RB 2010/00007 Mineral potential and prospectivity analysis, Musgrave Province, including APY Lands.
Published: 01 Feb 2010 Created: 25 Nov 2024 Revised: 27 Nov 2024

A preliminary prospectivity analysis has been undertaken for the Musgrave Province, including for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyatjara Aboriginal (APY) Lands. This analysis aimed to provide regional information for government bodies, mineral...

A preliminary prospectivity analysis has been undertaken for the Musgrave Province, including for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyatjara Aboriginal (APY) Lands. This analysis aimed to provide regional information for government bodies, mineral explorers and infrastructure planners, to enable the planning of infrastructure development and the recognition of the location of natural resources across the area, to be achieved with minimal conflict and maximum cooperation.The project has covered the entire Musgrave Province, including the parts of it that lie within the Northern Territory and Western Australia. This wide scope has presented problems with creating homogeneous datasets across the study area. Problems were encountered both in accessing data in digital format and in accomodating the different foci of the various geological surveys' past activities performed within their jurisdictions.In contrast to the scientific methodology employed for the recently completed Northern Flinders Ranges Prospectivity Assessment (Cowley et al., 2009), it was decided to use the Fuzzy Logic Method of data analysis (Bonham-Carter, 1996) for this project, due to the need to statistically acknowledge a lack of known mineralisation occurrences distributed across the province. This method of assessment involves the use of conceptual models for mineralisation, which are then used to weight and combine data according to the expert judgement of the model builders. Empirical studies (e.g. utilising Weights-of-Evidence and neural network analyses) were not able to be undertaken on a regional scale due to the lack of evenly distributed digital data. Future studies may include undertaking local analyses of these types over areas that have had more intense historical exploration done, and then, any newly determined factors controlling the localisation of mineralisation could usefully be combined into the regional prospectivity model.The main focus of the current project was to assess the prospectivity for mineralisation related to the mafic/ultramafic intrusions of the Warakurna Large Igneous Province. In addition, the importance of several kinds of construction materials, plus the general geoscience value and broad-scale mineral exploration values, were assessed.This project has developed detailed conceptual models for magmatic mineralisation which are intended to be updated on a regular basis as more data becomes available across the Musgrave Province. Due to time constraints, many other mineralisation styles were not able to be included (i.e. volcanic-hosted massive sulphide, Broken Hill - type, sedimentary - exhalative, diamond and opal - forming examples). Therefore suggestions for making future expansions to the scope and detail of this study have been included.Because of the varying quality and density of data available across the province, estimates of prospectivity applicable within its central uplifted portion are likely to be more reliable than those made for the sand-covered margins.The Ni-Cu prospectivity value model has highlighted all known areas of such mineralisation. The potential of small Giles Complex sills and dykes existing across the Musgrave Complex is addressed. Several areas in the eastern Musgrave Province are of particular interest, including the areas of basement bounding the Moorilyanna Graben.The platinum group metals potential of the province is mostly limited to the large layered Giles Complex intrusions, which predominantly lie at its western end.Summary Exploration Values for the Musgrave Province, defined from considering all previous government and company exploration, demonstrate the usefulnness of ready access provision in promoting exploration. This strongly argues the case for creating a sealed east-west arterial road to promote exploration and development across the province.

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About this record

Record No d20010216
Topic Geoscientific Information
Type of Resource Document
Category Type
Document Type Departmental Publication - Geological Survey Geoscience Publication
Contributor PIRSA Minerals and Energy Resources Div., Geological Survey Branch
Sponsor
Tenement
Tenement Holder
Operator
Geological Province Musgrave Province
Mine Name
Stratigraphy Giles Complex
Commodity
Notes
Notes: The related large GIS digital datasets used for the subject mineral potential modelling project have subsequently been made available for public use via MER's SARIG Web interface, as a formal Geoscience Data Package released in April 2012...

Notes: The related large GIS digital datasets used for the subject mineral potential modelling project have subsequently been made available for public use via MER's SARIG Web interface, as a formal Geoscience Data Package released in April 2012 that is identified on the SAMREF open file records reference database as GDP 00004. Geographic Locality: Far north-western South Australia;Northern Territory;Western Australia;Ayres Range;Musgrave Ranges;Mann Ranges;Tomkinson Ranges;Petermann Ranges (NT);Bloods Range (NT);Anangu Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal Lands;Yankunyatjara Aboriginal Lands Doc No: RB 2010/00007

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Language English
Metadata Standard ISO 19115-3

Citations

Use constraints License
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Persistent identifier https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/d20010216
Citation Gum, J.C.;Katona, L.F. 2010. RB 2010/00007 Mineral potential and prospectivity analysis, Musgrave Province, including APY Lands. Departmental Publication - Geological Survey Geoscience Publication. Government of South Australia.
https://pid.sarig.sa.gov.au/document/d20010216

Technical information

Status
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Geographic Reference GDA2020 (EPSG:7844)
Geo bounding box {"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[129,-28],[135,-28],[135,-26],[129,-26],[129,-28]]]}
Purpose

                    
                    

                    
                  
Lineage