The Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) is key participant in MinEx CRC, the world’s largest mineral exploration partnership. MinEx CRC works with industry, government, and researchers on geoscience and engineering research. One of its big projects is the National Drilling Initiative (NDI), which runs drilling programs in different areas across Australia. The NDI plans to drill many holes in one area. These holes will help us understand the geology and structure of the region and find out if there are mineral systems underground.
Coiled tubing (CT) drilling
These programs use various drilling methods, including new coiled tubing (CT) drilling technology. CT drilling is low-cost, collects a range of data, and has a smaller environmental impact.
This new technology is ideal for use in remote areas, like the central and eastern deserts of Western Australia, a region nicknamed "The Gap." This area includes older basement terranes and craton edges hidden beneath younger basins like the Canning and Officer Basins. Through the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), we want to learn more about these regions, which could hold valuable resources. To achieve this, we are working on two NDI projects with MinEx CRC focused on The Gap: the Paterson and Eucla projects.
Unlocking 'The Gap' with the National Drilling Initiative
Paterson NDI campaign
The Paterson region is an important area for exploring for copper and other base metals; essential in our move towards a net-zero carbon emissions future. To find these resources, we need to understand how copper deposits form in sedimentary rocks. In greenfield areas (untouched by mining) and regions under cover, it’s challenging to pinpoint where to drill for minerals. The Paterson National Drilling Initiative (NDI) aims to tackle this problem.
The project is focused on the Yeneena Basin in the northwest Paterson Orogen, about 30 kilometres southwest of the Telfer copper–gold deposit and near the Nifty copper mine. Drilling explored areas up to 25 kilometres away from the Nifty mine to fill gaps in geological knowledge of how mineral systems change away from mines.
Nearly 10 holes were drilled, up to about 500 metres deep. These holes provide samples and data from both the surface rocks (cover) and deeper rocks (basement), helping us understand the mineral system away from the mine. The data to be obtained from these rocks will include information about the rocks' chemistry, physical properties, and age. This will help create models of how minerals form in the region.
The drilling began in August 2023 with three holes near the Nifty mine. The drilling program concluded in mid-2024 with a further 6 holes drilledand is now working with researchers on the samples retrieved. The findings will support better planning by the government and improve exploration efforts for mining companies.
Updates and results will be shared as they become available through MinEx CRC Program 3.
Eucla NDI campaign
The Eucla NDI campaign aims to improve knowledge of the geology in the Eucla region near the Eyre Highway and to test coiled tubing (CT) drilling technology in areas with thick sedimentary cover. The campaign drilled four holes near the Moonera homestead, targeting geophysical anomalies in the Madura Province. This work filled in gaps in earlier drilling by GSWA, most of which was done about 100 kilometres north of the Trans-Australian Railway in 2013–14.
The drillholes intersected the sediments of the Eucla Basin to evaluate how best to reach the buried Madura Province below. These areas are known to be challenging for drilling, so testing the CT drilling method here provided valuable insights into how well it works for similar regions. The holes will also collect rock samples and downhole data to better understand the region’s geology and resource potential.
This project is part of a larger program designed to build up knowledge about Western Australia’s geology and encourage resource exploration. Research will now be undertaken on the unique samples of the Eucla Basin retrieved through the application of CT drillings.
