PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has started work on a bigger, better Mount Isa rock library, to make it easier for explorers to find the next big mining prospect in the state's world-leading North West Minerals Province.
“The drill core library and its 230 km of drill core samples are critical for explorers and geoscientists, as well as university students who are our next generation of industry professionals," Resources Minister Scott Stewart said.
"The A$550 0000 upgrade underway will provide a dedicated core viewing facility that will make it easier for more people to access and study cores.
"The viewing facility will provide a climate-controlled, dust-free, well-lit space for scientists and explorers to undertake their studies and core-logging activities. As scientists’ geological knowledge and understanding expands, even the oldest drill core can provide new insights and evidence of potential mineral deposits.
“As demand grows across the globe for new economy minerals, this upgraded drill core facility will be vital for explorers working to uncover new deposits, supporting communities in the North West – and Queensland’s economy – into the future,” Stewart said.
The core library and its twin in Brisbane provide access to samples collected over the past 130 years by previous explorers, state government drilling programmes and mining industry-government collaborations.
The Mount Isa core library holds representative samples from the richest deposits in the region, including the Mount Isa copper and lead mines, Ernest Henry, George Fisher, Cannington, SWAN/Mount Elliott and Capricorn Copper.
This project is due for completion by June 2022.