Meeting Australia’s minerals exploration challenges

CSIRO is a world leader in developing new techniques and insights to help find targets buried under sediments, beneath Australia's ancient blanket of deeply weathered rock and even under the ocean.

• 30 November 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Background
• Areas of expertise
• Accessing the capability

Background

CSIRO bases the majority of its exploration research at the Australia Resources Research Centre in Perth. Specific aspects of exploration research are also conducted in Sydney and Melbourne.

Areas of expertise

CSIRO is an integral part of the Australian exploration industry with a record of accomplishment for delivering innovative science and practical solutions.

CSIRO offers a wide range of world class skills and services in geoscience.

• Computation geoscience:
  • world-leading knowledge of the theory and application of simulation of geological processes principally related to ore body formation but also applied to geothermal systems
  • analysis of hydrothermal geochemistry using large datasets, and the modelling of spatial patterns. Application of this knowledge to reactive transport simulation and mass transfer modelling.
  • integration of geoscience data in 3D to help understand and target mineral systems, mineral systems analysis workflow, and expertise in mineral exploration science.
  • e-Research and interoperability – web services, grid computing and the development of data and services standards for geographical and geological information 
    “CSIRO has extensive links with the exploration industry and the related research community to ensure our research is targeted directly towards industry needs.”
  • high performance and cluster computing, and 3D visualisation for large data modelling, data integration and simulation of ore forming processes.
    
• Geology and geochemistry:
  • world-leading expertise in regolith geology and geochemistry
  • hydrogeochemistry applied to mineral exploration
  • role of biological processes (biogeochemistry, plant physiology, microbiology) in metal transport through cover, and application of this knowledge to mineral exploration
  • utilisation of advanced microanalytical techniques and experimental geochemistry (e.g. Synchrotron) to understand regolith processes, metal transport in plants, and ore forming processes
  • use of shallow electrical methods for mapping regolith boundaries and top of basement
  • mineralogy, petrology and ore deposit geology of gold and base metal systems
  • marine geology and exploration strategies 

• Mineral and environmental sensing:
  • engineering development and construction of airborne and ground-based sensing equipment
  • development and validation of algorithms and software for extracting mineralogical information; and environmental information from hyperspectral data
  • understanding the fundamental behaviour of mineral spectroscopy
  • applications knowledge of the value of the measured data for high impact opportunities for Australia (exploration geology, geophysics, biology, regolith and soil science).

Accessing the capability

CSIRO has extensive links with the exploration industry and the related research community to ensure our research is targeted directly towards industry needs.

We work with stakeholders through the Minerals Down Under Flagship to provide solutions to real industry challenges.

Clients can enter into a number of different business arrangements with CSIRO including:

• commercial services
• research partnerships
• industry-funded consortiums
• major strategic research alliances
• secondments and staff/student exchange programs.

Read more about CSIRO Petroleum Resources.