Identifies Opal Prospecting Blocks in the State of NSW as defined by Part 10, Division 1, Section 224 of the Mining Act 1992 No. 29.

This vector contains the boundary and flight lines of Infill Area D. Infill Area D is part of the MinEx Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) Cobar Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey. This survey was a collaboration between the Geological Survey of NSW (GSNSW) and Geoscience Australia. Infill D was funded by Legacy Minerals Pty. Ltd. Regional lines were funded by GSNSW.

The Geological Survey of NSW developed a Seamless Geology of UTM Zone 56 during 2014 as part of a project to develop a seamless vector geology dataset of the best available geological mapping data covering the whole of NSW.The overarching aims of the Statewide Seamless Geology Project were to: (i) compile the different original scales, formats and rock unit naming conventions into a consistent, statewide format; (ii) edge-match the geology across existing map sheets; and (iii) interpret the basement geology under cover. The resulting geodatabase comprises a series of layers which include: (i) solid basement geology; (ii) cover rocks (defined as undeformed and unmetamorphosed); (iii) Mesozoic igneous rocks; and (iv) Cenozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. The project was divided into 3 major stages corresponding to the UTM zones which divide New South Wales. This dataset includes the seamless geology layers from the NSW portion of UTM Zone 56 (ie.east of 150 degrees longitude to the coast).

Pseudocolour image of the concentration of thorium in parts per million within in the upper 20 centimetres of the ground. Cooler colours indicate lower abundances of thorium and warmer colours represent higher abundances. Variations in thorium values are caused varied mineral compositions in host rocks and soils. This statewide image was generated by merging many individual airborne radiometric surveys.

Geophysics survey data has been reported to the NSW government and released under the requirements of the NSW Mining Act 1992. Contained within this vector file is the location of surveys and acquisition parameters. These surveys use uncommon techniques.

The Geochemistry (Whole Rock) data set contains information about the chemistry of rocks sampled in New South Wales and held by the Geological Survey of NSW (GSNSW). The data has been captured from analyses conducted by the GSNSW and from other work including academic research & collaborative projects, mineral exploration reports and geoscientific publications. The database contains geochemical analyses on nearly 27,000 rock samples which have been collected from field work and drilling activities which date back to the nineteenth century. There are also a small number of assay & hydro-geochemical results. It is an important dataset as the whole rock analysis of rocks for major and trace elements allows classification of the lithology of a rock and provides insight into the conditions in which the rocks formed as well as their economic potential.

This map layer shows the locations of in-stream water monitoring stations used by coal mining companies to monitor water quality in the Upper Hunter catchment. This information is provided by the coal companies as part of the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue in cooperation with NSW Minerals Council and the community. A different coloured symbol is used for each coal company.

Gravity gradiometry data has been reported to the NSW government and released under the requirements of the NSW Mining Act 1992. Contained within this vector file is the location of surveys and acquisition parameters.

Core library samples that have been scanned by the NSW Hylogger. The HyLogger system acquires information on rock, ore and alteration minerals in drillcore, chips and pulps that are often difficult or impossible for the human eye to interpret correctly. Reflected light from the samples is broken into hundreds of different wavelengths by several spectrometers, allowing the recognition of unique spectral signatures for each mineral. This technology is also used on cores from petroleum and carbon dioxide (CO2) geosequestration wells to obtain mineralogical data that may complement porosity and permeability studies. X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence instruments are used for rapid characterisation of a wide range of geological materials and for validating HyLogger data. The GSNSW offers a number of HyLogger scanning services to industry and academia. Each service requires a level of investment by the client and offers different periods of confidentiality.

The NSW Government has ruled out considering a significant proportion of the state’s coal regions for proactive release under the Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration. In these mapped areas, new coal exploration can continue to occur directly adjacent to an existing coal title, if an exploration licence applicant meets approval requirements. If a coal exploration licence is granted, an operator is not permitted to access the land unless they have an access arrangement with the landholder. The grant of a coal exploration licence is not a guarantee of mining. An operator would still need to obtain development consent under the planning framework.