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Heavy Mineral Sands Potential of the Eucla Basin in South Australia — a World-Class Palaeo-Beach Placer Province

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Heavy Mineral Sands Potential of the Eucla Basin in South Australia — a World-Class Palaeo-Beach Placer Province Feature Heavy mineral sands potential of the Eucla Basin in South Australia — a world-class palaeo-beach placer province Baohong Hou (Principal Geologist, CRC LEME, PIRSA Geological Survey Branch) Ian Warland (Senior Project Geologist, Iluka Resources Ltd) Introduction e 130° id iv d N e T The eastern Eucla Basin is characterised g a in MUSGRAVE a by Tertiary coastal-barrier systems r M d S PROVINCE e o e r e r N a p m containing highly prospective beach a o l e o a a n t r n P Wa na P. i i g n n e y placers with great economic potential a e n L B ak P er a Lindsay P. P . Thro sel P k . (e.g. Benbow et al., 1995; Hou et al., s e C P. s a r P e YILGARN . y P 2003c). Of particular importance has P GAWLER . BLOCK a g n CRATON been the recognition of Eocene coastal- i r a l l a barrier systems; their distribution is now e T P lin Garford . Po on t s A reasonably well known from regional nt a A o P S o. P. c W Anth ny e investigations in the topographically n 30° e c BUNDA PLATEAU goonya P. elevated Ooldea, Barton and Paling Lefroy P. o Kin E EUCLA Ranges (e.g. Benbow, 1986, 1990; BASIN Benbow and Crooks, 1988). Exploration P. Eucla wa for heavy mineral sands (HMS) in the Co n Miocene coastline Continental shelf N region followed work on sedimentary Present ar m la -200 b coastline ent y res uranium and coal during the 1970s to P P GREAT AUSTRALIAN . early 1980s, that revealed numerous BIGHT HMS anomalies (Ferris, 1994). In Baker P. Continental slope some areas of the Ooldea Range, HMS Palaeovalley exploration was carried out from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s. 0 100 kilometres HMS in this region have now become 0 200 kilometres an important exploration focus, as several generations of HMS-bearing shorelines NT have been recognised recently (Hou et al., QLD 2003b,c). The widespread development EUCLA WA of strandlines within the extensive sand BASIN SA dunes, and their possible role as major NSW Eucla ADELAIDE ACT heavy mineral carriers, make them an VIC important target for further exploration. EUCLA BASIN TAS Shuttle radar topographic map PIRSA 202683_009 Regional setting Fig. 1 Eucla Basin and major adjacent palaeovalleys (after Hou et al., 2003c). The Eucla Basin contains a sequence up to 300 m thick of Tertiary marine, coastal and palaeochannel sediments (Benbow et extending landward in the Gawler Craton Investigative methods al., 1995; Hou et al., 2003a). Its northern (Fig. 2). On the eastern basin margin, Examination of lithofacies, together margin extends ~2000 km from Western linear coastal landforms are preserved Australia to South Australia and contains a that include coastal dunes, dune ridges with creation of palaeontological, allo- large onshore province of Tertiary sediments and possible beach ridges, which have stratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic characterised by a number of palaeovalleys a morphology similar to the Quaternary frameworks from selected drillholes that drained the Precambrian Yilgarn Block, coastal dunes of southeastern Australia and minor outcrop across the eastern Gawler Craton and Musgrave Province (Benbow, 1990). The present landscape Eucla Basin, has shed new light on the (Alley et al., 1999; Fig. 1). is dominated by extensive tracts of sedimentary history of the sequence The ~1000 km long eastern margin of Quaternary deposits, largely superimposed of Tertiary marine transgressions and the Eucla Basin contains a large nearshore on preserved Tertiary landscape elements deposition in the region (Hou et al., 2001, and onshore region of Tertiary sediments including palaeovalleys, lagoons, estuaries 2003a,b,c, in prep.). Palaeogeographic characterised by a number of palaeovalleys and coastal barriers (Figs 1, 2). reconstruction was processed in a 4 MESA Journal 37 May 2005 Feature Drainage divide Barton Range Palaeovalleys Elevation Ceduna metres 798 S 683 BA IN 604 Ooldea EUCL A 627 Present day shoreline 450 Range Eucla 372 295 218 141 63 -14 S e Li rp 130° nd W e s a n N a n t o y n in o P a e r . in . SA L P WA a P . a e k P y e . g s n a P m . a P. r e M P. la a Im rna Ta l ring ma . Koonuda rd P 3M rfo 7 Ga 39 Ma a P. H Ttknsie H i Wilkinson H H Lagoon Estuary P. H Anthony L H ong sho Paling Bay re d 30° rift H H H Immarna H Lagoon nya P. Pidinga Bay H goo A H Kin H 41.5 Ma B EUCLA ?? BASIN Chundie Bay Narlaby P. 15– 5 Ma ‘Colona’ Eucla H GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT ‘Nundroo’ H 0 100 kilometres Continental slope Late Eocene (Paling, Barton) barrier Inferred beach and dune ridges Major known anomalies of heavy mineral sands A Middle Eocene (Ooldea) barrier Cross-section (see Fig. 6) H Maralinga embayment: marginal marine – estuarine clastics Inferred palaeoriver passing through barriers Wanna P. Marine carbonate platform Palaeovalley PIRSA 202683_010 Fig. 2 Regional relief interpreted from DEM and Tertiary geographical and lithofacies frameworks of the eastern Eucla Basin (after Hou et al., 2003c). MESA Journal 37 May 2005 5 Feature geographic information system based on a observations, has revealed a record Member of the Pidinga Formation), digital elevation model (DEM), remotely of stepwise evolution of marine and and estuarine clastics (Khasta sensed imagery, surface geological and non-marine environments for these Formation) drillhole data, and sedimentological potentially economic sediments (Hou et x Middle Miocene – Early Pliocene analysis in which key sedimentary al., in prep.). Four third-order eustatic marine limestone (Nullarbor surfaces (disconformities, tidal and/or cycles resulted in four generations of Limestone), lacustrine mudstone wave ravinement surfaces, transgressive marine and non-marine deposits across and dolomitic limestone (Garford VXUIDFHV DQG PD[LPXP ÀRRGLQJ this region (Fig. 4): Formation), and marginal marine surfaces) bounding the sedimentary x mid-Middle Eocene calcareous, – estuarine (carbonaceous) clastics packages were recognised. This new work glauconitic and gritty shallow marine (Kingoonya Member of the Garford SURYLGHVEHWWHUUHVROXWLRQRIVLJQL¿FDQW sandstone (Hampton Sandstone) Formation, and Narlaby Formation). features as shown in Figure 3. A number and limestone (lower Wilson Bluff of HMS-bearing transects were created, Limestone) Shoreline features based on detailed drillhole descriptions, x late Middle Eocene marine limestone A new model of the shoreline evolution, including microscopic study, to show the (lower Wilson Bluff), lagoonal distribution of mineralisation. based on major third-order sea-level carbonaceous limestone (Paling events, provides valuable geological Formation), and marginal marine information on the Tertiary landscape Stratigraphic units ± ÀXYLDO FDUERQDFHRXVFODVWLFV DQGGH¿QHVIRXUJHQHUDWLRQVRIVKRUHOLQHV The stratigraphy of the eastern Eucla (Maralinga Member of the Pidinga — mid-Middle Eocene (41.5 Ma), late basin margin has recently been revised Formation) Middle Eocene (39 Ma), Late Eocene (Clarke et al., 2003; Hou et al., 2003c). x a complex sequence of Late Eocene (37 Ma), and Neogene (15–5 Ma; Hou Detailed re-examination of the onshore marine limestone (upper Wilson et al., 2003c; Fig. 2). These shorelines lithostratigraphy of the eastern Eucla %OXII PDUJLQDO PDULQH ± ÀXYLDO are highly prospective for beach-sand- %DVLQ EDVHG RQ ¿HOG DQG ERUHKROH carbonaceous clastics (Anthony hosted heavy minerals related to wave- WA Overlying night- SA time thermal imagery Interpreted Tertiary Shuttle Radar palaeochannels Topographic Map and lagoons Interpreted Eocene barriers Immarna Trans Australia Railway Ambrosia Jacinth Eucla Great Australian Bight 0 100 kilometres PIRSA 202683_011 Fig. 3 Comparison of the coastal barriers delineated from previous (brown solid lines, SA_GEODATA) and this (blue dash line) study in GIS. Note that there is up to 25 km difference. The light brown tone outlined by the blue dash lines is the distribution of barrier deposits interpreted subsurface. Superimposed light brown tone (50% transparency) is the distribution of Tertiary palaeochannel and lagoonal deposits interpreted previously (brown solid lines). The old (Immarna) and new (Jacinth and Ambrosia) HMS discoveries are also shown (after Hou et al., 2004). 6 MESA Journal 37 May 2005 Feature Based on interpretation of the depositional environments, the HMS 1989) SA Ooldea Barton Age lagoonal barrier estuarine accumulated in Tertiary shorelines basin barrier channel (Ma) estuary as bodies of coastal sand, probably events, representing multiple higher order RSL (McGowran, highstands (Hou et al., 2003b). Recog- unconformity s nition of these coastal depositional y Plio Narlaby Formation environments within several generations 6–4? E. Jerem Point? of shorelines gives meaning to anomalous Nullarbor Garford intersections of beach placers and aids Limestone Formation Kingoonya targeting of future drilling. Member 16–6? Miocene New discoveries Mid–Late Cadell– Balcombe unconformity 7ZR GLVFRYHULHVRI VLJQL¿FDQW 34.6–33.7 Tuit Barton Sand zircon-rich HMS were announced on 5 November and 17 December 2004 by Khasta Formation upper Iluka Resources Ltd at their Jacinth and 36–34.6 Wilson Bluff Eocene Limestone Ambrosia prospects. Assay results from the discoveries show the prospects to Late Anthony Member have an average heavy mineral content of 37–36 10% (up to 82%) containing an average OoldeaOoldea SandSand Pidinga Formation of 55% zircon, 7% rutile and 22% Paling Fm ilmenite — comparing ‘favourably’ to the lower Eneabba province in Western Australia 39–37 Wilson Bluff Limestone Maralinga Member in its ‘heyday’ (Fig. 7). Ambrosia Eocene Tortachilla Tuketja unconformity prospect may have an even higher zircon endowment compared to the nearby Middle Hampton Jacinth deposit. Visual indications for the 43–40 Wilson Bluff Sandstone PRE-TERTIARY ROCKS other reconnaissance lines suggest that anomalous mineralisation extends across Pre-Tertiary PIRSA 202683_012 an extensive area; so far all that detected occurs in unconsolidated sand above Fig.
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