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Appendix D Useful data sources on coal and coal seam gas resources

D.1 OZMIN

The OZMIN database contains geological and resource information on Australia’s mineral deposits, including black and brown coal (Ewers et al., 2002). However, OZMIN does not cover petroleum resources and, consequently, does not contain information about Australia’s CSG resources. OZMIN is compiled and updated on a regular basis to ensure that the most current information on national resources is available to the Australian Government. The information is derived from extensive analysis of available published literature and resource announcements (e.g. to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)) and is overseen by experienced economic geologists with relevant experience in the different commodities. The OZMIN database only contains information on deposits for reserves or resources that are reported in accordance with the JORC Code (see Appendix A). This means that if the resource estimate has not been JORC Code certified by a competent person (as defined in the JORC Code requirements), then it is not entered in the OZMIN database. The database is also updated on an approximately annual basis, so there may be a delay in incorporating recent resources which have gained JORC certification since the time of the most recent yearly update.

As part of their Bioregional Assessment Programme contribution, Geoscience Australia will assist individual Assessment teams by providing the most current OZMIN resource data and maps available for each bioregion or subregion.

D.2 Register of Australian Mining

The Australian Mining Register is an online database updated daily that provides searchable access to a range of mining-related information such as mines, development projects, exploration and mining companies, and mineral-specific data. The register is compiled and maintained by Resource Information Unit in Perth (RIU, 2014).

D.3 Australian Atlas of Mineral Resources, Mines and Processing Centres

This is an online interactive web mapping tool that allows users to quickly and easily locate mines within an area and also compile datasets using more advanced search criteria (Geoscience Australia, DRET and MCA, 2012). Data can also be downloaded as Excel spreadsheets or Google Earth files for use in other applications, such as geographic information systems (GIS).

D.4 State government online geological mapping and database systems

D.4.1 New South Wales

The NSW government has several online applications that can be used to search for exploration and geoscience data. These systems include Minview (NSW Trade and Investment, 2014a), which allows for online display and query of tenement information and geoscience data, as well as DIGS (NSW Trade and Investment, 2014b), the Digital Imaging Geological Systems, which is a large online database system that contains access to open-file company exploration reports, NSW departmental publications, maps and titles information. DIGS also contains specific records on coal and petroleum exploration, such as company reports, borehole and well-completion data, resource records and other types of relevant geoscientific data.

D.4.2 Queensland

Queensland provides online access to geological and resources information and data via the Interactive Resource and Tenure Maps system (Queensland DNRM, 2014a). In addition, the Queensland Digital Exploration reports (QDEX) system (Queensland DNRM, 2014b) provides online access to exploration company reports, including those for coal and CSG investigations. This system contains all open-file company reports submitted digitally to the Queensland Government since 2004, as well as older reports, which have been scanned and are now available for download.

D.4.3 South Australia

The South Australian Resources Information Geoserver (SA DMITRE, 2014) is an online web application developed by the South Australian Resources and Energy Group in the Department of Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE). SARIG provides online access to state-wide geological and geoscientific data including up-to-date tenement details for mineral, petroleum and geothermal companies, mines, advanced exploration projects and mineral deposits, geoscientific data, and various publications, maps and reports including open-file company exploration reports.

D.4.4 Victoria

Victoria’s online earth resources web mapping application is called GeoVic (Victorian DSDBI, 2014). Geovic provides access to view and evaluate a variety of Victorian Government datasets, including mineral, petroleum and extractive industries tenements, geophysical survey boundaries and data, borehole and well data, mines and mineral occurrences, as well as geological and interpretive maps and sections at various scales.

Last updated:
12 October 2018