EAE5063 - Mineral exploration simulation - 2019

The unit aims to provide post-graduate students with a work-integrated learning experience that simulates an exploration program for mineral commodities. The unit will be taught as a group project, with students working in teams of 3 to 4 within their own level. The project will require identification of a target commodity based geological and geophysical information, justification of the target selection including a literature review, acquisition and synthesis of the appropriate geological, geochemical, and geophysical data, interpretation of the data, developing of an exploration targeting strategy, and an economic analysis of the program. Projects will be designed to prepare students for comparable experiences in the workplace. Students will develop skills in data synthesis and analysis, geological interpretation, critical and lateral thinking using diverse geoscientific data.

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Students will develop the ability to work in a team environment to achieve project objectives.
2. Students will develop their oral presentation skills that enable them to express the concepts they develop, the data required to test the concept, and the outcomes and interpretations of the simulated exploration program.
3. Students will construct a geoscientific report outlining the objectives, methodology and data required, and the outcomes and interpretations of the simulated exploration program.
4. Students will gain an ability to integrate multiple large datasets to synthesise and interpret geological information.
5. Students will gain an ability to use geoscientific data to undertake an economic assessment of a mineral exploration program including the cost of the program and the size of the target required to economically develop a mine.

Presentation: 10%

Geochemical and geophysical data collection design: 20%

Drilling program design: 20%

Final report and presentation (with an additional component that includes an assessment of the size of the target required to economically develop a mine and the cost of the exploration program): 50%

This unit is offered at both Level 4 and Level 5, differentiated by the level of the assessment. Students enrolled in EAE5063 will be expected to demonstrate a higher level of learning in this subject than those enrolled in EAE4063. The assignments in this unit will use some common items from the EAE4063 assessment tasks, in combination with several higher level questions and tasks.

The project requires a workload commitment of 144 hours over the semester

See also Unit timetable information

Masters of Science (Earth Science)