Exploring for minerals in unexplored territory
Lorna Perry
ABC Country Hour
Have you ever wondered how mining companies know where to look when trying to find a new ore deposit?
Currently geologists are working on the next generation of tools to help explorers make that next discovery.
It's a joint effort between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geoscience Australia, the Northern Geological Survey and Primary Industries and Resources South Australia.
Warren Potma from the CSIRO's Minerals Down Under flagship says there needs to be a new set of tools for exploration because it's now more difficult to explore Australia than it used to be.
"Any of the exposed rocks at surface have been reasonably well explored, at least in the thin veneer of 100 metres or so from surface.
'So the next generation challenge is seeing through this cover, understanding what's going on beneath the cover or exploring below ground where we can't currently see with the technologies that we have," he says.
Part of the project is taking place at Energy Resources of Australia's Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu national park.
"We're looking at the signatures of the mineral system with a view to helping ERA in the first instance, but uranium explorers in general, to look for other mineral systems of this type,"
Mr Potma says company drill core data is often analysed by different tools to help look beyond where exploration has already taken place.
"We have a tool called the high logger, it's a hyper-spectral core logging tool... (that) maps the mineralogy down the hole in an objective way.
'It actually picks subtle differences, changes in mineralogy down hole which can be correlated to the mineralisation in the system.
In the end, a map of the mineral system is developed which helps identify where similar mineral systems could be found.
"A three dimensional model that contains not only the architecture of system, the shape of the system but also a mineral map of the system," he says.
Currently geologists are working on the next generation of tools to help explorers make that next discovery.
It's a joint effort between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geoscience Australia, the Northern Geological Survey and Primary Industries and Resources South Australia.
Warren Potma from the CSIRO's Minerals Down Under flagship says there needs to be a new set of tools for exploration because it's now more difficult to explore Australia than it used to be.
"Any of the exposed rocks at surface have been reasonably well explored, at least in the thin veneer of 100 metres or so from surface.
'So the next generation challenge is seeing through this cover, understanding what's going on beneath the cover or exploring below ground where we can't currently see with the technologies that we have," he says.
Part of the project is taking place at Energy Resources of Australia's Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu national park.
"We're looking at the signatures of the mineral system with a view to helping ERA in the first instance, but uranium explorers in general, to look for other mineral systems of this type,"
Mr Potma says company drill core data is often analysed by different tools to help look beyond where exploration has already taken place.
"We have a tool called the high logger, it's a hyper-spectral core logging tool... (that) maps the mineralogy down the hole in an objective way.
'It actually picks subtle differences, changes in mineralogy down hole which can be correlated to the mineralisation in the system.
In the end, a map of the mineral system is developed which helps identify where similar mineral systems could be found.
"A three dimensional model that contains not only the architecture of system, the shape of the system but also a mineral map of the system," he says.