New wave of explorers eye the Northern Territory: new data released from National Drilling program
Results from the Mineral Exploration CRC’s National Drilling Initiative have attracted a new wave of explorers to the Northern Territory Federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt says.
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THE Exploring for the Future program and results from the Mineral Exploration CRC’s National Drilling Initiative have attracted a new wave of explorers to the Northern Territory Federal Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt says.
Mr Pitt told delegates representing exploration companies from around Australia attending the annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar in Alice Springs, that early analysis of 10 drill holes in the East Tennant area has confirmed this region had the right geology for a range of minerals, in particular copper and gold.
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He said the resources sector is the engine room of Australia’s economy and the Northern Territory is a vital cog in it.
“The East Tennant area had been overlooked for mineral exploration in the past decades, but work conducted through the Australian government’s $225m Exploring for the Future program and by the MinEx CRC has attracted a new wave of explorers,” Mr Pitt said.
“The national drilling initiative also drilled a single 1750m deep hole, called NDI Carrara 1, near the Northern Territory/Queensland border. The aim of this project was to promote future energy and mineral exploration and discovery in the South Nicholson Basin region.
“Combined with what we already know from Exploring for the Future data, initial results indicate the drill hole intersected rocks that are likely to be prospective, with known characteristics similar to the Beetaloo Sub-basin.
“Ongoing investment in Australia’s mineral potential means our resources sector can continue to deliver sustained prosperity for all Australians, particularly in the regions, such as the East Tennant here in the Northern Territory.”
Mr Pitt said 120,000sq m of greenfield exploration tenements in the region between Mount Isa in Queensland and Tennant Creek in the NT was now under application.
“We anticipate further developments in the region off the back of the National Drilling Initiative work,” he said.
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