Geologist Dr Ioan Sanislav says more research needed to find next big copper deposit in NQ

The next big minerals discovery is just waiting to be found in North Queensland — but there’s one thing standing in the way says this geologist.

The next big minerals discovery to support wealth, jobs and technological advantage is just waiting to be found in North Queensland, geologist Dr Ioan Sanislav (pictured) says.But while record private exploration is under way, it needs government support to widen the search, he says.

“We are missing the investment in research. Every company has its own interest so they will finance research on their deposit. Large areas, huge areas have seen no research. It has to be the government because the general interest will find the new deposits,” Dr Sanislav said.

The director of James Cook University’s Economic Geology Research Unit addressed the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Critical Minerals Forum in Townsville on Thursday, outlining some of the unit’s recent work.

It has identified a host of mineral occurrences west of Townsville and in the Herberton region including copper, gold, zinc, nickel, niobium, tantalum, rare earth elements, vanadium, rutile, apatites used in fertiliser and diamonds.

Some of its work has been focused along ranges including west of Paluma where the geology is similar to South America’s Andes where among the world’s biggest copper mines are operating.

“I think the future is promising and we are very positive about what’s going to happen with the mineral industry. The amount of companies exploring in North Queensland is the highest it has been for a very long time,” Dr Sanislav said.

“The eastern coast, (from) our understanding of the geology is very similar to the western part of South America where you have these big fault and copper systems. The potential is there to have these very big deposits, copper, gold and so on. The big question is why we have not found the big one.”

Part of the answer is a lack of research. The university’s Economic Geology Research Unit was the only one of its kind in Northern Australia.

The number of journal publications in Western Australia numbers 1800 while just 160 have been focused on Mount Isa and fewer for the rest of North Queensland.

Dr Sanislav said the State Government had done “quite an amazing job” supporting exploration and that the Federal Government “should get involved”.

Asked what mineral he was most excited about, Dr Sanislav said copper was the mineral of highest demand and so important for technology and electrification.

It would support the wealth, jobs and “technological edge” for Australia and came with a host of other “goodies” such as rare earths and cobalt, he said.

Originally published as Geologist Dr Ioan Sanislav says more research needed to find next big copper deposit in NQ