Origin of secondary copper mineralisation in the Gladstone Hill & All Nations deposits

Synopsis

The project: “Origin of Secondary Copper Mineralisation in the Gladstone Hill & All Nations Deposits” explores copper mineralisation in the Drake goldfield in northern NSW. The Drake Goldfield is located within far north-eastern NSW, close to the Queensland border and some 55km east of Tenterfield. This goldfield is within the New England Orogen, with most of the mineralisation hosted within the Middle Permian Drake Volcanics.

The Gladstone Hill and All Nations deposits are unusual for the Drake Goldfield in that they represent oxide and supergene copper mineralisation occurring at depths in excess of 100 metres below the surface and this does not occur elsewhere within the field. Also, no research has been conducted on these deposits.

Aims

This project aims to:

• determine oxide/supergene mineralogy
  
• determine paragenetic sequence
• develop model for mineralisation.

Student benefits

During this project, you’ll learn:

• How to use and apply a wide range of analytical and statistical methods.
  
• Detailed transmitted and reflected light petrography.
• About oxide and supergene zone processes.

You’ll also gain one-year of industry experience in minerology.

Supervisors: Dr Ian T Graham, Ms Hongyan Quan (PhD student), Dr Dane Burkett (UNSW Research Fellow) and Mr Rohan Worland (White Rock Minerals Ltd).