GA's Airborne EM Project: Paterson highlights and future work · Paterson AEM Workshop, 4 May 2010 ... Paterson AEM Workshop, 4 May 2010 Goal: ... Mega Uranium, Rio Tinto, Scimitar/Cauldron

Paterson AEM Workshop, 4 May 2010

GA’s Airborne EM Project:Paterson highlights and future work

Nick Williams and Alan Whitaker

On behalf of:Ross Brodie, Marina Costelloe, Mike Craig, David Hutchinson,

Songfa Liu, Ian Roach, Camilla Sorensen


Paterson AEM survey• Enhance uranium

exploration success in a frontier area

• 28,200 line km over 47,600 km2

• Fugro Airborne TEMPEST system

• Line spacing– 1, 2 & 6 km– 200 m


Paterson AEM survey• Enhance uranium

exploration success in a frontier area

• 28,200 line km over 47,600 km2

• Fugro Airborne TEMPEST system

• Line spacing– 1, 2 & 6 km– 200 m


Goal: Enhanced EM products

N

50 km


Goal: Enhanced EM products

300300

200200

100100

0 m ASL0 m ASL

--100100

--200200

Depth of investigation100-105 m

LEI depth slice

0.0010.01 1 S/m0.1

50 km

N


Goal: Improve exploration effectiveness• AEM Go Map

– Simple tool to map depth of investigation of AEM surveys

– Regional scale– Explorers can be sure

their investment in future high resolution AEM surveys will be effective

50 m 225 m 400 m

Depth of investigation

50 km

N


Goal: Improve exploration effectiveness• Drill hole database

– Compilation of digital data for >4,300 historical drill holes

• Collars & surveys• Geology logs

– GA Record 2009/31 online


Goal: Map paleovalleys• Sub-Permian paleovalley

surface– Mapped in 3D

throughout region– Uranium explorers

might target permeable sandstone packages near reductants


Bonus: Paleovalleys in 3D

15 km

LakeDisappointment

Percival Lakes

400 m

N

Landsat



15 km

LakeDisappointment

Percival Lakes

400 m

N

1:1Msurface geology



15 km

LakeDisappointment

Percival Lakes

Canning Basin

Rudall Complexat depth?

400 m

N


Goal: Map prospective unconformities• Coolbro-Rudall unconformity

– Imaged clearly on multiple sections– Advantage to those explorers who can effectively

target correct position relative to unconformity

Kintyre

Cover (Cainozoic)Cover (Cainozoic)Paterson Formation (Permian)Coolbro Sandstone (Neoproterozoic)Rudall Complex (Paleoproterozoic)Drillholes

400m1000m

N

Line 41870

Line 40360


Bonus: 3D interpretations around KintyreN

1:100ksurface geology

3 km


Bonus: 3D interpretations around Kintyre

Kintyre

Lead Hills

Tracy

N

Kintyre

(25x vertical exaggeration)

Lead Hills

Tracy

Paleovalleys

1:100ksurface geology:

basement outcrop

3 km



3 km

Kintyre

Lead Hills

Coolbro Sst.

Paleovalleys

Rudall Complex

Coolbro-Rudallunconformity

Unmapped fault

Tracy

N



3 km

Kintyre

Lead Hills

Coolbro Sst.

Paleovalleys

Rudall Complex Unmapped fault

Tracy

Yandagooge Fm.Coolbro-Rudallunconformity

N


Paterson products• Contractor supplied data (Phase 1):

– EM Flow line data, multiplots, & grids– GA data – North Paterson (released in 2009)– GA data – South Paterson (released in 2009)– ALL data (GA + infill)

• Geoscience Australia inversion products (Phase 2)– Layered earth inversions, multiplots, grids & georeferenced images– ALL data (GA + infill)

• Geoscience Australia interpretation Records– A drill hole database with explanatory notes for the Paterson

TEMPEST AEM survey area (GA Record 2009/31)– Geological and energy implications of the Paterson Province

airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey (GA Record 2010/12: July 2010)

• 2 articles in ASEG Preview (April 2010)

– Released online today (http://tiny.cc/aozjl)

– Released online today (http://tiny.cc/ror68)


Pine Creek AEM survey• 30,000 line km over

75,000 km2

• TEMPEST and VTEM data

• Line spacing– 200-5000 m

• Data now available online

• Inversions in July 2010

• Interpretations in March 2011

Williamson et al. (2009)


Pine Creek AEM survey• 30,000 line km over

75,000 km2

• TEMPEST and VTEM data

• Line spacing– 200-5000 m

• Data now available online

• Inversions in July 2010

• Interpretations in March 2011

Williamson et al. (2009)

EM Flow


Frome Embayment AEM survey• 95,000 km2 airborne EM survey

to enhance uranium and mineral exploration

• >32,000 line km– 86 % GA– 11 % PIRSA– 3 % industry

• Lines spaced at 2.5 or 5 km• Key regional-scale targets:

– Paleochannel U hosts• Namba Fm into Eyre Fm • Eyre Fm into craton• Eyre Fm into Bulldog

Shale– Depth to Benagerie Ridge– Faults


Frome Embayment AEM survey• 95,000 km2 airborne EM survey

to enhance uranium and mineral exploration

• >32,000 line km– 86 % GA– 11 % PIRSA– 3 % industry

• Lines spaced at 2.5 or 5 km• Key regional-scale targets:

– Paleochannel U hosts• Namba Fm into Eyre Fm • Eyre Fm into craton• Eyre Fm into Bulldog

Shale– Depth to Benagerie Ridge– Faults


Acknowledgements• Geological Survey of Western Australia (especially Paul Morris &

Ian Tyler)– For hosting this workshop

• Sarah James (Encounter Resources), Greg Street (FugroAirborne), Tyler Mathieson (Cameco)– For presenting their work

• Cameco, Mega Uranium, Rio Tinto, Scimitar/Cauldron Energy, Western Areas– Paterson infill partners

• Birla Nifty, Consolidated Minerals, Newcrest– Data and logistical support

• Martu people and Western Desert Lands Corporation– Land access

GA's Airborne EM Project: Paterson highlights and future work · Paterson AEM Workshop, 4 May 2010 ... Paterson AEM Workshop, 4 May 2010 Goal: ... Mega Uranium, Rio Tinto, Scimitar/Cauldron

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