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The Australian Experience in Mineral Exploration Research: The Research Centres Model

The Australian Experience in Mineral Exploration Research: The Research Centres Model. Ross R Large Centre for Ore Deposit Research University of Tasmania. Outline of Talk. Background on Australian minerals- related research funding The Australian research centres program

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The Australian Experience in Mineral Exploration Research: The Research Centres Model

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  1. The Australian Experience in Mineral Exploration Research: The Research Centres Model Ross R Large Centre for Ore Deposit Research University of Tasmania

  2. Outline of Talk • Background on Australian minerals- related research funding • The Australian research centres program • Details on CODES as an example • Draw some conclusions

  3. Australian Government R&D Providers in Geoscience • CSIRO Exploration and Mining • Australian Geological Survey Organization • Australian Research Council - University research • Australian National University: Research School of Earth Sciences • State Government Surveys

  4. The 4 Major R&D Providersin Minerals Related Geosciences annual budgets : million$

  5. Mineral Deposit Research • Mostly concentrated in University centres: CGM, EGRU and CODES • No large Government group like GSC • AGSO has a small team on district studies • CSIRO focuses on exploration geophysics and exploration geochemistry

  6. Growth of Research Centres in Period 1988 - 2001 CRC LEME to 2008 AGCRC ceased 2000 CRC AMET ceased 2000 CRC PMD new to 2008 CODES SRC to 2005 Tectonics SRC to 2005 CGM, UWA no govt funds EGRU, JCU no govt funds GEMOC to 2002 Universities CSIRO AGSO

  7. Types of Research centres • Cooperative Research Centres - CRC’s • Collaborations between universities, government organizations and industry: budgets from $4 to 10 million pa. • Key Centres and Special Research Centres • Collaborations between universities and industry: budgets from $2 to 5 million pa.

  8. Focus of Centres Ore deposits & camps Geology, geochron & tectonics Exploration Geochemistry Exploration Geophysics

  9. CGM : Centre for Global Metallogeny • Formerly ARC Key Centre • Participants: University of Western Australia • 50 Industry Corporate Sponsors • Director: David Groves • Staff: 17 research scientists • Budget: ~ 2.7 million pa • Funding: industry and university • Gov’t funding : ceased in 1996

  10. EGRU : Economic Geology Research Unit • Formerly ARC Key Centre • Participants: James Cook University • 32 Industry Corporate Sponsors • Director: Nick Oliver • Staff: 8 research scientists • Budget: ~ 0.8 million pa • Funding: industry and university • Gov’t funds ceased in 1996

  11. CODES : Centre for Ore Deposit Research • ARC Special Research Centre • Participants: University of Tasmania 11 Industry Corporate Sponsors 66 company collaborators • Director: Ross Large • Staff: 23 research scientists • Budget: 3.8 million pa • Funding: industry, ARC and university • Gov’t funding: reviewed each 3 years to 9 years max.

  12. PMD CRC: Centre for Predictive Mineral Discovery • Cooperative Research Centre • Participants: CSIRO, CGM, EGRU, VIEPS, AMIRA, AGSO • Director: Bob Haydon (ex industry) • Staff: to be established • Budget: ~7 million pa • Gov’t funds: NEW 2001, funded for 7 years

  13. Summary of Centres Funding • $12.8M provided from Government amounting to about 21% of total govt minerals geoscience R&D resources • $5.1M provided from industry amounting to about 1% of total mineral exploration expenditure in Australia in 2000

  14. Revolving Door Policy on Research Centres • Max. government funding of 6 to 9 years • In-depth reviews every 3 years • Close down unsuccessful centres and start new centres • Some successful centres may regenerate by changing focus or adding partners

  15. Importance of AMIRA • Over 40 years experience in R&D brokerage in minerals exploration • Has developed a culture of industry support for research in Australia • Actively encourages collaboration amongst research groups

  16. Centre for Ore Deposit ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaMission Statement • CODES is committed to leadership in fundamental and applied research into ore-forming processes in volcanic arc and rift settings • Involving close collaboration with national and international researchers and the mineral exploration industry

  17. 23 research staff 37 PhD, 28 MSc students Annual budget : $3.8 million 11 Corporate Sponsors 40 Major research Projects CODES statistics 1999/00

  18. CODES 2000 Funding : $3.8M ARC grants Centre Grant Industry support University

  19. Method of operations - team based research • Multidisciplinary teams working across five major research programs • Teams are comprised of specialists in : tectonics, igneous petrology, igneous geochemistry, volcanology, sedimentology, structure, hydrothermal geochemistry, isotopes, hydrogeology and ore deposits

  20. CODES Ore Deposit Research Focus

  21. Fundamental research categories

  22. CODES Geographic Focus 1999

  23. Australian Research Projects 64%

  24. International Project Locations 36%

  25. Industry Links and Funding • Funding Strategy • Corporate sponsors • AMIRA projects • ARC Linkage projects • PhD support • Industry workshops CODES is committed to developing and maitaining strong links with the mining and exploration industry

  26. CODES AMIRA Projects, 2001 • CODES and CSIRO are currently the major research providers to AMIRA for exploration projects • In 2001 CODES has five projects funded at $2.04 million from AMIRA • Four international and one Australian • All involve major collaborations with other research groups

  27. AMIRA Research Providers inMineral Exploration, 1997-2000 Million $

  28. CODES AMIRA/ARC Linkage Projects • Proterozoic Stratiform Zn-Pb-Ag deposits of Northern Australia - CODES AMIRA P384/384A ($1.2million) • Leaders : Ross Large, Peter McGoldrick & Stu Bull • Giant Porphyry Cu/Au systems in South America - CODES, CSIRO : AMIRA P511 ($336,000) • Leaders : David Cooke & John Walshe

  29. CODES AMIRA/ARC Linkage Projects • Fluid Flow in the Mt Isa basin related to Zn-Pb-Ag deposits - AGSO, UQ, Queens U, CODES, CSIRO : AMIRA P552 ($161,000) • Leaders :Peter Southgate (AGSO), Jianwen Yang, Ross Large, Sue Golding (UQ), Kurt Kyser (Queens) • Deposit halos and exploration vectors for epithermal Au-Ag deposits - AMIRA P588 ($874,000) • Bruce Gemmell and Stuart Simmons (Auk.U NZ) :

  30. CODES AMIRA/ARC Linkage Projects • Proterozoic sedimentary copper deposits - Zambia and Australia : AMIRA P544 ($1,485,000) • leaders - Peter McGoldrick, Murray Hitzman (CSM) and Stuart Bull • SE Asian tectonics and metallogenesis, southern China - AMIRA P603 ($466,000) • Khin Zaw and Elanor Bruce

  31. CODES Industry/ARC Linkage Projects • Ordovician volcanics hosting porphyry Cu-Au, NSW ($506,000) • Leaders : Tony Crawford and Dick Glenn (NSWGS) • Scale dependent electrical properties of sulfide rocks ($252,000) • Leader : Mike Roach

  32. CODES Industry/ARC Linkage Projects • Ranking alteration zones in submarine volcanic terrains in Tasmania using stable and radiogenic isotopes ($140,000) • Leaders :Garry Davidson & Geoff Green (MRT) • Sulfide laser mico-analysis for enhanced exploration success (yet to be funded) • leaders - Marc Norman, Garry Davidson, Ross Large

  33. CODES funds from Industry

  34. Characteristics of Successful Centres • Quality and innovative research programs • Diversified research team with international reputation • Strong Centre Director with both research and management skills • Director has control of the Centre destiny • Strong funding support and involvement from industry • Preferably one or two geographic locations of staff

  35. Survival Strategy for Research Centres • Deliver top quality research results • Place emphasis on regular reporting • Research must be relevant to industry objectives • Gain trust of explorers and miners • Get support from both government and industry • Need various sources of income

  36. Concluding Remark Why has Australia been relatively successful in obtaining government and industry funding for mineral deposit research ?

  37. Australian Mineral Industry Research Association : AMIRA • The government funded Research Centres Program • Healthy competition and collaboration between groups & centres • A history of strong industry support for research

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