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The Role Of Halide Melts In Platinum-Group Element Mobility. The proposed research will introduce a new, high profile application of analytical and experimental facilities at ANU, thereby maintaining Australia's standing as a world leader in the global geoscience community. The data generated in the proposed study may critically impact exploration models and assist the Australian mining industry in locating new reserves of platinum-group elements (PGE). Therefore, the study will benefit the peop ....The Role Of Halide Melts In Platinum-Group Element Mobility. The proposed research will introduce a new, high profile application of analytical and experimental facilities at ANU, thereby maintaining Australia's standing as a world leader in the global geoscience community. The data generated in the proposed study may critically impact exploration models and assist the Australian mining industry in locating new reserves of platinum-group elements (PGE). Therefore, the study will benefit the people of Australia by providing the means to find an important resource base for sustainable society. The research will be timely as Australia's future demand for the environmentally-safe PGE metals in medicine, transportation, and energy production will be very significant.Read moreRead less
The Windimurra-Narndee Layered Complexes, Western Australia. Mineral resources are a major export earner for Australia. If Australia is to continue benefiting from the current minerals boom then new reserves must be continuously found as existing reserves are mined out. The Windimurra-Narndee complexes represent a relatively new exploration target for platinum, nickel, and iron ore. Identification of a new mineral field in remote West Australia would be very good for the regional (and national) ....The Windimurra-Narndee Layered Complexes, Western Australia. Mineral resources are a major export earner for Australia. If Australia is to continue benefiting from the current minerals boom then new reserves must be continuously found as existing reserves are mined out. The Windimurra-Narndee complexes represent a relatively new exploration target for platinum, nickel, and iron ore. Identification of a new mineral field in remote West Australia would be very good for the regional (and national) economy. Furthermore, advancing Australian's understanding of large intrusive systems will further raise international regard for the Australian academic community. The results of this work will help Australian mining companies better explore similar terranes.Read moreRead less
The Golden Gift gold mineralisation, Stawell, Victoria. The structure and the nature of the fluid flow that produced the mineralisation in the newly discovered Golden Gift orebody at Stawell, Victoria, will be investigated. This project will provide reasons for the distribution of the gold lodes, the distribution of major quartz vein arrays and associated fractures. Using both the existing and new geologic data and numerical models it should be possible to establish the primary setting for the S ....The Golden Gift gold mineralisation, Stawell, Victoria. The structure and the nature of the fluid flow that produced the mineralisation in the newly discovered Golden Gift orebody at Stawell, Victoria, will be investigated. This project will provide reasons for the distribution of the gold lodes, the distribution of major quartz vein arrays and associated fractures. Using both the existing and new geologic data and numerical models it should be possible to establish the primary setting for the Stawell goldfield. The models will be applicable not only to the Golden Gift orebody but will provide insights into the importance of these processes in controlling the localisation of gold mineralisation in other terranes.Read moreRead less
Gold transport in aqueous versus organic fluids: Experimental data for describing ore-forming systems. In many hydrothermal ore-forming systems, the ore is associated with inclusions of both aqueous brine and organic liquid (petroleum). The conventional theory is that the metals are dissolved and transported to the deposit by the brine, but some researchers suggest that petroleum may fill this role. This project proposes to conduct an experimental and field-based study on the chemical behaviour ....Gold transport in aqueous versus organic fluids: Experimental data for describing ore-forming systems. In many hydrothermal ore-forming systems, the ore is associated with inclusions of both aqueous brine and organic liquid (petroleum). The conventional theory is that the metals are dissolved and transported to the deposit by the brine, but some researchers suggest that petroleum may fill this role. This project proposes to conduct an experimental and field-based study on the chemical behaviour of gold in aqueous-organic and organic fluid systems, to determine which type of liquid is more important for gold mobilisation in a competitive situation. This study will provide much-needed data for more accurate modelling of ore systems, furthering our understanding and facilitating mineral exploration. Read moreRead less
From exploration to mining: new geological strategies for sustaining high levels of copper production from the Mount Isa district. Mineral production at the Mount Isa copper and Ernest Henry copper-gold mines is worth more than $ 1 billion per year and this has underpinned the northern Queensland economy for a number of years. These resources are being depleted at a high rate, and no significant new discoveries have been made in over a decade. This project will provide some of the tools to defin ....From exploration to mining: new geological strategies for sustaining high levels of copper production from the Mount Isa district. Mineral production at the Mount Isa copper and Ernest Henry copper-gold mines is worth more than $ 1 billion per year and this has underpinned the northern Queensland economy for a number of years. These resources are being depleted at a high rate, and no significant new discoveries have been made in over a decade. This project will provide some of the tools to define new resources for the next generation, ensuring the prosperity of the region and bolstering the Australian economy. The timing is critical given the long lead time between discovery and production (in the order of 5 to 10 years). If successful the research may have major financial impacts at local, regional and national scales. It may also improve mine safety.Read moreRead less
Geologic, genetic and exploration implications of syndeformational, structurally-controlled, sediment-hosted copper deposits: investigation of the Mt Oxide deposit, Queensland. This project will use a multi-disciplinary approach to understand the geology, geochemistry and genesis of the syndeformational, structurally-controlled, sediment-hosted copper mineralisation at the Mt Oxide deposit, Queensland. Copper deposits, like Mt Oxide, are an important exploration target in sedimentary basins but ....Geologic, genetic and exploration implications of syndeformational, structurally-controlled, sediment-hosted copper deposits: investigation of the Mt Oxide deposit, Queensland. This project will use a multi-disciplinary approach to understand the geology, geochemistry and genesis of the syndeformational, structurally-controlled, sediment-hosted copper mineralisation at the Mt Oxide deposit, Queensland. Copper deposits, like Mt Oxide, are an important exploration target in sedimentary basins but their characteristics and formation are poorly understood. Discovery of further sediment-hosted Cu deposits is imperative as Australia's industrial competitivness in exploration and mining depends on the discovery of new ore depsoits. This project specifically addresses the need for better genetic and exploration models for copper deposits concealed within ancient, deformed sedimentary sequences in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Origin and setting of Congolese-type Cu deposits. This project aims to understand the genesis of the giant sediment-hosted Cu ore deposits of the Congolese Copperbelt, and their relationship to the enclosing strata. We will use selected study areas within the correlative Neoproterozic basin successions in Australia, which are well exposed and covered by modern geoscientific datasets, as analogues for the poorly exposed Congolese system. Once this is achieved, we will combine the results with tho ....Origin and setting of Congolese-type Cu deposits. This project aims to understand the genesis of the giant sediment-hosted Cu ore deposits of the Congolese Copperbelt, and their relationship to the enclosing strata. We will use selected study areas within the correlative Neoproterozic basin successions in Australia, which are well exposed and covered by modern geoscientific datasets, as analogues for the poorly exposed Congolese system. Once this is achieved, we will combine the results with those of a previous ARC linkage project on the nearby Zambian Copperbelt, to provide the first integrated model of the worlds largest sedimentary Cu system.Read moreRead less
Transitions and Zoning in Porphyry-Epithermal Districts: Indicators, Discriminators, and Vectors. We aim to improve understanding of ore genesis and exploration success in porphyry-epithermal mineral districts. These districts can contain porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits (the world's major source of copper), epithermal Au-Ag deposits, skarn and sediment-hosted gold deposits. These districts continue to be important targets for copper and gold explorers, even though it can be difficult to identify th ....Transitions and Zoning in Porphyry-Epithermal Districts: Indicators, Discriminators, and Vectors. We aim to improve understanding of ore genesis and exploration success in porphyry-epithermal mineral districts. These districts can contain porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits (the world's major source of copper), epithermal Au-Ag deposits, skarn and sediment-hosted gold deposits. These districts continue to be important targets for copper and gold explorers, even though it can be difficult to identify the ore zones within large zones of background alteration. We will develop and test criteria that can be used by explorers to indicate prospective environments, discriminate between mineralization styles, and vector towards ore zones - be they of porphyry, epithermal, and/or other peripheral styles.Read moreRead less
Mobility of metals in hydrothermal solutions: critical experiments and numerical modelling tools to improve exploration success and ore processing. After more than 100 years of intense prospecting, ore deposits with a surface expression or a characteristic geophysical signature have been discovered. As a result, the industry needs innovative and quantitative exploration techniques. Geochemical exploration suffers from a growing gap between ever more powerful geochemical analytical capabilities a ....Mobility of metals in hydrothermal solutions: critical experiments and numerical modelling tools to improve exploration success and ore processing. After more than 100 years of intense prospecting, ore deposits with a surface expression or a characteristic geophysical signature have been discovered. As a result, the industry needs innovative and quantitative exploration techniques. Geochemical exploration suffers from a growing gap between ever more powerful geochemical analytical capabilities and the poor understanding of fundamental processes in hydrothermal systems. By combining new experiments on important geochemical systems (association between the trace elements Te and As with Au) with advances in numerical modelling of H2O-CO2-NaCl fluids, the project aims to bring geochemical exploration in line with geophysical exploration.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100070
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$966,283.00
Summary
Cutting-edge electron probe microanalysis driving Western Australia’s resource geosciences. This project aims to provide a new generation electron microprobe, with advances in trace element mapping and cathodoluminescence analysis to enable superior characterisation of a wide range of materials. The overwhelming demand for electron probe microanalysis from research groups in Western Australia requires renewal of over-subscribed, ageing facilities to drive innovation and alleviate bottlenecks in ....Cutting-edge electron probe microanalysis driving Western Australia’s resource geosciences. This project aims to provide a new generation electron microprobe, with advances in trace element mapping and cathodoluminescence analysis to enable superior characterisation of a wide range of materials. The overwhelming demand for electron probe microanalysis from research groups in Western Australia requires renewal of over-subscribed, ageing facilities to drive innovation and alleviate bottlenecks in advanced geosciences multi-capability workflows. The electron probe will drive underpinning geoscience, resources science and economic geology, as well as support a broad range of disciplines and diverse fields, such as nanotechnology, microelectronics and aquatic sciences.Read moreRead less