QRIDP Data Package

URL: https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/ds000101

The [Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP)](https://www.resources.qld.gov.au/qridp) was created by government, industry and communities. It sets out a pathway for a resources industry that will continue to create jobs and prosperity for generations to come—responsibly and sustainably. The QRIDP was announced in April 2021, among the 6 focus areas there was a $20 Million investment in precompetitive geoscience programs and circular economy research for the mining industry as well as $22.6 Million invested in Queensland's Collaborative Exploration Initiative. 
  
## Action #2- Collaborative Exploration Initiative. 
The [Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI)](https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/resources/geoscience-information/exploration-incentives/exploration-grants) aims to encourage the discovery and development of Queensland's critical mineral deposits to help meet the growing demands of the world's technology and renewable energy sectors.  Funding is currently provided under the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP), with $17.5 million available until June 2027 to support Queensland's exploration companies to discover the future mines to produce the minerals and metals that the world needs.

- **CEI Round 7** - Round 7, which ran from April to December 2023, supported 25 projects – with all data collected through these projects now freely available to access [here](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/data/dataset/?ext_date_facet=&ext_search_title=COLLABORATIVE+EXPLORATION+INITIATIVE+ROUND+7&ext_advanced_operator=OR&sort=gsq_date_desc&ext_bbox=&ext_prev_extent=)  
- **CEI Round 8** - [Round 8](https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/resources/geoscience-information/exploration-incentives/exploration-grants/previous-rounds) is in progress, with projects due to be completed by December 2024. Final reports will be made available from 16th June 2025.  
- **CEI Round 9** - [Opening soon](https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/resources/geoscience-information/exploration-incentives/exploration-grants), successful applicants to be awarded 1 April 2025  
  
## Action #3 - Geophysics for Discovery  
The Queensland Government has invested $10 million in geophysical data such as aeromagnetics, gravity, and magnetotellurics, which are essential for the discovery of mineral systems underground (such as the majority of those in outback Queensland), to help build a picture for developers and investors.  

- **[Regional Gravity](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/data/gravity-gradiometry/gg104290)** - A regional airborne gravity gradiometry (AGG) survey, with line spacing at 1km or better, was discussed as a high priority for mineral explorers based on feedback collected by the GSQ. The Etheridge AGG survey was flown in April-May 2024 and covered over 32,000 sq km in the Georgetown region.

- **Regional Magnetics** - A regional airborne magnetic and radiometric survey was conducted in the Georgetown region survey to continue to grow the coverage of high resolution magnetics and radiometric data available across prospective regions in Queensland.  The Einasleigh airborne geophysics survey has been completed with data due to be released in mid 2024.

- **Regional AEM** - A regional Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey with a line spacing of 2km will improve the data density within the 20km spaced [AusAEM](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/em001378) and provide explorers with a much higher resolution dataset to enable area selection and targeting under cover.  This survey will be conducted in the Georgetown region in mid 2024 with data to be released by end of 2024.     

- **AusAEM** - GSQ contribution to Geoscience Australia's [AusAEM](https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/ausaem) airborne electromagnetic survey in Queensland. AusAEM is the world's largest AEM survey ever undertaken, and extends across the Australian continent. AEM allows mapping of the subsurface electrical conductivity of rocks, sediments and waters, and can aid in the identification of electrically conductive minerals such as sulfides.  The 2024 AusAEM program will be flown in mid 2024 and will extend current [AusAEM](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/em001378) coverage to the east, data will be released late 2024
 
- **Petrophysics Data** - This project involves the collection and processing of petrophysics with [CSIRO's Mobile Petrophysics Lab](https://research.csiro.au/mpl/) along key reference core selected by the GSQ Minerals systems team and the integration with other analytical data.  Data and reports will be released on the open data portal

- **AusLAMP** - GSQ contribution to Geoscience Australia's [AusLAMP](https://www.ga.gov.au/about/projects/resources/auslamp) magnetotelluric survey in Queensland. AusLAMP is a long-period MT survey that images the electrical conductivity structure of the Autralian continental lithosphere in three dimensions and aims to identify and characterise major geological structures in the crust. These structures may be related to zones of prospective mineralisation in the upper crust.  Data for all AusLAMP sites collected in Queensland can be found on the Geoscience Australia website.

- **Gravity AFGN Update** - Increased demand for gravity data acquisition from Industry requires that these surveys can be tied into the national gravity compilation. Revisiting [AFGN](https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/afgn) sites to ensure they are still functional and establishing new sites in areas of demand will ensure gravity readings collected are accurate and accessible.  

- **Deep Seismic** - A deep seismic survey proposed from Lawn Hill across to Croydon will improve the regional understanding of major geological domains and structures between the Mount Isa and Georgetown terrains.  The new seismic is proposed to commence in 2025-2026 and will be incorporated into the current deep seismic network to provide a 3-dimensional understanding of the geology across the state.

## Action #4 – New Economy Mineral Systems and Geoscience 
The Queensland Government invested $5 million in geoscience research on existing copper, cobalt, rare earth, indium and other new economy mineral deposits to better understand their occurrence and distribution. Projects under this banner provide the resources sector with the tools they need to overcome challenges and develop new techniques to aid exploration, discovery, and extraction of minerals. It is increasingly essential as the frontier for discovery moves into deeper and more difficult terrains, while the demand for new economy minerals increases exponentially.  

- **Geochem Data Update** - The updated Queensland Geochemistry Database has an additional 600,000 new data that covers all the 5 Queensland Geochemical data blocks. The new data release is in GDA2020 datum, and are available from [Whole of Queensland Geochemistry databases - Whole of Queensland Geochemistry databases - Geochemistry - GSQ Open Data Portal](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/data/geochemistry/whole-of-queensland-geochemistry-databases)

- **Georgetown Hydrogeochem** -  The [Hydrogeochemistry study of eastern Mount Isa](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/data/report/cr125268) has identified seventeen areas of interest for further mineral exploration work. The same technique is applied to the undercover areas surrounding the Georgetown block and fill areas of data gaps in the eastern Mount Isa. All sampling and analytical work have been completed and the various collaborators (GSQ, CSIRO, RUTGERS and QUT) are at the stage of data analysis of the variety of chemistry types, and will integrate them into a final report expected for release in December 2024. 

-  **Characterisation of Queensland mineral deposits** -  An integrated work program aiming to build up an extensive [reference collection](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/ds000099) of representative drill hole and surface samples and associated geoscience data, to comprehensively characterise geochemical, mineralogical and petrophysical signatures of mineralisation, alteration and distal footprints of key deposits of different deposit types including the north east and north west mineral provinces;  
    - **[GSQ Reference Collection Projects](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/ds000099)**  

- **Deposit Atlas Phase 3** - Deposit Atlases are a valuable tool for explorers, providing insights to identify the characteristic features and surrounding indicators of major mineral deposits. The third phase of this initiative will examine 28 deposits spanning the [Northeast](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/ds000058) and [Northwest](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/ds000036) Mineral Provinces. Curated by the [WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre (BRC)](https://smi.uq.edu.au/brc/research/total-deposit-knowledge/mineral-deposit-atlases), each atlas will encompass a detailed report and three-dimensional datasets integrating publicly accessible data.

- **Digital Earth** - The Digital Earth Project aims to develop a scalable, seamless twin of minerals geoscience data held in the GSQ open data portal. This innovation will visualise, in 3D, regional and local-scale geology, geochemistry, and geophysics, and critically all the Mineral  Deposit Atlas data for Queensland. A production-ready version of the app will be assessed for public release from September 2024. 
  
- **[Isotopes Undercover](https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/data/report/cr137388)** -  Heavier copper isotope signatures in groundwater are indicative of oxidation of copper sulfides during weathering. The 65Cu to 63Cu ratio is used as a potential exploration tool to telescope into potential undercover copper mineralization.  A spatial analysis of 42 water samples reveals that their copper isotope compositions in groundwater near mineralization record a range of values that mimic the corresponding isotopic ranges of 6 known copper deposits. 

- **NE Qld Solid Geology** - The Northeast Queensland Solid Geology project aims to update the geological mapping and understanding across the Georgetown region following the collection of new geophysical and geological datasets.  A series of reports detailing new geophysical interpretations, geochronology, geochemistry and updated mapping will be released in 2025.

- **Halloysite Nanotubes** - Halloysite is a naturally occurring tubular clay mineral of the kaolinite group. It has wide applications including as a replacement for carbon nanotubes, safe hydrogen storage and transport, carbon capture and controlled drug delivery and is thus a potential high-value addition to existing clay resources. This project will provide a first-pass assessment of the presence or absence of halloysite in existing kaolinite occurrences throughout Queensland.  

## Action #5 – Circular Economy in Mining
The circular economy works to use resources at their highest value for as long as possible, and design out waste. This initiative includes programs to determine the extent to which valuable minerals can be extracted by reusing waste from existing resources-related activities—for example, the tailings of current and previously operated mines. The Queensland Government invested $5 million to help prepare Queensland miners to optimise their ability to access mineral markets, customers and investors who are coming under increased pressure to demonstrate with rigour that their raw material inputs have been obtained consistent with high ESG standards, in particular with minimal environmental disturbance and maximum environmental sustainability.



Organization: Geological Survey of Queensland