
Federal and WA governments go for gold
AUSTRALIA’S national science agency CSIRO and the WA Government have teamed up to research mineralisation in the Yilgarn province, potentially unlocking new gold deposits in the area 400km east of Perth, WA. The eastern Yilgarn region has historically had fewer gold discoveries than its neighbouring, richly endowed eastern Goldfields region, despite sharing Archean geology from over 2,500 million years ago. Researchers discovered distinctive patterns in the chemical alteration of surrounding rocks during the formation of ancient gold deposits during the Archean period. Through the Minerals Research Institute of WA (MRIWA), the WA Government has invested in research to support future mineral exploration and understand chemical patterns in ancient rocks. WA mines and petroleum minister Bill Johnston said the discovery of…