Australia's currently known magmatic-related uranium resources are low, despite the widespread occurrence of uranium-rich igneous rocks nationwide. This discrepancy suggests that Australia is under-represented in this family of uranium mineral systems, and therefore there is high potential for new discoveries of magmatic-related mineralisation. An assessment of the potential for magmatic-related uranium systems has been made using the fuzzy logic method. This method has been selected due to its flexibility, ease of use, and ability to account for uncertainty.
Two subcategories of magmatic-related uranium systems have been assessed for: intrusive- and volcanic-related. Mappable prospectivity criteria have been developed for each of these subcategories based on a mineral systems approach. In many cases, the criteria are identical for both systems, since both are underpinned by the same fundamental processes of partial melting, uranium solubility and fractional crystallisation. Other criteria are specific to the targeted subcategory.
The investigation has not attempted to identify specific sites of uranium mineralisation, but has rather focused on identifying igneous events and units which exhibit favourability for magmatic-related uranium systems. Potentially prospective units for each subcategory occur in all States and Territories. In many cases, identified prospective units occur in regions where uranium potential has been proven, including the Pine Creek, Curnamona and Georgetown-Cairns regions. Furthermore, potential has also been identified in regions not currently known for uranium mineralisation, including the Arunta, Musgrave and Halls Creek regions. The results of this study provide an initial tool for targeting magmatic-related uranium systems. This broad assessment should be further refined on a regional scale, making use of detailed local datasets and knowledge.
