Broken Hill Exploration Initiative (BHEI 2009)
BHEI2009 registration, agenda and summary
Background
The Broken Hill Exploration Initiative (BHEI) is a collaborative arrangement between the NSW Department Industry and Investment (formerly NSW Department of Primary Industries), Primary Industries and Resources SA and the Commonwealth Government. A total investment in this initiative has exceeded $15 million since 1994.
The NSW government supports exploration investment at Broken Hill through its New Frontiers initiative. This initiative aims to provide the best possible knowledge and information base for mineral and petroleum exploration investment in western parts of the state. Broken Hill and environs will benefit from the application of new technologies and exploration methodologies to enhance knowledge of the geological controls of mineral deposit systems.
Links to BHEI pages of collaborative organisations
BHEI 2009 conference - Discovering the future
The BHEI 2009 conference will be held at the Broken Hill Entertainment Centre, 29 September - 1 October, 2009.
The conference will showcase new insights into exploration geoscience in the Curnamona Province and adjacent areas.
The conference will bring together geoscientists from government, industry and academia with an interest in the Curnamona Province, and adjacent regions. Sessions include Broken Hill-type and other mineralisation types, stratigraphy and regional tectonics (including the Delamerian), geophysical methods, geothermal energy and uranium, geochronology, the Koonenberry belt, regolith geoscience and geochemistry.
Conference venue and details: Broken Hill Entertainment Centre, Corner of Blende and Chloride St, Broken Hill, NSW.
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Conference field trips
All field trips can be booked using the registration form - numbers are limited.
Pre-conference trips
- 25 - 26 September - Aspects of tectonics, magmatism, exhalites, stratigraphy and mineralisation in the Southwestern Olary Domain - $200, Limited to 18.
The Olary Domain represents a portion of the western flank of the Broken Hill rift, extreme facies variation co-eval with bimodal magmatism suggests syndepositional structuring, but through-going units indicate periods of tectonic quiescence during which evaporites and gold-mineralised exhalites developed.- Depart 8am Friday 25th September, from 32 Sulphide St, Broken Hill (government offices). Overnight at the Yunta Hotel.
- Return to Broken Hill 6:30pm, Saturday 26th September.
- 27-28 September - Stratigraphy and mineralisation in the Broken Hill region - $200, Limited to 18.
The Broken Hill Block in the context of the new 1:100 000 Interpretive geological map of the NSW Proterozoic. The trip will include representative stratigraphic and marker units, mineral deposit types, and regolith and structural elements of the Broken Hill region.- 27th Depart 8am, 32 Sulphide St (government offices), Broken Hill. Lunches provided.
Return to Broken Hill 6pm. Overnight in Broken Hill
- 28th Depart 8am, 32 Sulphide St (government offices), Broken Hill. Lunches provided.
Participants need to made their own accommodation and meal arrangements in Broken Hill for the evening of the Sunday 27th September.
For more information, please contact Bill Reid - NSWDPI - 27th Depart 8am, 32 Sulphide St (government offices), Broken Hill. Lunches provided.
Conference trips
- 30th September, 1-5pm - Core Displays - FREE. Shuttle buses provided.
- Core Display - Significant core from deposits and prospects from the Curnamona Province.
- Provisional Display - EC Andrews Core Facility , 42-56 Pinnacles Place.
- C-lode feeder
- Representative Line of Lode holes
- Teck MVT - HyLogged
- Thackaringa Pb-Siderite veining - HyLogged
- Gold-gahnite from Pinnacles
- Perilya Pinnacles core
- Galena Hill core
- Grasmere
- Regional Drilling, Paragon Group
- C-lode feeder
- 30th September, 1-5pm - Provisional Core Displays (CBH Core Library)
The above trip has been cancelled.
- 30th September, 1-5pm - Pinnacles Mine Tour - FREE Shuttle buses provided from EC Andrews Core Facility, 42-56 Pinnacles Place Renewed open pit mining provides a window into the structure and geology of an historically elusive and structurally complex Broken Hill-type stratiform Pb-Zn-Ag (Cu-Au) orebody. Courtesy Broken Hill Pinnacles Ltd.
NB. PPE provided (hard hats, safety vests and glasses). Steel capped boots strongly recommended. Closed footwear required.
Post-conference trip
- 2-4 October - Koonenberry Belt geological history and mineral systems. Neoproterozoic to Devonian geology and related sygenetic and epigenetic deposits: orogenic Au, placer Au, orthomagmatic Ni, VMS Cu, diamonds, opal epithermal base metals, Pb-Siderite veins and remobilised Cu.
$250, Limited numbers.- Depart 8am Friday 2nd October, from 32 Sulphide Street, Broken Hill.
- Overnight in Tibooburra - 2nd October
- Overnight White Cliffs Underground Motel - 3rd October
- Return to Broken Hill 6:30pm
Transport will be by shared 4WD vehicle convoy. Participants should contact the excursion organiser for final arrangements.
Accommodation preceding and following the excursion will need to be booked by participants.
For more information, please contact Phil Gilmore. - Depart 8am Friday 2nd October, from 32 Sulphide Street, Broken Hill.
Social events
Please book all social events through the registration form.
- 28th September, 5pm-9pm- Icebreaker - Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum, corner of Crystal and Bromide St - FREE
Drinks and finger food. - 30th September, 7:30pm - Conference Dinner - Musicians Club, 276 Crystal Street, Broken Hill
For information and registration, please contact
Curnamona Province geology
The Curnamona Province centres about the Curnamona Craton which, in New South Wales, forms the consolidated basement and outcrops as inliers (the Broken Hill and Euriowie blocks) within the Adelaide Fold Belt and Koonenberry Belt. The cratonic units consist of strongly deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and igneous rocks of Palaeoproterozoic age, termed Willyama Supergroup. They host the famous super-giant silver lead and zinc deposits at Broken Hill.
Mantling the Broken Hill Block and Euriowie block is the Adelaide Fold Belt, which was formed by deformation of sedimentary and volcanic rocks of Neoproterozoic (Adelaidean) to Cambrian age during early Palaeozoic time. These rocks accumulated within, or on the edge of, the Proterozoic Australian Craton in continental (including glacial) to shelf marine environments. Rocks of the Kanmantoo Fold Belt define the edge of the Curnamona Craton, extending from South Australia to north of Tibooburra. In New South Wales, the outcropping rocks are termed the Koonenberry Belt. This belt includes Neoproterozoic to early Palaeozoic deep water sedimentary rocks and less abundant volcanic and shallow marine to continental sedimentary rocks. During the Middle Cambrian to Early Ordovician, the Delamerian Orogeny caused folding and metamorphism. Sedimentation and volcanism associated with the development of the adjacent Lachlan Orogen subsequently affected this region.
World class mineral deposits
The Curnamona Province is host to many and diverse mineral deposit styles. It is most famous as the host to the spectacular Broken Hill ore body. Other deposit styles present within the province include Cu-Au of the Tennant Creek/Ernest Henry type, high-grade platinum and palladium, and lode gold. Geochronology is elucidating possible links to Mount Isa Cu, Pb and Zn mineralising environments within the province. This potential was highlighted at the 2003 BHEI conference held in July 2003 at Broken Hill (see Minfo 79 article BHEI 2003: Curnamona Province - realising the potential).
The Broken Hill ore bodies are arguably the world's largest natural accumulations of base metals. An estimated 280 Mt of ore containing better than 30% combined metal existed prior to mining and the ore currently mined has grades ranging from 2.5 to 15% Pb, 20 to 300g/t Ag and 5 to 20% Zn. The oxidised portions of the Broken Hill ore zones contain exceptional lead and silver grades and a diverse range of spectacular secondary minerals.
The presence of the giant Broken Hill silver-lead-zinc deposit has led to a strong focus of modern exploration effort on this style of mineral deposit. Due to this, exploration for other commodities in the domain remains immature, despite the fact that the region has an extensive mining infrastructure and a strong, supportive mining culture. The geological setting and history, presence of favourable source and host rocks, and evidence of the occurrence of appropriate mineralising processes all indicate high prospectivity for copper and gold in the Curnamona Province and in its south eastern component, the Broken Hill Block. Proven potential exists for the presence of Fe oxide-Cu-Au class of deposits (eg, Olympic Dam, Tennant Creek, and Cloncurry District). Sediment-hosted copper (eg Mt Isa) and porphyry-skarn Cu-Au styles are also considered to be attractive exploration targets in the Broken Hill Block.
BHEI projects
Geological mapping (regional project)
- Broken Hill Interpretive Mapping Project (a 1:100 000 Proterozoic Interpretive Map compiled from 1:25 000 mapping will be available at BHEI2009).
- Koonenberry mapping project
Geological mapping (energy project)
- Darling Basin geology, petrolem potential
Geophysics and remote sensing
- 1km x 1km infill gravity - northern Broken Hill (available at BHEI2009)
- Falcon airborne gravity survey CD ROM data package
- Hymap hyperspectral imagery on DVD ROM
- Koonenberry seismic line geological interpretation (GS2004/185)
- Re-gridded radiometrics (available at BHEI2009)
- Thorndale gravity modelling project
Mineral deposit studies
- A critical review of the Broken Hill ore system (CSIRO report 1160R)
- Cu/Au and Au prospectivity report (GS2003/265)
Special geology projects
- Amphibolite geochemistry and petrology - collaborative project with CODES
- Baseline geochemistry report (available BHEI2009)
- Broken Hill sedimentology project (GS2005/020)
Regolith, landform mapping and geochemistry - CRC LEME collaborative projects
- Balaclava 1:25 000 sheet
- Regolith geochemistry, biochemistry and hydrochemistry
- Rockwell 1:25 000 sheet
- Teilta 1:100 000 sheet
- Thackaringa 1:25 000 sheet
Data releases
Geoscience data packages
- Eromanga/Thomson Airborne Geophysical Data DVD (May 2006)
- Darling Basin Petroleum Data Package (September 2004)
- Airborne Gravity Gradiometer Survey CD ROM (January 2004)
- Airborne Hyperspectral Survey Imagery (DVD ROM) (December 2003)
- Darling Basin SEEBASE Report (December 2003)
- Potential for Cu-Au Systems in the Broken Hill Block CD ROM (September 2002) Please search in DIGS®
Other publications
- Abstracts BHEI 2006 (GA2006/21) - Please refer to Geoscience Australia web-site.
- Abstracts BHEI 2003 (GA2003/130) - Please refer to Geoscience Australia web-site.
- Cu/Au and Au prospectivity report (GS2003/265)
BHEI Minfo articles
- BHEI 2006 - Minfo 83, 2006
- New drill core facility opened at Broken Hill - Minfo 83, 2006
- New mineral potential at Broken Hill - Minfo 79, 2003
- New exploration breakthroughs at Broken Hill - Minfo 79, 2003
- BHEI 2003: Curnamona Province - realising the potential - Minfo 79, 2003
- High copper-gold prospectivity in the Broken Hill Block - Minfo 72, 2001
- Broken Hill to benefit from new funding initiatives - Minfo 72, 2001
- New Regolith Maps for Broken Hill, an aid to exploration - Minfo 72, 2001
- The Grasmere 1:100 000 Sheet. Home to a few surprises - Minfo 70, 2001
- Recent advances in mapping and understanding of the Koonenberry Belt - Minfo 68, 2000
Contact details
Broken Hill office
Geological Survey of NSW
NSW Department of Primary Industries, Mineral Resources
Level 2, 32 Sulphide Street
(PO Box 459)
Broken Hill NSW 2880
Phone: (08) 8088 9300
Fax: (08) 8087 8005
BHEI enquiries
Rob Barnes
Chief Geoscientist
Geological Survey of NSW
NSW Department of Primary Industries, Mineral Resources
516 High St, Maitland, NSW 2320
Phone: 02 4931 6697
Fax: 02 4931 6726
Email: BHEI.info@dpi.nsw.gov.au