How does DoIR select drillcore?
All explorers can now benefit from work that has gone before. Western Australia recognises that the ready availability of drillcore is an important aid to industry in formulating robust exploration strategies and programs that improve the rate of discovery and development of the State’s mineral resources.
With the recent construction of the core libraries in Perth and Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Western Australia now has two purpose-built facilities for the secure archive and display of drillcore and other materials that have been acquired during mineral and petroleum exploration programs in the State.
Core Selection
The Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) collects petroleum core and cuttings according to the requirements of the Petroleum Act (WA).
For minerals core, selection takes into consideration its value, in the broadest sense, to the minerals industry, and the need to promote the mineral prospectivity of Western Australia. Despite the size of the libraries in Perth and Kalgoorlie–Boulder, only a small percentage of core from minerals drilling will be stored, equivalent to 2–5% of diamond drilling per year.
Criteria for selection
Only drillcore perceived as valuable, in the broadest sense, to the minerals industry is archived. The selection criteria take into consideration GSWA’s need to promote the mineral prospectivity of Western Australia. The archived material includes drillcore that:
- is from significant mines that have closed or are about to close in the near future;
- is from significant mineralization that illustrates a range of (a) mineral commodities, (b) styles of mineralization, or (c) tectonic settings;
- illustrates a geographic spread of deposits throughout the State;
- may be difficult or expensive to redrill in the future, such as holes from urban areas, national parks, isolated and remote areas, as well as extremely deep holes;
- illustrates excellent examples of local stratigraphy, significant structural features or unusual geological features; or
- is from prospects or areas that are popular with the mineral industry. This includes core from prospects that may be subeconomic but attract a large amount of attention from prospectors and mining companies endeavouring to test new ideas and concepts. The archived drillcore may include material from prospects that are the subject of numerous joint venture proposals and thus have a large demand to view the drillcore.
Further Information
For detailed information on how DoIR selects it's drillcore please download the PDF available from the Documents section of this page.
