Cooper Basin abuzz with minerals in abundance

Planes are criss-crossing thousands of square kilometres in the resource rich Cooper Basin in the state’s south west, gathering scientific data to help explorers discover its untapped potential.

Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said data from the surveys, to the west of Quilpie and south west of Longreach, would give explorers a helping hand.

“This new scientific data will help them narrow their search for prospective minerals. It’ll save them money by removing a lot of the risks associated with prospecting,” Mr Wilson said.

“We’re hoping it will spark a mini exploration rush. Not only is the Cooper Basin renowned for its oil and gas deposits, there’s high potential for geothermal discoveries,” he said.

The Cooper and Eromanga Basins within the survey areas are also major sources of oil and gas.

There are four major producers operating in the area. Last year, they produced around 2.95 million barrels of oil and 92.7 petajoules of gas.

The Bligh Government’s $20 million Smart Mining program is funding the surveys.

“Our aim is to encourage more exploration investment in the region and programs like this put us well on track to meet our target of doubling mining investment to $540 million by 2010,” he said.

The surveys will be carried out over 150,000 square kilometres to the west of Quilpie to the borders, and 60,000 square kilometres south west of Longreach. They will cover areas where state and federal governments have already collected gravity data.

“Explorers will be able to use this data along with other information such as seismic data, geological maps and drill hole information to discover the untapped potential of this resource-rich basin.

“Today’s exploration means tomorrow’s mines and tomorrow’s jobs,” Mr Wilson said.

Media Inquiries: Ellen McIntyre 3225 1819