#Mining

Quest to explain the Pilbara’s unusual ‘watermelon-seed’ gold nuggets

Hundreds of unusual gold nuggets shaped like watermelon seeds were discovered in the Pilbara goldfields last year. We’re now getting to the bottom of how and why these gold nuggets exist.

Mined iron ore

From big data to robotics: growth opportunities for METS

Our Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) Roadmap looks to the future and identifies five key growth opportunities for the mining industry and its suppliers.

Our new partnership with Chrysos will help us use x-ray vision to find gold.

Finding gold in a rush

New x-ray technology will bombard rock samples to help us locate gold and other metals.

Can billions of litres of coal seam gas water be safely reinjected into the ground?

A series of studies reveals how best to treat CSG water before re-injecting it underground to minimise contamination.

Large mining truck carrying rocks in an open-cut mine

Transforming mining for the future

Thanks to new technology, future mining will happen mostly underground, be low impact and produce less waste.

Región de Antofagasta, Chile. Image credit - Daniel Diaz Vera / Flickr

Young stars of CSIRO Chile

Our hub in Chile is nurturing some exciting up and coming research talent. Meet Alfredo, Gabriella, and Nicolas.

Tree and 4 wheel drive vechicle in outback landscape

Unlocking Australia’s deep mineral wealth

Australia's true mineral wealth is yet to be discovered, hidden deep beneath a thick cover of unconsolidated rock and soil, sediments and igneous rocks which have been laid down over hundreds of millions of years.

You know the drill: new tech saves time and money

From three months to one hour, we've reduced the process of analysing the mineralogy and geochemistry of an exploration site using our new tech, Lab-at-Rig®.

Eureka! A solid gold solution to make Archimedes proud

A home-grown tech breakthrough is giving US gold miners access to previously untapped resources - and it has the potential to do the same for Australian miners too. Can you dig it?

Shale gas, coal seam gas… what’s the difference?

By Tsuey Cham A few weeks ago we took a look at coal seam gas (CSG) and the hydraulic fracturing […]

Taking CSG measurements.

Taking a measured approach to CSG

CSIRO through the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) is undertaking a comprehensive study of methane seeps in […]

Mining and biodiversity: are they getting along?

Australia’s Biodiversity series – Part 11: Mining Many people worry about the environmental impacts of mining, but as a society […]