Research

The Aureka Irvine Gold Project is located 16 km south of the Stawell Gold Mine in western Victoria. The project lies within the Mooranambool Metamorphic Complex (MMC) of the Stawell Zone, a narrow belt of Cambrian turbidites and volcanic sequences characterised by tight folding, strong cleavage, and high-angle faulting. The MMC hosts the 5.2 Moz Stawell Goldfield.

Gold mineralisation at Irvine is associated with a package of steeply west dipping sheared basalt and meta-sediments offset 50-80m from the eastern flank of a Cambrian basalt dome which is located on the hinge of an F₂ antiform.  Mineralisation occurs on or adjacent to the shear zone, typically on meta-basalt/meta-sediment contacts where the rheological contrast provides an ideal locale for shearing. The Resolution and Adventure lodes together host an Inferred Resource of 304 koz @ 2.43 g/t Au, with mineralisation open along strike and to depths exceeding 800 m.

One to two honours projects are proposed, each focusing on complementary aspects of the Irvine gold system to better understand mineralisation controls and paragenesis.

Possible projects:

1. Gold mineralisation, including:
   1. Gold deportment (quartz vs sulphides)
   2. Pathfinder elements & mineral associations
2. Ore deposit paragenesis, including:
   1. Vein assemblages
   2. Deformation history & metamorphism

Projects will include a field trip to the Irvine gold project for geological mapping, sampling and diamond drill hole logging. Funding will be provided to cover travel, accommodation and research costs.

CODES/ES is looking for two motivated and enthusiastic Honours students for a fully funded industry research project beginning in 2026.

The Dreadnought Resources (DRE) Mangaroon project is located approximately 900km north of Perth in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The project lies within the Gascoyne Complex, a multiply deformed, metamorphic basin of volcano-sedimentary, siliciclastic and carbonate sediments metamorphosed to various schists and gneisses. Within the Mangaroon project, two areas of base metal (Cu, Au, Zn and Ag) mineralisation have been defined with further drilling currently underway. The Tiger prospect is a geochemical anomaly identified from anomalous soil and rock chip samples hosted in the 1.68 Ga Pooranoo Metamorphics, while the Bordah (Inevitable) prospect, approximately 25km to the west, was identified from an airborne electromagnetic survey (AEM) with gossanous outcrops discovered and sampled subsequently in the 1.84 Ga Leake Spring Metamorphics. Interestingly, the Tiger prospect was not visible in the AEM survey, despite the presence of massive sulphides in the drilling. The Tiger prospect was drilled in 2024 with bedrock mineralisation confirmed with up to 26m at 1.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu, 0.5% Pb 20.2 ppm Ag and 0.2 ppm Au (https://dreadnoughtresources.com.au/announcements/6601211). The Bordah/Inevitable prospect is currently being drilled.

It is proposed that two Honours projects are run simultaneously, one for each of the two prospects, Tiger and Inevitable. Each project would consider the same research questions, using the same methodology to allow for direct comparisons between the projects and increase the likelihood of understanding the overall system.

1. What are the deposit characteristics for the Tiger and Bordah/Inevitable prospects with respect to;
   1. Metal associations (primary vs secondary mineralisation, pathfinder associations?)
   2. Mineral associations/paragenesis
   3. Timings (mineralisation pre/syn/post deposition and/or metamorphism? Is all mineralisation primary or is there remobilisation?)
   4. Genesis
2. What is the relationship, if any, between the two prospects?
   1. What is causing the difference in AEM response?

This project is ideal for candidates with a keen interest in exploration geology and will involve a field trip to the study area for geological mapping and sampling.

The Rocky Cape Region in northwest Tasmania is host to Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks that formed during one of Earth’s most chaotic climatic periods, termed ‘Snowball Earth’. In the Central African Copperbelt, these same aged rocks host world-class sediment-hosted Cu-Co deposits, which suggests this time period or these rock types may be important for mineralisation. The age of the Tasmanian glacial rocks is poorly constrained. Available age data contradict the established stratigraphic correlations to the type localities in the Adelaide Superbasin (Sturtian and Marinoan glacial events).

This honours project will involve field work and core sampling at MRT to collect samples of glacial diamictite and cap carbonates from northwest Tasmania. Geochronology data will be collected from detrital zircons, and calcite U-Pb data will be collected to constrain the age of Tasmanian Neoproterozoic glacial events. This project has the potential to produce significant results that will contribute to global studies of Neoproterozoic glacial events. These studies are important in understanding Earth’s climate tipping points and how climate is impacted by geological processes.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in applied geophysics, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Generally we do not arrange sponsor-supported projects in years with low numbers of expected geophysics students. Potential supervisors are: Michael Roach and Mathew Cracknell.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students to directly contact Michael and Matthew if they have an interest in geophysics, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are many potential projects that can be arranged. Generally we do not arrange sponsor-supported projects in years with low numbers of expected geophysics students.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in economic geology (ore deposit geology), but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Potential supervisors are: David Cooke, Lejun Zhang, Michael Baker, Robert Scott.

Find out more about supervisors here.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in environmental geochemistry, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Potential supervisors are: Owen Missen, David Cooke, Matthew Cracknell and Sebastien Meffre.

Find out more about supervisors here.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in igneous petrology and geochemistry, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Potential supervisors are Francisco Testa, Ivan Belousov, and Sebastien Meffre.

Find out more about supervisors.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in LA-ICP-MS methods, mineral chemistry or geochronology, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Potential supervisors are: Ivan Belousov.

This general category is specifically provided to encourage students who have an interest in submarine or subaerial volcanology and/or sedimentology, but are not keen on the advertised projects. There are several potential projects that can be arranged. Potential supervisors are: Rebecca Carey, Martin Jutzeler, and Karin Orth.