North Bowen Basin region: Other resource potential data guide

Publicly available geological data in the north Bowen Basin region are compiled to produce statements of existing knowledge for natural hydrogen, hydrogen storage, coal and mineral occurrences. This data guide also contains assessment of the potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) geological storage and minerals in the basin region.
Geochemical analyses of gas samples from petroleum, coal and coal seam gas boreholes in the basin show traces of natural hydrogen. However, the generation mechanism of the observed natural hydrogen concentration is unknown.
Numerous mineral occurrences are found in the basin. Most contain gold, which historically has often been mined. Most occurrences are small, with some exceptions, such as Cracow, Golden Plateau, Kauffman’s Prospect and Miclere gold deposits. The north Bowen Basin has potential for epithermal gold-silver and gold-copper deposits in the deeper formations, but the depth of much of the basin makes exploration and mining difficult and expensive. There is also potential for sandstone-hosted uranium and paleoplacer gold deposits in the upper coal-bearing formations, such as what is seen in the Miclere area.
The north Bowen Basin has a significant quantity of coal, with 152 deposits found in the basin, totalling about 47 billion tonnes of black coal. The results of CO2 geological storage assessment of 3 play intervals in the north Bowen Basin suggest there is low storage potential within the basin.