Queensland. The results from survey L210 profoundly revised our geological understanding of the South Nicholson region, and led to the key discovery of an extensive sag basin, the Carrara Sub-basin, containing highly prospective late Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic rocks with strong affinities with the adjacent Mount Isa Province and Lawn Hill Platform. To complement and expand on the outstanding success of the South Nicholson survey and to continue to explore the resource potential across the underexplored and mostly undercover South Nicholson and Barkly regions, a second seismic survey was acquired in late 2019, the Barkly 2D reflection survey (L212). The Barkly seismic survey comprises five intersecting lines (19GA-B1 to B5), totalling ~813 line-km, extending from the NT-QLD border in the south-east, near Camooweal, to the highly prospective Beetaloo Sub-basin in the north-west. The survey ties into the South Nicholson survey (L210), the recently acquired Camooweal 2D reflection seismic survey by the Geological Survey of Queensland and industry 2D seismic in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, leveraging on and maximising the scientific value and impact on all surveys. The Barkly reflection seismic data images the south-western margin of the Carrara Sub-basin and identified additional previously unrecognised, structurally-disrupted basins of Proterozoic strata, bounded by broadly northeast trending basement highs. Critically, the survey demonstrates the stratigraphic continuity of highly prospective Proterozoic strata from the Beetaloo Sub-basin into these newly discovered, but as yet unevaluated, concealed basins and into the Carrara Sub-basin, further attesting to the regions outstanding potential for mineral and hydrocarbon resources. This survey, in concert with the South Nicholson seismic survey and other complementary EFTF funded regional geochemical, geochronology and geophysical data acquisition surveys, significantly improves our understanding of the geological evolution, basin architecture and the resource potential of this previously sparsely studied region.

Geoscience Australia commissioned ACIL Allen Consulting (ACIL Allen) to independently quantify the return on investment from six pre-competitive geoscience projects. These projects include three from the first phase of the $225 million Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program (2016-2024) and three pre-EFTF projects that were undertaken within the last two decades: the Mineral Potential Mapper Project (2012-2016), the Salt Lakes Study (2012-2014), and the Northeast Yilgarn Project (2001-2004). ACIL Allen has shown that the net benefits that have been estimated to flow as a result of Geoscience Australia’s spending on each of the projects are all positive, and in many cases, quite large. The return on investment analysis for the three EFTF case studies is published separately (https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/132897) and the analysis of the three pre-EFTF case studies is available here in three standalone reports. An additional overview report synthesises the findings from all six case studies to assess the broader impact and value of pre-competitive geoscience projects. This synthesis includes projects undertaken by Geoscience Australia alone or in collaboration with state/territory geological surveys and other research organisations. ACIL Allen estimated that the net present value of benefits to Australia attributed to Geoscience Australia’s contribution to the three pre-EFTF projects are between $962 million and $2.4 billion, depending on the scenario considered. ACIL Allen also estimated that for every dollar invested by Geoscience Australia in these pre-EFTF projects, the Australian Government could gain a net benefit of at least $15 and potentially as much as $157. The analysis also shows that direct jobs associated with mining operations potentially arising from GA’s work on the six projects could number in the thousands. The ACIL Allen analysis also demonstrates that considerable time may elapse between the completion of a Geoscience Australia project and commencement of the mining of any resources that are identified. The three pre-EFTF projects examined suggest that it is around 10 years between the publication of Geoscience Australia’s results and the development of a mine. Therefore, If the development of any resources based on the findings of the EFTF projects follow similar timelines, then we could potentially expect to see new mines in operation sometime between 2026 and 2030.