Geoscience to boost investment in resource exploration

New data from the Geoscience Australia’s (GA) Exploring for the Future program could benefit minerals exploration and groundwater investigation in western Victoria.

GA has completed an extensive airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey exploring more than 600,000 square kilometres of parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, providing a unique snapshot of the subsurface.

An AEM survey is a non-invasive testing technique that can detect variations in the conductivity of the ground to a depth of several hundred metres. The conductivity is commonly caused by the presence of electrically conductive materials such as salt or saline water, graphite, clays and sulphide minerals.

While AEM surveys in the Northern Territory and Queensland led to significant interest in minerals exploration, this is the first major survey from the Exploring for the Future initiative to survey the geology of western Victoria using this technique.

The survey data are being interpreted by GA in partnership with the state geological surveys, including the Geological Survey of Victoria. Initial interpretations are expected to be released mid-2022. The data are available to explorers to conduct their own analysis through ga.gov.au.

Exploring for the Future aims to drive investment in the resources and agricultural sectors by providing industry and land and water managers with data about potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources.

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