Wednesday, 28th May 2008 (532 views)

"State-of-the-art" 3D imaging technology could spark a gold mining "renaissance" in the Wahalla region of Australia by helping miners to identify potential deposits of the precious metal from the comfort of a computer suite, reports say.

According to the Latrobe Valley Express, the 3D visualisation room at Geoscience Victoria can generate accurate images of underground geological formations to help explorers reduce the time, cost and risks of searching for gold in the field.

The system, which was funded with A$200,000 (£97,174) from the Department of Primary Industries, can also integrate 150 years worth of historical mining data so prospectors can see where previous gold strikes were reported.

Australia's minister for energy and resources Peter Batchelor told the paper that Victoria gold mining sector employs around 10,000 people and brings over A$5 billion into the state.

He added that the 3D visualisation would help to attract further investment.

"As Victoria's resources are explored at deeper levels, better access to the latest technologies will help to make our state an ideal location for investors," Mr Batchelor commented.

The newspaper says Victoria is thought to host between 30 million and 50 million ounces of gold in unmined deposits.

Wahalla is located around 181 kilometres east of Melbourne in south-east Australia.

 

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