FOR press ;  334

EMBARGO ;  HOT FOR PUBLICATION* BROADCASTING OR CABLING BEFORE'" 4 P.m, SUNDAYo APRIL 1Ã¢ÂÂ 19627 “

PHOSPHATE DISCOVERY IN NORTHERN TERRITORY

Joint Statement "by the Minister for National Development, Senator the Hon, W.H. Spooner, ÃÂ . M. , and the Minister  for Territories, the Hon, PÃ¢ÂÂM,C0Hasluck.

During 1961 the Bureau of Mineral Resources in the Depax* tment

of National Development undertook on "behalf of the Australian Atomic

Energy Commission a programme of geochemical and geophysical work

with the object of finding further deposits of uranium ore near

Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory,,

In the course of this work it was noted that certain rocks

were consistently slightly radioactive, and further chemical gnd

spectrographic analyses were made to determine the cause of the

radioactivity. These analyses established that the samples

contained phosphate, many of them being in fact high-grade

phosphate rock.

Four separate prospects were found over a distance of

approximately two miles, and more may exist under soil cover.

The exposures found are close to an old erosion surface which is

covered in places by latexÂ· deposits.

The occurrences are remarkable in two respects: firstly in

being the first-lmown discovery of this type of phosphate deposit.

in Precambrian rocks; and secondly in being the first reported

high-grade phosphate rock on the mainland of Australia.

The discovery is particularly noteworthy in view of the

developing interest in the use of phosphate in the Northern

Territory to restore phosphorus deficiencies in the generally

leached soils of the North, and in correcting dietary diseases

in stock caused by phosphate deficiencies.

If the deposits should prove to be of commercial size and

grade they are particularly well situated because of their

proximity to road and railway and to the Rum Jungle treatment

plant, which has facilities for the manufacture of sulphuric acid,

the essential chemical used in producing superphosphateÂ®

Insufficient work has yet been done to establish the size

and the potential of the prospects. But the Minister for National

Development has now approved the carrying out in 1962 of a B.M.R.

programme which includes further prospecting for phosphate, as

well as for uranium, in the Hundred of Goyder and other areas.

The phosphate search is designed to make a preliminary

assessment of the size, shape and grade of the new deposits, and

to provide information about other areas in the Northern Territory,

where phosphate has been or might be found. The search will

involve the use of sugar and diamond drills.

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The geochemical and geophysical party--will^.require"the use

Ã¢ÂÂ   of "two auger drills to "bore through the overlying surface

soils to "bedrock. Auger holes must he "bored to establish

whether or not surface radiometric anomalies are related to

mineralisation in the underlying bedrock. In this programme

cuttings will "be studied and the bore hole logged

radiometrically. Useful information will be provided not

only in the distribution of uranium mineralisation but also

of such metals as copper, lead, nickel, vanadium, cobalt,

molybdenum and berylliumÂ»

The importance of discovering exploitable phosphate

deposits on the mainland of Australia is very well known,

Australia uses large quantities in manufacturing fertilisers

and at present practically all our requirements are imported,

mainly from Nauru, Ocean Island and Christmas Island, where

reserves are expected to be worked out in 30 or 40 years

from now.

It is possible that the information obtained about

phosphate occurrences under this 1962 B.M.RÂ» programme may

provide useful pointers for exploration in other parts of

Australia.

CANBERRA

April 1, 1962 - P0M,

