Queensland, Australia - The latest imaging technology has been put to work to complete the first major mapping upgrade of mines in the resource-rich north west of the State.
Minister for Mines and Energy Geoff Wilson said the technology had come a long way from the black and white aerial photos of the 1950s and did a great deal more than just take pretty pictures.
“It has the potential to unlock rich new sites for mineral and geothermal energy resources,” Mr Wilson said. More than 62,000 square kilometres of one of the world’s richest resource regions has been remapped.
“Geologists from my Department used cutting-edge technology to map the rocks of the north west for explorers to tap into the region’s hidden mineral potential,” he said.
“They’ve already uncovered new areas for explorers who are keen to make their mark in mining. We’re talking about a new generation of geoscience data.”
Mr Wilson said today’s explorers had much more information at their finger tips and mapping techniques were more refined. He said age-dating of rocks had also improved.
“There’s new high-tech geoscience data available, along with seismic surveys that have already revealed faults deep in the earth’s crust,” he said.
“These faults provide pathways for deep fluids to penetrate to the surface and that spells resource potential. It’s very exciting.”
The Minister said age-dating had helped define new areas with rocks equivalent in age to the Mt Isa group which hosts the giant Mt Isa and George Fisher deposits.
“The geologists also believe the new seismic surveys could reveal geothermal energy or ‘hot rocks’,” Mr Wilson said.
MP for Mt Isa, Betty Kiernan said the potential for new discoveries in the north west would further strengthen the region’s economy. “This is Q2 at its smartest,” Mrs Kiernan said.
“We’re looking beyond the horizon and planning for the future – a cleaner, greener energy future for Queensland. “These potential discoveries herald exciting times ahead for renewable energy in Queensland,” she said.
Source : http://qld.psnews.com.au
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