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Ausmodel Pty Ltd

Ausmodel Pty Ltd was established by the core partners of predictive mineral discovery CRC in 2001 to act as the IP holding company and commercial agent for all technology based outputs created in the CRC.

Ausmodel's objective is to protect the integrity of the IP and make it available as widely as possible to the Australian community. Ausmodel will provide a range of access portals to the IP including: exclusive off shore access to an exploration company (Predictive Discovery); consulting access to Australian industry and CRC sponsors for national benefit; and access to the core partners for research and educational purposes. 

The prime commercial focus is a consulting service to assist predictive discovery of mineral deposits through application of advanced numerical modelling and computer simulation to targeting problems.  This emerging technology is starting to be utilised by exploration companies and has the potential to improve the probability of exploration success by reducing the time and cost involved in discovery.

Unique Technology & Value Proposition

The technology is a unique exploration strategy facilitated by modelling/simulation technology and supported by expert staff. The technology will effectively deliver value through better exploration targeting solutions.

This technology is based on:

• 3D geological model construction at the terrane and/or local scale
• mineral system analysis to develop hypotheses for testing by computational simulation
• predictive simulation for both direct targeting and improved data collection strategies, both of which will reduce targeting costs

The major benefit of application of the technology is to improve the probability of exploration success through:

• rapid solutions to targeting issues through multiple scenario testing in time frames acceptable in  the exploration business (weeks to months) rather than in research time frames of many months to years.
• optimal use of existing data through identification of key controls on ore forming processes
• resultant efficiency improvements through reduction in time and cost required for discovery.

The core technology facilitates value creation through better exploration targeting based upon the evaluation of potentially mineralized areas using numerical simulation of ore formation.  

Services

• 3D geological model construction:
• terrane or local scale, including templates
• validation to refine existing geological model (including geophysical inversion) and limited geological mapping where necessary
• geophysical data treatments including wavelet analysis of potential field data to produce "worm maps"
• Mineral system analysis, including data analysis and field work to determine stress and fluid histories as related to mineralization formation
• Numerical modelling of geological processes for simulating the processes involved in forming mineral systems at all scales (in time and space):
• reactor style chemical modelling
• coupled deformation, fluid flow ± thermal
• coupled fluid flow , chemical reaction and thermal (reactive transport)
• coupled fluid flow, deformation, thermal and chemical reaction ("fully coupled" modelling)
• Consulting advice on data collection strategies based on numerical modeling outcomes

Outputs

• Development of data acquisition and interpretation strategies aimed at generating and prioritising targets for maximum expected value. Such services will most likely be used for targeting ore in areas where the available data is insufficient to generate good 3D (or even 2D) geological interpretations
• Direct prediction of favourable locations for target orebodies based on geometries provided by clients (the "MPI Stawell model")
• Prediction and prioritisation of favourable ore environments in 3D models (generated by clients or by the group) by translation of modelling results - obtained by running a large series of models using simplified geometries for a range of possible ore host scenarios - into 3DGIS
• Assessment of the relative favourability of terrains for the discovery of certain ore types based on the numerical modelling of crustal scale ore fluid (and/or sulphur bearing fluid) generation, deformation and fluid flow based on geodynamic scenarios identified by clients.

This Table describes the components of the Technology IP as at 30 June 2008

Technology IP	Description of Functionality
Desktop Modelling Toolkit (DMT)	A system that enables geoscientific modellers to more efficiently create and run numeric simulations of earth processes, using 3-dimensional finite element meshes using their own PC or grid computing
SwFrame service	The SwFrame service provides grid computing functionalities via a defined interface to the Desktop Modelling Toolkit. It allows DMT users to submit and manage jobs on the grid.
Inversion Geology software	A software application which enables an expert user to quickly assess different numerical modelling outputs. It is used to run numerical models on a series of parameter values such as geometry, boundary conditions and boundary velocity. The software biases the selection of the parameter values. This helps geologists save time in reproducing observed geological patterns. The geologist user who carries knowledge of these patterns in his or her head then assesses the visual representation of the modelling outputs produced by the software to determine how close those outputs are to the expected geological patterns. The software allows the geologist to map his or her rating of the relative validity of the modelling outputs back into the multidimensional input parameter space. The software produces various 2-dimensional images of the input parameter space, which enables the geologist to select parts of the parameter space which are more likely to contain the "correct" parameter values. In this way, the user can converge on a set of parameter values that reproduce the known geological pattern.
Reactive Transport Code	A software application which enables simulation of the interaction of fluid flow, chemical reaction (and its consequential effects on porosity and permeability) and thermal evolution (including advective transport of heat) in rocks.
Productive Interactive Graphics (PIG) v2 software	Software which enables users to visualise outputs from HCh code (third party software).
GOCAD Wizards	This is a software "add-on" which enables users of GOCAD (third party software) to build 3-dimensional meshes suitable for use in numerical modelling very quickly. The GOCAD Wizards overcome limitations in the ability of GOCAD to build meshes which are mathematically valid. The GOCAD Wizards build mathematically valid meshes quickly for the class of geometry that the geologist selects.
Coupling Code between Abaqus (third party software) and Reactive Transport Code	A software application which enables communication between the Reactive Transport Code and Abaqus (third party software). This communication enables simulation of mechanical deformation in rocks as well as the interaction of fluid flow, chemical reaction and thermal evolution.

 

Contacts to access the Technology service

Warren Potma: Research Stream Leader, CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship
Warren.potma@csiro.au

Bob Haydon:  Chairman Ausmodel Pty Ltd
rhaydon@unimelb.edu.au

Lisa Norden:  Financial Advisor and Company Secretary

 

Case Studies

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