The NSW Government is continuing to build momentum to unlock new mineral discoveries across the state, strengthening exploration through the use of advanced geological technologies and precompetitive data, reducing barriers for explorers.
New geological data from the Lachlan Fold Belt is being released today, delivering a major step forward in understanding one of Australia’s most prospective regions for critical minerals.
The Lachlan Fold Belt is a major Australian geological province, covering most of the State’s Central West, including areas near Bathurst, Orange, and the Cobar Basin.
The data, collected as part of the Geological Survey of NSW’s work under the state Government’s Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, provides an unprecedented picture of the geology of the Central Lachlan and will support new exploration for the minerals needed to power the transition to renewable energy and our modern way of life.
The seismic survey was conducted over two geographical lines, extending 420 kms across the Lachlan Fold Belt which includes the mineral rich Macquarie Arc, imaging the earth’s crust and providing critical insights into how these mineral systems are formed and where future discoveries may be made.
These findings not only enhance the understanding of mineral systems but may also have broader benefits. Devonian basins, identified as part of the survey are known to host aquifers, and further analysis of the shallow sections of this dataset will focus on identifying similar groundwater potential in the region.
For the first time, the foundation of a Petrophysical Atlas of NSW has been released this week, giving explorers access to vital rock property data that supports modern mineral exploration. The atlas delivers new information on magnetic properties, conductivity, resistivity and density.
Developed through the assessment of more than 1,200 core samples over four months, the atlas will make high quality exploration data more accessible to industry, researchers and the broader geoscience community.
This suite of initiatives is being launched as part of ‘NSW Minerals week’, which will see hundreds of investors and explorers attend events including Exploration in the House, the Exploration & Tenures Forum and the Sydney Resources Round Up to better understand exploration potential.
