Southern Thomson Project update

Southern Thomson Project update

• 1.
  Southern Thomson Projectupdate Uncovering the basement geology of the Thomson Orogen and plans for regional stratigraphic drilling Dr Ian Roach Southern Thomson Project Activity Leader
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  Southern Thomson Projectupdate: Exploration In The House 2016 Introduction The UNCOVER Initiative Southern Thomson Project Progress to date Stratigraphic drilling program Drilling in the southern Thomson!
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  Setting the scene: Australia’scover opportunity Most of Australia's proven mineral reserves occur where rocks stick out of the ground. We need to find: 1. Extensions to known mineral provinces 2. Entirely new provinces 3. Opportunities at depth Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 Richard Blewett Southern Thomson Project
• 4.
  The UNCOVER Initiative AustralianAcademy of Science 2012: Searching the Deep Earth: a vision for exploration geoscience in Australia Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 Commonwealth-States-Territory: Standing Council Energy & Resources (SCER - COAG) National Mineral Exploration Strategy (2012) Richard Blewett
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  The Southern ThomsonProject National Collaborative Framework (NCF) project: – Geoscience Australia – Geological Survey of New South Wales – Geological Survey of Queensland Aim: Better understand geological character & mineral potential through new multi-disciplinary geophysical, geochemical and geological data Objective: To provide the mineral exploration industry with pre-competitive data and knowledge that reduces risk and encourages investment Impact: Increased mineral investment in the region Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016
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  Progress: Multi-element surfacegeochemistry Preliminary results: • Mobile Metal Ion® (MMI) selective leach – Principal Components Analysis shows broad agreement with tectonic elements, distal footprints of mineralised basement terrains • Hyperspectral scanning of surface samples – Validate remote sensing data • GA Record in preparation Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 Image: overbank sediments MMI Principal Component 1 Ca,Sr,Cu,Mg, Au,Mo,Ag Sm,Nd,Pr,Th, La,Ce Tibooburra Hungerford Bourke Brewarinna Wilcannia Eulo
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  Airborne electromagnetic survey •Cover thickness mapping over the Eulo Ridge • Identify unmapped basement highs • Risk reduction for further geophysics and drilling • Adjunct to magnetotelluric data acquisition and gravity modelling of the Thomson- Lachlan orogen boundary GA Record 2015/29 and data are freely available through the Geoscience Australia website: www.ga.gov.au Search for “Southern Thomson” Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 QLD NSW AEM depth to basement model
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  New data acquisition: AEMsurvey extension Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 New pre-competitive AEM survey: • New regional survey in Louth & Enngonia areas • Infill previous sites where basement highs were located but poorly imaged • Overfly proposed drill sites for data validation Flying May-June 2016 QLD NSW
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  Geological synthesis –seamless basement geology • Solid geology and structural synthesis • Improve understanding of basement geology and structural evolution • Merge geophysical & geological interpretation across the border • Develop unit descriptions • Provide structural framework • Inform future drilling targets (sample knowledge gaps) • Publish as a GIS package (Purdy, Hegarty & Doublier) Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016
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  Isotopic dating New dataon magmatic, metamorphic and mineralisation ages: • Builds on recent collaborative geochronology with GSNSW & GSQ • New Ar-Ar, K-Ar ages plus XRD on cleavage minerals for age of deformation • ~80 new U-Pb SHRIMP ages from industry drill core, more than half already published • New publications released or in preparation: • Cuttaburra-F1 • Detrital zircon stratigraphic constraints • Hf-O isotopes on magmatic rocks Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 New isotopic age samples QLD NSW
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  Mineral systems synthesis •Review current isotopic literature • Collect new S and Pb from available cores • New results from Cuttaburra-F1 prospects better define mineralisation age (GA Record in prep) • Reassess mineral potential of southern Thomson Orogen based on review, solid geology and new industry results • Waiting on new drilling Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 Diorite 402 ± 3 Ma Granite 421 ± 2 Ma Orogenic gold “Intrusion-related Au” Sn-W skarn (Rosemary Hegarty, GSNSW) Cuttaburra/F1 Armistead and Skirrow in prep
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  Pre-drill geophysics Project staffcompleted pre-drill geophysics acquisition in October 2015 Depth to basement soundings acquired by: • Seismic refraction • Passive seismic • Audio MT • (Resistivity) Develop an “Explorer’s Toolbox” of geophysics methods to aid industry Publish results post-drilling Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016
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  New drilling thiswinter! Data and information already gained is guiding a new stratigraphic drilling program Increase our knowledge of the geology and mineral potential of the southern Thomson Orogen, reduce exploration risk Aiming for final project delivery end 2017/18 FY Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016 QLD NSW
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  Stratigraphic drilling program Objective:To provide the mineral exploration industry with pre- competitive data and knowledge that reduces risk and encourages investment in the region Drill targets selected after a knowledge gap analysis: • Solid geology, geochronology, mineral systems Pre-drill geophysics used to inform: • Depth to basement for primary/alternate drill sites • Drilling budget estimates Focus on regional stratigraphic packages from solid geology Drilling RFT released Wednesday 20 April, closes 10 May Southern Thomson Project update: Exploration In The House 2016
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  Phone: +61 26249 9111 Web: www.ga.gov.au Email: [email protected] Address: Cnr Jerrabomberra Avenue and Hindmarsh Drive, Symonston ACT 2609 Postal Address: GPO Box 378, Canberra ACT 2601 Thank you Near Eulo. What lies beneath? www.ga.gov.au Search for “Southern Thomson”