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.”
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
Posted by iirconferences 
Posted by iirconferences 
Posted by iirconferences 
