I’m still in Perth learning about WA rocks. Loving carbonatites! Thin sections are still being made in Ingham by Darren, and finally we are over the Christmas backlog so looking forward to a few weeks off after March. Thinking about my next sabbatical location…..but here’s a photomicrograph entitled “Blue Monday”
October 2021
Spring is here down under and it’s getting hotter. The drilling boom continues though with no sign of abating, but the signs are we will get an early wet here in the tropical north, so that may stop a lot of activity! We are still busy with slightly longer than normal wait times but working hard to get results out as soon as we can. Currently we do have some spare capacity to get some more thin sections made and reports completed in November through December so if you want results back by Christmas now would be a good time to submit samples.
Here’s hoping for borders to be completely open nationally and internationally next year!
Stay safe
Rowena :)
May 2021
It’s been a while, but I have been busy!
i’m now trying making this a full time business instead of a side hustle and we have integrated the thin section making under the Mintex banner.
Next step is the soft launch of a geo art side line using some of the more aesthetic photomicrographs (currently via Red Bubble), and hopefully a major site and facility expansion, $$ permitting! Also hoping to add some online training component soon.
So if you want to invest, let me know!
Hope you are all well and COVID safe,
Rowena x
April 2020- COVID-19
We hope you are all doing OK through this crisis period. As we work from home normally on our own we are still operating as usual so happy to receive samples still.
Vale Pat Williams
Darren and I are very saddened to hear about the untimely death of Pat Williams last month, he was a friend, mentor and colleague. Without Pat we wouldn't be doing what we do. Our thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace, Dr Williams.
April 2017
Hope everyone recovers from TC Debbie asap. The Petrographic Workshop has now been cancelled I'm afraid but we are hoping to run some session in the near future to allow petrographic nerds to gather togther and hopefully encourage some newbies into the black art of thin section prep and description.
Happy New Year
Here's hoping 2016 will be a better year for the exploration and mining industry than the last couple. Fingers crossed!
August 2015 The importance of petrography in mineral exploration and mineral processing.
I published this on Linkedin and on the Facebook page....
Mineralogy is the core discipline of the geosciences; it is the subject that underpins our understanding of the Earth in the way that molecular biology underpins our understanding of the life sciences. This should be appreciated by all geoscientists and taught to the young people starting their studies in colleges and universities around the world. Convincing our colleagues of the importance of mineralogy and the cognate subjects of petrology and geochemistry is more important than ever as these core skills are being forgotten with the influx of newer and sexier technologies.
The detailed analysis of minerals by optical mineralogy in thin section and the micro-texture and structure are critical to understanding the origin and history of the rock. Hand specimen descriptions and detailed and accurate core logging in exploration are vital, but a wealth of extra information on alteration and paragenetic sequences can be obtained by the old practice of slicing a 30 micron section of rock and analysing it under a petrographic microscope.
This is even more vital where core logging is undertaken without hand lenses or by inexperienced core loggers. Ore targeting is based on mineralisation models, which in turn is based on the lithologies apparently logged. If this information is incorrect than many thousand of hours and dollars can be wasted. Several thin sections of representative lithologies can provide detailed and accurate information of mineralogies, metamorphism, alteration and paragenetic history.
And do you really know where the gold/silver/copper/zinc/tin is those samples that you have assay values from? Is it related to an early pyrite or a paragenetically late phase one for instance? Finding this out via reflected light mineragraphy and electron microprobe analyses can save many thousands of $ when it comes to mine planning and processing. Automated mineralogy has its place but cannot tell you the story of the rock or any relational or textural information, and is limited by the data uploaded into the software operating system.
There is also a trend currently in this downturn to send sample overseas to get cheaper sections made, but cost commonly positively correlates with quality, and data obtained from such sections is limited and questionable, and much harder to obtain. If the section thickness is wrong, if the section is wedged, or if it is polished badly then mineral identification will be difficult, and photomicrographs will be misleading as colours can be incorrect. Cheaper thin sections are mass produced with no regard to the individual sample, and in these cases the grinding process often plucks out minerals, usually the ones of interest, and this can also result in tin and lanthanum contamination from the polishing media used. Deformation of the softer minerals can also occur. Sections like these cannot be used for any further analytical work such as electron microprobe or laser ablation on the polished section will be impossible. These analytical techniques cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, so why try and save a few dollars on the sample preparation?
We have less than a dozen excellent thin section technicians in Australia so why put them out of business for a sake of a few dollars? If they cease to operate then what happens when we need them again? It’s not a skill the younger generation are learning. Producing good quality thin sections is a dying art that we should all support, as petrography is a “core” data source in geology and should not be forgotten in amongst the mountaining pile of new and whizzy sounding technologies.
Ingham Petrographic Workshop March 2016
We are really pleased to announce our first workshop is nearly finalised and is now planned for March 2016!
The Inaugural International Ingham Petrographic Workshop 2016
"From Sample Collection to Laser Ablation: uses and applications of thin sections and petrography".
To be held in Ingham, Hinchinbrookshire, North Queensland (ca.1hrs drive north of Townsville)
Workshop Convenors: Ingham Petrographics and Mintex Petrological Solutions
We are hoping to hold a 3-day Petrographic Workshop in the vibrant and diverse town of Ingham in the NE QLD Wet Tropics. The conference will include invited speakers (several already confirmed), workshop sessions on thin section preparation (lab visit) and petrology refreshers (microscopes and thin sections provided) and additionally, trips to local geological and culinary attractions will be arranged. There may also be be a small trade exhibit with thin section/microscope supplies and local gems.
Transport to and from Townsville airport will be provided as well as motel accommodation and all meals.
Please contact us if you are interested or for more information.
March 2015
Core Logging using HyLogging Data
Friday May 1st 2015
@ JCU, Townsville
Course leaders:
Jon Huntington (CSIRO, Huntington Hyperspectral)
Rowena Duckworth (Gnomic Exploration Services, Mintex Petrological Solutions)
Jon Huntington and Rowena Duckworth, are holding a 1-day Core Logging with HyLogging training course in Townsville (at JCU Douglas Campus) aimed at graduates/honours and Ph.D students and interested industry people needing a refresher on the application and interpretation of HyLogging data.
This 1-day, hands-on, course aims to explain the concepts and skills of traditional industry core logging, but using cores that have been previously HyLogged so that we can utilise the HyLogging data whilst core logging by eye, in order to compare and contrast what the eye sees and what the HyLogger observes to arrive, possibly more rapidly, at a more objective and standardised interpretation. TSG-Core software will be used for the data analysis and licences will be provided for the day.
Course outline:
· Introduction to workshop (brief talk) - objectives of the day
· Introduction to HyLogging (talk) - principles, what, why, how?
· 1st practical core analysis exercise by participants where, (with an outline of how to log core traditionally (for those participants who haven’t undertaken this before), you will log the laid-out cores in the traditional ways for say 1-2 hours. We will lay out the three drill cores and break participants into small teams.
· Introduction to the spectral characteristics of rocks and minerals (talk
· Introduction to navigating TSG-Core software (practical talk), working through the screens in lock step with participants who will be provided with dongle licences and a dataset for the day on a memory stick.
· Overview of the HyLogging / TSG results found in the workshop cores.
· 2nd practical core analysis exercise by participant’s with their laptops working through the processed TSG results either in the classroom or on the laid-out cores to compare and contrast the tradtional visual and new HyLogging/TSG results.
· Joint class room discussion by all discussing what’s been learnt, feedback, what’s been missed / gained, and overall experiences of the TSG/visual core comparisons.
· Wind-up and feedback
Chinova Resources have kindly donated three spectrally appropropriate cores from the Starra and Merlin deposits which have also been generously HyLogged by the Geological Survey of Queensland and interpreted by the course leaders.
Particpants will be expected to bring their own Windows Laptop computers and have previously installed, or had installed by their administrators, the TSG-Core software (available for free download from www.thespectralgeologist.com. They should not license this software via the website or Ausspec International (unless already purchased and operationial) as temporary licences will be provided for the day. Once registered for the course participant’s will be sent instructions for activating the software (please provide your email address).
Maximum number of participants = 20
Cost (includes lunch, tea/coffee)
Industry geoscientist =$525
Students/ Unemployed geoscientists =$220 (5 places available)
Registration deadline: April 17th N.B. If the course is undersubscribed by this point it will be cancelled and full refunds processed.
Dr Jon Huntington is an internationally-recognised CSIRO specialist in hyperspectral applications for the Geosiences, co-developer of the HyLogging Systems and TSG software and past Director of the AuScope National Virtual Core Library (NVCL) infrastructure. He is currently a CSIRO Fellow and HyLogging interpretation and training consultant to industry and the Geological Surveys.
Dr Rowena Duckworth is a consultant petrologist and geologist who has worked with the exploration industry on alteration and mineralisation for over twenty years through academic research projects whilst at JCU and through independant consultancy work.
The course is kindly sponsored by Chinova Resources, Gnomic Explortaion Services, Mintex Petrological Solutions and Huntington Hyperspectral. In-kind benefits from CSIRO, GSQ, AusScope are gratefully acknowledged.
*HyLogging TM, HyLoggerTM, TSGTM are trademarks of the CSIRO.
For futher information on this course and how to register please email: r.duckworth@gnomic.com.au or call 0429 600 754
November 2014
Mintex were proud to sponsor this years AIG Minerals Industry Xmas party for the folks in the Townsville area. A great night was had by all.
On another note, Mintex, together with CSIRO, GSQ and EGRU, will be running a core logging Hylogging course in Townsville, probably in the March-April period. Get in touch if you want to know more.
June 2014
We are still busy, but trying to still provide a timely turnaround time. We have recently acquired new laps that allow us to polished rock slabs /core samples so please contact us if that is of interest to you.
On the drawing board at the moment is a core logging course to be held in Townsville in September.
April 2014
Still busy here, but always happy to talk to new clients. Darren did incur some damage from Cyclone Ita that that has slowed us down a bit, but we are pleased to now be able to add vibrolapping to our list of services, so if you want rock slabs polished, get in touch.
February 2014
Well, a new year already and things are still pretty busy. The wet season does not seem to have slowed down companies that much and we are hopeful that 2014 will see more geologists back to work. But we still have a turnaround time of around 4 weeks, depending on how many samples you submit. Still happy to have clients come and join us when we are working on your samples. Rowena has also started to provide microscopy training, so please get in touch if you are interested in that.
July Update
Well, the downturn in the industry is taking its toll. Rowena no longer works through Gnomic Exploration services as they have made cutbacks, a common story at the moment. Good luck to all of you you have similarly been retrenched, its a tough world out there, but something will come up, it always does! To quote Monty Python, "always look on the bright side of life"!
However, Darren is still busy with thin section preparation with turnaround times of 3-4 weeks and we are still in business for petrology and any other research work you need undertaken. The good side to not running petrology work through Gnomic any more is that Rowena now has control over the rates allowing for much more flexibility in quotes. There's always an upside!
May 2013
This new website is an exciting venture and we are very pleased to be adding new services to our repertoire. Darren's new lab is working well and Rowena will be presenting a paper on petrology and electron microprobe analysis (for Gnomic Exploration Services) at the upcoming Bali 2013 East Asia Exploration conference at the end of the month. Bit nervous about that, but it will be fun and will be a great chance to meet new people and learn heaps.