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Thursday, 15th July 2004 (4108 views)

Scientists in Australia are investigating how minerals move around and behave under the earth's surface.<BR/><BR/>The new project, carried out by researchers from the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide, aims to improve methods of finding gold. The Australian Research Council and industry partners have provided funding for the project.<BR/><BR/>The museum's principal minerals curator Dr Allan Pring told The Advertiser that the new system could eventually replace current data used in industry computer modelling. Information currently used to work out where to drill for gold is not always accurate.<BR/><BR/>Dr Pring said looking for gold was very difficult as it was often only in tiny amounts - one gram per tonne - compared with the early days of gold mining when large lodes could be found. <BR/><BR/>The new method uses the fact that gold was often associated with the elements arsenic, tellurium and bismuth. "Not all of them together, but one or either of them are associated with gold mineralisation," Dr Pring said.<BR/><BR/>The three-year $600,000 project is centred on ancient geological systems and fluids and is being conducted in collaboration with scientists at the Australian National University in Canberra, Primary Industries and Resources SA and Anglo Gold.<img src="http://directnews.dehavilland.co.uk/dn.gif?feedid=196&itemid=6024026"/>

 

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