Unlocking the Tanami
THE Northern Territory Government has begun an airborne geophysical survey in the Tanami Desert to help explorers find the next big mineral deposit.
One of the largest of its kind, the survey will involve two planes equipped with magnetometers flying a total of 275,000km over the Tanami Desert, 300km west of Tennant Creek.
The magnetometers will measure small changes in the earth’s magnetic field and allow geologists to see what lies beneath the sand.
Northern Territory Primary Industry and Resources minister Ken Vowles said the survey would produce data that could help mineral explorers find commodities such as gold, copper, nickel and rare earths.
“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,” Mr Vowles said.
“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.”
Member for Stuart Scott McConnell said Tanami was a vast area with untapped resources that could be turned into viable projects to provide jobs in the region.
“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.”