A commodity and mineral system

approach to mineral potential mapping in

NSW

Phillip Blevin on behalf of

the MinSysNSW team State Library; www.northparkes.com

End of an era…. • Warwick-Tweed Heads: last of the 250k 1st edition

series. • 21 maps, >30,000 occurrences, 30 years. Extensive

explanatory notes and datasheets. • State-wide 1.5M synthesis. • Bathurst 2nd edition. • Broken Hill 250k special (new geological base, and

time space plot, and metamorphic reinterpretation.

• Going from the “Where”, “When” through to “Why” and finally “Where Else?”

Broken Hill

Metallogenic Mapping to Mineral Potential Studies

• Need to understand mineral system drivers – Age of mineralisation – Source of metals – Traps – Broken Hill, Cobar, Mac Arc/Ord Sil, New England

• Need to define realistic mineral potential tracts that are geologically and politically defensible.

NSW metal endowment

• How much known metal is there and how much remains to be mined?

• How big really are NSW systems and mineral camps?

• Large systems and/or regions with high potential will attract large explorers.

• Where did the metal come from, where else are the sources. Ages, structures, traps.

Value of metallic commodities • Present day resources • Historical production • Reserves – unmined • Calculated at $AUD 2009 • Total contained metal • Reconciliations

Broken Hill

Cobar Basin

East Lachlan

Eastern Lachlan Basins

New England Orogen

Ordovician Basement

Kanimblan

Macquarie Arc

Murray Basin Wagga Tin Belt

Coastal System

Tabberabberan

Koonenberry

Calculated at $AUD 2009 (State Metallogenic Map).

1 $AUD was 1.47 $USD Previous base point was 1967 when Au was $30 an

ounce.

NSW metal endowment

Commodity Jan 2009 May 2015 %Ag 369000 660000 79Au 42700000 48100000 13Cu 4890 8100 66Pb 1765 2725 54Sn 17700 20650 17Zn 1850 3000 62

AU$ value (per tonne)

~ $400 billion AUD2009

Metal endowment

=

(Production + Resources)

Broken Hill

Cobar Basin

East Lachlan

Eastern Lachlan Basins

New England Orogen Ordovician

Basement

Kanimblan

Macquarie Arc

Murray Basin

Wagga Tin Belt

Coastal System Koonenberry

Tabberabberan

Production vs Resources

Au Cu Pb Ag Zn Sn HM

Production vs Resources

63% of NSW’s mineral endowment comprises

unmined resources.

Resources Production

40

80

120

160

Billions $AUD2009

Production vs Resources

Broken Hill

Cobar Basin

East Lachlan

Eastern Lachlan Basins

New England Orogen Ordovician

Basement

Kanimblan

Macquarie Arc

Murray Basin

Wagga Tin Belt

Coastal System Koonenberry

Tabberabberan

Value of Broken Hill production by deposit

type.

Au endowment

Gold endowment for NSW classified by deposit type

Gold production for Vic classified by deposit type

Total endowment >3160t

Total production ~2300t

Others

Au endowment

Cu endowment

Pb and Zn

Billions

Endowment by Basin

$ 2009 equiv

• Will be compiled for metallics and industrials.

• Tips of data icebergs as all background data is refreshed.

Commodity Flyers

• Existing series: 1959 to 1979

• Comprehensive data instantly available for government, promotional and general enquiries.

• Input to policy and data requests, e.g. asbestos, silica/marine aggregate, uranium.

Mineral Industry Resource Series

• MetIndex: >30,000 occurrences.

• Deposits have been given “size” and classified.

• DIGS – source of exploration and Survey reports. Can search on expl’n history.

• Map explanatory notes have mineralization chapters.

Mineral Industry Resource Series

Applications

Applications

COBAR NEO

ORD-SIL

Industrial Minerals Map replaces 2004 edition

New Discoveries Map Industrial Minerals Map

Mineral System Classification Statewide Metallogenic Map

Mineral System Models

METINDEX, DIGS Production & Resources

250k Metallogenic Map Explanatory Notes Mining Histories

Time Space

Commodities: a new approach

500K Metallogenic Synthesis and Potential

Studies

Commodity Flyers Promotional

Mineral Industry Series

New Discoveries Map Industrial Minerals Map

Mineral System Classification Statewide Metallogenic Map

Mineral System Models

METINDEX, DIGS Production & Resources

Mineral Industry Series

250k Metallogenic Map Explanatory Notes Mining Histories

Time Space

Commodities: a new approach

MinSysNSW Outputs “in press” or submitted

• Mineralisation in the Braidwood project area. David B. Forster, Peter M. Downes

• A HyLogger™ case study of regional metamorphism and the alteration in Nymagee area. Peter M. Downes, David B. Tilley, Joel Fitzherbert and Meagan E. Clissold

• New lead isotopic and geochronological constraints on mineralisation in the Macquarie Arc – NSW — Insights from the Lake Cowal District, New South Wales. David B. Forster, Paul McInnes, Peter M. Downes, Roland Maas and Phillip L. Blevin

• Metallogenesis and geodynamics of the Lachlan Orogen: new (and old) insights from spatial and temporal variations in lead isotopes. Huston D.L., Champion D.C., Mernagh T.P., Downes P.M., Jones P., Carr G., Forster D. & David V.

• Application of metamorphic facies/isograd maps to the understanding of a regionally stratified anatectic/igneous complex and its associated mineralisation, Broken Hill. Joel Fitzherbert and Peter M. Downes

• Towards a greater understanding of the Central Lachlan, Peter M Downes, Phil L Blevin, Carol J. Simpson, Richard Armstrong, Lawrence Sherwin, David B. Tilley and Gary R. Burton

• 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the mineral systems in the southern Cobar Superbasin: implications for metallogenesis in the central Lachlan Orogen, New South Wales. Peter M. Downes and David Phillips

• Isotope signatures of selected Silurian to Devonian mineral systems in the Nymagee area — Central Lachlan Orogen, New South Wales. Peter M. Downes and Simon Poulson

MinSysNSW Outputs