The Queensland Government is releasing new data designed to help stimulate mineral and energy exploration in the State.
Called the Smart Mining — Future Prosperity program, the newly available data is comprised of new airborne geophysical survey data covering more than 200,000 square kilometres of the remote Cooper and Eromanga basins.
According to Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson, the information will help explorers to define exploration targets with greater certainty.
“This major project involved three geophysical surveys of the Cooper and Eromanga Basins, covering approximately 12% of the state,” Robertson said.
“The surveys provide new structural information about the geothermal and petroleum potential of the region and are designed to help industry target new exploration opportunities.
“That’s important because today’s exploration means tomorrow’s mining and energy projects and jobs.”
Robertson said the Bligh Government recognises the need to support the search for and development of cleaner sources of energy.
“Geophysical surveying in this region provides the double benefit of assisting the exploration of gas as well as clean geothermal energy,” he said.
The new data will also have benefits by increasing activity in more remote areas, Robertson said.
“There are also opportunities for mineral discoveries in the south-east of the survey area,” he said.
“Explorers will be able to use this data to assess the potential for new mineral and energy resources and this could lead to increased jobs in this remote part of the state.”