Minister Koutsantonis announces new $32.2m Drill Core Reference Library

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Image credit: Project page at http://www.hansenyuncken.com.au/

South Australia’s mineral and petroleum treasures will be housed in the new $32.2 million Drill Core Reference Library located at the heart of the expanding resources precinct at Tonsley.

Image credit:  Project page at http://www.hansenyuncken.com.au/
Image credit:
Project page at http://www.hansenyuncken.com.au/

Construction of the new resources hub has already begun, with up to 100 jobs expected to be created during this phase.

The modern facility, set to be open in the beginning of 2016, will be home to one of the world’s best ore deposits reference collections, a Data Metallogenica room and a palaeontology area to house the State’s fossil collection.

The Library will feature modern viewing rooms, access to geoscience information and related services, an industry workshop and education facilities.

Adertisement

The project is spearheaded by Australian commercial building company Hansen Yuncken.

“Drilling is one of the most expensive activities undertaken by an explorer. In a state where our ore bodies are more likely to be under cover, refining search targets before the expensive process of drilling begins provides an important advantage. The new library will help companies better pinpoint their search. As exploration licences often change hands, access to these cores can also avoid the need to redrill ground which in turn further drives our exploration dollar,” said Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis in a news release.

“The new library will be a massive data bank carved in stone. It will not only provide a record of the past but opportunities for the future.  It was instrumental in both the discovery of Olympic Dam and BP’s decision to invest $1.5 billion in its offshore exploratory program in the Great Australian Bight. Our $32.2 million investment will help advance new discoveries and mining and energy developments over the next 20+ years, contributing to the generation of an estimated $6.5 billion in royalties.”

Bringing together more than 7.5 million metres of drill core material held in four libraries across the State, the new library’s collection will include samples which date back to 1886 and it will have the capacity to store new reference drill cores and rock cutting samples for the next 20+ years.