Download North-West Queensland Mineral and Energy Province Report and

Department of Natural Resources and Mines
Geological Survey of Queensland
North-West Queensland Mineral and Energy
Province Report and Data Package
JXOy 2014
The North-West Queensland Mineral and Energy
Province Report with accompanying data package
is the culmination of five years field and officebased study of the North West Queensland Mineral
and Energy Province (NWQMEP) by the Geological
Survey of Queensland. The work was funded by
the Queensland Government’s Smart Exploration
and Smart Mining initiatives.
The NWQMEP is Australia’s largest copper, lead, zinc and silver
producer. The region hosts almost 30 per cent of the world’s
lead–zinc reserves and continues to produce new world-class
discoveries such as the Merlin Cu-Au-Mo-Re deposit. The region
also has significant energy potential, including non-traditional
sources such as geothermal and shale gas.
Since the last major synthesis of this region by the Department
of Mines and Energy and others in 2000 (North-West
Queensland Mineral Province Study), significant new research
has been undertaken in this and other equivalent Australian
Proterozoic sequences. Major technological advances have
improved the processing, integration, visualisation and analysis
of geoscientific data.
The goal of this study was to enhance the effectiveness of
exploration in this region by consolidating existing information.
In addition to new mapping and isotopic dating, new
technologies and work processes have been applied to give
fresh insights into the evolution, 3D architecture and controls on
the distribution of mineral and energy resources.
The results are presented in this hard copy report and data
package set—complete with accompanying time–space
diagrams, a solid geology map and two DL DVDs containing
14 appendixes that include a GIS, 3D models, exploration
geochemistry database, bibliography and various detailed
reports as pdf documents.
Content and format
• An overview of the characteristics of the Proterozoic
geological domains
—a new subdivision of the province has been produced which
reflects combinations of basin evolution, structural grain,
metamorphic grade and geochronology and provides a flexible
framework for describing variations in the geology and
deformational responses between different parts of the region.
• A synthesis of the Proterozoic geodynamic evolution of the
Mount Isa Inlier
—based on 11 time-slices and providing a uniform geodynamic
interpretation of the major deformation events and their
effects.
• A model of the Proterozoic tectonic evolution of the Mount Isa
Inlier from an Australia-wide perspective.
• Two time–space plots outlining the chrono-stratigraphy and
tectonic events at two levels of detail
—the Mount Isa Inlier and the entire Proterozoic of eastern
Australia. The Mount Isa time–space plot includes results
from new isotopic dating of igneous rocks and sedimentary
successions, stratigraphic relationships, timing of
mineralisation, and an overview of the major tectonic events.
Great state. Great opportunity.
• Surface and solid geology as a seamless dataset
—integrates new geological mapping of outcropping areas and
extends this under Phanerozoic cover based on interpretation
of potential field, drill-hole and deep crustal seismic datasets.
• A 3D model covering the entire NWQMEP study area
—model displays the spatial associations of geological
features at depth and beneath cover, to provide a conceptual
framework for more specific studies of basin evolution,
deformation, fluid flow and mineral systems. It also includes
geophysically modelled regions of the deep crust and a new
depth-to-basement surface.
• Mineral systems analysis
—of structurally controlled epigenetic Iron Oxide-Cu-Au (IOCG)
deposits and Ag-Pb-Zn in high-grade metamorphic terranes
in the east and stratabound sediment-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag and
structurally-controlled epigenetic Cu±Au deposits in the west
of the region.
• Exploration geochemistry and drill hole database
—comprises over 1.3 million attributed data points from
stream sediment, rock chip, soil and drill hole sampling.
• Attributed GIS dataset in ArcGIS and MapInfo formats
—includes the following layers:
• detailed surface and solid geology as arcs and polygons
and various derived layers including an attributed fault
array
• infrastructure and administrative areas
• mineral occurrences
• geophysical and Landsat images
• depth-to-basement interpretation
• topography and digital elevation data
—ArcReader software and an ArcGIS ECW plugin are provided
to allow users without ArcGIS or MapInfo software to view the
data.
• Bibliography
—in a MS Access database and an EndNote library, including
publications from government, academic and industry
geoscientists and providing comprehensive coverage of most
aspects of the geology and evolution of the province.
Further information
• A geothermal prospectivity assessment of the Phanerozoic
successions
—including the Carpentaria, Eromanga, Galilee, Georgina and
Millungera Basins, delineating areas with potential for hot
sedimentary aquifers and enhanced geothermal systems.
• Synthesis of current knowledge of carbon-based energy
resources
—in Phanerozoic strata overlying and surrounding the Mount
Isa Inlier. This has been sourced from petroleum, water and
government stratigraphic drilling, surface geological mapping
and previously published reviews of the basins.
The price of the complete report and data package is $317.70
(including GST), DVD only $131.90, plus postage and handling.
GSQ hotline
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 7 3006 4666
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Ian Withnall
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 7 3035 5210
Paul Donchak
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 7 3035 5270
Geological Survey of Queensland
Level 12, 61 Mary St Brisbane Qld 4000
Produced by Spatial and Graphic Services, Geological Survey of Queensland
© The State of Queensland (Department of Natural Resources and Mines) 2014
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en
14A\Factsheets\NWQMEPR
• A district scale IOCG predictive study of the Mount Dore–
Cloncurry region
—includes 3D geology model, 3D Common Earth Model,
pseudo-lithology block model, ranked district target criteria
and a 3D mineral potential index model.