The mining history of the Edmund Basin

Australia stands as the world’s largest producer of lithium and a global producer of gold, iron ore, lead, zinc and nickel. According to the International Trade Administration, one-third of its mines are located in Western Australia, with over 350 currently in operation country-wide. As an up-and-coming mining jurisdiction, the Edmund Basin leverages high-quality mineralization and economic potential that has been demonstrated by many other geographical prospects surrounding the landform.

In the 1960s and 1970s, basement rocks of Western Australia's Gascoyne region and the overlying sedimentary rocks of the Edmund Basin and neighbouring Collier Basin were first systematically mapped by the Geological Survey of Western Australia. This program produced 1:250,000 scale maps, explanatory notes and a number of early reports outlining the protracted tectonic history of this part of the Orogen.

Other significant mappings and exploration campaigns have outlined the basin’s half-graben architecture, which was formed by the normal reactivation of older basement faults and sutures during the latter part of the Mangaroon Orogeny. According to the most recent profiling programs, the Edmund Basin and the Collier Basin have geological structures and rock formation styles that have been divided into six informal depositional packages, each defined by basal unconformities or major marine flooding surfaces.

Despite extensive mapping and geological surveying, the Edmund Basin remains underexplored and ready for discovery.

Mineral resources and major players in the Edmund Basin

The Edmund Basin contains a wide range of mineral occurrences — including supergene manganese, lead, gold and phosphate — many of which have been associated with major crustal-scale faults.

One of the most notable prospects in the region is Western Australia's largest strata-bound lead-gold-copper-silver deposit, the Abra base metals project. Owned by the major Australian mining player Galena Mining (ASX:G1A), the company’s flagship project is located in the Gascoyne region of the country. Leveraging the low-risk, Tier 1 jurisdiction status of the area, the celebrated Abra base metals project presents promising discovery potential.

Current reports estimate that Abra carries JORC mineral resource estimates of 16.7 million tonnes (Mt) at 8.5 percent lead and 24 grams per tonne (g/t) silver in the Indicated category and Inferred estimates at 24.4 Mt at 6.5 percent lead and 14 g/t silver.

Another player taking advantage of the Edmund Basin’s underexplored history and potential mineral resources is Todd River Resources (ASX:TRT). The Australia-based resource company’s Pingandy base metal project covers 895 square kilometres within the Edmund Basin. The company has received one licence and applied for three more. As an emerging mining company, Todd River is focused on outcropping, sub-cropping and continued exploration efforts to uncover the full extent of what the Edmund Basin has to offer.

Changing tides for Edmund Basin exploration

The uniquely varied geological and structural make-up of Edmund and the adjacent Collier Basin has posed some challenges in discovery and exploration in the past. Reactivated basement structures, basin inversion by reverse transpression and deformations all point to interesting mineralized profiles, but without the tools to explore these characteristics more extensively, the packages of the Edmund Basin remain relevantly untouched.

Luckily, advancements in mining technology, surveying and mapping have led to significant strides in discovery, development and exploration capabilities. Research and technology companies like the Australian Centre for Field Robotics have introduced advanced gradiometer technology, robotics, 3D imaging and automated drilling, which can be used to get to the core of underexplored mining prospects like the Edmund Basin. With mining companies and technology giants collaborating, the sky’s the limit for highly prospective regions like Western Australia and assets like the Abra base metals project.

As more emerging exploration companies and investors catch wind of this impressive mining jurisdiction, Edmund Basin could become a hot spot for high-quality mineralization and commodities like precious and base metals. Investors should look to first-movers like Galena Mining, which is already making strides to advance its positioning in Western Australia with its secondary Jillawarra manganese and gold properties, to see why Edmund Basin presents exploration opportunities unique to the Gold Coast.

Takeaway

The Edmund Basin in Western Australia sits amongst some of the world’s most abundant base and precious metal prospects and operating mines but remains underexplored. First-movers like Galena Mining and Todd River Resources demonstrate the early-mover advantage in exploring such a highly prospective region. With advancements in mining technology and good mapping and geological research already established in the area, investors and exploration companies could see very positive mining and exploration opportunities across the Edmund Basin.

This INNspired article is sponsored by Galena Mining (ASX:G1A). This INNspired article provides information that was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Galena Mining in order to help investors learn more about the company. Galena Mining is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this INNspired article.

This INNspired article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.

INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.

The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Galena Mining and seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.