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07/07/09Mineral explorers receive $159,000 research boost
Junior mineral explorers will share $159,000 in Bligh Government exploration grants as they bid to discover new resources that may lead to the mines and jobs of tomorrow.
Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson said today four companies will each receive up to $40,000 in Industry Network Initiative Round 3 grants for innovative research projects designed to advance exploration opportunities in Queensland.
"This Bligh Government initiative is designed to give our junior mineral explorers the opportunity to research and develop, or to test new exploration methods and concepts," he said.
"In the current challenging economic climate, it is important the government supports research designed to unlock the discovery of more mineral wealth in Queensland.
"It is important because today's exploration means tomorrow's mines and jobs."
Mr Robertson said the Industry Network Initiative grants are part of the Bligh Government's commitment to supporting the Queensland mining industry through the $29.08 million Smart Mining - Future Prosperity Program.
"Round 3 of the Industry Network Initiative program builds upon more than $305,000 in grants already awarded during Rounds 1 and 2 to support exploration in Queensland.
"The results from these four Round 3 projects will be available to all explorers in two years," he said.
The four successful companies are:
- ActivEX Limited $39,000: Its primary aim of research is to develop an exploration methodology which can vastly improve the knowledge base of a project at the greenfields level, at a relatively low cost to mineral explorers. The company will apply digital hand-held geochemical techniques to the Prospect Creek Project, just south-west of Biloela.
- Icon Resources Limited $40,000: The project deals with the development of innovative electrical geophysical techniques. The aim is to delineate concealed mineralisation associated with coincident basement gravity-magnetic anomalies within the highly prospective but under-explored northern flank of the North West Queensland Mineral Province in an area 35km west of Burketown.
- Earth Ray Exploration Pty Ltd $40,000: In an area around Eulo, west of Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland, Earth Ray Exploration seeks to complete a regional electromagnetic survey utilising TerraDNA EM, a new geophysical receiver. The results of this survey will then be integrated into a Common Earth Model (CEM) the company has developed for the area that will further develop its exploration and targeting criteria.
- CNW Pty Ltd $40,000: The company will complete simultaneously structural geological mapping and a detailed ground spectrometry and geochemical survey in an area 80km south-east of Mount Isa. The data from this survey will then be integrated into a CEM in preparation for drill-hole targeting.
Further information is available from the Mines and Energy website www.dme.qld.gov.au.
A map of the successful projects is available.
Media contact: Minister's office: (07) 3224 7332
Last Updated 03 November 2009
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