Exploration Data Centre

The Exploration Data Centre (EDC) at Zillmere houses a major store of geoscientific information collected from the mid-1800s to the present.

The collections include drill core and cuttings from both Departmental and company exploration programs; rock samples from regional mapping fieldwork; geophysical data including seismic survey data tapes and seismic sections. Services are priced to support exploration, mining and research.

The extensive hard copy company exploration reports collection is now available as scanned documents in QDEX.

Core and cuttings

The EDC holds 155 000 boxes (about 375 000m) of core and cuttings, representing samples from nearly 10 000 holes.

The basis of the collection is core from the Government's own stratigraphic and coal drilling programs between the mid-1950s and 1990. There is also core from earlier work (some dating back to the 1890s), and material is continually acquired from companies as a condition of exploration permits.

The Department aims to develop a core collection which illustrates the complete stratigraphic succession in all of the State's provinces and major geological formations, and which provides a representative sample of all of the important mineral deposits (including coal and petroleum basin strata), from which their geoscientific and geotechnical features, and resource potential, can be determined.

The EDC is continually seeking material to add to its collection, particularly core from mineral exploration. Apart from the legislative requirements, the DME is interested to hear of any core that companies may wish to provide for the collection, particularly when it may otherwise be discarded.

Core is available for inspection in a purpose-built courtyard. The EDC requires at least 24-hours notice to lay out core. Requests to sample should be made in writing to the Manager. Sampling and slabbing can be undertaken for clients by EDC staff. Please contact the EDC for details of fees.

Regional core storage

The Department has recently opened Regional core repositories in Mount Isa and Charters Towers. Core from a range of prospects in the Northern Region has been added to these repositories. You can view lists of the prospects for which core is held in Mount Isa or Charters Towers. Contact the Northern Regional Geologist (07 4799 7033) or Exploration Data Centre Manager, (07 3863 8710 ) for information about submitting or inspecting core.

For more information contact:

Mark Livingstone
Telephone: +61 7 3863 8710

or Geological Survey of Queensland
Block A 80 Meiers Road Indooroopilly Qld 4068

or the Geological information hotline
+61 7 3006 4666 (9.00am to 4.00pm EST working days)

or email the Geological Information Hotline