[en] Summary - Wiluna: One of the few projects able to provide new production from 2016 to take advantage of the predicted U market upswing. The 3Ps: • Process – Sound science is fundamental; – There are no short-cuts (but can be lots of delays)! • Persistence: – Tell your story over and over again; – Every roadblock can be overcome; • Patience: – Start early; – Expect all stakeholders to take longer to accept the project

[en] The Cs-137 technique represents the only feasible method whereby sheet erosion is likely to be measured in Western Australia given the expense of building, equipping and monitoring stream gauging stations and the difficulties in detecting small but significant changes in soil levels on sites subject to wind erosion. A pilot study in 1987 used a stratified sampling technique to assess sheet erosion on representative hillslopes. There are possible problems in using the Cs-137 technique in Western Australia due to poor labelling of non-wetting soils, due to poor retention by very sandy soils, due to the selective removal of dust particles and due to wind erosion adding Cs-137 to input sites. Lateritic gravel stones may also need to be crushed and added to the samples for analysis. Some of these problems may be better understood when the results of the pilot survey have been analysed

[en] The provisions of the Regulations cover, inter alia, the general precautions and requirements relating to radiation safety of the public and radiation workers and registration of irradiating apparatus or premises on which such apparatus is operated. In addition, the Regulations set forth requirements for the operation of such apparatus and for the premises involved. (NEA)

[en] Technical data on local CT practice in Western Australia were collected for five major CT providers using a self-completed questionnaire. The CTDIvol DLP and effective dose for each protocol were obtained and providers were ranked according to radiation burden for each clinical scenario. The mean, median, 75th percentile and standard deviation were calculated for both effective dose and DLP for each scenario and these values were compared with published data. CT utilisation data were used to estimate the attributable radiation dose to the WA population and the potential change in population annual effective dose according to the protocol used was estimated. We found that wide variations in technique and radiation dose exist across providers for similar examinations, producing a higher radiation burden than reported internationally. As expected, the CT protocol used dramatically affects the radiation dose received, and this has a significant effect on annual population dose. This study highlights the need for recognition and understanding of both the degree of variation in radiation dose across providers and the relatively high radiation burden afforded by protocols in use in Western Australia so that necessary dialogue can be launched for practitioner consensus on appropriate diagnostic reference levels in CT scanning. (paper)

[en] The development and application of physical geochronology, outlined in this paper, gradually enabled a firm time scale to be established for the study of earth history. This scale had a powerful effect on the study of Precambrian rocks for which no other effective internal age criteria had been available. The U-Pb, Th-Pb, K-Ar and Rb-Sr methods were successively developed and refined to produce compatible results of great precision. The progress of geochronology in Western Australia and its impact on Precambrian studies is outlined

[en] This Code establishes radiation safety practices for the mineral sands industry in Western Australia. The Code prescribes, not only for operators and managers of mines and processing plants but for their employees as well, certain duties designed to ensure that radiation exposure is kept as low as reasonably practicable. The Code further provides for the management of wastes, again with a view to keeping contaminant concentrations and dose rates within specified levels. Finally, provision is made for the rehabilitation of those sites in which mining or processing operations have ceased by restoring the areas to designated average radiation levels. (NEA)

[en] Uranium mineralization has been discovered at a faulted contact between Middle Proterozoic sandstone and Early Proterozoic shale, greywacke and dolomite in the Turee Creek area, Western Australia, and although the extent of the mineralization is still being evaluated, a small U deposit has already been delineated. A petrological, geochemical and stable-isotope study of the host rocks and mineralization indicates that U has been syngenetically enriched in some shales and carbonaceous shales of the Early Proterozoic sequence, and that these rocks were deposited in a low sulfate environment. U has been transported as a uranyl complex (s) under acid pH conditions (possibly as UO₂F⁺) and has been deposited and further concentrated in response to an increase in pH resulting from solution-wall rock reactions. 50 refs.; 7 figs.; 6 tabs

[en] A tunable low energy positron beam has been established at The University of Western Australia. The positron beam can deliver approximately 700 positrons per second in the energy range of 0–1 keV. Initial studies of thermal positron re-emission from a W(100) target showed that the positron work function was 2.75 ± 0.01eV. It was also found that the positron reemission yield was sensitive to the sample temperature and surface cleanliness.

[en] U-Pb isotopic systems of zircons from the Boobina and Spinaway Porphyries from the Precambrian Pilbara Block of Western Australia indicate ages of 3307 +- 19 Ma and 2768 +- 16 Ma, respectively. The age of the Boobina Porphyry, together with previous zircon U-Pb and whole rock Sm-Nd age determinations on stratigraphically older units, indicate that early Archaean volcanism in the Pilbara took place between 3560 Ma and 3300 Ma

[en] Full text: Airborne and ground electromagnetic surveys have been used over many years to explore for unconformity related uranium mineralisation in Australia. The application of electromagnetic techniques in the Australian environment is regarded as a specialist approach due to poor conductivity contrasts often observed between sedimentary cover sequences and basement rocks. Strong basement conductors are rarely seen in prospective geological terranes and it is often a requirement of the electromagnetic survey to resolve thin, weakly conductive horizons in highly resistive surroundings. Logistical and physical constraints play an important role in determining the type of survey applied, and to some extent, the success of the survey. Examples of airborne and ground electromagnetic surveys from prospective terranes in the East Kimberley, Ashburton and West Arnhem Land regions of Australia demonstrate the applicability to exploration with results highlighting both successes and failures. Survey data demonstrate the electromagnetic induction effect in relation to host rock alteration proximal to the unconformity. An airborne electromagnetic survey flown in the Ashburton region of Western Australia shows how the search for unconformity related mineralisation has lead to completely unexpected results. (author)