Mineral Resources Research and Training at the University of Adelaide

Transcription

1 Mineral Resources Research and Training at the University of Adelaide David Giles School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 1 Structure SCIENCES ENGINEERING Earth & Env Sciences ASP Civil & Env Engineering EB Mine Rehab Geology & Geophysics Petroleum G&G Petroleum Eng. Mining Engineering CMXUC March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 2 1

2 Training UA offers only BSc geology major in SA 2007 enrolments st year nd year rd year - 23 hons 40 PhD candidates Mining engineering degree starts this year (Ian Plimer ) March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 3 Training March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 4 2

3 Mineral Exploration Research Significant player in CRCLEME Five active ARC Linkage grants with PIRSA, BHPB, Teck Cominco, Flinders Diamonds Others under application PIRSA funded Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover PACE funded drilling project in the Fowler Belt One to one projects with Adelaide Resources, Australasian Gold, Dominion, Heathgate, Hillgrove, Maximus Resources, Oxiana, Petratherm Total minex related funding of >$5M relatively marginal player in AMIRA March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 5 The CMXUC is a collaborative research initiative between PIRSA and the University of Adelaide Established in 2005 with $1.2 million seed funding under the PACE scheme Our aim is to facilitate mineral discovery by defining and implementing the next generation of mineral exploration science Major focus is to understand and penetrate the veneer of weathered rock and alluvium that covers much of the prospective rocks of Australia March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 6 3

4 Geology Director: & Prof. Geophysics David Giles David Giles Tectonics and Metallogeny Prof. David Giles, Dr Guillaume Backe (CMXUC) Dr Caroline Forbes (CMXUC-PIRSA) Prof. John Foden,, Ass. Prof. Martin Hand, Dr Karin Barovich,, Dr Andreas Schmidt-Mumm (UA, CERG) Regolith and Landscape Evolution Dr Steve Hill (UA, CRC LEME) Geophysical Exploration Dr Graham Baines (CMXUC) Ass. Prof. Graham Heinson,, Dr Kate Selway (UA) Themes & People March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 7 Geology SA Focus & Geophysics Geographic and thematic spread with tangible benefit to mineral exploration Direct research links with explorers and PIRSA March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 8 4

5 Olympic Dam Stuart Shelf 3D Magnetotellurics Deep crustal architecture and mineral systems ARC funded Linkage project with BHPBilliton and Teck Cominco Kate Selway March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 9 Olympic Dam Adelaidean Sediments Hutchison Group Anhydrous middle crust 10 km Graphite? (fossilized reduced Anhydrous Crust fluid pathway?) 30 km March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 10 5

6 South Australian Craton marginal terranes project 3D crustal architecture from geophysics 4D evolution of the South Australian Craton In collaboration with PIRSA and Monash University Graham Baines March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 11 March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 12 6

7 Caroline Forbes Mount Woods - Prominent Hill Tectonics and exploration models 3D architecture of the Gawler Craton In collaboration with Oxiana March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 13 Guillaume Backe Neoproterozoic Basins 3D crustal architecture, basin analysis and metallogeny,, depth and nature of basement In collaboration with PIRSA March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 14 7

8 Delamerian orogen metallogeny Fluid sources and pathways geochemical and geophysical exploration tools Collaboration with Maximus, Hillgrove March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 15 North Flinders, Landscapes and U-exploration Uranium mobility in complex Mesozoic and Tertiary landscapes Biogeochemistry for U-explorationU In collaboration with Heathgate Resources Steve Hill March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 16 8

9 regolith soils plants termite mounds kangaroo shit March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 17 Broken Hill Roo Poo Pb Geology 700 & Geophysics Pb (ppm) Broken Hill 1200 Broken Hill 1000 Broken Hill Roo Poo Zn Dist (km) Zn (ppm) Data: Steve Hill, CRCLEME Dist (km) March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 18 9

10 Fowler Belt, Tectonics and Ni-potential PACE funded drilling and ground geophysics Breaking new ground in poorly explored terrane March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 19 S N March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 20 10

11 Earth & Environmental 2kmSciences 5km March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 21 Summary Active, young staff Growing student numbers Strong government and industry support Clear resources and exploration focus Emphasis on exploration under cover CMXUC Tectonic and metallogenic framework Gephysical exploration Regolith and Landscape Evolution Reduce exploration risk - ground selection, target size, practical tools March 2007 Copyright 2007 The University of Adelaide Slide Number 22 11