After emerging from the resources wilderness thanks to its world-class geology and industry-friendly government policies, South Australia is now a leader in Australian mining and hydrocarbon developments over the last decade. In little more than a decade the State has gone from four operating mines to more than 20 and is rated Australia’s second most popular exploration destination. With a comprehensive review of the Mining Act under way, the State’s attractiveness as a place for resources and energy investment is expected to be strengthened. South Australia is now a leader in the exploration for next generation energy sources with companies such as Santos and BP leading the charge, while initiatives such as the Government’s Copper Strategy – designed to treble annual copper production to 1 mtpa – is set to establish the State as one of the world’s premier producers of the red metal. In the energy space, uranium and nuclear energy is another area of keen interest, with the South Australian Government initiating a Royal Commission into Participation in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in 2016. The State has become synonymous with innovation, cutting-edge development and a remarkable rate of discovery. From uranium prospects, to geothermal energy and the buoyant hydrocarbons sector, South Australia is now a leader in the exploration for next generation energy sources. With full support from the Department of State Development, the South Australian Resources and Energy Investment Conference will continue to showcase this burgeoning sector in 2017. From copper plays in the Gawler Craton, to iron ore and graphite developments on the Eyre Peninsula and the emergence of the State as a new hydrocarbon frontier, South Australia’s resources potential is at last being fully recognised. The conference will feature the success stories and emerging players in the State from both minerals and oil and gas and will also tackle thorny industry issues such as infrastructure, corporate social responsibility and the future of the Woomera Prohibited Area.

1. Demystifying the Gawler Craton through
collaboration – ARC Linkage Project
EXIT

2. How does the Australian Research Council
Linkage Scheme work?
• Partnership between Industry and
University Research Groups.
• Funded by the Australian Research
Council.
• Industry contributes cash and in-
kind contributions to projects.
• In-kind includes almost anything
associated with a cost to the IP.
• ARC matches the total industry
contribution with cash.
• Typical leverage is around 250% of
IP cash contribution.

3. Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework
Impediments to developing a
sensible tectonic framework for
the Gawler Craton
Lack of outcrop
Scale
Protracted tectonic history
Solution
Develop a “remote sensing” approach to tectonic
analysis that is effective at large scales

4. Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic
framework
GEOPHYSICAL
ANALYSIS OF
CRUSTAL-SCALE
STRUCTURE
GEOPHYSICAL
ANALYSIS OF
CRUSTAL-SCALE
STRUCTURE
Magneto telluric profiling
Potential field modelling
Seismic line profiles
Magneto telluric profiling
Potential field modelling
Seismic line profiles
GEOCHEMICAL AND
ISOTOPIC
CHARACTERISATION
OF DOMAINS
GEOCHEMICAL AND
ISOTOPIC
CHARACTERISATION
OF DOMAINS
Constrained 3D crustal
architecture
Marketable datasets
Constrained 3D crustal
architecture
Marketable datasets
TOOLS OUTCOMES
Sm/Nd and Re/Os isotopic modelling
Major, Trace and Rare Earth Element analysis
Geochemical and isotopic tectonic discrimination
Sm/Nd and Re/Os isotopic modelling
Major, Trace and Rare Earth Element analysis
Geochemical and isotopic tectonic discrimination
Constrained lithospheric
evolution of tectonic domains
Extensive geochemical and
isotopic datasets
Constrained lithospheric
evolution of tectonic domains
Extensive geochemical and
isotopic datasets
TECTONOTHERMAL
HISTORIES OF
DOMAINS
TECTONOTHERMAL
HISTORIES OF
DOMAINS
Modelling of metamorphic phase relationships
Pressure temperature calculations
Modelling of metamorphic phase relationships
Pressure temperature calculations
Constrained thermal regimes
and event styles
Extensive depth-temperature
datasets
Constrained thermal regimes
and event styles
Extensive depth-temperature
datasets
GEOCHRONOLOGYGEOCHRONOLOGY
LA-ICP MS/SHRIMP U/Pb analysis
Th-U-Pb electron microprobe monazite dating
Sm/Nd
Rb-Sr/Ar-Ar
LA-ICP MS/SHRIMP U/Pb analysis
Th-U-Pb electron microprobe monazite dating
Sm/Nd
Rb-Sr/Ar-Ar
Constrained thermal histories
and event time lines across the
craton
Age constraints on crustal-scale
structural boundaries
Constrained thermal histories
and event time lines across the
craton
Age constraints on crustal-scale
structural boundaries
GOAL

5. Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework
Olympic Cu-Au
province
Olympic Cu-Au
province
Recognised Fe-oxide Cu-Au mineral province. Tectonic drivers not yet
established. Focus of current mineral systems analysis.
Recognised Fe-oxide Cu-Au mineral province. Tectonic drivers not yet
established. Focus of current mineral systems analysis.
Fowler DomainFowler Domain
TARGET AREA
Increasingly recognised as a Au mineral province. Tectonic drivers not yet
established. Focus of regolith analysis with regard to mineralisation. Spatial
pattern of Au verses Cu-Au not yet explained. Focus of current mineral systems
analysis.
Increasingly recognised as a Au mineral province. Tectonic drivers not yet
established. Focus of regolith analysis with regard to mineralisation. Spatial
pattern of Au verses Cu-Au not yet explained. Focus of current mineral systems
analysis.
Northwestern Tectonic
Domains
Northwestern Tectonic
Domains
Dominates the geological and geophysical expression of the western Gawler
Craton. Strong potential for Ni systems.
Dominates the geological and geophysical expression of the western Gawler
Craton. Strong potential for Ni systems.
REASON
Central Gawler
Craton Au-only
province
Central Gawler
Craton Au-only
province
Domain BoundariesDomain Boundaries
Dominate the geophysical expression of the northern Gawler Craton. Geological
affinities to the rest of the Gawler Craton are unknown. These poorly known
terrains link the Gawler and Musgrave provinces.
Dominate the geophysical expression of the northern Gawler Craton. Geological
affinities to the rest of the Gawler Craton are unknown. These poorly known
terrains link the Gawler and Musgrave provinces.
History of craton-scale domain boundaries and domain assemblage is largely
unknown. Likely locations for mineralisation and fluid flow.
History of craton-scale domain boundaries and domain assemblage is largely
unknown. Likely locations for mineralisation and fluid flow.

6. Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework
Megacycle 1: (2.6-2.4 Ga)
• 2.55-2.51 Ga: Rift-related
sequences derived from late
Archaean crust and mafic-ultramafic
packages.
• 2.55-2.50 Ga: Arc-like felsic rocks.
• Au mineralisation
• 2.48-2.42 Ga: Regional high heat
flow tectonism (Sleafordian
Orogeny).
• 2.4-2.0 Ga: Cratonisation.
Sleaford
Complex
MulgathingMulgathing
ComplexComplex

7. Megacycle 2: (1.9-1.55 Ga)
• Rift basin development.
• Regional high heat flow
deformation and metamorphism.
• Regional magmatic systems.
• IOCG and Au mineral systems.
MulgathingMulgathing
ComplexComplex
SleafordSleaford
ComplexComplex
Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework

8. Does tectonics matter?
Gold
Copper-gold + U
Tin
Lead-zinc-silver
(Anthony Budd, 2002)
•Localised rift basin development and
voluminous felsic magmatism (1.59
Ga).
•Terrain-scale I-type felsic magmatism
with a significant crustal component
and mafic subordinates.
•Development of IOCG systems in rift
related settings in the eastern Gawler.
• Regional compressive deformation
(1.58 Ga).
•Development of Au systems
associated with compressional
structures in the central Gawler.
Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework

9. 1
2
3
1: Late Archaean terrain development:
sediment sources, geochemical and
isotopic characterisation of rock systems.
2: Thermal history of the Kimban Orogen.
3: Isotopic terrain mapping in the northern
Gawler Craton exploring the boundaries
with the broader Proterozoic.
4: Defining the St Peter Suite-Hiltaba
transition.
5: Mafic magmatism during the Hiltaba
Event
Current projects
1
4
2
2
5
Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework

10. Current projects
6: Isotopic characterisation of IOCG and Au
mineralisation and related alteration.
7: Looking for the edge of the Gawler Craton
and components of the Isan rift system.
8: Large scale crustal architecture, magneto-
telluric imaging of the deep crust and potential
field modelling.
9: Timing of events and architecture in the
Fowler Domain.
10: Timing of deformation in regional-scale
shear systems.
6
6
8
8
8
9
10
7
Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework

11. Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
Mesothermal
Au
Collisional
deformation
Batholithic
granites
BIF’s
Arc
magmatism
(Cu-Zn VHMS)
Komatiites
with Ni
Intracratonic
mafic/ultramafic
Events
2.8 2.7 2.6
rifting drifting coll. amal.
2.5Ga
rift coll.
Harris Greenstone Belt
Potential for Ni-Cu-PGE
Late Archaean Au
(1) Late Archaean evolution controlled by magmatic arc and arc-rift
processes

12. (2) Monazite dating of terrain scale shear zones.
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
1450 1700 Ma1550 165016001500

13. (3) Crustal-scale electrical anomaly under Olympic Dam
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
30 km
10 km Graphite?
Fluids?
Anhydrous Crust
Anhydrous
middle crust
Adelaidean
Sediments Hutchison
Group
Granites

14. (4) Crustal structure of the Northern Gawler Craton
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
Anhydrous Archaean?
Lower crust
Anhydrous
Archaean?
Lower crust
Mt Woods domain
Coober pedy domain
Mable Creek Ridge
Archaean nucleus
Nawa Domain
S N
Bitchera Ridge
S N
~15 Km
~400 Km

15. (4) Regional high-grade metamorphism at deformation at 1600 Ma in
the western Gawler Craton
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
High T mod P
event ~1645
followed by
reworking at 1600
Ma in the Fowler
Domain
1600 Ma: Inferred
timing for the
initiation of
subduction
recorded in
Musgrave Block
1606 ± 7 Ma: Ultra
high T high P
reworking of the
Moondrah Gneiss
~1600 Ma: The
Olarian Orogeny
1595 Ma:
Immediately prior
to the Hiltaba
event

16. (5) Provenance of sequences in the northern Gawler Craton
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a
framework
TDM
2 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 3 4 0 03 0 0 0
1
0
2
3
NAWA
Gawler Archaean
Hutchison Basal - Warrow
Quartzite
Upper
3
0
6
9
2
0
4
6
2
0
4
6
Willyama
Upper
Lower
1
0
2
3
Mt. Woods
ΣLREE
ΣHREE
ΣLREE
ΣHREE
ΣLREE
ΣHREE
ΣLREE
ΣHREE
ΣLREE
ΣHREE

17. Gawler Craton: Towards a tectonic framework
The Project outputs will be:
(1) Extensive geochemical, isotopic and geochronological datasets for the
Gawler Craton.
(2) Constrained 3-dimensional lithospheric architecture of tectonic domains
in the Gawler Craton.
(3) Constrained tectonothermal evolution of tectonic domains and the
crustal-scale structural boundaries within the Gawler Craton.
(4) Constrained models for the evolution of the crust and lithospheric mantle
in the Gawler Craton.
(5) Inputs into PIRSA’s Gawler Craton Strategic Plan aimed at developing
effective mineral exploration strategies for the region.

18. Curnamona
Province
Gawler
Craton
Musgrave
BlockPart of a broader
program targeting
the southern
Australian
Proterozoic and
contributing to the
overall Australian
Proterozoic synthesis
Gawler Craton: Progress towards a framework