PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Northern Territory government has launched a major new airborne geophysical survey in the Tanami Desert as part of the territory government’s A$26-million investment in minerals exploration.

The survey is one of the largest of its kind undertaken in the territory and the data recorded will help explorers locate mineral deposits, which could create territory jobs.

“Creating local jobs is the territory government’s priority. This is why we are investing in jobs for the future with the A$26-million Resourcing the Territory initiative. This is the largest investment ever made by any Northern Territory government in supporting the exploration sector,” said Primary Industry and Resources Minister Ken Vowles.

“We are developing Tennant Creek as a mining services hub and, as the territory’s premier gold-producing area, the Tanami region plays an important part in that.

“Gold is already a major contributor to the Northern Territory’s economy and Aboriginal communities. Discovering new deposits in this region is difficult, but this survey will produce data that can help mineral explorers find not only gold but also other commodities such as copper, nickel and rare earths.

“Resourcing the Territory is opening up new areas for exploration and reducing the risk of exploration investment, which makes the territory a preferred destination for investors and supports local businesses,” Vowles said.

The survey is a collaboration between the territory government and three private companies. It will see two planes fly a total of 275 000 km over an area of the Tanami Desert 300 km west of Tennant Creek to determine where mineral deposits of interest might lie.

The planes will be equipped with a magnetometer, which measures small changes in the earth’s magnetic field caused by the magnetism of underlying rocks - it effectively allows geologists to ‘see through’ the sand to what lies beneath.

Data from the airborne survey, which is expected to take five months, will be made public.