CEI recipients and reports

Round 8 2024 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

Individual funds of up to $300,000 were awarded to 16 companies covering 18 projects under round 8 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative. Priority was given to projects that have potential to help expedite Queensland's search for the critical minerals needed to help the global transition to a renewable energy future.

View the round 8 CEI static map JPG, 309.08 KB.

View the round 8 projects on the CEI interactive map.

  • AIC Mines Ltd will evaluate the usefulness of magnetotelluric surveying in the exploration for iron-sulphide-copper-gold mineral systems in the Eastern Fold belt of the Mount Isa Inlier, northwest Queensland.
  • Ballymore Resources Ltd will conduct a gradient airborne magnetic-radiometric survey over a project area, in the Bowen-Proserpine region, North Queensland. They will also conduct an airborne electromagnetic geophysical survey targeting high-grade skarn-hosted mineralisation in the Chillagoe region of North Queensland to test for a buried high-grade copper deposit.
  • Cooper Metals Ltd will conduct a regional gravity survey over approximately 300sq km at 500m station spacing with detailed infill profile lines over the Brumby Ridge copper-gold prospect. The survey will significantly improve the 2km gravity station spacing in the area.
  • Copper Green Pty Ltd will focus on determining the ion adsorption potential and lateral extent of mineralisation to confirm the rare-earth elements are of ionic adsorption clay-hosted style in an area located south of Mount Garnet in Far North Queensland.
  • Graphinex Pty Ltd will target a large graphite orebody with a planned deep drill hole targeting the extent of the intrusive graphite orebody and will contribute to knowledge on this unique deposit, located 70km south of Croydon.
  • Hammer Metals Ltd will drill 2 diamond holes at the Hardway copper, gold, yttrium and heavy rare-earth element (Y-HREE) prospect in Mt Isa and conduct a comprehensive analytical study of the acquired core, along with existing reverse circulation samples from the company's prior work at Hardway.
  • Iltani Resources Ltd will drill a diamond drillhole located on EPM 27223, approximately 20km west of Herberton in Northern Queensland. The drillhole will be 800m in length targeting an epithermal zinc-indium-lead-silver deposit with an underlying deep porphyry copper-tin system.
  • Mount Isa Mines Ltd will conduct an airborne electromagnetic survey over the Buckley West area 80km northwest of Mt Isa targeting structurally hosted copper deposits of the Mt Isa, Lady Annie or Gunpowder style and stratabound zinc-lead-silver deposits of the Lady Loretta-style.
  • Mt Cuthbert Resources Pty Ltd will conduct a 3D ANT (Ambient Noise Tomography) survey including data processing and velocity-depth modelling at an existing copper mine (Crusader) northeast of Mt Isa for the exploration of copper and cobalt.
  • NeoDys Pty Ltd will drill 78 aircore holes into potentially light rare-earth-element (LREE)-enriched alluvial sediments within the Barkly Tableland adjacent the western margin of the Mount Isa Inlier.
  • Red Metal Ltd will drill test gravity target BB1 at the Bluebush prospect on EPM 27179 with the aim of discovering a large stratabound zinc-lead-silver deposit. Their second project will drill test geophysical target GT29 within EPM 27567 aiming to discover a large iron silicate or hematite associated copper and gold breccia deposit. Both projects are located in Queensland's Northwest Mineral Province.
  • Red Ox Copper Pty Ltd will explore for concealed copper mineralisation in the Julia Creek region, using a detailed airborne gravity survey to confirm favourable geology and help target drilling.
  • Renegade Exploration (QLD) Pty Ltd will conduct a single deep diamond drillhole to test a discrete pipe-like magnetic high. The Mongoose copper-cobalt-gold deposit is located on EPM 8588 just south of the township of Cloncurry.
  • Superior Resources Ltd will conduct 2 deep diamond drill holes (1,700 metres total) at the Bottletree prospect are proposed to test for the existence of a large, buried, porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in the Greenvale Terrane of Northern Queensland.
  • Traka Resources Ltd will conduct a drilling program to test the Typhoon target for copper, cobalt, lead zince and silver mineralisation in the highly prospective South Nicholson Basin area near Doomadgee, North Queensland.
  • True North Copper Ltd will conduct 25.6-line kms of deep penetrating 2D-3D dipole-dipole induced polarisation, resistivity and combined magnetotelluric survey at the project located about 130km north of Mt Isa.

Round 7 2023 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

Individual funds of up to $250,000 were awarded to 25 companies covering 25 projects under Round 7 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative. Priority was given to projects aimed at the exploration of critical minerals to help expedite decarbonisation and our commitments towards ensuring a net zero future. Applications for exploring coal, gas and petroleum were not considered.

View the round 7 CEI static map (JPG, 108KB).

View the round 7 projects on the CEI interactive map.

  • QMines Ltd will process the data they previously collected from an airborne electromagnetic survey using a relatively new method to control noise, and provide clearer images of potential ore bodies in the volcanic belt west of Rockhampton.
  • BK Exploration Pty Ltd will drill some deep holes at Mount Elizabeth, testing for copper and other critical metals in the larger volcanic system, 340km west of Gladstone.
  • Strategic Energy Resources Ltd will drill a hole over a kilometre deep, testing a new model for nickel-copper and platinum group elements in the northern Cloncurry area.
  • Mount Isa Mines Ltd exploration team will fly an airborne gravity survey over a large area northwest of Mount Isa city, looking for new zinc and copper resources as dense bodies beneath the surface.
  • Traka Resources Ltd will drill 4 deep holes into copper-cobalt targets at the Gorge Creek Project, 50km west-northwest of Doomagee (northwest Queensland).
  • EMX-NSW Pty Ltd will conduct a large, passive seismic survey to create an image of old river channels hidden beneath lava flows, which have been shown to contain cobalt-manganese nodules and heavy mineral sands near Monto, Central Queensland.
  • Yappar Resources Pty Ltd will drill a deep hole into the old rocks beneath the Carpentaria Basin, looking for high-tonnage copper-gold resources hidden beneath the cover north of Julia Creek.
  • Harmony Gold Pty Ltd will conduct a ground-based gravity survey and combine this with previously collected data from electrical geophysics to create a regional, three-dimensional model of potential sites for new copper deposits in the Roseby Corridor, Mount Isa Inlier (northwest Queensland).
  • Cooper Metals Ltd will fly an airborne electromagnetic survey looking for conductive copper-gold mineralisation over the northern Mary Kathleen Belt, Cloncurry region.
  • Rhumb Resources Pty Ltd will drill a prospect near Laura (Cape York), testing for nickel-copper and platinum group element mineralisation in an undeveloped area.
  • Red Metal Ltd will drill a deep hole to the far north of Ernest Henry Mine, Cloncurry looking for a similar ore deposit in an interesting structure.
  • Orefox Colossus Pty Ltd will conduct a deep-penetrating ground geophysical survey over a copper-cobalt target in the far northwest of Queensland.
  • Capricorn Copper Pty Ltd will conduct an innovative ground geophysical survey combining 3 techniques: Magnetotellurics (MT), ground gravity and Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) to produce a three-dimensional model from their mine to and up to 2 kilometres south, looking for new copper-gold-cobalt ore bodies.
  • Boadicea Resources Ltd will fly a drone-mounted geophysical survey over a copper and tungsten prospect within the Mount Coolon granite, 200km west of Mackay.
  • V2O5 Pty Ltd will drill some shallow holes into the limestone at Julia Creek (central-north Queensland) exploring for both vanadium and rare earth elements.
  • Placer Gold Pty Ltd will fly a drone-based LIDAR (high resolution topography survey) over their Hurricane Antimony-Gold Project, Northeast Queensland.
  • Oakland Gold Pty Ltd will drill a number of holes at their Caron Critical Metals Project, targeting multi-element vein systems (tin-silver-zinc-indium and lithium).
  • Colt Resources Pty Ltd will fly an airborne gravity survey to look for dense nickel-copper ore bodies in a relatively under-explored area of far north Queensland.
  • Kauraru Gold Pty Ltd will drill 2 holes into the Southern Silicified Ridge target on Horn Island, Torres Strait looking for a deep copper resource.
  • Australian Silica Quartz Pty Ltd will drill a number of holes into high purity quartz bodies at the White Springs Project, to test suitability of the product for the semi-conductor market.
  • QPHOS Pty Ltd will conduct an extensive geochemical program on drill core from four major Georgina Basin (northwest Queensland) phosphate rock deposits to investigate rare earth enrichment.
  • Navarre Minerals Queensland Pty Ltd will drill a hole into a new target near the Mount Carlton Mine, looking for polymetallic (copper-gold-silver-zinc) mineralisation hidden beneath volcanic rock (75km southwest of Bowen).
  • Dover Castle Metals Ltd will conduct a drilling program near the abandoned Tommy Burns Mine looking for new tin-tungsten mineralisation to reinvigorate the area.
  • Yarraman Metals Pty Ltd will fly an airborne magnetic survey to map the nature and structure of the rocks at their Express Creek Project, looking for silver-gold targets, as well as copper-bismuth-molybdenum vein systems.
  • Crater Gold Mining Ltd will drill a number of exploratory holes into electrically conductive targets that appear to be graphite, suitable for the battery market.

Round 6 2022 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

Individual funds of up to $200,000 were awarded to 13 companies covering 16 projects under round 6 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative. The projects have received funding to assist with frontier exploration or innovative exploration concepts, aiming to increase exploration investment in Queensland.

View the round 6 CEI static map (JPG, 444KB).

View the round 6 projects on the CEI interactive map.

  • Aeon Isa Exploration Pty Ltd is conducting a gravity survey to better delineate possible base metal targets, 60km west of Mount Isa.
  • Aeon Walford Creek Ltd is conducting an electromagnetic survey to better understand structures at depth that could be important mineralisation conduits, 340km north-north-west of Mount Isa.
  • Aozora UC Pty Ltd will be drill testing of 2 exploration targets to learn more about the geology, structures and deposit type at Templeton East, 50km west of Mount Isa.
  • Great Southern Mining Ltd are performing an X-ray analysis of surface and drill core samples to better understand alteration and fluid pathways from multiple sites 115km south-east of Townsville.
  • Lynd Resources Pty Ltd are drilling a 500m hole in a concealed, electromagnetic anomaly to test for the presence vein hosted mineralisation, 75km east-north-east of Croydon.
  • Minotaur Operations Pty Ltd will be drill testing a potential zoned mineral system, which may be undetectable, using conventional geophysical techniques, 65km south-east of Cloncurry.
  • Mount Cuthbert Resources Pty Ltd:
    • will be trialling a non-conventional survey configuration to determine if mineralised bodies have previously been undetected with conventional geophysics, 100km north-east of Mount Isa
    • are undertaking a high-resolution ground gravity survey over known mineralisation and prospective areas to develop models and geophysical characteristics of mineralised zones, 100km north-east of Mount Isa.
  • Mt Dockerell Mining Pty Ltd will be drilling a 500m deep hole under the Mount Philip Haematite deposit to test a known magnetic anomaly, 55km south-east of Mount Isa.
  • Munuku Pty Ltd are flying an airborne geophysical survey targeting identified anomalies related to the George fault, 70km west-south-west of Coen in the Cape York Peninsula.
  • Native Mineral Resources Pty Ltd are flying a high-resolution airborne geophysical survey to better understand the structural geometry of copper, gold porphyries in the Northern Chillagoe Formation, located 200km west-north-west of Cairns.
  • Red Fox Resources Pty Ltd:
    • will be undertaking reverse circulation drilling to understand mineralisation and structural controls at the Ernest Henry West Copper Project, 150km north-east of Mount Isa
    • will be diamond drilling to determine the mineralisation style to guide future exploration, 45km east of Georgetown.
  • Sunshine Gold Ltd:
    • are conducting geophysical exploration for intrusion-related mineralisation at Ravenswood West, 130km south of Townsville
    • are field mapping and geochemical soil sampling over Elphinstone Creek at Ravenswood, 130km south of Townsville.
  • Yarraman Metals Pty Ltd will undertake a soil geochemical survey to evaluate the performance of field-based X-ray analysis compared to laboratory analysis near Georgetown, 450km south-west of Cairns.

Round 5 2021 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

Individual funds of up to $200,000 were awarded to 16 companies covering 18 projects under round 5 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative. The projects targeted the exploration of critical minerals and were undertaken across north-east and north-west Queensland.

View the round 5 projects on the CEI interactive map.

  • Multicom Resources Limited applied for a new Magnetotelluric geophysical survey for the Yappar Project west of Croydon, testing for indications of sulphide mineralisation.
  • Strategic Energy Resources Limited has been approved for 2 separate grants for projects in the North West Minerals Province
    • A drilling project will target base metals to expand on the geo data in the under explored area.
    • A second project will develop a deep learning-based model to interpret basement geology from geophysical data.
  • Chinova Resources will undertake a regional geochemical appraisal of a mineral prospective area to the south of Cloncurry.
  • Mount Isa Mines Limited will undertake an airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey, supporting exploration by providing a high-quality dataset suitable for geological and structural interpretation and targeting.
  • Red Metal's project, north of Cloncurry in the North West Minerals Province, will undertake a new Magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical survey.
  • Round Oak Minerals will undertake a collaborative survey to help define exploration targets across the region, south-east of Cloncurry.
  • Yappar Resources Pty Ltd will conduct drilling in north Queensland to test a target modelled as a large tin-silver deposit.
  • Ballymore Resources Limited will conduct drilling in north-east Queensland to test a combination of metals in intrusive rock.
  • NorthX P/L will undertake drilling activity to provide information to further understand new economy mineral occurrences in Central Queensland.
  • Longreach No.1 Pty Ltd will sample and study rock formations in the Peak Range Volcanics to build up fundamental knowledge for future rare earth exploration.
  • Moho Resources Limited will conduct strategic drilling in north-west Queensland to explore mineral prospectivity of basement rocks that contributed to irregularities in borewaters.
  • Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd will undertake the following 2 funded projects in north-west Queensland
    • an exploratory drilling programs to test the concept of rare earth mineralisation at the base of the Georgina Basin sediment
    • a combined geophysical program of high-resolution gravity and magnetotelluric (MT) profiles.
  • Teck Australia Pty Ltd will undertake drilling south of Mount Isa exploring the geology to test for lead-zinc and copper mineralisation.
  • Minotaur Operations Pty Ltd will use a highly innovative technique to target hidden deposits. The data will allow explorers to see through sediment cover and pick up potential mineralisation information in the basement rocks.
  • Thomson Resources Limited will conduct a 3,000 line kilometre high resolution airborne magnetic survey west of Chillagoe to help define intrusion related mineralisation targets
  • Heavy Metal Exploration Pty Ltd will collect surface samples in the Mt Cobalt corridor south of Cloncurry, testing various sample types and analytical methods to determine the most appropriate technique for critical mineral exploration in this district.

Round 4 2020 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

Individual funds up to $200,000 were awarded to 24 companies, covering 25 projects across Queensland. These grants covered exploration of high demand commodities that include critical minerals such as cobalt, copper and rare earth elements.

View the round 4 recipients on the CEI interactive map.

  • Lynd Resources undertook deep drilling to look for silver, tin and other tech metals north of Georgetown.
  • Dover Castle Metals searched for silver, lead and zinc and potentially one of the highest grades of indium in Australia using diamond drilling techniques on land approximately 150km west of Cairns.
  • Red River Resources undertook low-impact magnetic surveys using drones on land approximately 100km south west of Cairns to look for silver, lead, zinc and indium deposits.
  • Oakland Gold undertook further drill exploration to find gold deposits in an underexplored area around 150km east of Karumba.
  • Red Metal used magnetotelluric survey equipment to undertake detailed mapping of some known zinc, lead and silver deposits in and around the old Century Mine near Lawn Hill.
  • Sector Projects used diamond drilling technology to look for deep and high-quality deposits of copper and zinc in an area approximately 200km north of Mount Isa.
  • Century Mining contributed to its magnetotelluric survey in and around the old Century Mine near Lawn Hill to help define more zinc, lead and silver deposits to potentially fast track to production by utilising existing mine and supply chain infrastructure.
  • Mount Cuthbert Resources re-analysed historical surface samples for critical minerals in an area approximately 100km north-east of Mount Isa.
  • Teck Australia:
    • explored for lead, zinc and silver in Riversleigh siltstone 200km north-west of Mount Isa
    • explored and re-invigorated an area approximately 200km south of Mount Isa for copper and zinc
  • Red Fox Resources used diamond drilling equipment to test an area known as the Gipsy Creek Copper-Gold Project in north west Queensland.
  • Capricorn Copper used gravity gradiometry techniques to survey an area approximately 100km north of Mount Isa in the hunt for copper, cobalt, lead, zinc and silver.
  • Minotaur Operations employed electromagnetic survey techniques to search for large base metal and gold deposits near McKinlay in the state's north-west.
  • Aeon Walford Creek explored for deep iron oxide, copper and gold (IOCG) in an area approximately 100km west of Mount Isa.
  • Vendetta Mining Corp undertook deep drilling to look for zinc, silver and lead south of Cloncurry.
  • Mawson Queensland undertook deep drilling targeting base metals and critical minerals near the world-class Cannington mine.
  • Chinova Resources undertook one of the nation's largest regional electromagnetic surveys of a known and relatively underexplored tech metal area approximately 250km south-east of Mount Isa near the Osborne mine.
  • Anglo American used new core scanning and geochemistry techniques to analyse core samples from the Diamantina region from mineral exploration dating back to the 2000s, approximately 150km north of Bedourie.
  • Mt Coolon Gold Mines undertook extensive 3DIP survey over a silver and gold prospective corridor adjacent to the Mt Coolon Gold Mines inland from Mackay.
  • Ten Sixty Four undertook some deep drilling to look for gold deposits in its Monteagle Drilling Project north-west of Emerald. The deposits, if proven, could tap into the well-established supply chain in the Bowen Basin.
  • Longreach No.1 completed high resolution magnetic and radiometric surveys over a 400km2 area just east of Longreach. The junior explorer will use this data to look for porphyry and epithermal copper and gold.
  • North X worked with CSIRO to undertake a mineral classification study of rare earth element mineralisation in the Peaks Range Volcanics, 75km north of Emerald. The study has potential to accelerate Queensland as a major rare earth producer.
  • Metal Bank undertook drilling in the Wide Bay area to further explore several known targets of copper, silver, molybdenum (used to make steel alloys in engine parts), silver, lead, tellurium (a metal used to improve the strength of lead, copper and stainless steel) and zinc.
  • Auburn Resources undertook an electromagnetic survey to undertake a non-invasive search to potentially open up a parcel of land in the Wide Bay area inland from Bundaberg seeking nickel, cobalt and copper.
  • Earth Ray Exploration searched an area in south-west Queensland west of Cunnamulla near the Queensland and New South Wales border.

Rounds 1–4 Collaborative Exploration Initiative

View project details on the CEI interactive map.

How to access final reports and data

Once projects are completed, companies submit a final report including all data. After a time, these reports become open file and are made publicly available on the GSQ Open Data Portal. Read the timeline for release above.

The CEI interactive map has links to the GSQ Open Data Portal for CEI projects that have been completed and are publicly available.

Collaborative Drilling Initiative

You can access the exploration reports from our previous grants program, the Collaborative Drilling Initiative (CDI), on the GSQ Open Data Portal.

Maps of the projects that were supported under the program are available below for reference.

Contact us

Geological Survey of Queensland
Email: GSQ@Resources.qld.gov.au
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  • Last reviewed: 5 Apr 2024
  • Last updated: 11 Apr 2024