NT a world-class place to explore for minerals

Geological studies reveal the Northern Territory as a world-class place to explore for a large range of commodities, especially uranium-based metals, phosphate, gold and rare earth elements, says Dr Ian Scrimgeour, Director of the Northern Territory Geological Survey.

However the real challenge is extending knowledge in undercover areas, areas covered by thick sedimentary cover, he says.

Dr Scrimgeour, opening speaker at the Mining the Territory conference on 14-15 October at the Darwin Convention Centre, says in an interview he will focus on the NT Government’s $14.4 million Bringing Forward Discovery exploration initiative that aims to assist industry explore remote, under-explored parts of the territory.

“In particular I’ll be focusing on the newly announced successful applications for the first round of our geophysics and drilling collaborations, going through what exploration programs the government will be co-funding and giving tips to companies on how to successfully apply for funding in future rounds,” he says.

“I’ll also be touching on some of the new exciting geoscience data coming out of the initiative including the results of our first major regional gravity survey in central Australia.”

Dr Scrimgeour says Bringing Forward Discovery is all about bringing forward the next major mineral and petroleum discoveries in the territory and also working hard to raise the Territory’s profile as an exploration destination both nationally and internationally.

“We want to lower exploration risks through the provision of high quality geo-science data and prospectivity assessments. We also want to increase the intensity of high risk innovative greenfield exploration by co-funding selected industry exploration programs through a newly announced geo-physics and drilling collaborations program.

“In the geological survey we use a varied and multi-disciplinary approach to assist companies in identifying new exploration opportunities.

“We certainly have a focus in getting our geologists out on the ground in under-explored areas and doing geological mapping and collecting new data such as geochemical analyses, and getting the information out to industry as soon as we can.

“We combine all that data together to compile a framework of the stratigraphy, the tectonics of an area that form the basis of regional prospectivity assessments of an area for the industry.

“We also back this field-based work up with the acquisition of regional geophysics such as magnetics, radiometrics and gravity to allow interpretation of the under-covered geology.

“And we’re moving towards an increased focus on using that geophysical data to produce 3D visualisations of under-covered geology to assist exploration targeting.”

www.iir.com.au/territory

To arrange a media pass, request more information or arrange speaker interviews contact:

Nigel Dique
Informa-IIR 02 9080 4108; 0423 024 819;
ndique@iir.com.au

Conference to review SA mining progress

South Australia is entering an exciting new developmental phase, with around $13 billion worth of minerals and energy projects under way.

Leading the charge are BHP Billiton’s $7 billion Olympic Dam project targeting copper, uranium, silver and gold and OZ Minerals’ $775 million Prominent Hill (copper, gold).In addition to copper, uranium, silver and gold, companies have major investments in mining coal, zinc, lead, silver and mineral sands.

Analysts are predicting South Australia has the resources to challenge Western Australia as the country’s leading minerals producer.

“The continued interest in South Australia for exploration reflects the confidence minerals companies have to invest in this State,” says SA Mineral Resources Development Minister Paul Holloway.

Mr Holloway will be a keynote speaker at the Mining South Australia conference in Whyalla on 2-4 December. The conference will be held at the Middleback Theatre, to cope with bigger numbers following last year’s inaugural event that packed in 200 minerals industry representatives from around Australia.

Mr Holloway says investment in exploration reached a record $551.5 million for the 12 months to the end of June, almost level pegging with Queensland, Australia’s other resource-rich boom State.

The need for supporting infrastructure and services is expected to create major opportunities for investment and jobs in mine planning, engineering, procurement and logistics, project and construction management, maintenance, technical support and environmental management.

They’ll also create demand for accommodation, social infrastructure and skills.

These issues will be discussed at Mining South Australia, where speakers from government and industry will provide insights into the outlook for South Australian mining and the economy, and what’s needed to ensure operations proceed smoothly in the interests of South Australia and the nation.

Further information: http://www.iir.com.au/sa

To arrange a media pass, request more information or arrange speaker interviews please contact: Nigel Dique Informa-IIR 02 9080 4108; 0423 024 819; ndique@iir.com.au

Expert optimistic on carbon capture

Carbon capture and storage has been demonstrated around the world for 10 years and can be ‘scaled up’ to meet Australia’s requirements, according to Frank van Schagen, Managing Director of Australian Black Coal Utilisation Research Ltd.

However, as a prerequisite, the technologies need to be improved and made more economic, large storage sites need to be identified and characterized, and transport corridors established, he says.

“Most importantly, we need the regulatory or legislative ‘wrapper’ to allow business to take up the opportunity.”

He says implementing the technology is costly, but “moving to an emissions trading system and putting a price on carbon provides some opportunity to offset that cost”.

Mr van Schagen is Day 2 Chairman of the Coal Tech 2008 conference in Brisbane on 29-30 September, when energy industry participants will gather to debate and respond to the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme green paper.

The green paper proposes a limited amount of direct assistance to existing coal-fired electricity generators, and points to the potential benefits from developing clean coal technology, particularly viable carbon capture and storage.

The work done by the CRC for Greenhouse Technologies who’ll be presenting at Coal Tech 2008 shows significant potential for storage, Mr van Schagen says.

Professor Victor Rudolph from the University of Queensland is to provide an update on current CO2 storage projects in Australia, while other speakers will go into detail on individual projects.

Among other speakers are Gordon Couch, from the International Energy Agency Clean Coal Centre, UK, who will provide an international update on coal to liquids and implications for transport fuels, and Barry Ford, CEO of Hybrid Energy, who will review the FuturGas project involving coal to liquids gasification and integrated electricity generation.

Much interest will centre on advances in coal gasification, coal-to-liquids, coal drying and other technologies, especially with predictions by Goldman Sachs that the year-end price for crude oil could reach $149 a barrel.

www.iir.com.au/coaltech/blog

Spotlight on SA Minerals

With around $13 billion worth of minerals and energy projects at various stages of development, including BHP Billiton’s $7 billion Olympic Dam and OZ Minerals’ $775 million Prominent Hill expansions, South Australia offers major opportunities for investment in services.

Insights into what’s unfolding will be provided at the Mining South Australia conference in Whyalla on 2-4 December. The conference will be held at the Middleback Theatre, to cope with bigger numbers following last year’s inaugural event that packed in 200 minerals industry representatives from around Australia.

www.iir.com.au/sa/blog

You can download the PDF version of this article here:

http://www.prlog.org/10109147-spotlight-on-sa-minerals.pdf

Comprehensive agenda for Mining the Territory

The Mining the Territory conference in Darwin on 14-15 October in Darwin will provide an opportunity to debate the big challenges and opportunities in developing NT resources.

Northern Territory Resources Council CEO Scott Perkins says one of the big issues is the infrastructure necessary to support very remote operations, along with the interface between transport systems.

“During the conference you’ll hear discussion about the port, road-rail infrastructure and the interconnections,” he says.

Mr Perkins says he’s pleased to see Dr Ian Scrimgeour, the Director of the NT Geological Survey head up the program.

“After more than 100 years of exploration, we have a fair idea of the true potential of NT mineral resources,” he says.

“But we are going to find out a lot more, with Dr Scrimgeour driving a program of geophysical surveys.”

Dr Scrimgeour’s address will be on ‘Unlocking the greenfields exploration potential of the Territory’.

“There’s enough in the program for everyone to get what they want out of it,” says Mr Perkins.

“It’s an opportunity for people to assess for themselves the very great opportunities that are available here, the great resources that back up those opportunities in the form of local companies and local people, and we hope they can see a way of investing in our great Territory.”

Visit http://www.iir.com.au/territory.