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'bringing forward discovery'

Exploration Investment Attraction Initiative: 2008 - 2014

In the 2011 NT Budget, the Territory Government announced a three year, $11.4 million extension to the successful Bringing Forward Discovery initiative. The renewed initiative builds on the first four years of Bringing Forward Discovery and takes the total Government investment in the initiative to $25.8 million over seven years.  The initiative is designed to assist explorers to make the next major mineral and petroleum discoveries in the Territory, and has already delivered major successes in increasing the Territory’s share of Australian exploration activity.

Bringing Forward Discovery comprises 3 broad elements - geoscience programs, industry collaborations and project facilitation and promotion 

Geoscience programs

A major component of the Bringing Forward Discovery initiative is the acquisition and delivery of new geoscience data. The team responsible for this component is the NT Geological Survey (NTGS).   

NTGS aims to build a comprehensive 3D understanding of the Territory's geology and to pinpoint exploration opportunities in greenfields regions with emphasis under cover. This includes:

•         Regional gravity surveys
•         High-quality targeted geoscience
•         Detailed prospectivity analysis of greenfields terranes
•         Improved online access to data and information
 
A campaign of regional gravity data acquisition is being undertaken over prospective but poorly exposed terranes, to complement the Territory's near complete coverage of magnetic and radiometric coverage. Since the beginning of Bringing Forward Discovery, coverage of the Territory with regional gravity data at less than 4 km station spacing has increased from 9% to 36%. This figure is projected to increase to more than 50% by 2014. Companies are invited to enter partnerships to infill or extend the surveys. 
 
Targeted geoscience data acquisition and interpretation is a key focus. This includes 3-dimensional mapping and geochemical analysis in areas that have high potential to yield new discoveries, especially where the prospective geology is poorly understood or buried under cover. 
 
Online access to data will continue to be improved through the development of a comprehensive spatial database of mapping and exploration data and the availability of geological survey publications and historical company exploration reports for immediate download.
To find out what products are available or are due to be released please contact the Minerals and Energy InfoCentre.

Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations

Under Bringing Forward Discovery the Northern Territory Government has initiated the Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program, which is designed to increase the intensity of exploration drilling and geophysics in greenfields areas of the Northern Territory.

The Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program is co-funding selected exploration drilling and geophysical acquisition projects in greenfields areas where there is a paucity of geological information. Particular preference is being given to drilling that tests basement beneath thick cover, and also to regional-scale geophysical surveys.

To find out more about the Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations, please visit www.minerals.nt.gov.au/collaborations.

Project Facilitation & Promotion 

Promotion of the Territory’s prospectivity under Bringing Forward Discovery ensures that the Northern Territory is competitively positioned as a preferred location of exploration and mining investment. The Territory is being promoted at key events nationally and internationally including: 
 
• PDAC (Toronto)
• AGES (Alice Springs)
• Australian Uranium Conference (Perth)
• Mining the Territory (Darwin)
• Mining 20XX (Brisbane)
• China Mining  (Beijing)
 
Investment opportunities in the Northern Territory will continued to be promoted through the NT Investment Alert - a quarterly mail alert providing updates on potential mining developments, prospectivity, joint ventures and investment opportunities. 

The Resource Development team plays an important role in the facilitation of mining development proposals through to the authorisation stage. Assistance is provided to broker contacts and information from industry, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders. The team is also responsible for the China and Japan Minerals Investment Attraction Strategy and provides services to identify and introduce potential investors, promote NT business to China and Japan and assists local industry with international business liaison.