Research Highlights

Research Taps into Hydrocarbon Exploration of volcanic Passive Margin Basins
Global hydrocarbon exploration is increasingly focussed on passive margin basins. However, exploration of continental margins poses major Risks due to the significant geological uncertainties from sparse data coverage and their poorly understood formation and evolution. (Find out more)

Data-centres Offer a Potential Role for Geothermal Energy Investment
Centre for Energy Technology (CET) researchers are the first to report a comprehensive analysis of the potention for data-centres to offer a low cost pathway to market for geothermal resources situated away from close access to electricity transmission lines. The work also has implications for captive industrial or residential districts.
(Find out more)

Formation Damage and Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery

Resource Engineering Program's Professor Pavel Bedrikovetski, pictured, is undertaking research on formation damage and enhanced oil and gas recovery in a current project for Santos Ltd. (Find out more)

Stress Analysis Findings Have Implications for Petroleum Industry

A study of the present-day stress orientations in the Nile Delta has implications for minimising costs of subsalt hydrocarbon exploration and production around the world. (Find out more) (Access article)

Realistic Fracture Modelling Offers Insight to Enhanced Geothermal Systems

A realistic fracture model which adequately describes a fracture-stimulated reservoir is fundamental to the understanding of fluid flow and heat transfer of the enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). (Find out more)

Study Gives Greater Understanding on Organic Photovoltaic Device Characteristics
The study of organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials and devices is a rapidly-growing scientific field that is gaining greater technological relevance. (Find out more) (Access Publication)

 Stress Analysis Findings Have Implications for Petroleum Industry
A study of the present-day stress orientations in the Nile Delta has implications for minimising costs of subsalt hydrocarbon exploration and production around the world. Find out more (Access Publication)

 Research Sheds Light on South Australian Uranium Deposits
‘Novel technology promises economic benefits to Australia's uranium industry'

A project involving IMER's Research Engineering Program researchers used mineralogy and geochemistry of ore materials and sediments to gain understanding of the geological formation of the Beverley uranium deposit. (Find out more) (Access publication)

Geological Data Offers Insight into Arabian Nubian Shield
Researchers from University of Adelaide, Saudi Geological Survey and Curtin University of Technology offer new insights into the amalgamation of Gondwana across the northern East African Orogen  (Find out more) (Access publication)

 U-Pb zircon, zircon Hf and whole rock Sm-Nd isotopic constraints on the evolution of Paleoproterozoic rocks in the northern Gawler Craton
Magmatic protoliths to orthogneisses in the northern Gawler Craton have ages of 1780-1750 Ma. Geochronology, isotopic data and geochemistry suggest that these orthogneisses can be considered as suitable sources to Paleoproterozoic basin sequences of the Gawler Craton and Curnamona Province. (Access publication)

Coal Gas Research Promises Economic Benefits
Researchers at The University of Adelaide's Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources have won an Australian Research Council Linkage Project which promises economic benefits to Australia's gas industry and improved understanding of natural gas production.(Find out more) (Access publication)

Radiation, Soot and Temperature Analysis Offers Breakthroughs in Understanding
‘IMER's breakthrough measurements have advanced scientists ability to assess the interdependence of temperature and soot in flames' (Find out more)

Gold Biomineralisation Insights Offer Implications for Exploration and Extraction
‘This research has opened the way for the development of bioexploration and bioprocesing tools which could revolutionise the exploration for gold and improve gold extraction' (Find out more)

Cooling and Exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
This paper presents recent pressure-temperature and geochronological analysis of granulite facies metasediments in the poorly-exposed Mount Woods Inlier of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia. Find out more 

Fractures Point the Way to Extraction of Underground Resources
"IMER researchers pioneer the innovative use of stochastic rock fracture modelling" (Find out more)

Genesis and preservation of a U-rich Palaeozoic epithermal system with a surface expression (Northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia): radiogenic heat driving regional hydrothermal circulation over geological timescales.
The authors have demonstrated that a radiogenic heat source have driven hydrothermal circulation over hundreds of millions of years, from the Permian to the present. (Find out more)

Minor elements in bornite and associated Cu-sulfides: a LA-ICPMS study
This is the first detailed study of the distribution of trace elements in two common copper sulphide minerals, demonstrating systematic partitioning of, for example, Ag and Bi, during equilibration. (Find out more)